Portugal desperate to avoid curse of the blessed Ruud

Ruud Van Nistelrooy plays with the ball during a training session at Estadio Jose de Alvalade in Lisbon. Portugal will face Holland in the Euro 2004 semi-final at Estadio Jose de Alvalade.

Ruud van Nistelrooy's lethal touch in front of goal may or may not be a gift from God, as the Netherlands' coach Dick Advocaat would have it.

But, just in case, you can be sure that several million Portuguese will be having a word with the Almighty on that very subject in the hours preceding the two countries' meeting in Euro 2004's first semi-final.

With the hosts' hopes of finally claiming the major trophy they have long believed to be their birthright running at fever pitch, the build-up to Wednesday's match has been dominated by one recurring question: how do we stop van Nistelrooy?

The Manchester United striker has scored four of his side's six goals in their four matches so far, as well as a nerveless first penalty in the shoot-out that the Dutch won to eliminate Sweden and book their place in the last four.

Having missed Euro 2000 as a result of a career-threatening injury and then missed out on the last World Cup because of the Netherlands' failure to qualify, van Nistelrooy has played the role of a man in a hurry to make up for lost time to perfection.

Advocaat, understandably, is delighted. "In my opinion Ruud's the best striker around - it's incredible how he's playing," the former Rangers boss said.

"He works his socks off and you can see he's desperate to get the result he wants - to get into the final and score more goals."

Portuguese defender Nuno Valente controls the ball during a training session at Sporting Academia in Alcochete near Lisbon, prior to the Euro 2004 semi final between Portugal and Holland.

Ruud's thirst for success has also been duly noted by Ricardo Carvalho and Jorge Andrade, the central defenders who will be given the task of shackling him as effectively as they snuffed out the threat posed by Spain's Raul and England's Michael Owen.

"The defence will have a big responsibility but I'm used to that and I can deal with it," says Andrade, who is expected to recover from his ankle injury to extend his run as the only outfield player to have played every minute of every match for Portugal.

"But it is not Jorge Andrade against Ruud van Nistelrooy, its Portugal against Holland," he stressed.

"It is not only my job to stop van Nistelrooy. It is the whole team that has to work together to stop the best players of our opponents.

"We have very good wide players who can keep Holland under pressure and we know they are the same, so we have to worry about them as well, not just van Nistelrooy in the middle.

"Whoever wins it should be a good game for the public because we are two of the countries in Europe who love the ball the most."

As well as the advantage of playing in front of their own, passionate supporters, Portugal should have an edge in terms of freshness having had two extra days to recover from their quarter-final win over England.

Playing at home is not without its complications however, particularly in terms of a heightened burden of expectation.

But according to Advocaat, that is a kind of pressure he shares with his counterpart Luiz Felipe Scolari.

"In Holland you have to win everything," he said. "But I'm used to that from my time in Scotland!"

He added: "There's a love-hate relationship between myself and the Dutch press. Expectations are high back home, that's the way it is and you have to cope with it."

Holland have produced the kind of football their collective talent should be capable of only in patches so far. But they have also avoided the kind of serial internal bickering which has undermined previous campaigns at major tournaments.

Portuguese defender Beto controls the ball during a training session of his team at Sporting Academia in Alcochete near Lisbon, prior to the Euro 2004 semi final between Portugal and Holland.

AC Milan midfielder Clarence Seedorf has been involved in more than his fair share of those bust-ups in the past. But Advocaat has now identified him as a key player in the newly harmonious Dutch set-up.

"Clarence's a key player for us in midfield and he's also very influential in the spirit of the team both on and off the pitch," Advocaat said.

Keeper Edwin van der Sar and Philip Cocu will equal Dennis Bergkamp's Dutch record of 13 European Championship appearances if, as is expected, they line up against Portugal.

Portugal captain Luis Figo is also expected to start, despite storming off after being substituted late in the quarter-final against England. Portugal were trailing 1-0 at the time and Figo must have thought he had played his last game for his country.

Given his antics it would have been with many coaches. But Scolari has brushed over the incident and Figo will get another chance to bring down the curtain on his cap-rich but trophy-poor international career in more fitting style.