The World Cup dream is over...
Portugal's 'golden generation' look like being forever tarnished after they crashed out of the FIFA World Cup finals following a 1-0 defeat at the hands of the Korean Republic in Incheon. For the group of players who promised so much with consecutive FIFA World Youth Championship titles in 1989 and 1991 the result may well be the end of a bumpy road.So much was expected from the chosen 23 who in the eyes of many fans failed so miserbly, the selec��o started the worst possible way with a disapointing loss to USA,then they managed to rebound and look like the Portugal fans all know as they trashed Poland 4-0 witch was the only game Nuno Capucho played in, but than came the big game against South Korea.
The Portuguese were favorites but that did not stop the Koreans, they had no fear and with the sea of red their 50,000 fans also known as red devils cheering them on they managed to do the unthinkable knock out Portugal. Korea was playing with 11 to Portugal's 9 when they scored because Jo�o Pinto and also Beto had both been booked with red cards. It was a very disapointing loss for Portugal as USA lost to Poland 3-1, and all Portugal needed was a draw. Portugal came very close at the end with Nuno Gomes missing an incredible chance,also Figo free kick going inches wide, than came S�rgio Concei��o wonderfull kick that hit the post,and also Concei��o drive past two defenders with a rocket shot being saved by the S.Korean keeper,in the end it was all too late as Portugal joined France and Argentina as first round shocking exits. Portugal now has to regroup and prepare for Euro 2004 witch they are the hosts,many new faces by them will be in the squad. Jo�o Pinto could be facing a FIFA suspension due to his behaviour after the red card in the South Korea game. Click on the link Cr�nica de Nuno Capucho to read (in portuguese) Nuno Capucho final article on his and the team's World Cup experience. Cr�nica de Nuno Capucho also go check out the new pictures of Capucho playing in the World Cup in the site's Gallery.

Portugal sends Poland packing.
Portugal beat Poland 4-0 and sent polish fans and players packing early. Pauleta led Portugal over a desperate Polish side, through a driving rainstorm, and back into the Group D race with the second hat-trick of the tournament. Rui Costa added a late goal to complete the score line. While the Portuguese put the shock defeat to the United States behind them, Poland, who played the Iberians evenly for most of the match, have now officially joined the ranks of eliminated teams. The victory in Jeonju, Korea means that Portugal are on three points, one behind both Korea and the United States. Poland have lost both their matches without scoring and will try to get a result against the U.S. next.Man of the Match was hat-trick hero Pauleta.
With so many looks at goal, it was inevitable that Pauleta would capitalize on one. That one came when Joao Pinto picked him out in the left side of the area. Pauleta shook off a defender by cutting to his right and then fired a shot from eight metres that beat Dudek at the near post.Almost immediately after coming into the game, Rui Costa started a sequence that led to Luis Figo running onto a ball near the end line and playing it across the goalmouth for Pauleta, who tapped it in from five metres. Nuno Capucho came on as a sub for Sergio Conceicao in the 68th minute, Rui Costa was also involved in Pauleta�s third goal. The AC Milan man played a diagonal ball to Pauleta at the edge of the area, and no one in the stadium was surprised when he completed the hat-trick by putting his shot past Dudek. Then it was Rui Costa�s turn to grab one of his own after Capucho, yet another second-half substitute, centred into the goal area and Rui Costa slid on the wet grass to direct the ball past Dudek.

Capucho training conditional...
Nuno Capucho trained this morning of conditional form, after yesterday having abandoned the vespertine session to few instants of the end, because of a mialgia in the posterior region of the right thigh.
The right midfielder of FC Porto worked apart from the rest of the squad, together with Hugo Viana - who continues the adaptation -, with the fitness trainer of the selec��o,Jos� Soares. While Capucho did train limited this morning, Nuno Capucho is expected to make a full recovery and be ready for Portugal's 2002 World Cup opener against United States of America on June 5th. Portugal now just have one more training session in Macau before they make their way to Seoul in Korea. Click on the link to read Nuno Capucho article on his and the team's World Cup experience Cr�nica de Capucho

Capucho with mialgia in the right thigh..
Nuno Capucho is the most recent low of the national team. In accordance with the head of the national clinical department, Enrique Jones, the portista right winger contracted "a mialgia in the posterior region of the right thigh" and left "for precaution".
Capucho got injured in the training in the afternoon and abandoned earlier the workouts of the selec��o for precaution, complaining of the right thigh. The incident occurred during practice shots, after a shot on net, about ten minutes of the end of the session.Petit is back from what looked to be a serious injury against China,but the same can't be said about Paulo Sousa who will miss the first game v's USA.

Portugal Beats China 2-0 in friendly..
A sold out Macau stadium seen Portugal stroll to a 2-0 win over China in their final World Cup warm-up Saturday.
The first half ended 0-0 with the suprise being most of the subs started the game and the starters came in the second half. Nuno Capucho played the first 45 minutes and was subbed at halftime. Nuno Gomes scored in the 50th minute and Pauleta added the killer blow in the 61st, Pauleta then seemed to have his second of the night a minute later on a keeper error,but the goal was disalowed and called offside,but it was clear the ref had made an error.
Figo, one of several second-half substitutions, came on for his bit part in the final quarter of an hour. Gomes was presented with an open goal after a blunder by China's substitute goalkeeper An Qi. It was the first meeting between the two sides. Portugal, playing neat football in the first half without threatening near goal, had the chance to go ahead after 25 minutes only for first-choice goalkeeper Jiang Jin to block Rui Costa's penalty kick. China's best chance came shortly afterwards but Portugal keeper Vitor Baia pushed away a Wu Chengying volley and then tipped over Du Wei's close-range shot. Portugal is in group D with South Korea, Poland and the United States while China is in C with Brazil, Turkey and Costa Rica.

