- Title: Portugal prepare for their World Cup qualifier against Latvia
- Date: 12th November 2016
- Summary: FARO, PORTUGAL (NOVEMBER 12, 2016) (REUTERS) CRISTIANO RONALDO PLAYING WITH BALL / PLAYERS ENTERING PITCH RONALDO, JOSE FONTE AND BRUNO ALVES WARMING UP WITH BALL JOAO MARIO AND ADRIEN SILVA WARMING UP WITH BALL TRAINING IN PROGRESS (SOUNDBITE) (Portuguese) PORTUGAL COACH, FERNANDO SANTOS, SAYING: "An important match for us against an opponent that for sure will create us difficulties, it's a team that when play away creates many difficulties. It won't be an easy match for sure, it will depends on what we will be able to do, we are favourites and that's normal." TRAINING IN PROGRESS RENATO SANCHES FERNANDO SANTOS DURING TRAINING SESSION (SOUNDBITE) (Portuguese) PORTUGAL COACH, FERNANDO SANTOS, SAYING: "We are favourites because we are better than the opponents but we will need to prove that on the pitch. If we can't prove that on the pitch it doesn't matter if we are favourite or not, so we need to be prepared and focused, and if we do that with more or less difficulties we will win the match." VARIOUS OF PLAYERS STRETCHING (SOUNDBITE) (Portuguese) PORTUGAL COACH, FERNANDO SANTOS, SAYING: "The European championship it's part of the past and I told the players many times that we don't need to think about that anymore, we need to focus now on the World Cup that is the competition we are playing now and we also want to do very well in that competition." PLAYERS WARMING UP WITH BALL (SOUNDBITE) (Portuguese) PORTUGAL AND INTER MILAN PLAYER, JOAO MARIO, SAYING: "It will be a signal of respect if they play that way (very defensive), they will play against the European champions, they know that they will have to be cautious we have a very good group of players so we expect a team that will show respect for sure." VARIOUS OF TRAINING SESSION
- Embargoed: 27th November 2016 17:45
- Keywords: World Cup Soccer Portugal Ronaldo Santos
- Location: FARO, PORTUGAL
- City: FARO, PORTUGAL
- Country: Portugal
- Topics: Soccer,Sport
- Reuters ID: LVA00158515Q7
- Aspect Ratio: 16:9
- Story Text: Portugal coach Fernando Santos said on Saturday (November 12) that his side face a difficult match against Latvia in their Group B World Cup qualifier in Faro.
The European champions lie second in the group behind Switzerland with six points from three games and coach Fernando Santos stressed that his side cannot afford slip up at home against Latvia, who lie fifth in the group with three points.
"An important match for us against an opponent that for sure will create us difficulties, it's a team that when play away creates many difficulties. It won't be an easy match for sure, it will depends on what we will be able to do, we are favourites and that's normal," he said.
With players like Real Madrid's Cristiano Ronaldo and Renato Sanches of Bayern Munich at their disposal Portugal go into the match as heavy favourites. Santos, however, stressed that his side need to prove their worth on the pitch.
"We are favourites because we are better than the opponents but we will need to prove that on the pitch. If we can't prove that on the pitch it doesn't matter if we are favourite or not, so we need to be prepared and focused, and if we do that with more or less difficulties we will win the match," he said.
Portugal beat France to win Euro2016 in Paris earlier this year but Santos is insisting that his players look ahead not backwards as they look to qualify for the 2018 World Cup finals in Russia.
"The European championship it's part of the past and I told the players many times that we don't need to think about that anymore, we need to focus now on the World Cup that is the competition we are playing now and we also want to do very well in that competition," he said. - Copyright Holder: REUTERS
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