The biggest heart on Earth

The people only asked for the quarter-finals. They didn’t demand it. But the team became forth in the World. Fairly? I believe so, although the matches against England and France could perfectly have had a different result…

The portuguese participation in the World Cup is mostly characterized by an outstanding attitude from its players; moreover, the team has been awarded ‘The Most Entertaining Team’ for “racing more than any other team”. The squad summoned by Scolari, besides practically the same of the Euro 2004, isn’t so uniformly qualitative as some of this World Cup participants: the winner Italy, the disappointing Brazil and the spectacular Argentina. But our coach, certainly not the best in the World, is a great psychologist (somehow similar to the portuguese José Mourinho), and instills in his players a different feeling and a willingness to win that strengthen their performance in the field. This amazes specially who saw Miguel staring in a mediocre season, Maniche having two disastrous years, Costinha not having game rhythm since four months ago and Figo appearing to have lost pace at Inter Milan. In Germany, they all seemed two years younger, as if their careers didn’t have decreased since the european tournament in Portugal.

The portuguese squad was criticized for the alleged “dives” made by Cristiano Ronaldo and Maniche, mostly. This seems to be, unfortunately, one of today’s latin football characteristics, and may have costed to the winger winning the “Best Young Player” award. But not only the portuguese players should have been ‘crucified’; also Italian playmaker Totti exaggerated.

After the loss against Germany, an ultra-effective team in their last game, no less than 10.000 portuguese awaited the national heroes. Some in the airport, other in the National Stadium, where the team went afterwards, but all singing and agitating thousands of green and red flags, in an ambiance that just, as you can see, couldn’t make Scolari indifferent.

Rui Rocha