Try the powerful search:
Selected WPSN searches:
Football Soccer Formula 1 Rugby Racing Golf Blogs Tennis
Cristiano Ronaldo Still Waiting for Platform to Shine with Portugal
Published: September 8, 2015
Portugal may be within touching distance of reaching next summer’s tournament finals in France, but there is little feeling that they can be a credible part of the top group of candidates. Monday night’s dramatic win in Albania made it five wins in five competitive matches for coach Fernando Santos, but there is little euphoria for his team back home.
This is despite the fact that they will have the best player there in the shape of Cristiano Ronaldo. He may turn 31 in February, but there’s no sense of the French summer being his last stand on the international stage.
His level of fitness, his enduring aptitude and his phenomenal drive mean that with him fully fit (not, in other words, struggling to physically function as he did during the 2014 World Cup), Portugal retain some sort of hope of challenging.
The quality of the supporting cast remains the question, despite those positive results. Ricardo Quaresma and Miguel Veloso, who combined for the latter’s late winner in Elbasan on Monday, are nevertheless among those seen by many Portuguese fans as part of the problem.
Santos’ predecessor Paulo Bento was highly resistant to change, but if the new man has tweaked his recipe, it’s been with the recall of a series of veterans whom many thought they’d seen the last of, with Jose Bosingwa and Ricardo Carvalho the prominent names among them. Thirteen different players aged 30 or over have been used by Santos during the qualifying campaign to date.
Ronaldo is one of those, of course, but he’s an exception, and the lack of useful foils increases his b...
Article Source: Bleacher Report - International Football
Latest News
- Former England Manager Graham Taylor Dies at Age 72
- Bruce Arena Names USMNT January Camp Invitees
- Karamoko Dembele Makes England U15s Debut After Playing for Scotland in November
- USMNT Watch: Bobby Wood Nets 1st Bundesliga Goal Since September
- Rugby Player Bruno Andres Doglioli Banned 3 Years for Tackling Female Referee
Sponsors
Bruins Tickets
The Boston Bruins are a professional ice hockey team based in Boston, Massachusetts. They are members of the Northeast Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League.
Red Wings Tickets The Detroit Red Wings are a professional ice hockey team based in Detroit, Michigan. They are members of the Central Division of the Western Conference of the National Hockey League.
Penguins Tickets The Pittsburgh Penguins are a professional ice hockey team based in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. They are members of the Atlantic Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League.
New York Rangers Tickets play their home games at Madison Square Garden, they are one of the oldest teams in the NHL, having joined in 1926 as an expansion franchise, and are part of the group of teams referred to as the Original Six.
San Jose Sharks Tickets The San Jose Sharks are a professional ice hockey team based in San Jose, California, United States.
Toronto Maple Leafs Tickets The Toronto Maple Leafs are a professional ice hockey team based in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. They are members of the Northeast Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League.
New Jersey Devils Tickets The New Jersey Devils are a professional ice hockey team based in Newark, New Jersey. They are members of the Atlantic Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League.
Washington Capitals Tickets The Washington Capitals are a professional ice hockey team based in Washington, D.C.
Buffalo Sabres Tickets The Buffalo Sabres are a professional ice hockey team based in Buffalo, New York. They are members of the Northeast Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League. Get the Sabres and all of your NHL Tickets here.
NASCAR season is on of the most attended sports in the world. NASCAR Tickets to the best tracks is a must every year. Some of these tracks are: Talladega Tickets, Lowes Motor Speedway Tickets, Pocono Raceway Tickets, located in Ridgeway Virginia you have Martinsville Speedway Tickets and southern US you have two of the most popular Atlanta Motor Speedway Tickets and Texas Motor Speedway Tickets. Don't miss all the racing events this year!
Boston Red Sox Tickets The Boston Red Sox are a member of the Major League Baseball’s American League Eastern Division. Since 1912, the Red Sox's home ballpark has been Fenway Park. This is one of the hottest MLB Tickets sales of any team in the major league.
New York Yankees Tickets The New York Yankees are a professional baseball team based in the borough of the Bronx, in New York City, New York and are a member of Major League Baseball's American League East Division. Get tickets to one of the hottest games of the season Yankees Red Sox Tickets.
Chicago Cubs Tickets The Chicago Cubs are an American professional baseball team based in Chicago, Illinois. They are members of the Central Division of Major League Baseball's National League.
Phillies Tickets The Philadelphia Phillies are a Major League Baseball team based in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. They are the oldest continuous, one-name, one-city franchise in all of professional American sports, dating to 1883.
Orioles Tickets The Baltimore Orioles are a professional baseball team based in Baltimore, Maryland.
Do you love wrestling? Get your WWE Tickets and WWE Survivor Series Tickets today!
Red Wings Tickets The Detroit Red Wings are a professional ice hockey team based in Detroit, Michigan. They are members of the Central Division of the Western Conference of the National Hockey League.
Penguins Tickets The Pittsburgh Penguins are a professional ice hockey team based in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. They are members of the Atlantic Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League.
New York Rangers Tickets play their home games at Madison Square Garden, they are one of the oldest teams in the NHL, having joined in 1926 as an expansion franchise, and are part of the group of teams referred to as the Original Six.
San Jose Sharks Tickets The San Jose Sharks are a professional ice hockey team based in San Jose, California, United States.
Toronto Maple Leafs Tickets The Toronto Maple Leafs are a professional ice hockey team based in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. They are members of the Northeast Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League.
New Jersey Devils Tickets The New Jersey Devils are a professional ice hockey team based in Newark, New Jersey. They are members of the Atlantic Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League.
Washington Capitals Tickets The Washington Capitals are a professional ice hockey team based in Washington, D.C.
Buffalo Sabres Tickets The Buffalo Sabres are a professional ice hockey team based in Buffalo, New York. They are members of the Northeast Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League. Get the Sabres and all of your NHL Tickets here.
NASCAR season is on of the most attended sports in the world. NASCAR Tickets to the best tracks is a must every year. Some of these tracks are: Talladega Tickets, Lowes Motor Speedway Tickets, Pocono Raceway Tickets, located in Ridgeway Virginia you have Martinsville Speedway Tickets and southern US you have two of the most popular Atlanta Motor Speedway Tickets and Texas Motor Speedway Tickets. Don't miss all the racing events this year!
Boston Red Sox Tickets The Boston Red Sox are a member of the Major League Baseball’s American League Eastern Division. Since 1912, the Red Sox's home ballpark has been Fenway Park. This is one of the hottest MLB Tickets sales of any team in the major league.
New York Yankees Tickets The New York Yankees are a professional baseball team based in the borough of the Bronx, in New York City, New York and are a member of Major League Baseball's American League East Division. Get tickets to one of the hottest games of the season Yankees Red Sox Tickets.
Chicago Cubs Tickets The Chicago Cubs are an American professional baseball team based in Chicago, Illinois. They are members of the Central Division of Major League Baseball's National League.
Phillies Tickets The Philadelphia Phillies are a Major League Baseball team based in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. They are the oldest continuous, one-name, one-city franchise in all of professional American sports, dating to 1883.
Orioles Tickets The Baltimore Orioles are a professional baseball team based in Baltimore, Maryland.
Do you love wrestling? Get your WWE Tickets and WWE Survivor Series Tickets today!