MARIENFELD, Germany -- Brazil or France, France or Brazil --
Portuguese players knew they'd be playing a soccer heavyweight in
their World Cup semifinal.
While Portugal avoided the defending champions, it faces a
France squad that is peaking at the right time.
"We've been saying among ourselves here all along that France
would get to the semifinals, despite their bad start," goalkeeper
Ricardo said Sunday at Portugal's training camp. "Some said France
wasn't going to do anything, but it's not easy to beat Brazil."
After Portugal beat England 3-1 in a quarterfinal shootout
Saturday, the players awaited word of the outcome of the
Brazil-France game as they traveled back to their training camp.
France won 1-0, making this the first all-European World Cup
semifinal in 24 years.
Portugal is the only team left never to have lifted the World
Cup trophy -- France won in 1998 and Italy and Germany both have won
three times.
The Portuguese meet resurgent France on Wednesday in Munich.
Forty years after they finished in third place, the Portuguese
could exceed their best-ever showing.
"Records are there to be broken," Ricardo said.
Portugal's Brazilian coach Luiz Felipe Scolari stretched his
World Cup unbeaten run to 12 matches -- including five straight wins
this year -- and the Portuguese are on a 19-game unbeaten streak
dating to February 2005.
"We know it'll be extremely difficult," Ricardo said.
"They've got a great team with fantastic players."
Scolari gave his reserves a training session but rested the
players who beat England on penalties after a 0-0 draw that with
extra time lasted 120 minutes.
Captain Luis Figo and winger Cristiano Ronaldo, who complained
of feeling heaviness in his right thigh after skipping training all
last week with an injury, underwent special treatment.
Scolari has stuck with Ricardo despite broad criticism of his
form at his club Sporting Lisbon. The gamble paid off in Germany,
especially on Saturday as Ricardo stopped three shootout shots.
In the 2004 European Championship quarterfinals against England,
he pulled his glove off to save one and scored another in a penalty
shootout that sent Portugal through.
"It doesn't matter how many videos or games you watch, a
penalty is a special moment," Ricardo said. "You try to read in
their eyes and their soul what they're going to do."