Ricardo takes advantage of the fear in English eyes

The Portugal goalkeeper who saved three England penalties in the quarter-final shoot-out said yesterday he could see fear inhibiting Sven-Goran Eriksson's players as they stepped up to take their spot-kicks. "I could see in the eyes of the English players that they were not okay," Ricardo said. "The goal was shrinking for them. I just had to prolong their suffering."
Ricardo's success on Saturday added to his triumph against England in a shoot-out at Euro 2004. He said videos had helped him predict which way England players would steer their penalties but believes other factors also aided him.
"Some goalkeepers pick up the ball, some move on the line a lot," he said. "My technique is only to make them feel worried. Then I try to read in his eyes or in his soul and try to predict what he is going to do and then fool him. I felt like I had many conditions to beat the English in the penalties. We are never sure of anything but I knew that I could stop one or two."
As in Lisbon two years ago, Ricardo looked at the crowd when his team-mates were taking their penalties. He focused on a solitary Portugal fan in a sea of English faces to judge whether the spot-kick had been scored or missed.
"I saw the expression of a small Portuguese guy who was nervous with his scarf in the middle of so many English shirts," he said. "I will never forget his face. I always looked at him to see if he was laughing or crying."
Ricardo rejected the idea that Portugal had a psychological hold on England but suggested his team had come to penalties more confident because they had been superior during the game. Joyous Portugal fans chanted the goalkeeper's name when he walked about the training base yesterday and he was applauded by his country's press before sitting down to address them.
The Sporting Lisbon player faced criticism before the tournament, with some observers believing Vitor Baia should be the country's No1, but Ricardo has joined a list of keepers who have earned great praise at this competition. Germany's Jens Lehmann and Italy's Gianluigi Buffon are among others. "I am happy to know that this is the World Cup of goalkeepers," he said.
It is also a World Cup that has swelled Luiz Felipe Scolari's already impressive reputation. "It seems like one of these days he will have to wear a baby's bib because we are only saying good things about him," Ricardo joked. He said Scolari had brought great unity to the squad and is delighted England approached the coach at a time when he would not consider offers. "Now maybe he is going to stay with us," he said.