Teams with mutual respect meet each other

ARNHEM (NETHERLANDS), JUNE 16. Euro 2000 takes on a distinctly South American feel on Saturday as the ``Maradona of the Carpathians'' leads his team against ``Europe's Brazilians'' in what promises to be feast of Latin soccer flair.

Portugal set the European championship alight on Monday when Luis Figo, Rui Costa and Joao Pinto Sambad their way around England's defence to turn a 2-0 deficit into a famous 3-2 win. But they know Gheorghe Hagi's Romania will force them to dance to a different tune.

Coach Emerich Jenei has warned his players will mark the Portuguese wizards one-for-one and not give Figo and Co. The space England so generously offered. Victory over Romania will book Portugal a quarterfinals berth, but the players fear Romania could be their hardest first-round opponent.

``Romania is a Latin team,'' assistant coach Rui Cacador said. ``It's our type of soccer, they play very much like us.'' Certainly portugal knows all about Romania's strengths.

In qualifying, the Romanian's took four points off the Portuguese, forcing Humberto Coehlo's team to scrape into the finals as best runner-up.

A last-minute free kick from Dorinel Monteanu gave Romania a 1-0 victory in Oporto after the visiting defence resisted a Portuguese siege. A similar defensive curtain in Bucharest ensured Romania got the draw the team needed to qualify.

``Romania is not just any team ... If you underestimate them, you lose,'' Cacador told a news conference. ``This is not fear, or lack of confidence, it's respect for a tough opponent.''

In the run up Saturday's match in Vitesse Arnhem's high-tech Gelredome stadium, Portugal and Romania seemed to have formed mutual-admiration society. ``It's a great team, with great players. I think we're going to have a very good game,'' said midfielder Paulo Bento.

``Figo is a very great player, one of the best and he's in phenomenal form,'' said Romanian defender Gheorghe Popescu. ``But Portugal is not just Figo, they have some of the world's best footballers.''

The match is sure to be presented as a tussle between Figo and Hagi, despite their contrasting opening games.

While Figo's match-winning endeavours against England won universal acclaim, Hagi was criticised for petulance, rather than demonstrating the free-flowing skills that earned him the Maradona nickname. Fortunately for Romania, Hagi can still turn it on when need be, as he proved in Galatasaray's UEFA Cup final victory last month. At 35, the veteran campaigner wants to show he can still match whatever Figo can offer.

Even if Hagi can't conjure up its best form, Jenei can still count on a wealth of talent and experience from Chelsea fullback Dan Petrescu to the forward pairing of Adrian Ilie and Viorel Moldovan.

Coehlo is expected to keep the same staring line up that beat England, with Jose luis vidigal and Paulo Bento helping out in defense while Figo, Rui Costa and Joao Pinto float behind Nuno Gomes up front.

However, the Portuguese coach has more options this time around with the recovery from injury of playmaker Paulo Sousa and striker Ricardo sa Pinto, and the end of a one-match suspension for Pauleta, goalgetter for Spanish champion Deportivo la Coruna.

Paulo Bento, along with defenders Abel Xavier and Beto, will undergo late fitness tests, but are expected to be fit. Romania's main worry is Goalie Bogdan Stelea's suspect ankle, but he too is expected to start.

- AP

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