Copa America 2019: A chance at redemption for the Seleção

Germany 7-1 Brazil: The most humiliating day in Brazil’s football history.

By Joao Cunha

The 2010’s have been a very poor decade for the Brazilian National team. Despite their impressive victory in the 2013 FIFA Confederations Cup on home soil, the last 9 years is better known for the failures of the Seleção rather than the success. In the 3 Copa Americas in 2011, 2015, and 2016 Brazil hasn’t even reached a semi-final. In 2011 and 2015 they lost to Paraguay in the quarter-finals on penalties, in 2016 they lost to Peru 1-0 and failed to get out of the group. The World Cups have been even more disappointing. In 2010 they lost to the Netherlands 2-1 in the last eight after taking the lead at half-time, Wesley Sneijder was the hero for Holland with 2 goals. In the last World Cup Brazil fell 2-1 to Belgium in the quarter-finals with De Bruyne netting the winner. But the worst defeat was in 2014 when Brazil lost to Germany by a staggering 7-1 scoreline at home. It was at the time their first competitive home loss in 39 years and it was the most humiliating result in the team’s history. To cap off the disaster Brazil then lost the 3rd place game to the Netherlands 3-0. The 7-1 score became a symbol of failure in Brazil. Whenever someone spoke about a problem in the country, they would say “Cada dia tem um 7-1 differente” or “Every day here is another 7-1.” It has become a meme and the stigma of that defeat hasn’t fully gone away. Even with Brazil’s Olympic gold win in the Rio games over Germany, there’s still a dissatisfaction with the Brazil side. A Copa America win at home could go a long way to get the Brazilian people excited about their national team again.

Brazil celebrating their Olympic gold win in 2016. They defeated Germany 5-3 on penalties after a 1-1 draw in the final. Neymar scored the goal and netted the winning penalty to help Brazil win their first ever gold in Men’s football.

Brazil despite their remarkable success in the World Cup and Confederations Cup don’t have a great Copa America record. They have won only eight titles which is 3rd-most all-time, compared to Argentina’s fourteen and Uruguay’s fifteen wins. But unlike their World Cup failures as hosts, Brazil have an excellent record hosting the Copa America. Each of the previous 4 times they hosted the event (1919, 1922, 1949, and 1989) they won the competition. The 1989 victory was memorable for several reasons. The first is that the final was against Uruguay in the Maracana a rematch of the infamous 1950 final where Brazil lost 2-1 at home. The second reason was that Brazil at the time had a long trophy drought, they had gone 40 years without a Copa America win and 19 years since winning their 3rd World Cup. The failure of the last few World Cups had stung, so this was a chance at redemption. Brazil defeated Uruguay 1-0 in a tense final behind a goal from Romario. This victory gave Brazil their fourth Copa America victory and they would add 4 more away from home soil winning the tournament in 1997, 1999, 2004, and 2007. Brazil since that famous Copa win in 1989 have won 5 Copa Americas, 4 Confederations Cups and 2 FIFA World Cups a total of 11 major trophies in 30 years. Despite the national team’s recent downturn there is a lot to suggest that Brazil can win this tournament.

Brazil lifting the Copa America in 2007 this was their last Copa title. They defeated heavy favorites Argentina 3-0 in Venezuela.

