From Saltillo to Palm Beach

Much has been said about Saltillo. It's been fascinating to understand what led to Portugal's disaster in that fateful year of 1986. The 40th anniversary and the return of the tournament to Mexican soil justify a revisit. Among the frequently described problems, I'll highlight one: the national team landed in Mexico a month before the competition. In retrospect, everyone agrees that was too much time.

Everything has changed in forty years. No team would gather so early now, nor would the calendar allow it. Travel, training, and rest facilities are incomparable. Analyzing each team's planning, it's clear that Portugal flew to Palm Beach exceptionally late. The delegation arrived five days before their first match. This is an anomaly: world champions Argentina flew 16 days prior. Sweden, Tunisia, and New Zealand arrived two weeks in advance. At the other end of the spectrum, the English flew four days before their opener to Missouri. However, the remaining 46 teams traveled earlier than the Portuguese.

When questioned on the subject, Martínez claimed that the time difference, altitude, and humidity were addressed in March, adding that the first two games would be played in an indoor stadium.

Regarding this decision, factors impacting player well-being must also be considered. Perhaps the conditions are better and more familiar at the ultra-modern Cidade do Futebol than in Florida. There's the proximity to family and greater control over the variables inherent in preparation.

Still, the question remains: why did so many other teams choose a different approach?

Arriving earlier can help boost concentration levels and foster a timely sense of mission. Departing so late makes the reality seem more distant than it truly is.

On the other hand, while the games will be indoors, training and recovery won't be. Houston will see temperatures around 35°C with high humidity. The tournament spans four cities, separated by 4500 km and four time zones. Between their second and third matches, Portugal will travel 1500 km. This is a huge contrast to the World Cup in Qatar, and unusual distances for those who play in Europe. Furthermore, adaptation to altitude and temperature isn't something that can be done in March for a June competition.

With a five-hour time difference between Lisbon and Palm Beach, what condition will the Portuguese players be in during their first days of work? Is Martínez banking on a progressive adaptation once the ball is rolling, protected by an initial run against more accessible opponents?