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 up 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, they 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 and
that's part of the reason why 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
brought 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 rival. 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. I asked why? 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 give my
wife Mary and son’s Daniel and Jordan each of them a kiss
and a hug. It was a very surreal moment. I could see their
happiness and pride for their dad and husband.
Live the World Cup!
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