Last summer, Fernando Santos, who led the Portuguese national team to the top of the European Championship, does not expect easy matches in the first group stage matches of the 2017 FIFA Confederations Cup. Two more teams will start their journey in Group A today - at 18:00 Lithuanian time, Portugal and Mexico will meet. F. Santos knows how dangerous the Mexican team is and how important it is for any team to start the tournament with a victory. "The first matches are always the most important, especially in such small tournaments. We are facing very difficult matches, as Mexico is a very strong team," - said the coach at a press conference. When asked by journalists to name the strengths of the Mexican national team, F. Santos was not willing to talk much: "I really can't say that, because if I do, my colleague Osorio will know what I think about their team. In any case, I cannot do that." The Portuguese national team in this tournament will be full of young talents, who will try to help their captain Cristiano Ronaldo achieve their goals. These include Raphael Guerreiro, Bernardo Silva, Andre Silva, Gelson Martins, and others. "The starting lineup was not composed according to age or experience - it depends on our opponents. I think about how to beat the opponent the easiest way, which players would be most suitable for that game plan. In such a small tournament, it would be a mistake to use the same lineup in every match," - commented F. Santos on player selection.
