On the surface at least, Portugal’s beleaguered boss, Carlos Queiroz, is philosophical about Cristiano Ronaldo's absence from the World Cup qualifying playoff with 5-1 outsiders Bosnia-Hercegovina.
Real Madrid had strongly insisted that Portugal’s talismanic captain was not fit for service, yet Ronaldo was called up by the Selecção in any case. After further examination by the national team’s medical staff, ‘CR9’ was swiftly dispatched back to Madrid; offering good luck wishes to his remaining team-mates. Queiroz then told the press: “There is a call-up, an evaluation, a decision, and then life goes on.”
Which is quite true, but the weighty psychological blow meted out by this unseemly affair has the capacity to undermine preparations for a tie which will decide the fate of Queiroz and – more crucially – whether or not the footballing world’s most marketable star will grace South African soil next summer.
To add to the ex-Real manager’s growing troubles, regular right-back Jose Bosingwa was then ruled out of both games and could miss up to three months of action in all. Rangers midfielder Pedro Mendes will also sit out the contest due to a knee injury. Notwithstanding such significant absentees, Portugal’s form since reaching the quarter-finals of Euro 2008 has been relatively dismal anyway, taking into account their previously sparkling record under ‘Big Phil’ Scolari. Only five wins from ten games characterised by a chronic inability to score goals - they were held to goalless home draws by both Sweden and Albania - in one of the easiest European qualifying groups doesn’t reflect well on Queiroz’s stewardship.
He admits to making “a few errors” during his team’s early qualifying games, but claims that such “dark times”, have been left far behind. Positive recent results, allied to better performances, against Denmark, Sweden and Hungary showed, says Queiroz, that Portugal are now “hitting top form”. They will need the recently-rehabilitated Deco to assume the creative burden in Ronaldo’s absence, while the predictably unpredictable Nani could be called upon to fill a flank. Naturalised Brazilian striker Liédson is favourite to lead the line against a vulnerable Bosnian defence which shed five goals in their ‘dead rubber’ final qualifier against irrepressible Spain.
Defensively suspect, perhaps, but attack-minded Bosnia racked-up 25 goals in qualification – only England, Spain and Germany scored more – with imposing Wolfsburg forward Edin Džeko notching nine of them.
“The biggest point in our favour is our unity and determination,” said Džeko, this week. “We're a band of brothers and we are dangerous when we go forward. All we lack is experience."
And there’s the rub. While Portugal can offer a host of players (Deco, Carvalho, Pepe) with that undeniably crucial quality in abundance, the Bosnian line-up is an altogether more callow assembly. Pure, unadulterated talent, however, seeps from all quarters of the side helmed by wily old Bosnian-Croat coach Miroslav Blažević. Partnering Džeko will be Hoffenheim’s Vedad Ibišević, who has been incessantly troubling Bundesliga onion-bags either side of a cruciate injury last winter. They’ll be prompted and assisted by the absurdly-talented playmaker Zvjezdan Misimović, also of Wolfsburg, and Hoffenheim captain Sejad Salihović. Lyon’s gifted young midfielder Miralem Pjanić will also hope to feature at some stage.
In an illustrious 40-year-long career – which appeared to have already reached its zenith with Croatia’s remarkable bronze medal at France ’98 – Blažević claims to have never overseen a more important match. A clear game plan, in which ‘playing to our strengths’ features strongly, has been devised.
“We will be doomed if we sit back and the playoffs will be over for us after the first leg in Portugal,” colourful ‘Ciro’ told Bosnian newspaper Dnevni Avaz.
“The Euro 2004 final, in which Greece beat Portugal 1-0, is the way we should play, meaning that we have to stifle them in midfield and keep going forward whenever possible. We have to close down every inch of space and try to get the away goal, because our chances will be very slim if we don't score in the first leg.”
No fewer than nine Bosnian players carry a yellow card on their record going into the game, so the dichotomy between self-preservation and the collective cause may loom large in some minds; perhaps invoking indecision in the ranks. Yet, any kind of positive result (which in this context would include an away-goal-scoring draw) would leave the brittle Portugese facing a daunting task in front of a rambunctious rabble in febrile Zenica next Wednesday.
Against all probability, Blažević has so far succeeded in bringing together players from disparate ethnic backgrounds amid a society still riven by sectarianism and widespread prejudice. The 74-year-old has cajoled and unified talents from 13 different leagues; creating a unit truly capable of upsetting the so-called ‘world order’. In the 17 recent European play-offs to earn qualification for the World Cup or Euros, the higher-ranked team in FIFA’s rankings has gone through 11 times, so the odds are firmly stacked against the Bosnians (currently 42nd to Portugal’s 10th) from a historical perspective. Yet momentum is on their side – and the Ronaldo saga has only served to foment hopes of a famous against-the-odds triumph for Blažević’s men.
As for his under-pressure counterpart, Queiroz, he’s already planning ahead. “I think the hardest part for us has been qualifying. If we qualify, Portugal will definitely be firm contenders to win.” That’s a big ‘if’, isn’t it, Carlos? He continues:
“I'm 100 per cent convinced we'll be there. I've got no doubts whatsoever.”
That’s the very definition of ‘tempting fate’.
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