Portugal’s U19 women’s national football team coach Carlos Sacadura affirmed his squad’s determination to fight for Euro 2026 qualification through the Elite Round, despite finishing second in their initial group stage.
The coach highlighted the team’s resilience after drawing 2-2 with Denmark, a result that placed them second in Group A1 of the first qualification phase.
Sacadura praised the players’ “fantastic attitude” for recovering from a 2-0 deficit in the match against Denmark, noting they “understood what we told them for the second half.”
He acknowledged the team’s struggle with finishing efficacy. “We weren’t as effective as we could have been in finishing,” Sacadura stated. However, he emphasized their ability to create scoring chances, calling it an area for improvement.
Sacadura expressed satisfaction with the impact of substitutions throughout the tournament. He noted that all changes “added value and brought an advantage to the group.”
He admitted that qualification as a top seed was the preferred outcome but was missed due to goal difference.
The team now awaits the draw for the Elite Round. Sacadura declared the objective is clear: to be in a position to contend for qualification by the final match of that round.