England Poised to Defeat Portugal

England is just hours away from their crucial match against Portugal. On paper, this is one of the finest England teams to grace the international stage in years. But can they play as a cohesive unit and defeat Scolari’s men?

Right now, England has everything in its favor. Five of the Portugese players are playing with yellow cards, so they (Figo, Maniche, Ricardo, Nuno Valente and Petit) will be playing more cautiously than usual. Cristiano Ronaldo is doubtful for the match, although a decision will be made within two hours of kick-off.

If Ronaldo doesn’t play, Luis Figo will move into the midfield while Simao will slot into the Ronaldo’s wing position. Simao, you may remember, was brilliant for Benfica this year when they knocked Liverpool out of the Champions League.

Regarding England, we’ve watched with joy so many of these players perform at the highest level this past season in the English Premiership. Wherever you’ll be on Saturday at 5pm German time, cheer on the lads and let’s believe that they can do it. C’mon England!

PS – Watch the blog Saturday night for pictures and blog posts from the day’s events.