Brazil’s team even without the injured Neymar is still one of the best squads in the world. In goal they have Alisson who is one of the best goalkeepers in the world and helped Liverpool win their 6th Champions League this season. Defensively they have Thiago Silva who is still one of the best defenders in the world, with Marquinhos, Militao, Miranda who can all defend at a high level. Filipe Luis is a good left-back and Dani Alves has had another solid season at PSG as right-back will captain the side. In midfield they have the steel of Casemiro and his ability to break up plays, with the skill of Arthur to pass the ball through the lines. Phillipe Coutinho by his own admission had a poor season at Barcelona but plays better for Brazil. He will be a key player with his vision and goal-scoring ability in midfield. On the wings Richarlison is on fire after a great year at Everton and David Neres was revelation at Ajax this season. Up fron the debate will be with who should start between Gabriel Jesus and Roberto Firmino. Although Jesus had a poor World Cup he bounced back with 19 goals this season at Manchester City, while Firmino offers better link-up play and can score a fair amount of goals. Either way it is not a bad problem to have if you are the Brazilian manager Tite. It will be up to Tite to make sure he gets the best players to play something he struggled with at the World Cup. He put far too much faith in Gabriel Jesus who was awful in the tournament and put Marcelo instead of Filipe Luis in the Belgium which cost Brazil. This time he will have to get those decisions right. But even without Neymar they have adequate depth with Willian, Lucas Paqueta, Fernandinho, and other quality players that can come off the bench. Brazil are favorites according tot the betting market to win this tournament. The state of their opponents only strengthens this case.

Brazil’s main threats in the tournament have major questions of their own. Chile who are the two-time defending champions of the Copa America take an aging squad for one last shot at glory. Alexis Sanchez has had a horrendous time at Manchester United, and Auturo Vidal is past his prime. Colombia have a team that still has questions defensively and with their consistency. They tend to be an inconsistent side not reaching a Copa America final since 2001. Peru like Chile have a problem with aging stars as Guerrero is no longer in his prime. Argentina has Lionel Messi but his side have a lot of unproven players at the national team level. Although he can win matches on his own, Argentina as a whole haven’t won a major title since the 1993 Copa America. They have lost their last SEVEN major finals. So it is unlikely even with Messi’s brilliance it is unlikely that this unproven Argentina side will end that drought. The biggest threat is Urugauay with their wily manager Oscar Tabarez at the helm. They have won the Copa America in 2011 and return with Suarez and Cavani and a midfield and defense with enough youth and maturity to challenger Brazil. With Godin and Gimenez as center-backs and Muslera as their goalkeeper they might have the best defense in the tournament. However Uruguay’s recent record in Brazil has been poor losing many critical matches. Uruguay not only lost the 1989 Copa final but a 1993 World Cup qualifier that knocked them out of the 1994 World Cup. Uruguay also lost a heart-breaking semi-final in the 2013 Confederations Cup 2-1 after a late Paulinho goal sent Brazil to the final. So Brazil despite having some problems would still be expected to win this event.

Brazil-Uruguay in the 2013 Confederations Cup semifinal. Paulinho on the left would go on to score the winner late on.

Despite the disappointing decade the success that Brazil has obtained have been on home soil. They have won both the Confederations Cup and Olympic gold in Rio. The national team even not having a good generation of players in 2014 reached the semi-finals of the World Cup. Brazil has not lost to a South American team at home since Peru beat them in 1975. They are a different team at home and the last 6 football tournaments to be hosted in Brazil that wasn’t the World Cup they won every single one of them. A victory in the Copa America wouldn’t just restore the luster of the Brazilain national team, it would restore the winning mentality as well. A mentality that has been lost for some time now. If they are going to eventually end their World Cup drought they need start winning titles again. When Romario won that Copa America for Brazil the national team began to win big again, they ended their World Cup drought 5 years later in 1994. If Brazil triumphs in 2019 there is a chance the Seleção could return to glory on the world stage once again. 

 

 

Cristiano Ronaldo’s Portugal: The winning generation that changed Portuguese football forever.

Portugal lifting the UEFA Nations League trophy in front of their home fans in Porto.