Capucho: �Selec��es europeias t�m que adaptar-se rapidamente ao clima�
O jogador do FC Porto, Nuno Capucho, considera que as equipas do Velho Continente partem em desvantagem em rela��o �s cong�neres africanas e asi�ticas, mais habituadas �s condi��es climat�ricas encontradas no Oriente, que tantas dificuldades t�m criado � selec��o portuguesa. Para Capucho, os tr�s primeiros encontros s�o vitais para os atletas nacionais.
"N�o s� as [selec��es] asi�ticas, mas tamb�m as africanas poder�o ser uma surpresa porque toda a gente tem visto que este clima n�o � nada bom. Do meu ponto de vista, as equipas europeias v�o ter dificuldades nesta primeira fase, se n�o se adaptarem o mais rapidamente poss�vel. J� sab�amos disso, por isso viemos mais cedo. A adapta��o vai melhorar, mas temos que ter cuidado pois a primeira fase � muito importante", sublinhou.(Record)
Na selec��o feita por Oliveira h� apenas dois pontas-de-lan�a, Pauleta e Nuno Gomes, mais Jo�o Pinto, que tamb�m pode actuar como homem mais avan�ado. E Capucho, sente-se em condi��es de fazer o lugar em caso de necessidade? �Toda a gente sabe a posi��o em que gosto de jogar e na qual penso que posso realmente render mais. Se o seleccionador quiser que jogue noutras posi��es estou aqui para ajudar.� Capucho quer pois jogar � direita, mas ter� a concorr�ncia de Figo e S�rgio Concei��o, que partem em vantagem. �As op��es s�o do treinador, n�o posso fazer nada para al�m de fazer o meu melhor para o convencer. Individualmente os 23 jogadores da selec��o nacional querem jogar, mas � o treinador que decide. Se dependesse s� de n�s jog�vamos sempre. Mas neste momento o que me preocupa mais � o colectivo. Estou sempre dispon�vel para ajudar e se jogar quero jogar bem e dar alegrias aos portugueses.�(maisfutebol)

Training in Macau heat..
Selec��o already landed and is training in Macau for the friendly against China. Figo might not play as he will rest his ankle, in that game as he is not yet 100%,Nuno Capucho and Sergio Concei��o seen on the right side in that picture training for that game comming up, Selec��o new gear most modern in the world, designed by nike the likes of Brazil,Russia and Belgium will also wear the new nike kits.
These new kits are light as a feather called cool motion were designed for the hummidity and heat the teams will face in Korea/Japan 2002 World Cup. Selec��o will train in Macau untill May 29,than head to South Korea. Portugal plays their first World Cup game v's USA June 5th. Daniel Kenedy has tested positive for doping and Oliveira has droped Kenedy from the squad of 23 and called the S.C.P youngster Hugo Viana who was on duty with the U-21 tournament going on, Viana will make history being Portugal's youngest player capped in the "AA", go check out the Gallery section for the new Selec��o team picture and also many new pictures of Capucho added on the site.

Ant�nio Oliveira list of 23 for 2002 World Cup
Portuguese coach Ant�nio Oliveira named the following 23-man squad on Monday for the World Cup finals in South Korea and Japan, where Portugal are drawn in group D with co-hosts South Korea, Poland and the United States:
GoalKeepers: Vitor Baia(FC Porto), Nelson(Sporting Lisbon) and Ricardo(Boavista) Defenders: Frechaut(Boavista), Abel Xavier(Liverpool), Beto(Sporting Lisbon), Caneira(Benfica), Fernando Couto(Lazio), Jorge Andrade(FC Porto), Rui Jorge(Sporting Lisbon) and Jorge Costa(Charlton,FC Porto) Midfielders: Rui Costa(AC Milan), S�rgio Concei��o(Inter Milan), Pedro Barbosa, Paulo Bento(Sporting Lisbon), Petit(Boavista), Paulo Sousa(Espanyol),Luis Figo(Real Madrid),Nuno Capucho(FC Porto) and Kenedy(Maritimo) Strikers: Pauleta(Bordeaux), Nuno Gomes(Fiorentina) and Jo�o Pinto(Sporting Lisbon.
The suprise of the 23 selected player's was Maritimo player Daniel Kenedy who will take the spot of injured Simao Sabrosa in this summers World Cup squad, also Kenedy's first "AA" call up comes late at the age of 28 but he might still be thinking this is all a dream.'We have always played and always will play with a spearhead in a team with a corridor of versatile, mature and talented players who can adapt to several functions, namely in midfield,' Oliveira told a news conference. 'It's a squad of players with features required to play a World Cup at the highest level, within a strategy of not only being able to play counter-attacks when required but also to play a sustained attack,' he added.