Now that is how you play football! Portugal’s 7-0 win over North Korea on Monday was obviously a big moment for the team. It really was the perfect game for Portugal. Our head coach Carlos Queiroz and staff prepared the team very well. The tactical plan was executed flawlessly by our players. We saw great mental preparation from the players so we couldn’t have asked for a better effort or a better result. You could see the desire in their eyes and could feel the intensity in the locker room. And most importantly, it certainly puts us in a very good position to get through to the next round.
Having six different players score for our team was huge. To have that kind of variation in scoring, from six players, is tremendous for Portugal. It was a total team effort. The team had four changes in the starting line-up from the previous match and that can be a primary motivator for the players. For the coaching staff, it’s important to have players who can be called upon at any given moment. We have a roster of 23 and we know we can depend on any of those players to get the job done. They all have been prepared to be called upon if needed.
I think the biggest difference between this win and our draw against Ivory Coast was our flank play, and quick and deep runs from midfield. They were all very effective. And to the credit of the North Koreans, they came to play. Even though they use a 5-3-2 system, which is a very defensive set-up, they came to play football. Ivory Coast literally parked the bus in front of goal against us and were just totally reliant on counter attacking. Portugal’s last matches against North Korea, the 5-3 comeback win at the 1966 World Cup, certainly served as motivation for our team.
Two great players who played that game and were part of that successful run in 1966, the legends Simoes and Eusebio, are here with the team. They are here to offer inspiration and wisdom and to share their knowledge and experiences. I would have to say that that was a factor in our performance. And Both Simoes and Eusebio were extremely excited and thrilled about this 7-0 win, so that shows you how historic a result this was for the Portuguese team. What’s important now is to focus on the next task at hand. When you’re in the winning business, all a victory does is bring relief. You only celebrate when you win a championship so for us the win was a relief and it instilled a tremendous amount of confidence, enthusiasm and spirit. After the match, you enjoy the moment but as of this morning we start preparations for Brazil.
I believe the Magic began a few days before our match versus North Korea It was not a great pass, spectacular finish or perfectly timed tackle. It was Bingo! We played Bingo in South Africa. In Portugal we would play every other day. Often times for no particular reason staff and administrators would win the prizes. The players would always complain that it was the same winners all the time. When we played in South Africa the players asked two servers of the hotel to sit with them and enjoy the game of Bingo. Well, guess who won the first bingo game. It was me the American! I was the first to complete one line with the correct numbers. The second prize was won by one of the servers. He had a huge smile on his face while he was collecting his prize. The team leaped from their chairs and gave him a standing ovation. It was a celebration. Well, guess what happened next? The second prize was won by the other server. Once again there was a standing ovation and celebration. I wondered how this was possible. The numbers were called out in Portuguese. The servers had no idea what numbers they were calling.
The players decided collectively that when a number was called they would tell the servants it was a number on their card, even though it was incorrect. The servers had no idea and believed they had won. It was an act of kindness and concern for others. Naturally, I could not be selfish and keep my prize. We called someone from the kitchen and I donated my prizes to them. The kitchen employee put the prizes down on the floor and starting dancing and chanting. We all were jumping up and down with joy. I felt I was at a church revival. His happiness was contagious. The Valley Lodge manager was thrilled for the employees. She told me the winners gave her all her prizes to put into the safe. She said the winners were considering various options on how to get the prizes home safely. Why? Because these are prime prizes that if they walked home with them there would be a good probability that they would get stolen.
Here we are in a room full of super egos with great abilities to play soccer; Portugal’s national gladiators who are preparing themselves for battle to defend their country on the soccer field. Yet, they were sensitive enough to recognize that the servers were the stars tonight. For sure the servers will never forget this evening. This experience for me has not only been about the X’s and O’s, it’s been about the human side of things and the goodness that we are all capable of sharing. It was a magic moment. The feeling in the room was of joy and happiness for the three servers who won the prizes. I will never forget the atmosphere and the kindness of our players. Having the humility to understand at that moment was really important. It was moving moment for me and those who were present. You know, I was thinking of the differences of being associated with a team that qualifies for the World Cup as compared to being a fan at a World Cup. I would not give up my seat for anyone, but other than game day we are isolated from the World Cup atmosphere.
My family called me the night before the North Korea match. I asked, “What’s all that noise?” They told me that the Portuguese immigrants have taken over Cape Town. People would be having dinner and someone would stand and begin to sing the Portuguese National Anthem. We are not exposed to the spirited environment. Just before kickoff against North Korea I had a huge surprise. One of the staff members sitting in the stands was able to get my attention. I was able to run over and give my wife and sons a kiss and a hug. It was a very surreal moment. I could see their happiness and pride for their husband and dad.
