• acecant@alien.topB
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        1 year ago

        In ‘04 CR7 was a secondary player. Portugal would be one of the favorites with or without him especially considering it was a home turf

        • ly_jacksonmartinez@alien.topB
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          1 year ago

          I think it’s more due to the fact of improving academies and getting football / coaching / tactical periodization taught in college concluding in a general evolution of portuguese football instead of just relying on mid foreign players just because it’s cheaper.

          Also developing coaches such as José Mourinho, Jorge Jesus, André Villas-Boas, Bruno Lage, Luís Castro, Vítor Pereira, Abel Ferreira, Marco Silva, Sérgio Conceição, Jesualdo Ferreira, Carlos Carvalhal or Leonardo Jardim which consequently led to developing players such as Costinha, Maniche, Tiago, Pepe, Ricardo Carvalho, Moutinho, Meireles, Bosingwa, Nani, Quaresma, Coentrão, Danilo, William, Nelson Semedo, Ruben Dias, Joao Cancelo, Bernardo Silva, Diogo Dalot, Nuno Mendes, Bruno Fernandes, João Palhinha, Ruben Neves, João Félix, Vitinha, Matheus Nunes, Rafael Leão, etc etc etc

          I wonder if this had something to do with Portugal’s recent success. But I don’t think so, it probably was because of Ronaldo, sure.

      • ContaSoParaIsto@alien.topB
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        1 year ago

        I mean… 26/39 games here had Ronaldo in the squad.

        Do I really need to point out the problem with this logic? I genuinely mean that

    • TheChronoCross@alien.topB
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      1 year ago

      Maybe not because of but certainly improved since/during. He was already there in 96 I believe, and has been ever since.

    • Ohmygosh0@alien.topB
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      1 year ago

      You were shit compared to now. You only qualified twice to the world cup prior to 2002 but qualified to every WC since then.