PORTUGAL PROFILE: Despite that fact that Ireland twice held them at bay in our qualifying run-up, Portugal have class and confidence and will be looming large in the closing stages of this competition, writes Paul Doyle

We at ireland.com reckon some of our old school teachers have emigrated to Iberia. That is the only explanation we can imagine for the Spanish and Portuguese footballers monumental under-achievement.

Portugal have in the past been even more profligate than their Spanish neighbours; it is almost unbelievable that 2002 will witness the première of Luis Figo (right), Rui Costa, and Joao Pinto at a World Cup.

We know the mantra: having lifted the World Youth Cup in 1991, this is the last chance the golden generation of Portuguese football will have to prove they can fulfil their potential.

They have the talent, and in defenders like Fernando Couto, Jorge Costa, Jorge Silva, Litos, and Petit, they also have the steel. What’s more, and most promisingly, they have demonstrated they have the brawn.

In the last two years, they have produced several rousing come-backs in vital matches. At Euro 2000, they awoke at 2-0 to batter England 3-2, then in the current qualifying campaign, they scored twice in the last five minutes to equalise with Holland, and, you may recall, stormed back against Ireland in Dublin to nullify Roy Keane’s opener.

Their acrimonious golden-goal defeat by France in the semi-finals of Euro 2000 is their only competitive defeat in almost three years, and they still insist they were cheated in that (though they blew the opportunity to get revenge against France when they were spanked 4-0 by the French in a friendly earlier this year).

Humberto Coelho’s Euro 2000 side were worried about going to Holland and Belgium without a deadly striker and were relieved to witness the emergence of Nuno Gomes. Even if he isn’t quite on fire at Fiorentina, he has progressed from that promising start to the stage where he could conceivably spearhead a World Cup winning charge.

And if he fails to shine, then another bright new spark could light up Portugal’s attack. Pauleta has banged in goals for his country, and with Bordeaux has breached defences all over the French First Division. He is lithe and alert and as dangerous in the air as he is on the ground.

And with Sergio Conceicao and Figo on the flanks, and Rui Costa (left) probing around the centre, bad service is not a flaw Pauleta or Nuno Gomes are likely to fret about (though their fussy federation, judging by their moaning in Dublin, will no doubt spend the tournament whining about the number of Toyotas on Tokyo’s streets and Japanese shopkeepers pig-headed refusal to accept escudo).

Despite looking like Woody Allen, Antonio Oliveira, the manager appointed after Euro 2000 when Coelho resigned, presides over a team which exudes class and confidence. That is also true of Portugal’s U-21 side, which should certainly contribute at least two players to the senior squad.

Winger Simao Sabrosa, who Benfica bought from Barcelona during the summer, has sorcerer’s feet and a fiendish mind – he can turn snooty defenders into toads with a simple flick of his foot. Then there is Hugo Leal, a brilliantly creative and assertive midfielder whose looks and style mean you could mistake him for the reincarnation of Rui Costa, if it wasn’t for the fact that the latter is still very much alive and kicking.

Most pundits identify Portugal’s goalkeepers as being their primary weakness, but neither Quim nor Vitor Baia has put a hand nor foot wrong for the national side in recent times, which suggests Baia in particular has improved since the days when he fumbled crosses as regularly as he patted the hair-do he’s palpably so proud of.

They may not have four or five excellent players for every position like Argentina and (almost) France, but there’s no question that Portugal are potential world champions.

Squad:

Goalkeepers
16-Ricardo (Boavista), 1-Vitor Baia (FC Porto), 15-Nelson (Sporting Lisbon)

Defenders
3-Abel Xavier (Liverpool/Eng), 13-Jorge Andrade (FC Porto), 2-Jorge Costa (Charlton/Eng), 5-Fernando Couto (Lazio/Ita), 22-Beto (Sporting Lisbon), 23-Rui Jorge (Sporting Lisbon), 18-Frechaut (Boavista), 4-Caneira (Benfica)

Midfielders
11-Sergio Conceicao (Inter Milan/Ita), 10-Rui Costa (AC Milan/Ita), 17-Paulo Bento (Sporting Lisbon), 6-Paulo Sousa (Espanyol/Spa), 14-Pedro Barbosa (Sporting Lisbon), 20-Petit (Boavista), 12-Hugo Viana (Sporting Lisbon)

Forwards
7-Luis Figo (Real Madrid/Spa), 21-Nuno Gomes (Fiorentina/Ita), 9-Pauleta (Bordeaux/Fra), 8-Joao Pinto (Sporting Lisbon), 19-Capucho (FC Porto)