By Karen Iley
MARIENFELD, Germany, June 29 - Portugal said they
had the talent and mental strength to overcome England in their
World Cup quarter-final on Saturday but admitted the game would
be difficult.
Captain Luis Figo said the team had studied videos of the
England players and knew Sven-Goran Eriksson's men well enough
to cope with whatever they threw at them in Gelsenkirchen.
"We will treat them with respect. We know the English team
well, we know the players one on one, we know the way they play
and we are prepared for the game," the midfielder told a news
conference, adding: "We hope they don't surprise us."
Much has been made of the fact that Portugal put England out
of Euro 2004, and that their coach, Luiz Felipe Scolari led
Brazil when they sent England home from the World Cup in Japan
four years ago.
Figo, however, dismissed suggestions of a psychological
advantage.
"There is not a revenge problem for Portugal, the problem is
more for England after the last Euro...You should ask the
England players about this," he said. "But the past is there for
us to remember but it cannot help us in 90 minutes."
Figo was uncharacteristically physical in the bad-tempered
1-0 victory over the Netherlands in which he was booked for
butting Dutchman Mark van Bommel.
"Against the Netherlands we had to pull together and be as
strong as possible to get a good result," he said on Thursday.
But that performance, in which Portugal collected a total of
nine yellow cards, has prompted criticism of Portuguese tactics.
Costinha, one of those dismissed for two bookings, said the
claims were not ruffling Portugal's feathers.
"Everyone is free to say what they want. We have to respond
on the pitch. We are mentally strong and we don't think about
that kind of pressure. We have to believe in ourselves," he
said.
Figo agreed that Portugal would not be swayed by the English
capacity for refusing to believe they were beaten.
"We are showing a great mentality in this competition and we
hope to beat the English in all ways. They have a great
mentality but we have to be better if we want to win," he said.
Figo, 33, would not be drawn on his international future.
"Every game could be my last, I'm not eternal," he said.