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“…this is very childish.”
Portugal coach Roberto Martinez has praised his side’s performance against Colombia, stressing that it was a “wonderful match” for two already qualified teams, describing it as a very valuable test that will increase his team’s readiness to face the rigors of the World Cup in a difficult climate.
Portugal held Colombia to a 0-0 draw on Sunday morning to keep them top of Group 11 with seven points, qualifying for the round of 32 with Portugal, who finished the competition with five points.
In the next round, Portugal will meet Croatia, and Colombia will play Ghana.
“Ronaldo is incomparable to others and our decisions are not childish.”
Asked by an ESPN reporter at a press conference, in which he compared Cristiano Ronaldo’s 90 minutes in all matches at the age of 41, while Messi and Holland rested their teams, Roberto Martinez confirmed:
Martinez explained that the technical staff is closely monitoring Ronaldo, saying: “I can tell you that we monitor all the information and data that we receive directly during games and of course what we do between training sessions as well.”
Regarding Ronaldo’s willingness to play the full 90 minutes against Colombia, the coach said: “Cristiano is used to being in the right place at the right time. It’s about more mental strength, always being disciplined in his position and opening up spaces for our attacking styles.”
Martinez emphasized that there is no obstacle preventing Ronaldo, saying: “Therefore, there is no physical or mental problem for Cristiano to play the full 90 minutes. We may need to make a change in the next game, but that goes for any other player as we follow the information and data available to us.”
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The philosophy of rotation and the value test
“Today we used the energy of Joao Neves for 45 minutes, we used Ruben Neves for 45 minutes and we used Diogo Dalot and Joao Cancelo. There are different positions on the pitch that require different requirements and we control that down to the smallest detail.”
The coach continued to explain the mechanism of team selection. “There is information between games, there are players getting knocks, there are players playing with minor injuries, there are players who are fully fit and there are players who have had a great period.
In an overall technical assessment of the match, Martinez noted that the encounter against Colombia was a “wonderful match” for the two previously qualified teams, describing it as a very valuable test that improves the team’s readiness to face the tough demands of the World Cup in difficult climates.
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Kudos to goalkeeper Diogo Costa and his defensive stability
The coach expressed great satisfaction with the defensive stability and the performance of the goalkeeper Diogo Costa, who was able to keep the goal intact in the last third against the repeated attacks of Colombia, emphasizing that this game helps to change and improve the defensive tactical structure of Portugal.
Martinez admitted that Portugal allowed Colombia to impose their style, relying on attacking transitions and two-way tackles, noting that his team did not make the right decisions to control the ball as required, which made the game more open than he would have preferred.
A comparison between Colombia and Croatia is not possible
Martinez emphasized that Portugal is entering the knockout stage with more confidence and more readiness, commenting. “After facing these difficult moments, the team has become more united psychologically and responsible, emphasizing that the goal has not changed, which is to try to win all matches and reach the maximum level.
Responding in Spanish to the similarities between Colombia and their next opponent, Croatia, Martinez explained: “They are two completely different teams. “We compare a European team like Croatia to a South American team like Colombia and they are completely different in terms of the way they play and how they use space.”
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Remembering and honoring Gotha
Answering the question about playing the next game coinciding with the death anniversary of the player Diogo (Yota), Martinez said: “Every day is a tough day when we train and there are always moments when memories of Yota come back to us. a stronger team.”
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