Chapter 469: Tough Opponent
Three days later, Portugal faced their second group stage opponent, the host nation Russia, at Spartak Stadium in Moscow. Cristiano Ronaldo's header in the eighth minute secured a 1-0 victory for Portugal. This win ensured Portugal's advancement to the knockout stage with one match to spare, and they were almost guaranteed to finish first in their group.
On the afternoon of June 24, both final matches of Group A kicked off simultaneously. Russia faced Mexico at Kazan Arena, vying for the other qualification spot, while Portugal took on Oceania champions New Zealand at Krestovsky Stadium in Saint Petersburg.
With Portugal already through to the knockout stage, coach Santos made significant rotations, resting key players like captain Cristiano Ronaldo and Bruno Fernandes, who sat on the bench. Despite the rotated squad, Portugal demonstrated their strength, winning 3-0 against New Zealand with goals from Bernardo Silva, who had recently transferred to Manchester City for £43 million, and two from young forward André Silva.
In the other group match, Mexico defeated hosts Russia 2-1, securing the remaining qualification spot.
The next day, the final matches of Group B concluded. Germany topped the group with two wins and a draw, accumulating seven points, while South American champions Chile finished second with one win and two draws, earning five points.
Thus, Portugal's semifinal opponent was determined: Chile, who had defeated Messi's Argentina in the Copa America finals twice in consecutive years to win the tournament.
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For Portugal, Chile was a formidable opponent. Chile had been on a strong run, winning two consecutive Copa America titles and surpassing Brazil and Argentina to become the top South American national team, thus earning their place in the Confederations Cup. They brought a star-studded squad including Sánchez, Vidal, Bravo, Medel, and Vargas, and had arranged a series of targeted friendly matches, showing how seriously they took this opportunity.
Chile arrived in Russia on June 7, making them the first team to reach the tournament venue. Their current coach, Juan Antonio Pizzi, hailed from Argentina and was a former top scorer in La Liga. In the 1995-1996 season, Pizzi won the Pichichi Trophy while playing for Tenerife. As a coach, Pizzi continued the fast-paced attacking style introduced to Chile by his predecessors Marcelo Bielsa and Jorge Sampaoli, maintaining the team's success.
Chile's current team boasted balanced offensive and defensive capabilities, with standout wing play, and continued to rely on Sánchez and Vidal as their attacking cores.
Compared to Germany, Chile valued their participation in the Confederations Cup more, as this was their first appearance, and they aspired to bring home a major tournament trophy for the third consecutive summer.
In the group stage, although Group B was stronger overall than Group A, Chile's record of one win and two draws may not have been as dazzling as Portugal's in Group A, but their ability to defeat African champions Cameroon and draw with the strong German team showed their formidable strength.
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The match took place at Kazan Arena, where Portugal returned ten days after defeating another American team, Gold Cup champions Mexico. As the game neared 9 PM local time on June 28, both teams prepared to take the field, with commentators introducing the starting lineups.
Chile (4-3-3): Goalkeeper Bravo; defenders Isla, Medel, Jara, Beausejour; midfielders Díaz, Aránguiz, Hernández; forwards Vidal, Vargas, Sánchez.
"Chile has surprisingly placed Vidal on the right wing, forming a rarely used three-forward formation. This indicates their intention to play offensively and aim for a win at Kazan Arena."
Portugal (4-3-3): Goalkeeper Patricio; defenders Cédric, Fonte, Alves, Eliseu; midfielders William Carvalho, Adrien Silva, Bernardo Silva; forwards Bruno Fernandes, André Silva, Cristiano Ronaldo.
"For this match, Portugal made several changes. Eliseu replaced Guerreiro, who was out of the Confederations Cup due to a fracture, as left back. Wingers Quaresma and Nani started on the bench, and Pepe was suspended due to yellow card accumulation."
"Bruno has been pushed up to the forward line, forming a front trio with André Silva and Ronaldo. The responsibility for midfield organization falls on Manchester City's new signing Bernardo Silva. It will be interesting to see how Portugal performs with this new lineup."
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With Bruno pushed up front, it would be hard for Bernardo Silva to reach Bruno's level, so Adrien Silva would shoulder more of the midfield organization duties. The left side featured the combination of Ronaldo and Eliseu. Bruno on the right side alone posed a significant threat.
This was almost the strongest lineup Santos could field. He wanted to see how his new formation would fare against a team of Chile's caliber.
Though Chile was not a football powerhouse, they were a traditional South American strong team, making them an ideal test. Their balanced strength, neither too overwhelming nor too weak, provided the perfect trial.
Chile's starting lineup indicated their offensive intent, with Pizzi's team aiming to dominate. Portugal's captain Ronaldo won the coin toss against Chile's captain Bravo.
Bruno anticipated that this would play into Pizzi's strategy, as it would give Chile the kickoff, allowing them to strike first.
As expected, once the match started, Chile utilized their kickoff advantage to launch a fierce attack on Portugal's goal.
Portugal had prepared for this. Facing Chile's initial surge, Portugal chose to defend, retreating and allowing Chile to expend their energy. This strategy, however, only encouraged Chile's fervor.
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Chile's coach Pizzi sat on the bench, his eyes glued to the field, occasionally discussing strategies with his assistants. In the first ten minutes, Chile's aggressive push nearly overwhelmed Portugal.
If not for the outstanding performance of 29-year-old goalkeeper Patricio, Portugal might have conceded early. Arsenal star Sánchez, in particular, was a constant threat. Fresh off a disappointing season with Arsenal, Sánchez was determined to seek revenge on Bruno in international play. His relentless pursuit of opportunities in the final third kept Portugal's defense under immense pressure.
Sánchez's hot form, combined with other Chilean players' good condition, forced Portugal into a full defensive mode, desperately guarding their box.
From the first fifteen minutes of play, it was hard to believe that the team being pressed was the reigning European champion, Portugal.
Seeing Chile's dominance, with Portugal barely crossing the halfway line, Pizzi finally smiled, feeling a sense of relief.
On the other side, Portugal's coach Santos remained calm. Despite Chile's dominance and their relentless assault, Santos was not worried. Chile had not created clear scoring opportunities despite their possession, and Santos believed it was only a matter of time before Portugal turned the tide.
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"The time is about right," Bruno assessed.
Such frenetic attacking at the start couldn't last long. If the attacks yielded a goal quickly, it could further energize the team. But continued pressure without success would inevitably wear down their momentum.
As Bruno predicted, by the fifteenth minute, Chile began to slow down, unable to maintain their aggressive pressing. This gave Portugal a chance to regain control.
Santos, observing from the sidelines, moved back to his seat but soon found standing provided a better view and kept his mind sharp. He returned to the sidelines to watch the game closely.
It was time to test the tactics the team had been practicing. Santos wanted to see if his new formation could deliver the desired results against a team like Chile.
His focus was on Bernardo Silva, tasked with controlling the game's tempo. Whether to attack or defend, and from where to initiate the offense, all depended on Bernardo. To many, the best way to disrupt Portugal was to neutralize Bernardo.
Of course, Santos didn't entirely agree, knowing he also had Bruno. Bruno was the attacking core, while Bernardo was the organizational core, with distinct roles. Ronaldo, the team captain, was primarily a scorer and tactically less influential than Bernardo or Bruno.
(End of Chapter)
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