‘When Ricardinho has a goal, he achieves it’ – Jorge Braz
Jorge Braz says Ricardinho’s determination to make the World Cup embodies the Portuguese commitment to win a first title Photograph: Jamie Fahey
• Portugal coach hails O Mágico’s ‘huge sacrifice’ to reach final after serious injury
• Goalkeepers Bebe, Vitor Hugo, Edu and Andre Sousa ‘a team within a team’
• ‘No preparation. We just want to play the final against Argentina’
JORGE BRAZ has hailed Ricardinho’s “huge sacrifice” after the iconic Portugal captain capped a remarkable recovery from serious injury to inspire the seleção to an historic first World Cup final in Lithuania.
O Mágico slammed home a crucial spot-kick after shining in the previous 50 minutes of absorbing action, which saw Kazakshtan level the score at 2-2 to force extra time. Vitor Hugo traded places in goal with the outstanding Bebe to repel Brazil-born captain Douglas Junior’s spot-kick to seal a dramatic 4-3 victory on penalties over the powerful Kazakhstan team.
With the melodic sound of the raucous Portugal fans still ringing out in the Kaunas night, Braz voiced his own chorus of approval about the man he once labelled a “the Messi and Ronaldo of futsal”.
“When he [Ricardinho] has a goal to achieve, he achieves it,” declared Braz.
The six-times world player of the year has shone at the World Cup – registering the fourth highest minutes on court in the tournament so far despite spending most of 2021 in rehabilitation after a potentially career-ending knee injury.
“He passed through a huge sacrifice to get to the World Cup … when you have somebody who passed what he did, these last months, and it comes to a World Cup and he’s doing what he’s doing… I think that’s the example as a captain.
Video: Jorge Braz speaking after Portugal’s semi-final victory over Kazakshtan
“And that’s what our team is. All of us, we want a lot. But we want a lot as a team. We want a lot as Portugal. We’re in the final because of the behaviour we had as a team and the sacrifices we did as a team too.”
With the formidable figure of Higuita in the Kazakhstan goal, and Orazov, Tursagulov and Taynan posing a constant goal threat, Portugal were taken to the wire in a contest worthy of the final.
“No preparation. We just need to rest. We just want to play the final. We’ll be ready. For sure”
Speaking with calm and forensic conviction just minutes after the euphoric victory, Braz dispelled any doubts about Portugal’s players to maintain their intensity despite another punishing extra-time match in the knockout phase.
“The best way to get ready for the final is to have matches like this, not to win 5 or 6-0 [and people saying] ‘What a quality Portugal has’. No. A World Cup semi-final has to be like this. Brazil-Argentina was like this too. If we go back to the quarter-final, it was the same.”
When asked about the special bond between his goalkeepers, after Vitor Hugo and Bebe shared the shot-stopping task in the shoot-out, Braz revealed his clear philosophy.
“The goalkeepers have to be another team inside a team. I have four fantastic goalkeepers at this time.
“When they started this season, I told them: ‘You guys have to be a team.’”
Braz also determination to wrest the title from holders Argentina despite facing the Albiceleste with one fewer day to prepare after another
“We need nothing. Of course we have our programme, but I don’t need any tactical and strategic aspects against Argentina.
“No preparation. This time. We just need to rest. We need to recover.
“We just want to play the final. And we’ll be ready. For sure.”
For Ricardinho, the 36-year-old icon of the sport who led Portugal to their Euros 2018 title, victory in the World Cup final would give him “the only trophy I don’t have”.
“It would be bringing the curtain down beautifully. It would be the perfect way to end my international career,” he told Fifa at the start of the knockout phase.
No one is underestimating the relentless pressing outfit that is Matias Lucuix’s reigning champions, however.
Ricardinho earmarked Argentina as the main threat for the title, along with Brazil, who were dumped out by their South American rivals in the other semi-final.
The ACCS star named Lucuix’s men as Portugal’s biggest rivals for the title because of “what they are as a team”.
For Braz and Ricardinho, the coach and skipper spearheading the seleção’s mission to write a fourth name into the pantheon of World Cup glory, the situation couldn’t be clearer.
Another 40 minutes of “huge sacrifice” and the biggest prize in futsal could be theirs.
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