Rui Silva reveals ″the key″ for Portugal to be able to triumph again over Switzerland
In the first game of the qualifying play-off for the 2023 World Cup, the “quinas” team beat the Swiss in Guimarães, by 33-26.
The captain of the Portuguese national team, Rui Silva, assured this Saturday that Portugal has “ambition” to win the second game of the playoff qualifying for the 2023 World Cup on Sunday, and not an advantage in the count.
“We don’t study the game, we don’t know the advantage we have, but we’re going to go into the game thinking about it. advice from the Handball Federation of Portugal.
In the first game, on Thursday, the team of the “quinas” beat the Swiss in Guimarães, by 33-26, and this is how the Portuguese captain sees Sunday’s game, as part of a story in which it is necessary to give ” Continuation “.
“The key for us to win again will be to continue to defend, as we defend, especially in the matter of their “7×6″, which is a weapon they have, very strong and they use a lot of time during the game”, said Rui Silva. .
The international considers that the entire Portuguese team will also have to pay attention to the “defensive transition”, believing that winning, with the obligation to win, will acquire “a faster game”.
An idea that is shared by António Areia, with the defender’s right wing, as well as Rui Silva, that it takes great defensive arguments to counter Switzerland’s will to run “behind” the marker.
“We have to focus on what we are doing and what we do best. And then, logically, adjust some aspects that didn’t go so well and, as I said, safeguard it, because it’s normal for a team to come back seven goals behind us. we have to keep it as we were”, he justified.
For Sunday’s game, António Areia expects from what happened in Guimarães: “Switzerland will certainly enter a different style of play, and I think that we will still prepare and be aware that they are seven goals apart and have to go after the result”.
The second leg between Switzerland and Portugal will be played on Sunday from 1:30 pm (Lisbon time), with the winner of the tie qualifying for the play-off final against the Netherlands, in April, and whose winner qualifies for the 2023 World Cup, taking place between January 12 and 29, in Poland and Sweden.