ISRAEL: FOOTBALL/SOCCER: Portugal and Israel squads train before their World Cup qualifier

Record ID: 397710

  • Title: ISRAEL: FOOTBALL/SOCCER: Portugal and Israel squads train before their World Cup qualifier
  • Date: 21st March 2013
  • Summary: RAMAT GAN, ISRAEL (MARCH 21, 2013) (REUTERS) PORTUGAL SQUAD TRAINING CRISTIANO RONALDO WALKING PORTUGAL NATIONAL COACH PAULO BENTO PORTUGAL SUPPORTERS WITH FLAG DEFENDER PEPE RUNNING TO JOIN SQUAD CRISTIANO RONALDO AND PEPE SEEN TRAINING PHOTOGRAPHERS IN THE STANDS TRAINING/PHOTOGRAPHER SQUAD, RONALDO SEEN IN CENTRE PHOTOGRAPHER RONALDO, PEPE AND OTHERS EXERCISING MIGUEL
  • Embargoed: 5th April 2013 13:00
  • Keywords:
  • Location: Israel
  • Country: Israel
  • Topics: Sports
  • Reuters ID: LVA96NMCFHUSWMLXSUP30LA3W523
  • Story Text: Portugal players trained at Ramat Gan on Thursday (March 21) in preparation for their World Cup qualifying match against Israel on Friday (March 22).
    The squad consists of players from high ranking teams across Europe but the centre of attention for photographers was Real Madrid's Cristiano Ronaldo.
    Coach Paulo Bento oversaw the training for the team's fifth match of qualifying for next year's World Cup finals in Rio de Janeiro.
    Russia tops Group F of qualification with 12 points. Israel and Portugal come next on seven points but Israel are ahead on goal difference. Northern Ireland, Azerbaijan and Luxembourg trail them.
    The Israel squad trained at Shefayim, ready for the match.
    The Israel national coach Eli Gutman said Portugal was more than Cristiano Ronaldo, and his players needed to play against the whole of the Portugal team. He also stressed that he believed, and his team believed, that they were capable of winning the match.
    "First of all our part as coach and players, we must to believe. If we are not believing, our place is not here," he told reporters. "Secondly Cristiano Ronaldo is a key player, not only in Portugal. He is a key player, not only in Real Madrid. But I told my friends in the Israeli media that Portugal is not only Cristiano Ronaldo with all the respect, and I have a lot of respect for him, they have a lot of good players that Israel should play as a team, this is the key."
    Only one team from Group F is guaranteed a place in the World Cup finals, with the second-placed team having to go into playoffs.
  • Copyright Holder: REUTERS
  • Copyright Notice: (c) Copyright Thomson Reuters 2013. Open For Restrictions - http://about.reuters.com/fulllegal.asp
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