‘Goals are Overrated, the Beauty is in the Struggle’ is the phrase that to me sums up the universal appeal of football, a sport in which few points are scored enabling upsets by less fancied teams. Yet its alleged author argued that the European Championship to 24 teams meant threat levels were lower until the final knockout rounds. There were fewer dead matches in qualifying and in the tournament group stages because teams had enough chances to recover from defeats, although Holland still failed.

It could be argued that rewarding defensive teams that collect draws and avoid heavy defeats with progress encouraged negativity, and that the increased number of matches gave more chances for injuries and suspensions to take their toll on sides, thus helping endurance and caution triumph over quality. But if a tournament is a supposed to be marathon not a sprint, the format may have guided Cristiano Ronaldo to another way of winning beyond his trademark running speed.

He has tried to translate his natural game at club level to the Portugal national team before but was never rewarded with glory. This time, Fernando Santos judged that a focus on counter-attacking and being defensively organised would be wise for Portugal given the abundance of quick attacking midfielders and lack of centre-forwards. Perhaps this is better at international football in general.

Ronaldo throughout was forced to participate too in leading his national team, now humbled in accordance with his wishes. He could not lead his cavalry to overwhelm the opposition in an irresistable charge of sexy football as he does in the shining and brilliant while of Real Madrid. Instead he showed necessary anger at defensive standards slipping, motivated his teammates for their penalties, and used his individual ability to crack their semi-final opponents before making his team kill the game after. Finally when he could no longer fight the injury that kept him from the final, he helped cajole Raphael Guerreiro back on pitch, and told Eder he would score the winner.

In fact, game intelligence was shown collectively through the use of a squad of players. Goalkeeper Rui Patricio is a consistent one club man who in his fourth tournament excelled in the final to save from Griezmann and Giroud and give confidence to his defence from the back. Experienced centre-backs Pepe, Jose Fonte, Bruno Alves, and Ricardo Carvalho were collected into the fold to be guiding influences on a side that depended deep. Although Pepe continued to show his mastery of the dark art of gamesmanship, Fonte was exemplary in replacing the 37-year-old Carvalho.

More attacking converted wingers Vieirinha & Eliseu contributed in qualifying but were later replaced by side backs Cedric & Raphael Guerreiro, who showed good crossing from advanced positions. Holding midfielders William Carvalho & Danilo were reliable when called upon, and coped well with being moved in and out of the team.

Joao Mario, Andre Gomes, Adrien Silva, Renato Sanches, Joao Moutinho, Rafa Silva and were the technical and clever midfielders that collectively allowed the wingers to fill in for Portugal’s missing pieces at centre forward. Some were used well at particular times, such as Renato in scoring against Poland, but others consistently excelled, such as Joao Mario who ended the tournament by showing great game intelligence on counter in final. Wingers Nani & Quaresma got to play in more free roles rather than being shoehorned into a side with a number 9 forced into it – each adapted well, with Nani scoring 3.

Centre forward Eder was largely unused of late, fell hard after an aerial challenge, but got back up again before hitting the tournament winner from range. It was the stuff dreams are made of, and for him game intelligence was knowing that it could only take a moment for a striker to make history at the expense of another popular opponent who enjoyed the support of many neutrals.

Their knockout opponents each showed collective quality, organisation and individual talent, although the further Portugal went in the tournament, the more their opponents were tagged the underdogs. But Portugal eliminated Croatia’s attacking quality on the counter for a late goal in extra time, then organised Poland on penalties after a bright start to the match relapsed into a tight game. Next came a Wales side shorn of suspended playmaker Ramsey but boasting Ronaldo’s apprentice Gareth Bale on the counter-attack, when the preening master finally showed his individual quality.

Like the star of the Game of Thrones best-selling books sharing a dragon emblem, Portugal were the slayer of lies that teams get what they deserve. Too many teams are deserving for that, and competition is fascinating because teams have the means of avoiding what they ‘deserve’. It’s an uncertain struggle, and there’s beauty in it.

Here are some impressions I got of the 24 teams in the tournament… Continue reading →