Neither has the Factor Casa has helped Portugal overcome difficulties in the Men’s European Roller Hockey Championship. On Tuesday, the national team lost again, this time with France (1-3), in Paredes, and has not even been able to score in Group A.
They are clearly two groups with a very distinct degree of difficulty. One, the A, brings together the four title candidates (Spain, Portugal, France and Italy); the other, B, all outsiders – Germany, Austria, Switzerland and Andorra. But this was a long-known condition, in a tournament where what is played in the first phase is just pairing for the quarterfinals, as everyone clears.
In this context, Portugal was the game with France, already under the cloud of defeat with Italy (2-3), on the first round. And he was never able to prove on track the favoritism that fit him.
With a higher than Portuguese physical dimension, the French inaugurated the marker at 15 ‘, by Marc Rouzé (reinforcement of the Oliveirense for the new season), and Portugal responded even over the break, in a ball theft that allowed Rafa to isolate and equal.
Until then, however, France had been the most enlightened team and to create problems essentially in fast attack situations, while Portugal closed over the moment of positional attack, without the ability to deposit the opposing defense.
In the second half, the team-driven team came in with new dynamics, still put the French goalkeeper to the test in a couple of occasions, but produced little offensively. And France eventually put the lead at 38 ‘, in a shot by Roberto Di Benedetto in the central zone.
Without great discernment, Portugal was circulating the ball, still wasted a free direct by Miguel Rocha and even suffered 1-3 at 48 ‘, in a rapid offensive transition completed by Carlo Di Benedetto.
With this result, the national team occupies the last place in group A, without points, while France and Italy add up to three, and Spain six. Spain that is precisely the opponent of Portugal on Wednesday night (21h45, RTP), in the game that ends the group stage and closes pairing for the phase to be eliminated.
