Imported Samba flavour keeps Portugal slick

“It’ll be different playing against Brazil,but I play for Portugal with all my heart and soul.” Liedson says he won’t sing either country’s national anthem before the match.

“I’m totally committed to Portugal. I feel like I was born here and my teammates treat me like a Portuguese,” he told ESPN recently.

It is not uncommon for Brazilians to take Portuguese nationality.

They speak the same language —Brazil was a Portuguese colony until 1822 — and emigration has blended many family trees across the Atlantic. Portugal’s most successful coach ever was Brazilian. Luiz Felipe Scolari led Portugal to the 2004 European Championship final and to the semifinals of the 2006 World Cup.

Pepe,who is now at Real Madrid,also claimed a regular place in the starting lineup until he was sidelined by a serious knee injury last December. It is a sign of his value to the team that Portugal coach Carlos Queiroz included him in the squad for South Africa even before he was cleared to play by doctors.

Pepe is a defender who’s not afraid to attack. His versatility showed in Portugal’s qualifying campaign when he played five games at centerback and six as a midfielder.