Portugal blame it on the ball

 Portugal have finally got to the root of their goal-scoring problems, saying it is simply the case that ‘the ball does not want to go in’.

“It’s the reality. We have created a lot of chances but the ball doesn’t want to go in,” midfielder Miguel Veloso told reporters. “The most important thing is to look for a bit of luck because perhaps the ball will go in and we can carry on from there.”

His team-mate Nani agreed that the ball was not being co-operative.

“The ball will not go in,” he said. “In the next few games, maybe our chances will go in as they have done at other times. We want to score goals because that’s the only way you can win a game,” said Nani.

He also reminded his audience that ‘the coach picks the team and I play where he tells me’ and that ‘everyone reacts differently to a defeat’.