Roberto Martinez: We have to win the game without looking back at the playoff grid

On June 28, at the stadium in Miami Gardens (Florida), the national team of Portugal will meet in a decisive match with Colombia. Despite the difficult schedules and potentially dangerous opponents in the round of 16, Portuguese head coach Roberto Martinez said his team is focused solely on winning and securing first place in the quartet. Colombia currently top Group K with a 100% record after two rounds and two points ahead of Portugal. The result of their face-to-face confrontation will determine which tournament grid the teams will move on to. If Portugal top Group K, they will play one of the teams that finish third in their group in the Round of 16. If the Portuguese stay in second place, their opponent will be the second team in Group L - Ghana currently occupies this step, but there is a good chance that the powerful Spanish national team will be there. However, Roberto Martinez is not at all scared by the prospect of meeting the giants already in the early stages of the playoffs: "The main goal is to try to win the game and not to think about the next opponent. If you want to do well in the tournament, you need to beat everyone and everything. In a tournament like the World Cup, there is no single right way or position. The important thing is that we play the best we can, and that can only be achieved by winning," said the specialist. Portugal was considered one of the main favorites of the tournament from the beginning. However, their start turned out to be frankly pale, causing many questions. The situation was rectified in the second round, when Martinez's wards were led by captain Cristiano Ronaldo Now, the game against a strong South American team should be a true barometer of the Portuguese's readiness to fight for the trophy. "We want to build on what we did in the second game and continue to improve in the areas where we need to improve. This game is very important for us to assess our level. We want to win, we want to ensure the continuation of the work we are doing," said the coach. According to the coach, the team is currently on the rise: "I think the team has found a very good balance. Our performance in the second leg gave us a lot of confidence and strength to believe in everything we do. We are not a team that loses our strengths, but rather one that continues to improve. We have to show our quality and become Portugal again." Roberto Martinez also paid tribute to Colombia, the reigning silver medalists at the 2024 Copa America. He noted the systematic and powerful composition of the future opponents: "Colombia is a complete team. They really believe in what they are doing. The coach's approach has a sense of continuity and clarity of ideas. It's not about the players on the pitch, but the general plan of the game. They have players like Juan Fernando Quintero and James Rodríguez in midfield, as well as key players in transition like Luis Diaz and Luis Suarez," the manager noted. Whether Portugal will be able to prove its championship ambitions against such a well-coordinated team, the world will find out very soon on the field of the stadium in Miami Gardens.