By Joao Cunha

On a historic night in 2004, Portugal hosted Greece in the final of European Championships. They were heavy favorites to beat Greece who already upset the hosts 2-1 in the group. There was no way they would lose again right? This was Portugal’s “Golden Generation” a team that was destined to end Portugal’s long title drought. Led by Luis Figo, Rui Costa, Pauleta, this core group was the team to do it. Especially on home soil. Cristiano Ronaldo was only 19 years old in that tournament, he wasn’t a star yet. Although he scored 2 goals in the tournament including a goal against Greece and another in the semi-fional against the Netherlands. But he was never a part of the golden generation, he was part of the next generation that would struggle once Figo, Costa, Pauleta retired. This final was now or never for Portugal, if they lost there might not be another chance for decades. But on the fateful day in the Estadio Da Luz, it was Greece who prevailed 1-0 behind a header by Angelos Christeas. Portugal were stunned, their golden generation had failed just like the generation of the 1960’s and 1980’s. The only bright sport in the final was Cristiano Ronaldo who left Greece defenders catching their breath with his runs. He only lacked the finishing touch. He was the one player who wasn’t afraid he just lacked experience. His tears that night symbolized the pain of the entire nation, a golden chance missed by the “Golden Generation.” A chance that would never come again for those players as their last tournament together would be the next World Cup where Portugal finished 4th. They emulated the Eusebio generation and even surpassed them in the Euros but they couldn’t win a trophy. It was then up to Cristiano Ronaldo after that World Cup to take the reins and lead them to glory. He led them and created his own generation of success.

Cristiano Ronaldo’s tears heartbreak after his side lost to Greece in the Euro 2004 final.

But the next few tournaments would only add to the failure Portugal had suffered in the past. In Euro 2008 it was Germany who beat Portugal 3-2 in the quarter-finals. In the 2010 World Cup it was a controversial David Villa goal that knocked Portugal in the Round of 16. In Euro 2012 despite Cristiano Ronaldo finishing joint top-scorer and having a great tournament more heartbreak would ensue. This time it would be a penalty-shootout where Ronaldo didn’t even get to take his penalty. Spain won 4-2 on penalties with Cesc Fabregas firing his penalty into the post and it bounced in the net. Ronaldo famously mouthed the word “injustica” or injustice to sum up the pain he and the team felt. Portuagal had given Spain a great fight and matched them on that day. But sadly the luck was not with them. At the moment it seemed like that was their best chance with Ronaldo. In the 2014 FIFA World Cup Portugal were humbled failing to advance in the knockout stages. Paulo Bento who had been Portugal’s manager for the last two tournaments was fired after a home loss to Albania. In November 2014 it looked unlikely that Portugal would ever win a major tournament with Ronaldo. But things would soon change.

Portugal’s anguish after another tough loss to Spain in Euro 2012.

When Fernando Santos was hired as Portugal’s manager a lot of people had doubts. After all although he did a great job with Greece could he mold Portugal into a winning team?This question was made relevant if you conisder the fact that Portugal had to rely on underachieving veterans like Nani. Quaresma, Joao Moutinho and unknown players like Jose Fonte, Raphael Guerreiro, and Williakm Carvalho. Could he get the team to perform well at major events and win? The answer was a resounding yes. He masterminded a miracle that was Portugal winning the European Championships. Using a defensive mindset and relying on Ronaldo’s brilliance they made it all the way to the final. Ronaldo had scored 3 times and assisted 3 times in the 6 games leading up to the final. Portugal were unbeaten and eliminated Croatia 1-0 in the Round of 16. Poland on penalties in the last eight, and Wales 2-0 in the semi-finals. The final was set in the Stade de France against the host nation France. In a strange role-reversal it was France’s “Golden Generation” who was expected to win. They had beaten tournament favorites Germany in the semi-finals 2-0 and were heavy favorites to beat an unfancied Portuguese side who the French owned historically. Prior to that final France won the last 10 meetings with Portugal including beating Portugal in 3 separate semi-finals in 1984, 2000, and 2006. There was no reason to suspect that form wouldn’t continue especially when Cristiano Ronaldo had to go off injured within 30 minutes. It looked like the game was over, another chance had gone. Except the Portuguese players led by Santos played above themselves. They defended with intensity, intelligence, and had got a little of bit of luck. Gignac had a shot in the last minute of normal time hit the post, luck that deserted Portugal in the past. In extra-time a bandaged-up hobbled Ronaldo cam out to motivate his side. The captain may have been unavailable but he pushed his teammates on. When Santos was about to sub in Eder, Cristiano Ronaldo told him he would score. Eder entered the pitch and with about 10 minutes to go, Eder struck a fantastic low shot past Lloris to give Portugal a 1-0 lead. A lead they would never relinquish. A player that never previously scored a competitive goal had delivered Portugal their first international trophy. Cristiano Ronaldo was in tears again this time of joy. He had given something to Portugal that Eusebio, Paulo Futre, Luis Figo could not: a trophy. When he lifted that trophy in the Paris sky he helped make Portugal into winners. And that moment changed the mentality of Portugal forever. This began the Ronaldo generation the Portuguese team that won silverware.

