The Egyptian team is no match for Portugal in terms of skills and tactics. Perhaps because it was a friendly match, the players were not very excited, which led to many players just going through the motions on the field.
If Portugal hadn't intentionally thrown the game and substituted their key players early on, the outcome might have been even worse, with 4-1 becoming the final result.
In this match, Ronaldo only played for 30 minutes, but despite this, he still managed to score two goals with his keen instincts, completing a brace and a winning start to the World Cup.
In the friendly match, the coaching staff focused more on assessing the players' form and did not place much importance on the result, but it was still a cause for celebration to achieve a winning start.
Santos embraced every player present, celebrating the moment of victory.
For the next three days, there was a friendly match almost every day: a narrow 1-0 victory over Peru, a 0-2 loss to Brazil, and a 3-1 narrow win against Panama.
There were wins and losses, but overall, the coaching staff's expectations have been met.
In this kind of game, even the players' mentality doesn't fluctuate much. After all, it's just a warm-up, and no one would be foolish enough to run across the entire field just to save a ball, let alone get injured while trying to save a ball.
But Brazil's strength still serves as a reminder to the Portuguese that they are very strong. Even without the aliens, the elves, or the king, they are still the five-star Brazil.
The team's situation is relatively stable, but in the external environment, many people are not optimistic about the Portuguese team.
Many people say that Portugal seems strong, but it is not really strong. Even if a player of Chinese descent like Lei Ming is called up to the national team, the conservative Santos will not really use him.
At this time, the Portuguese team could only be considered a rising powerhouse, not a traditional powerhouse at all. Even with the presence of Cristiano Ronaldo, the Champions League Golden Boot winner, they were still a team that many people did not have high hopes for.
As for that Premier League's top goalkeeper, he's still sitting on the bench!
The major live streaming rooms and online platforms in the East were almost entirely filled with criticism of Santos: "What is he doing? If you can't be a coach, then get out! You're just occupying the position without doing anything, leaving my son Lei to sit on the bench all the time, is that appropriate?"
"Exactly! Does this bastard even know how to use people properly?!"
"I really want to rush onto the field and slap this annoying old man twice. So what if he's Chinese? Don't give it to us right now!"
...
As the person involved, Santos knew that the public opinion outside was very unfavorable to him, but he ignored it and continued to arrange the team according to his own rhythm.
On June 14, 2018, the 2018 FIFA World Cup in Russia finally kicked off, and the opening ceremony was held amidst great anticipation.
The opening ceremony was spectacular, featuring a variety of performances that earned applause from people all over the world for the organizers' dedication.
The opening match was between the host country Russia and Saudi Arabia.
Players from almost every country present were invited to Luzhniki Stadium to watch and witness this wonderful moment together.
The host nation lived up to its reputation, unleashing its full offensive power in the opening match and leaving Saudi Arabia with no chance to fight back.
Over the years, although the Saudi league has spent a lot of money in Europe and has also poached many star players, its level has not improved much, and it has been dominated by the host country for almost the entire game.
In just forty minutes of the first half, Russia scored two goals with the help of Gazinskiy and Cheryshev. In the second half, the host country unleashed its full attacking power, scoring three more goals.
In the end, the opening match ended 5-0 after 90 minutes, making President Putin, who was in attendance, smile from ear to ear.
He was very happy to see the team play with the spirit they deserved.
The next day, the World Cup officially kicked off, and the first match of the group stage became the focus of attention for people all over the world.
Portugal's Group B team had no matches on the 15th. The matches in Group B that day were between Morocco and Iran, but Portugal didn't pay attention to those two teams. Instead, they were focused on preparing for their first opponent, Spain.
La Liga's recent glory has also produced a large number of outstanding players, and their player configuration is much better than Portugal's, with a strong core player in almost every position.
The team atmosphere wasn't very relaxed as they prepared for the match against Spain.
But sometimes, it's precisely at times like these that relaxation is needed most. So, head coach Santos didn't schedule too many training sessions for the players that day. Instead, he arranged several intra-squad scrimmages to help the key players improve their teamwork, a method that most national teams would adopt.
Football is, after all, a team game, and teamwork is even more important than skill. Without teamwork, even the best players can be overlooked on the empty green field.
"Oh my god, Ray, you're incredible!"
During an intra-squad scrimmage, Cristiano Ronaldo won a free kick in a very good position in the attacking third. Everyone thought the ball was a sure goal when they saw the opponent's signature dipping shot. However, the substitute goalkeeper, Lei Ming, made a miraculous save in front of everyone.
He not only rejected the free kick that was in the absolute corner, but also kept the ball firmly in his hands. At this moment, almost no one, whether his teammates or opponents, could remain calm. Even the coaching staff on the field were excitedly clenching their fists.
Santos: "It's absolutely fantastic. Rey is a natural goalkeeper. I regret ever missing out on such a player."
Assistant: "Who says otherwise? Didn't you see how the crowd outside is cursing you like a dog? So, how about we let Lei play in the next game?"
Santos: "There's an old Chinese saying, 'Good steel should be used on the edge of a blade.' He can't play yet. Even if everyone criticizes me, I don't care. This time, I'm going to give the world a surprise!"
The assistant was speechless after hearing what the other person said, and could only silently give a thumbs up to express his admiration for his boss.
If the boss's approach is followed, the effect would indeed be as astonishing as a nuclear explosion, but the process would not be easy. He would face unprecedented criticism, and he must be careful not to overdo it.
It would be really bad if Portugal couldn't even make it to the round of 16.
"Boss, you'd better take it easy. Although our team has Ronaldo, the fragility of our defense is obvious to all."
"I understand that, don't worry!"
Santos's eyes were fixed on the pitch, on Ronaldo running, and on Lei Ming standing steadily in front of the goal as Ronaldo attacked. A smile involuntarily crept onto his lips.
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