European power Portugal face Asian debutants Uzbekistan in Houston at the midway point of Group K action.
Group K
Tuesday, 24 June | Houston Stadium
Kick-off time
01:00 (GMT+8)
The match
A first-ever World Cup encounter between this pair is on offer in Houston as an established European power clashes with an Asian debutant. Portugal failed to secure all three points in their opening match and will be looking to avoid another mis-step against a AFC opposition. They famously fell 2-1 to Korea Republic four years ago. After a gritty performance ultimately ended in defeat to Colombia in their opener, Uzbekistan will hope that their campaign can take flight in Space City.
Portugal possible starting XI
Diogo Costa; Joao Cancelo, Ruben Dias, Renato Veiga, Nuno Mendes; Vitinha, Joao Neves, Bruno Fernandes, Bernardo Silva; Pedro Neto, Cristiano Ronaldo
Uzbekistan possible starting XI
Yusupov; Khusanov, Abdullaev, Ashurmatov; Karimov, Shukurov, Mozgovoy, Nasrullaev; Fayzullaev, Urunov; Shomurodov
What they said…
“I try not to put so much attention on the negative comments. Maybe, if this was 5 years ago, I would. But some things get to us, many of them are unfair. We know what went wrong in the first match, why we failed. We know we were almost obliged to win, but we couldn’t do it. The next day, we were a bit upset, but it’s because we want to give some much joy to the Portuguese people. During the week, we were all excited. We want to give this answer to them. The attitude from the group was excellent. We have a fantastic squad and in these difficult moments the great players have to show what they are made of. We hope to show it tomorrow.” Joao Cancelo, Portugal defender
“We want to win against Uzbekistan, not because of the last days, but because of the commitment our players have, for the love they have for the shirt, the work we did in the last years. We have the same goal, with the clarity that this could be a hard tournament. There are no easy games.” Roberto MartÃnez, Portugal coach
“We just got to the World Cup and the coach said that there is no pressure on us, but we are doing our best to score, to win and get to the next phase. Right now, we are most concentrated in playing our own game.” Eldor Shomurodov, Uzbekistan captain
“This is not a match against Cristiano. It’s against one of the best teams in the tournament. They have great wingers, some of the best midfielders in the world. One of the best strikers in football history. But we are here to work as a team, because that is the only way to get the result. I told the team to have more courage, because we were not strong enough in the first half against Colombia. We didn’t pressure them enough. Tomorrow, we have to be intense in both sides of the game. In modern football, you have to be intense. And we have to be more focused in some game situations as well. In the first match, we conceded goals in ways we have not conceded since I got here.” Fabio Cannavaro, Uzbekistan coach
Houston Stadium
A host of the MLS All-Star game, national team fixtures of both USA and Mexico, as well as three games at the Copa America Centenario in 2016, Houston Stadium has plenty of football pedigree. Opened in 2002, the ground, which is also home to the famous Houston Rodeo, has a retractable roof and is famed for its ‘Bull Pen’ section, which houses the loudest section of NFL side Houston Texans’ home support. Seven World Cup fixtures will be played here, with five group matches and two knockout games.