Cristiano Ronaldo lifting the European Championship trophy in 2016.

Portugal buoyed by the Euro 2016 triumph finished 3rd in the Confederations Cup losing to Chile on penalties in the semi-finals but beating Mexico 2-1 in the third-place match. Cristiano Ronaldo had a solid tournament scoring twice and assisting one goal in 4 games. The 2018 FIFA World Cup would be a disappointing one for Portugal struggling to get out of the group and losing 2-1 to Uruguay in the Round of 16. But for Cristiano Ronaldo it was a fantastic tournament scoring a hat-trick against Spain to drag Portugal to a 3-3 draw. And then he scored the winner against Morocco. He finished with 4 goals in 4 games which was enough to put in him in the team of the tournament. The old guard of Ricardo Carvalho, Cedric, Nani, Quaresma, Bruno Alves began to be slowly phased out and replaced by Bruno Dias, Bruno Fernandes, Bernanrdo Silva, Goncalo Guedes, and Nelson Semedo. With Cristiano Ronaldo taking a break from international duties to focus on Juventus, Santos began to experiment with his lineup in the UEFA Nations League group. Portugal despite their experimental lineup topped their group over Italy and Poland unbeaten. That gave them a berth in the Nations League semi-finals that would be hosted by Portugal. This was Cristiano Ronaldo’s chance to redeem himself after the failure of Euro 2004. The field was complete in November and Portugal drew Switzerland in the semis, while England-Netherlands battled it out in the other semi-final. This was another chance to add to Cristiano Ronaldo and Portugal’s legacy. And once again Ronaldo delivered.

Ronaldo celebrating one of his three goals in a 3-1 victory in the UEFA Nations League semifinal.

In the semi-final against Switzerland, Portugal were a bit uneven. Switzerland out-played Portugal for much of the first-half. However Cristiano Ronaldo earned a free-kick outside the box, and converted in style to make it 1-0. Switzerland leveled the game with a controversial Ricardo Rodriguez penalty. The game was headed for extra-time until Ronaldo hit a fierce shot after a great low-cross by Bernardo Silva to make it 2-1. Then Ronaldo sealed the game with a fine individual goal to make it 3-1 sealing his hat-trick. Portugal weren’t the better team but they had CR7, the most decisive player in the game. Awaiting in the final was the resurgent Netherlands who beat England 3-1 in the semi-finals to reach the final. Netherlands has in many ways a more talented team with the best center-back pairing in the world in De Ligt and Van Dijk, A midfield with De Jong, Winjadlum, and Van Der Beek, and an attack led by Memphis Depay. It was not an easy final and many pundits picked the Netherlands to win the final. However Portugal had different ideas, as they dominated the midfield for the majority of the game. Bernanrdo Silva, Guedes using the space that was given to them by the Netherlands created the only goal of the game. Ronaldo because of his constant threat was always marked, so Bernardo Silva had space and his flick created space for Guedes to finish superbly. Portugal had the 1-0 lead in the second-half and the Netherlands created very little. Portugal’s mentality edged the Netherlands supposed talent advantage and beat them 1-0 in Porto. Cristiano Ronaldo was the top scorer of the UEFA Nations League with 3 goals and his impact in the final was muted it was still vital to win the game. The Netherlands didn’t want Ronaldo to beat them so they forced the other players to do so and they did. For Portugal winning is now becoming a habit, this may have not been the most important tournament but it was a victory they wanted. This win put to rest the ghosts of the “Golden Generation” and their failure to win Euro 2004. Cristiano Ronaldo and his winning generation put that nightmare to bed once and for all.

