João Moutinho still has no idea whether he has earned a place in Portugal's starting XI despite scoring his first senior international goal on Saturday.
Expert volley
Portugal won 2-0 in their final friendly game before taking on Turkey in their UEFA EURO 2008™ opener in Geneva on 7 June, with Sporting Clube de Portugal playmaker Moutinho putting in a fine performance and opening the scoring with an expert volley from outside the penalty area. Some suggested that he has now earned himself a starting berth against Turkey, but the player is not so sure.
'Time to be strong'
"I'm 21 years-old and because of that now is the time to be strong," he said. "Scoring a goal and helping the national team is for me a source of great happiness. I still don't know who is going to play. The decision is up to the coach, but the ones who will be selected will give everything they have. We are going to work hard to give a good showing in the first match against Turkey."
Petit uncertain
SL Benfica midfielder Petit also started against Georgia but remained coy about his first-team prospects. "It is always important to win, even if we know the team is not in top form," he said after the final whistle. "We are all working with great desire and looking for a place in the first team. I don't know if I'll be a first choice, only that the coach has faith in my abilities."
'Practically settled'
Coach Luiz Felipe Scolari said he had already settled on his starting lineup, but given the number of changes he made at half-time against Georgia, his plans remain shrouded in a degree of mystery. "I'm especially happy with the first half, but there were good things in the second too," said the Brazilian. "The starting XI is practically settled, but there can always be injuries or other problems."
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