The moment of truth is just around the corner. Portugal plays their first World Cup match, Tuesday, June 15 at 4:00 pm versus Ivory Coast in Port Elizabeth at the beautiful Nelson Mandela Bay Stadium.

As many of you know, we defeated Cameroon 3-1 in a preparation match in Covilha, Portugal. Eighty thousand people bid us farewell from the Eduardo VII Park as we departed from Lisbon.

When we arrived in Johannesburg, we were greeted by thousands of Portuguese immigrants at the airport as well as along the highway. I’ve never seen so much green and red colors. Portuguese immigrants are the largest number of immigrants in South Africa. Our training sessions are also attended by thousands of Portuguese fans.

According to the police, 200 cars followed us to our final destination. There are eight teams who are receiving the most security attention. The U.S. is considered a high-risk team and has extensive security. The Portugal national team is also on that list as a result of the popularity of the team.

We also defeated Mozambique 3-0. These results were beneficial on many levels. Cameroon and Mozambique our similar in many aspects to Ivory Coast. These positive results have built momentum and confidence that will prepare us versus Ivory Coast.
 Our players have worked very hard physically, emotionally, mentally and tactically to meet the challenges of our World Cup opponents. Our desire and hope is that our players can deliver the results that will make all Portuguese citizens and fans proud of our efforts.  

Soccer, is without doubt, full of surprises. The expectations are high and the demands are immense but our hope is that we realize our potential. The Portugal national team and staff understand that it is a once in a lifetime opportunity. We cannot make any guarantees but we can promise that everything they have will be left on the field. A strong team becomes one in purpose and desire. Carlos Queiroz has done a very good job in organizing events to establish cohesiveness, both on and off the field. Everyone is encouraged to participate and communicate in team building activities, creating a dynamic environment and encouraging creativity.  

You can build trust with well-planned activities. The goal is to strengthen the group through building team work. A soccer team is a collection of people who come together to share something in common. In our case, it’s to go as far as we possibly can in the World Cup, preparing our team to be in the best position to compete.

Our circle is closed tight. Therefore, I cannot share our preparation in detail; in particular, on the field preparations and team meetings. Those are sacred areas and require ultimate respect and confidentiality.  

Long Live the World Cup!

Dan Gaspar

University of Hartford Men’s Soccer Coach - Head Coach

Portugal National Team World Cup Coaching Staff

Star Goalkeeper Academy

Connecticut Soccer School