Cristiano Ronaldo basking in the glory of another triumph with Portugal.

Ronaldo’s impact for Portugal can’t be understated but it should be put into context. Portugal had legendary players like Eusebio, Figo, Paulo Futre who entertained but couldn’t win big titles. Portugal were the almost team of international football they almost reached World Cup finals, almost won the Euro, they were almost a great team. Cristiano Ronaldo since he made his debut in 2003 has reached 3 finals, winning 2 of them. He is the ONLY Portuguese captain to lift a trophy, he is the all-time top scorer of the European Championships, he scored in 4 different World Cups, 10 different major tournaments, is the second-highest international goalscorer ever with 88 goals, and yet there  are still critics. They say his Portugal teams got lucky, or that he isn’t decisive in the final, or that he could do more. More than changing a culture of a nation, more than making them winners, more than being massive in big games. He has scored 21 goals and had 8 assists in 43 major tournament games. But hat isn’t enough for some Portugal. In the previous 86 years of Portuguese football history Portugal had only ever reached 3 semi-finals losing all 3. They had never reached a final in any major event. Since his debut they have reached 6 different semi-finals and have won 3 of those semis with Ronaldo scoring in all 3 victories. In fact in those 6 semi-final appearances he has scored 5 goals and has assisted 1 goal. He has erased Portugal’s failures and made them a more successful footballing nation in terms of titles than Holland. He is not only the greatest Portuguese player ever but he is one of the greatest winners ever. There is not a singular player in a large national team that has meant more to their country, Brasil has won World Cups without Pele, Argentina won a World Cup without Maradona, Netherlands won their only major title without Cryuff, France have won a World Cup and a Euro without Zidane. Italy have won 3 World Cups without Rossi, Germany have won 3 World Cups and 2 Euros without Beckenbauer, Uruguay have won 2 World Cups without Francescoli and Spain have won a Euro without Iniesta. Only Cristiano Ronaldo is emblematic of not only a great generation but the ONLY success the country has earned. Which is why this era in Portugal national team’s history should be known as the Cristiano Ronaldo era in honor of the legend whose indomitable will led them to glory.

 

 

2019 UEFA Nations League final preview Portugal vs Netherlands: A battle between two historic and unlucky football teams.

 

Cristiano Ronaldo lifting Portugal’s lone International title the European Championships in 2016.

By Joao Cunha

The UEFA Nations League has been remarkably successful in replacing the awful international friendlies with a tournament that is not only competitive but also means something. For the countries that qualified for the semi-finals you could tell that it wasn’t a friendly atmosphere. Portugal took care of Switzerland behind a remarkable hat-trick by Cristiano Ronaldo. Meanwhile the Netherlands fought back after trailing 1-0 to defeat England 3-1 in extra-time. Both of these nations are historic football mostly known for producing exciting attacking players and for the most part creating fun teams. But this Nations League final gives both teams a chance to erase historic demons. Because despite their greatness both Netherlands and Portugal have won one solitary international title each. Netherlands won the 1988 European Championships led by the legendary front three of Rijkard, Guillit, and Van Basten. They defeated Germany in a dramatic semi-final 2-1 and then defeated the Soviet Union 2-0 behind a magnificent volley by Van Basten. Portugal’s lone title was in the last European Championships where they eliminated Croatia, Poland, and Wales en route to a final against hosts France. Despite Cristiano Ronaldo’s injury, Portugal held on and scored through super-sub Eder to win the final 1-0. However the failures of both nations have been highlighted as much as their fleeting success, these are the nearly teams of football.

