Facing England on Sunday, the Portugal U21s lost by the smallest of margins and were therefore eliminated from Euro Espoirs.
It is indeed the end of the Portuguese team’s adventure. After a very complex group stage, young players Roy Jorge They were unable to dampen expectations in the quarter-finals of the UEFA European Under-21 Championship. Despite the apparent dominance in the second half, the Portuguese were forced to bow on the slightest of margins to England (1-0).
Two-faced Portugal
Roy Jorge He clearly appreciated the Portuguese performance against Belgium. Three short days after the last match in the group stage, the Portuguese coach made the decision to trust the same players again for the quarter-finals, scheduled for Sunday against England. If Fabio Silva And his family had already had difficulties in the previous round, and the situation did not improve much after a few days, especially in the shocking first half against the English.
Disappointing at first, guys Roy Jorge He logically conceded the opener at the half-hour mark, after a great move to cap it off Anthony Gordon. An achievement that would mark the only goal of the first period, as the English generally showed a better face than their opponents of the day.
But the situation changed radically during the second part of the meeting. back on the wall, Roy Jorge I decided to come back from the locker room with Paul Bernardo In a place Samu in the midfield, which gave his team a new impetus. Obviously, the Portuguese controlled the ball, and sat in front of the English goals, without finding fault. Also the author of a good entry into the play, Benfica striker Henrique Araujo He proved particularly dangerous and was very close to equalizing at the end of the match. However, facing an Englishman who had not yet conceded a goal since the start of the competition, the Portuguese 21 could not find the necessary slot to get back into the game.
It was over, and Portugal was eliminated from the European Football Championship after being defeated by England (1-0). ❌🇵🇹 pic.twitter.com/VCO2tOqriX
– Trivela (Trivela_FR) July 2, 2023
Eliminate the bitter taste
A scenario that would leave some regrets for the Portuguese coaching staff. If the group proposal for a second term was enough to satisfy observers, he wonders what choices he’s made Roy Jorge throughout the competition. Indeed, the Portuguese has waited for the second half of the competition’s quarter-finals to finally live up to the expectations set for this generation. A very late awakening, which is logically evidenced by the early elimination of this formation, is much more disappointing than its predecessor.
Image credit: IconSport
After studying at Business School, Alexandre Ribeiro launched Trivela.fr in 2019 and now runs it alongside his assistants. Passionate about Portuguese football as a whole, and especially the Portugal national team, he with all his energy and involvement brings this media to life on a daily basis.
