Following the completion of the Euro 2012 Qualifying Play-Offs, from which Portugal, Croatia, Czech Republic and the Republic of Ireland all qualified this week, all sixteen teams that will be participating in Poland and the Ukraine next June are now known.

The Play-Offs saw the eight runners up of the qualifying groups comepte for the four remaining places at next year's tournament and the outcomes of all the games proved reasonably predictable.

Portugal are ready to head to Euro 2012 in Poland-Ukraine and now the next task for coach Paulo Bento will be to select a 23 man squad. Bento has made it be known that Ricardo Carvalho and Bosingwa will not be a part of the team but which players do have a chance? We name our Top 50 list of players that could be a part of the Portugal National side come Euro 2012.

Com algum sofrimento desnecessário mistura, Portugal lá carimbou a qualificação para o Euro 2012, ao golear a Bósnia por 6-2. Não fez mais do que a sua obrigação, atendendo qualidade de alguns dos seus jogadores e posição que ocupa no ranking da FIFA. Cristiano Ronaldo esteve em grande.

Com algum sofrimento desnecessário mistura, Portugal lá carimbou a qualificação para o Euro 2012, ao golear a Bósnia por 6-2. Não fez mais do que a sua obrigação, atendendo qualidade de alguns dos seus jogadores e posição que ocupa no ranking da FIFA. Cristiano Ronaldo esteve em grande.

Brazilian midfielder Ricardo Izecson Dos Santos Leite aka Kaka won't be making his much awaited return to the Brazilian national team after a calf injury ruled him out of the Selecao's upcoming friendlies against Gabon and Egypt.

The Real Madrid star who has been in fantastic form for Los Merengues these past few weeks will have to wait a little longer to play his first match for his country in more than a year.

Paulo Bento has named his squad for the all-important two legged playoffs against Bosnia Herzegovina.

Goal Keepers: Beto, Eduardo, Rui Patricio

Defenders: Bruno Alves, Pepe, Rolando, Sereno, Fabio Coentrao, Joao Pereira, Silvio

Midfielders: Carlos Martins, Joao Moutinho, Miguel Veloso, Raul Meireles, Ruben Amorim, Ruben Micael

Forwards: Cristiano Ronaldo, Danny, Hugo Almeida, Helder Postiga, Nani, [read more]

Portugal coach Paulo Bento has replaced Danny & Silvio who have withdrawn from the squad before their crucial playoff with Bosnia due to injuries. Bento though did not call up Bosingwa which leaves many of us Portuguese fans scratching our heads. Malaga winger Eliseu and PAOK midfielder Vieirinha have replaced the injured players as the club prepares for Fridays first leg.

Portugal tem Cristiano Ronaldo, Nani, Pepe ou Raúl Meireles que alinham em algumas das principais equipas europeias como Real Madrid, Manchester United ou Chelsea. A Estónia tem, por exemplo, Andrei Sidorenkov, do SønderjyskE, Gert Kams, do Flora, ou Alo Bärengrub, do Kalju. No ranking da FIFA, Portugal é o quinto classificado, enquanto que a Estónia é a 58ª.

The injury list is growing by the day, and Paulo Bento is quickly running out of options in various positions. We started with Hugo Almeida, Pepe, and Fabio Coentrao all out due to injury. Therefore Paulo Bento named this squad.

Goalkeepers: Eduardo (Benfica), Beto (CFR 1907 Cluj), Rui Patrício (Sporting).

Portugal coach Paulo Bento has announced his squad for the crucial final two games of qualifying for the Euro 2012 tournament. Portugal sit atop the Group tied in points with Denmark and Norway at 13. The Quinas will host Iceland at home on October 7 in Porto and then will travel to Denmark four days later to take on the Danes in what just might be the title clincher.

Real Madrid centre-back Ricardo Carvalho faces an international suspension of between one and three months, including Champions League matches, after walking out of the Portuguese national team's training camp on Wednesday.

After learning that he was not in the side to play Cyprus on Friday, Carvalho left the Portugal camp and immediately announced he had retired from international football, saying he had been shown "a lack of respect and felt hurt.

Real Madrid centre-back Ricardo Carvalho faces an international suspension of between one and three months, including Champions League matches, after walking out of the Portuguese national team's training camp on Wednesday.

After learning that he was not in the side to play Cyprus on Friday, Carvalho left the Portugal camp and immediately announced he had retired from international football, saying he had been shown "a lack of respect and felt hurt.

Are there any other Kickettes (besides us) out there who will be partaking in Friday's ritual end-of-week drinking this evening under the disguise of a light dinner?

If so: you rock.

Until Monday everyone!

GOOD WEEK

Dance Solo: USWNT goalkeeper, Hope Sol0, will be appearing in the latest series of 'Dancing With The Stars', it was revealed this week.

Are there any other Kickettes (besides us) out there who will be partaking in Friday's ritual end-of-week drinking this evening under the disguise of a light dinner?

If so: you rock.

Until Monday everyone!