Ruud Guillit celebrating the Netherlands winning the European Championship in 1988. 

The Netherlands have been a power since the 1970’s witht the surge of Total Football led by Johan Cryuff. They modernized the idea of positionless players and played some of the most breathtaking football ever. They ran riot in the 1974 World Cup defeating 1970 World Cup Champions Brasil en-route to the final. They took the lead within a minute through a Johan Neeskens penalty but the West Germany led by Beckenbauer fought back and won 2-1 led by goals by Breitner and Muller. 2 years later they qualified for the 1976 European Championships and were massive favorites to reach the final, yet they were stunned by eventual champions Czechoslovakia. In 1978 the Netherlands led by Neeskens and Rep as Cryuff refused to participate in the World Cup reached yet another final. In the final Kempes opened the scoring for Argentina, the Dutch equalized and then hit the post in the last-minute of the game. But Argentina were too strong and beat the Netherlands 3-1 in extra-time with another goal by Kempes. The Netherlands then failed to qualify for several major tournaments until their eventual Euro win in 1998. The 1990’s were full of heartbreak, as the Dutch imploded in the World Cup in 1990 and lost 2-1 to West Germany. In 1992 led by a young Dennis Bergkamp the Oranje reached another Euro semi-final only to lose to penalies to underdogs Denmark. In 1994 and 1998 World Cups they suffered heart-breaking defeats to Braasil (3-2 in 1994 and on penalites in 1998). In the Euros in 1996 a Dutch team mired by infighting lost on penalties to France, and in 2000 they reached yet another semi-final this time in Holland. Only of course they lost to Italy on penalties having had 2 penalties given in normal and extra time and still not converting past an inspired Toldo. After that failure they didn’t even qualify for the 2002 World Cup. In the 2004 Euros and 2006 World Cup it was Portugal and Maniche who knocked them out of each tournament. In Euro 2008 once again mired by infighting in the knockout stages they lost to Russia 3-1 in the quarter-tinals. In the 2010 World Cup led by Sneijder, Robben, Kuyt and Van Persie they reahed their 3rd World Cup final beating Brasil and Uruguay en-route. They had played against theit own nature being more defensive, tough, and it looked like it might be their time. In the most painful defeat of all they lost to Spain 1-0 due to tremendous saves by Casillas and Iniesta’s late goal in extra-time. The Dutch had not only lost a final but they lost it playing anti-football, their highlight of the final was De Jong’s karate kick on Xabi Alonso which was not punished. In the next Euros they lost all 3 group games with yet another defeat by Portugal in a must-win game. In the next World Cup they did reach a semi-final destroying Spain 5-1 and beating Mexico, Costa Rica to reach the last 4. However they once again lost on penalties to Argentina. The next 4 years were a disaster as they failed to qualify for the Euros and the World Cup. But now led by a young core of players (Van Der Beek, De Ligt, De Jong) and great veterans (Van Dijk, Depay, Cilisen) they roared back to prominence. Ronald Koeman who won the Euros as a player is doing a fine job as manager. Restoring their attacking traditions with a defensive solidity led by the defensive pairing of De Ligt and Van Dijk, The attack of Depay and Babel are quick and effective, while the midfield of Winajdulm, De Jong, and Van Der Beek allows them to controi games. Resurgent they topped their group that included World Cup winners France, and Germany. They beat Germany 3-0 and France 2-0 at home while fighting back from 2-0 to draw in Germany 2-2. This Dutch team is not only talented but resilient as well. This could very well be the team that ends their 31 year title drought.

