Portugal vs. Spain Start Time: Portuguese Players Who Must Step Up

Portugal is fully capable of beating Spain when the two teams meet on Wednesday in a 2012 European Championship semifinal game.

That's right, I said they can pull off the upset over the defending Euro and World Cup champions, and darn it, I meant it.

But to do so, they'll need a few players to show up in a big way. I'll highlight the key players below, along with a tournament schedule to follow.

Cristiano Ronaldo

Duh.

As well as this Portuguese team plays, it won't really matter if Ronaldo isn't a force to be reckoned with throughout. He's one of the few players in the world who can completely take over a game, and he's fully capable of scorching Spain on the counter-attack if he's given space on the left side.

It's pretty simple, really—if Ronaldo doesn't score in this match or play a key role in setting up a goal or two, Portugal has a miniscule chance of winning. But if his presence is felt, they can pull this off.

Joao Moutinho and Raul Meireles

These two will be key for Portugal in the midfield, which is sure to be an epic battle for possession against Spain's incredibly talented, creative and crisp midfielders.  

These two will have to work tirelessly to play the passing lanes, pressure players on the ball and quickly turn turnovers into the counter. When possession switches hands, Nani and Ronaldo will fly up the wings—Moutinho and Meireles must accurately feed them.

No two players have been more underrated throughout this tournament, and no two players will be busier on Wednesday.

Pepe

While the entire back line will be vital against Spain, Pepe—who always seems to a factor, good or bad—must be solid and set the tone defensively for this Portuguese side.

The Real Madrid defender certainly won't be intimidated by the stage, and he'll be extremely familiar with the numerous teammates and Barcelona rivals that comprise the Spanish side.

He'll need to be stout in the middle of the field against Spain and prevent the tic-tac passes around the box that Spain prefers to simply lining up the ball and letting it rip. Spain doesn't beat teams solely through possession, but they can't lose if they are allowed to create clever goals.

For Pepe and his defensive compatriots, forcing Spain to try and score by blindly sending crosses into the box or through—gasp!—shots from range.

Television Schedule

Date	Matchup	Time	Round	Watch
6/27/2012	Portugal vs. Spain	2:45 p.m. ET	Semifinals	ESPN/ESPN3
6/28/2012	Germany vs. Italy	2:45 p.m. ET	Semifinals	ESPN/ESPN3
7/1/2012	Portugal/Spain vs. Germany/Italy	2:45 p.m. ET	Finals	ESPN/ESPN3

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