José Sá urges focus as Portugal prepare for tight Uzbekistan test

José Sá has turned Portugal’s second Group K match into a warning about concentration, not comfort. With Uzbekistan waiting at the NRG Stadium in Houston on 23 June 2026 at 12:00 local time, the message from Portugal’s reserve goalkeeper was that a favored side can lose control in a single careless spell.

Portugal arrived in the United States for the final phase of the 2026 World Cup, which is being staged across Canada, the United States and Mexico and ends on 19 July 2026. The Federação Portuguesa de Futebol has placed Portugal in a demanding group with Colombia, Uzbekistan and the Democratic Republic of Congo, and the meeting with Uzbekistan has been treated inside the camp as a test of discipline as much as talent.

That frame matters for Diogo Costa, who remains Portugal’s starting goalkeeper and has 44 full international appearances. The line behind him has been presented in Portuguese coverage as a genuine competition, with no clear favorite among the alternatives, but Sá has underlined the need for the goalkeeping group to function as one unit rather than as rivals. In a tournament where one mistake can decide a match, Portugal’s internal cohesion has become part of the performance.

The latest training session in Palm Beach Gardens reinforced that sense of control. Tomás Araújo was the only player absent, while the rest of Roberto Martínez’s squad took part as Portugal sharpened for a team many in the Portuguese press have described as dangerous in transition. Sá had also been involved in the build-up to Portugal’s friendly against Chile on 4 June 2026, another step on the route to the World Cup.

Uzbekistan will not arrive as a passive opponent. Portuguese analysis has highlighted a side that waits for openings and attacks quickly when space appears, with Eldor Shomurodov, the captain and the country’s all-time top scorer with 44 goals, central to that approach. Abdukodir Khusanov of Manchester City is among the other leading names in the squad, giving Uzbekistan enough pace and quality to punish any lapse.

For Portugal, the lesson is simple. A heavyweight label and a strong squad do not guarantee control in a tight match, and Sá’s warning reflects the pressure that comes with being expected to win. In Houston, concentration may matter more than reputation.