Portugal despite their recent Euro success is a national team best known for underachievement. Their rise to prominence was in 1966 when they reached a World Cup semi-final beating Brasil 3-1 in the group and coming back from 3-0 down to beat North Korea 5-3 in the last eight. The team led by Eusebio was dreaming of a World Cup win but they lost 2-1 to eventual World Cup winners England. 18 years later Portugal reached another major tournament this time knocking out Germany in the group en-route to another semi-final. This generation led by Paulo Futre fell in a dramatic game 3-2 to eventual winners France. Portugal qualified for the 1986 World Cup only to finish bottom of the group. In 1996 with a young generation led by Luis Figo they made the last eight only to lose to the Czech Republic. 4 years later with Rui Costa, Luis Figo. Pauleta, Abel Xavier they reached the Euro semis again. They beat England. Germany in the group and beat Turkey in the quarter-tinals to set up a showdown with France. Despite taking a lead Portugal would lose 2-1 due to a late penalty converted by Zidane. In 2002 they failed to get out of the group in the World Cup losing to the US and South Korea. In the European Championships in 2004 they were favorites. In addition to Figo, Costa, Pauleta, they added Carvalho, Cristiano Ronaldo, Deco, Maniuche. This was their tournament especially as they were the hosts. They topped the group despite their shock loss to Greece. After beating England and the Netherlands in the quarters and semis respectively, they had qualified for their first ever final. Sadly Greece won 1-0 behind an Angelos Christeas header and sunk Portugal’s chance. In the 2006 World Cup Portuagl entertained their way into the semifinals. (They were voted the most entertaining team in that World Cup) They beat the Netherlands in a game that is best described as the “Battle of Nuremberg” as there were 16 yellow and 4 red cards in the game. Then they beat England on penalties yet again to reach the semi-final. Awaiting them was Zidane’s France and he scored the only goal of the game via another penalty. That was their las World Cup semi as the next 3 tournaments they would not win a knockout game. In 2014 they couldn’t get out of the group and 2010 they lost to eventual winners Spain. In 2018 they lost to Uruguay. However in the Euros they have had far better luck reaching the quarter-finals in 2008 and semi-finals in 2012, losing to Germany and Spain respectively. Then they won the Euros in 2016 and reached a Confederations Cup semi-final where they lost to Chile on penalties. However they changed their style completely under Fernando Santos to become a more dour and defensive team. It has worked extremely well as this is the second final Portugal has reached since he took over in 2015. The team has a lot of young stars like Joao Felix, Bernardo Silva, Guedes and Neves. But it has a strong veteran presence with Pepe, Rui Patricio, Fonte, and of course Cristiano Ronaldo. Ronaldo is their talisman and is the main reason why Portugal have been so successful over the last 15 years. Before Ronaldo played for Portugal they had never reached a final of an international tournament, since his debut they have been to 3 winning 1 and oculd win a 2nd. His performances have been incredible scoring 88 goals for his country, 21 of those in major tournaments. He is 34 and this might be one of his last chances to add silverware to Portugal’s cabinet. That motivation coupled with Portugal’s mentality will be dangerous in this final.

Both teams have different motivations for winning this final. Netherlands want to win to get confidence for their new generation of young starts. While in Portugal’s case this might be one of their last chances to win a tournament in a while. As Ronaldo it is doubtful that they can win a Euro or World Cup in the near future. This tournament being hosted in Portugal also allows Ronaldo to make amends for losing the final 15 years ago. For the Netherlands Portugal and Cristiano Ronaldo have been a pain for them in the last 18 years. Portugal knocked Netherlands out of the 2004 and 2012 Euros, the 2006 World Cup and prevented them from qualifying for the 2002 World Cup. Cristiano Ronaldo scored 3 times in major tournaments to knock out the Dutch. These teams have had a rivalry and this game will be the ideal oppurtunity for revenge. It will be a final worth watching and for both of these nations it will be history at stake. They could win their 2nd piece of silverware in their rntire history. For Portugal a chance toa dd to Ronaldo’s legacy and win a second title in three years. While fot the Netherlands it is a final step to prove they are contenders again. The UEFA Nations League has not only given fans drama, it has given two great nations to win something valuable again. One of them on Sunday won’t be the nearly men anymore, they will be champions again.