OPALENICA, Poland (AP) — Silvestre Varela has become Portugal's accidental hero.
The
FC Porto winger rose from obscurity and pushed the misfiring Cristiano
Ronaldo out of the spotlight at the European Championship with his
winning goal against Denmark.
And the 27-year-old Varela’s triumph
over adversity could be just the kind of grit Portugal needs in its
must-win match against the Netherlands on Sunday.
“This is one of the best moments of my career,” Varela said Friday.
That’s no understatement for a player who four years ago looked doomed to spending his career at minor clubs.
Varela
came on as a late substitute against the Danes and clinched a 3-2
victory with three minutes to play. It was his first goal for Portugal
in an official match and gave the Portuguese a chance of advancing to
the quarterfinals if they can defeat the Dutch.
Varela has struggled to get into the team, where he is competing for a place against Ronaldo and Nani.
“Any
player likes to be in the starting lineup,” Varela said. “If the coach
thinks I’m best used as a sub, then I have to accept that and do my
best.”
Varela was a surprise pick for Portugal’s Euro 2012 squad
after starting only 13 times for Porto last season. He appeared only
twice as a substitute, playing just seven minutes, in Portugal’s
qualifying campaign.
Varela came up through Sporting Lisbon’s
youth training scheme but the club lost interest in him and loaned him
to Recreativo Huelva for the 2007-08 season.
In Spain, he didn’t
score once, and Sporting sold him to Estrela da Amadora, a minor
Portuguese club, the following season in what appeared to be a dead-end
move. But there, Varela scored five goals in 28 games and drew the
attention of Porto, where he moved in 2009 and collected 16 goals in 42
games in his first season.
“I never gave up,” Varela said. “I always believe I can improve.”
He
missed an opening at the 2010 World Cup, when Nani was sidelined,
through injury. Now, with Ronaldo’s goal knack mysteriously deserting
him, Varela is claiming his place in the limelight.
Still, you
won’t find him criticizing the Real Madrid forward who scored 60 goals
for his club last year but has failed to find the net in his last four
matches with Portugal.
“He’s got nothing to prove,” Varela said of Ronaldo. “He’s already shown what he can do.”
