Wide boys give Portugal swagger

Supply line
With Luiz Felipe Scolari choosing to rest eight regulars for the final Group A match against Switzerland, two more Sporting alumni made their first starting appearances at a major tournament – Quaresma and Nani. More than anyone, they promised to provide the supply line normally delivered by Ronaldo, Simão and Deco on what ultimately proved a frustrating night for the Group A winners. A surprise exclusion from Portugal's 2006 FIFA World Cup squad, the 24-year-old Quaresma looked eager to make up for lost time when coming off the bench against the Czech Republic and netting the sealing goal in a 3-1 victory. As the only one of Scolari's wide boys still playing at home – he returned to FC Porto in 2004 after a short spell at FC Barcelona – the feeling among many Portuguese fans is that only Ronaldo can match Quaresma for technical prowess and within eight minutes he had opened his box of tricks.

Flamboyant
A quiet soul off the field, Quaresma's on-field flamboyance found expression as he collected the ball from Nani out on the left. He shaped to cross but, rather than deliver with his left foot, brought his right foot behind the standing leg and chipped the ball across to Hélder Postiga, who headed over. 'Passe de letra' is the Portuguese expression. Outrageous will do in English. The offside flag was raised then and it came up again when Quaresma slipped a pass through to Hélder Postiga to find the net later in the first period but the Porto man's vision was noted.

Nani threat
Interchanging positions with Quaresma, Nani was also doing his bit. The 21-year-old, a European champion in his first season with Manchester United FC, drove in the low free-kick that, via a prod from Pepe and the palms of Pascal Zuberbühler, ended up smacking the crossbar. Soon after, his fleet of foot and presence of mind set up Hélder Postiga but the striker's low shot was blocked by Philippe Senderos.

Frustrations
Switzerland stepped up a gear in the second period, though the two wingers still posed a threat. Nani struck the foot of a post when clean through. Quaresma powered in a shot at Zuberbühler, and then from Nani's pass, failed to get in a clean strike from a promising position. In the technical area, Scolari was growing increasingly frustrated – growling at Quaresma to get closer to the touchline – and he was not the only one. The player himself aimed a silly kick at Ludovic Magnin. Hakan Yakin's two goals had inflicted Portugal's first defeat at this EURO and for Ronaldo's pretenders, the reality is the bench will beckon come the quarter-finals. Never mind the centre-forwards, it is not easy being a winger for Portugal either.