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Portugal facing Mexico and Ireland in pre-World Cup tour of USA

Cristiano Ronaldo Portugal (Getty Images)

By IVES GALARCEP

If you were hoping for a close-up look at the Portuguese National Team before the World Cup, you will have your chance (assuming you live on the East Coast, or don’t mind traveling).

Portugal will face Mexico and Ireland in a pair of pre-World Cup friendlies on American soil. The Portuguese will take on Mexico at Gillette Stadium in Foxboro, Mass. on June 6, then Ireland at MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, N.J. on June 10.

The matches will be Portugal’s prep matches prior to the World Cup, which Portugal will kick off on June 16 against Germany before facing the U.S. team on June 22 in Manaus.

Portugal becomes the latest team to schedule a pre-World Cup friendly against Mexico as a form of preparation for a match against the United States. The idea makes sense if you only consider confederations, but given the general lack of similarities in style between Mexico and the U.S. and perhaps we see why the Portuguese also scheduled a match against the Irish.

What do you think of this development? Plan to go see Cristiano Ronaldo play in person? Hoping Mexico returns the favor to the U.S. for helping them qualify for the World Cup by being a bit rough with the Portuguese?

Share your thoughts below.

Comments

  1. Wow, 2 matches on that USA specialty, grass sod rolled-out over field turf. I’m thinking that USA fans will pay cash to see Ronaldo, but he won’t be playing 1 minute.

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  2. My guess is they play Mexico to get a better scouting breakdown of, with some inside info about, US players. But I agree with Alex H, they should’ve gone farther away…

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  3. It would be interesting to see a list of all the countries playing in pre-World Cup friendlies in the US. And a list of all the matches (and stadiums).

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  4. Portugal gave up 4 goals from corners during World Cup qualifying. 2 were to Northen Ireland in a match. Question is can that be enough of a reason to play EJ?

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    • Anyone who thinks Mexico is going to help us in any way whatsoever simply hasn’t been paying attention. Los “Urine Bags” will be more than happy to knock us out of anything, first chance they get, and laugh in our faces and call us suckers on their way out the door.

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  5. Mexico vs Portugal predictions anyone? This one is a tough one for me, because even though Portugal has players on good teams, they were not great in qualifying and could not even beat Israel. Mexico on the other hand has not played with the full squad under Herrera, so they will play a little messy. It could just end in a boring draw unfortunately.

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  6. “Portuguese will take on Mexico at Gillette Stadium in Foxboro, Mass”
    Doesn’t Gillette Stadium have a turf field? Are they going to lay grass over the turf?

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      • Either that or you have a ball that doesn’t skip when chipped, stops rolling when dribbled, dies when passed, etc. It’s not real soccer and I’m a fan of practicing under similar conditions to what you expect to compete in. These fields you have to adjust into and back out of.

    • Hey, I’m all for Portugal warming up for the WC on a plastic field. Timing, passing, chipping, bouncing – there’s nothing that they can benefit from there!

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  7. So potentially…I could gather up my hard rocks from BK (Sean Price, MOP, Joell Ortiz), hit the Holland Tunnel to the stadium, and then severly mush Ronaldo and his boys as they get off the bus…

    BOOM, 3 points for USA at the World Cup.

    I don’t think Portugal has thought this through very well!!

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  8. Ireland is more similar to us though. Plus Mexico. Will give them a decent bench mark. Still, I look forward to going to that Mexico/Port. game and giving Both teams hell!

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    • Except when it comes to the World Cup, it’s not like all these teams are scheduling pre-world cup tune up games in Qatar. Fifa should take notes.

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    • I thought I was the only one thinking this. You know we have a problem when Caribbean and Central American teams want to play their tournament in the USA and fifa can’t see how lucrative a World Cup in the US is. But I think Qatar really deserves credit they must have coughed up some serious cash to host the tournament. That’s the only reason a voting committee would ignore all the human rights violations, the blistering heat and the fact that they have no infrastructure available at all!!!!! Bribing is one thing but Qatar bribes were problem so high and life changing that the potential profits from hosting the tournaments anywhere else looked like pocket change.

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      • Depends, how much do the voting members get paid from ticket sales. They could care less how much the host country makes. Its all about their pocket books.

    • Yeah, no way you would want to put another World Cup in the United States, you don’t see teams lining up to play friendlies there…oh s***.

      Yeah, good call, ExCo. (Good call, Blatter almost slipped out but wait! Seppy actually voted for the US)

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  9. Wow, Portugal is really giving us a gift. Having local access to one of our opponents can only be beneficial. Whomever set this up is taking a big risk because if the USA beats Portugal at the cup you know who is going to take the fall.

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    • Ummmm, I don’t see you reasoning, it doesnt matter if portugal would be playing Timbuktu we could get footage of it, if USA beats Portugal somehow it will be Ronaldo, the coaching staff, etc who will take the fall

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      • I was going to say it was wise for the Portuguese to acclimate for Brazil but they’re not playing in the south, they’re playing in New England. In which case I think pure cash cow. Foxboro is your tell. Turf field that if they want grass it’ll be the pointless rollout stuff. Awful prep for soccer on grass at the international level. But plenty of expat fans to buy tickets.

        It’s hard to say how much of a real look we’ll get at Portugal in terms of the firxt XI and intended tactics. But I would say you can’t compare watching a TV to scouting live. You can see the whole formation, spacing, tendencies, fitness over time. When NFL teams watch tape they get an overhead shot with the whole field so they can basically watch the Xs and Os move for real. Being there live could be useful and maybe we can get Belichick to do some film work.

      • Scouts will go anywhere to watch a team/player so just because its being played in the US, dosent mean theres any sort of advantage scouting wise

    • Perhaps Mexico can return the large favor we gave them by helping them qualify for the World Cup and take Ronaldo out at the knees.

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      • The field might do it for us…. Either the turf of the temp sod could get to them. I hope Pepe doens’t get hurt. We need that 20 minute red card.

      • Moutinho plays a through ball to Ronaldo, he races on to it, tries to cut past the last defender, gets his cleats stuck in that cr@p sod field in Foxboro and tears ligaments in his knee.

        Done.

        Either that or Rafa goes studs up into his leg and takes him out.

        Either scenario is plausible.

      • As much as I want to beat portugal, I don’t want to see Ronaldo out of the WC. I think he’ll be better then last one. Sucks already it looks like Falcao is out.

      • How do you know? there are plenty of fans that actually would love to see one of their opponents get a big injury.

      • I think many fans secretly have this thought, but of course everyone will just say, “USA only won because Ronaldo was injured!” I personally want to see our MLS centerbacks shut down Ronaldo. That is what I dream of.

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