In a game with good rhythm and great intensity, the national team started to win, but the Argentine team managed to turn the score around and win, in the Nations Cup final, by 5-2.
With the national anthem sung by the hundreds of Portuguese who attended the Salle Omnispoerts du Pierrier, in Montreux, Portugal entered the rink well, with João Rodrigues threatening Conti’s goal in the first minute. Argentina also quickly tried to respond, but Girão was attentive.
The team showed that they wanted to control the game by coming out very quickly to attack and, in the 18th minute, they opened the scoring: Hélder Nunes beat the Argentine block, Rafa timed it and put it in Nunes for the first of the night (0-1).
Argentina were not intimidated by the goal and three minutes later the answer arrived with Facu Bridge gaining space from the Portuguese defense and appearing at the 2nd post to tie the match (1-1). Galvanized by the goal and not afraid to take risks, the Argentines took the lead through a curled shot from Danilo Rampulla, in the 12th minute (2-1).
From here on, the game became more open and reduced in intensity, with the national team doing well in transitions, but unable to finish and going into half-time losing by the minimum margin.
In the complementary stage, the Argentines entered the rink immediately threatening the Portuguese goal, forcing Girão to deny the goal, but it ended up happening in the 22nd minute, through a very strong shot from Lucas Ordoñez, who found an open path to shoot from away to 3-1.
Shortly after, Portugal pulled one back through João Rodrigues, who deflected Hélder Nunes’ pass from close range to make it 3-2, but the Albiceleste response arrived two minutes later, for stick by Facu Navarro who shot first time to make it 4-2.
From then on, the national team reported fatigue and the result. Girão denied the goal due to the 10th Portuguese foul and Hélder Nunes lost the duel with Conti Acevedo, in the same situation, but on the Argentine side.
Portugal pressed and came close to scoring, but Acevedo stopped the Portuguese intentions and it was Argentina who ended up expanding, in a move in which Lucas Ordoñez managed to escape the marking and shot at the second post, with the ball hitting his back. de Girão and entering, establishing the final result at 5-2.
At the end of the match, the national coach, Paulo Freitas, made a point of «congratulating Argentina, which ended up being better than us» and considered that «we started the game well, we gave Argentina difficulties, but the 4-2 ended up for us. take them out of the game and from then on, it was very complicated” and explained that “the profile of the Argentine player, being behind them, increased the wear and tear on my team, with an obviously different rotation with Gonçalo unable to help the team”.
Paulo Freitas was «satisfied with the athletes’ delivery» although there was «an enormous sadness in the locker room, but above all, the awareness that we gave what was possible and, therefore, we have to leave here satisfied with what we produced and sad that we didn’t win the trophy.”
The coach stressed that «the important thing is to realize that we will have the possibility of working together for as long as necessary to prepare. We had very little time together and what I believe is that in preparing for the World Cup we will be able to bring what are also my ideas, we will also be able to enhance the individualities that exist and, for us, it was important to understand the ability to respond what these athletes had”.
Regarding the ongoing work with a view to the world championship, Paulo Freitas said that «in the preparation for the World Cup, nothing will escape what also happened here, which is the total focus and with a single objective: to win and become world champions again» . «We are not going to change anything in relation to what we have advocated. We wanted to win this trophy. It was not possible, we have already looked to the future and the focus is on the future”, he concluded.
The captain of the quinas team, João Rodrigues, confessed that this “was clearly not the outcome we wanted. We came to Montreux to try to win the Nations Cup and we knew from the start the difficulties we were going to encounter».
For the player, “our journey was worthy. We represented Portugal in the best way possible. In the final we lacked something, and I think Argentina were better: they knew how to make the most of our mistakes and, above all, let the Nations Cup serve us to grow and to learn from our mistakes so we don’t make them again, to grow as a team and be better prepared, regardless of who Portugal faces in the World Cup.
João Rodrigues did not want to fail to thank the public present at the pavilion for “their support since the first day”. «We are used to it every time we see Montreux, one of the attractions of coming here is having the support of immigrants who are fantastic. We wanted to give them some joy, we couldn’t, but I think we left everything on track and they will certainly recognize our efforts too».
