Euro 2016: Portugal and the usual difficulties

Portugal debuted with a bitter 1-1 draw in European football. in Saint-Etienne, Nani beat his national team in the first half. Birkir Bjarnason equalised in the second.

The Portugal front tie to Iceland in the debut meeting of Euro 2016 only confirmed the difficulties that the team of the corners feels whenever he plays against an indented block. Not that the Icelandic team has parked the bus at Geoffroy-Guichard. The Norse played with the weapons they had, never stopped trying to disturb Rui Patricio deserved the goal that marked and even could perfectly have won the three points.

Against a team that spends most of his time with 11 players behind the ball, gives way, however, have a maestro, a creative capable of pulling rabbits out of a hat . João Moutinho, André Gomes and João Mário can't play poorly, decide almost always well and the ball round out your feet ... but they lack such a rip of creativity, the ability to see what no one else can see.



#PORISL: 4th consecutive finals (and Euro) that Portugal fails to win on debut. The last victory was at the Euro 2008.

The problem worsens when two of them (John Mario and André Gomes) find themselves confined to play on the wings. It's not where yield more or have features to tip along the line. The result was a hole in midfield, a true oasis between Danilo and Moutinho, in midfield, Nani and Ronaldo (matched with 127 internationals Fig) in the attack.

When Portugal was able to build with patience, open ed defensive weaknesses. The goal proved that even but was the exception.



11 â€" The longest pass sequence before a goal in #Euro2016 has been Nani’s goal vs #ISL. Tiki-taka. pic.twitter.com/BUn2m0zjCF

Unfortunately for Portugal, the goal didn't come to solve the problems of the costume and the Icelandic open draw the second time only exacerbated the situation. If before, Portugal had difficulties in build with patience, from there was perfectly impossible.

Fernando Santos moved still on the team but failed to plug the hole in midfield. Moutinho (and João Mário spaces) was the only one who was trying to do. Was the first to be replaced, João Mário. The mission fit so to Renato Sanches, who tried to break line s to your style but was just too much.



selecaoportugal was the one who shot more ...! See all the numbers of the first J of <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/EURO2016?src=hash">#EURO2016</a> groups <a href="https://t.co/SzMalfFmQE">https://t.co/SzMalfFmQE</a> <a href="https://t.co/d67s43m8Ph">pic.twitter.com/d67s43m8Ph</a><p>â€" Portuguese UEFA.com (UEFAcom_pt) 15 June 2016

Portugal played a slow and predictable and needed a ray of genius to break the wall. Tear of genius never arrived.



Stadium Geoffroy-Guichard, Saint-ÉtienneÁrbitro: Cüneyt Çakır (Turkey)

Portugal: Rui Patr icio, Vieirinha, Ricardo Carvalho, Pepe, Raphaël, Danilo Warrior, João Mário (Ricardo Quaresma 76 '), Joao Moutinho (Renato Sanches 71 '), André Gomes (Éder 840), Nani and Cristiano Ronaldo coach: Fernando Santos.



Goals: Nani (31 '), Bjarnason (50 ')



Man of the match Nani scored Portugal’s goal, created two chances & completed 23/26 of his passes. #PORISL #EURO2016 pic.twitter.com/MKXXEbzFNl



It wasn't the first, but we move on, we think we're going to stick together Austria! #Euro2016 #POR pic.twitter.com/3cxoB9smOl

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