Portugal improving after slow start

Poland: Portugal lumbered through the first five months of 2012 looking like a team that was planning only a short stay at the European Championship.

The talented Portuguese were winless in three warm-up matches and then lost 1-0 to Germany in their Euro 2012 opener.

But after netting just one goal in four matches, Portugal finally found its scoring touch in a 3-2 win over Denmark. It only got better from there, with the previously misfiring Cristiano Ronaldo finding the net three times in two matches to put Portugal into the semi-finals.

With the Real Madrid star in the kind of form that has made him one of the world’s best players at club level, Portugal’s chances of extending their run at Euro 2012 — and perhaps even winning the country’s first major tournament — are suddenly looking better.

This team isn’t considered Portugal’s most talented of recent years — that honour goes to the Luis Figo-led sides that lost in the semi-finals of Euro 2000 and the final of the 2004 edition.

But coach Paulo Bento does have quality to call on — Real Madrid defenders Pepe and Fabio Coentrao, along with Chelsea’s Raul Meireles and Manchester United’s Nani in midfield.

And that’s not even mentioning the sublime skills of Ronaldo.

It’s that sort of top-class talent that brought out around 1,000 fans, many of them children sporting Ronaldo’s Real Madrid shirt, for the team’s open training session in the western Polish town of Opalenica on Saturday. Serenaded by chants of “Ronaldo, Ronaldo” from the crowd, the Madrid forward and others signed autographs after a light practice session.

The players also showed their appreciation for the town, holding up a banner that read in Polish: “Thank you Opalenica”.

Bento’s side next face Spain, and the players are under no illusions how difficult their quarter-final on Wednesday will be.

“Spain — they are a very powerful team. They have the basis of Barcelona and their style of play with a lot of passes and ball possession,” defender Ricardo Costa said.

“Currently they’re playing without a striker, and some say they are struggling a little bit with their tactics. I hope they keep on struggling.”

With Bento’s team picking up steam as the tournament goes along, nobody can be looking forward to the challenge of having to face Portugal either.