GOOD WEEK

Dance Solo: USWNT goalkeeper, Hope Sol0, will be appearing in the latest series of 'Dancing With The Stars', it was revealed this week.

The squad has been named by Paulo Bento for the upcoming Euro 2012 against Cyprus.

Ricardo Carvalho has called it quits on his international duty. This is extremely hard to swallow. He is one of my favorite defenders to ever grace the field and it is a shame things [read more]

Paulo Bento has announced the Portugal squad for September 2nd, 2011 Euro 2012 qualifier in Cyprus. Portugal will be looking for revenge after a 4-4 draw in Portugal to open the Euro campaign. Squad: Goalies- Eduardo (Benfica), Rui Patricio (Sporting), Quim (Braga) Defense- Fabio Coentrao (Real Madrid), Pepe (Real Madrid), Silvio (Atletico Madrid), Joao Pereira (Sporting), Ricardo

Porto have said that they have received a bid from Atletico Madrid for their Colombia striker Radamel Falcao and Portugal midfielder Ruben Micael.

"We announce that we have received an offer from Atletico Madrid to sign Radamel Falcao and Ruben Micael, and this is being considered by the club," Porto said in a statement.

With the upcoming friendly match for the senior national team coming up on Wedensday against minnow Luxembourg at Algarve, Paulo Bento has recalled Braga's Nuno Gomes as well as goalkeeper Quim to the squad. This is the first game back for Nuno since early 2010 World Cup qualifying and [read more]

Paulo Bento has announced his squad for the upcoming friendly against Luxembourg in Faro on August 10/11 as the squad gets set to resume Euro Qualifying action in September. Nuno Gomes has been called up by Portugal for the first time in two years as the 35 year old striker winds down his career.

First string goalkeeper Eduardo has been loaned for one season to Benfica from Genoa. This is an interesting switch, but I don't think it hurts Eduardo's chances at being the go to guy in goal for Paulo Bento. Benfica will definitely benefit from his presence, as well as [read more]

El pasado viernes Cristiano Ronaldo aprovechó la ausencia de su novia Irina Shayk y el descanso concedido por el entrenador portugués, Paulo Bento, para correrse una gran juerga con un grupo de amigos hasta las siete de la mañana en una discoteca de lujo en Lisboa.
El delantero madridista no vio mejor oportunidad para escaparse de juerga por la noche lisboeta.

Portugal coach Paulo Bento has announced his squad for the upcoming Euro 2012 qualifier against Norway. Portugal will be looking to repay the Norwegians back for an earlier loss in Norway 1-0 early in the campaign. The Portuguese would vault themselves into first place in the group with a victory.

With the upcoming friendlies at the end of the month, Coach Paulo Bento has named his preliminary squad against Chile on the 26th and Finland on the 29th. Here it is.

Goalkeepers: Eduardo (Genoa), Ventura (Portimonense), Rui Patricio (Sporting)

Defenders: Bruno Alves (Zenit), Fabio Coentrao (Benfica), Joao Pereira (Sporting), Pepe (Real Madrid), [read more]

Image by Vectorportal.com

All eyes were on Argentina/Portugal, billed as the Messi v. Ronaldo clash by just about everyone, but I like to think of it as the inferior version of El Clasico. Barcelona and Real Madrid are better than Argentina and Portugal in just about every way, mostly thanks to the Spanish internationals playing at the peak of their careers right now.

A 90th-minute Lionel Messi penalty gave Argentina a 2-1 win over Portugal in Switzerland.

Paulo Bento's unbeaten start to his Portugal reign had appeared under threat when Angel Di Maria applied a clinical finish after 14 minutes. The Real Madrid winger scored from a great pass from Messi, who had picked the ball up on the right wing before cutting inside and releasing an incisive pass.

A 90th-minute Lionel Messi penalty gave Argentina a 2-1 win over Portugal in Switzerland.

Paulo Bento's unbeaten start to his Portugal reign had appeared under threat when Angel Di Maria applied a clinical finish after 14 minutes. The Real Madrid winger scored from a great pass from Messi, who had picked the ball up on the right wing before cutting inside and releasing an incisive pass.

With Argentina taking on Portugal in Geneva on Wednesday afternoon/evening, and the world's press (and especially, it would seem, the Argentina, Portuguese and Spanish media) pushing the fixture as a battle between Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo, I thought it ... Continue reading →

Paulo Bento has announced his 20 man squad for the friendly with Argentina in England on February 9th the first time the two countries have played one another in 40 years.Goalkeepers- Eduardo (Genoa), Rui Patricio (Sporting), Ventura (Portimonense)Defenders- Bruno Alves (Zenit), Ricardo Carvalho (Real Madrid), Rolando (FC Porto), Fabio Coentrao (Benfica), Bosingwa (Chelsea), Joao Pereira (

Paulo Bento has named his squad for the friendly next week against Argentina in Geneva. Some notable call-ups are Paulo Machado, Hugo Ventura, and yes Ricardo Quaresma. Other than those, no real surprises, and a really fit Portuguese national team, other than the injured Pepe, that is ready [read more]