Portugal progress with ease

Portugal qualified for the Elite round of the 2004/05 UEFA European Under-17 Championship in emphatic fashion, scoring 14 goals in three Group 11 games to win the section in style.

Perfect record
The 2003 winners, who finished third in the finals in France in May this year, conceded a single goal in winning all three group games and confirming their progress to the second qualifying round. Belarus finished in second place with six points, three fewer than the Portuguese.

Resounding win
Edgar Alvaro Borges's team were quickly into their stride in their opening match at the Torpedo stadium in Minsk, running out 8-0 winners against San Marino. Daniel Santos Candeias scored twice, with Miguel Mariano de Carvalho, Ricardo Ferreira Nogueira, Carlos Pereira Alves, Fábio Malheiro Paim, Ricardo Sousa Santiago and Daniel Martins Carriço also finding the net.

Bright start
Mini-tournament hosts Belarus also made a fine start to their qualifying campaign, defeating Malta 3-0 at the Traktor stadium. Stanislau Drahun scored the first in the 17th minute and added a second five minutes past the hour, with Anton Bubnou completing the victory three minutes from time.

Second success
Two more Santos Candeias strikes secured a second Portuguese victory on Matchday 2, with the forward scoring in the 27th and 38th minute to defeat Malta at the Torpedo stadium to maintain Portugal's perfect record.

Belarussian boost
Belarus, meanwhile, brushed aside the Sanmarinese at the Traktor stadium, with Siarhei Kisly scoring twice in the first half to add to Aliaksandr Kalatsei's sixth-minute strike. Andrei Kukharonak and Bubnou were also on target after the interval to wrap up a 5-0 victory.

Portuguese fightback
With Portugal and Belarus already having booked their passage to the Elite round, the top two met at the Traktor stadium in the third and final round of matches to determine who would win the section. Although Uladzimir Safrankou gave the Belarussians an early advantage, Portugal's response was impressive, with Santos Candeias levelling on the stroke of the interval and completing his hat-trick in the second half to take his tally in the group to seven in three matches. Rui Couto Ramalho scored a fourth with five minutes remaining.

Zarb zest
With qualification hopes already gone and only pride at stake in the other game, Malta finally edged out San Marino 1-0 at the Torpedo stadium to clinch third place in the section, Dylan Zarb scoring the only goal of the game from the penalty spot in the 69th minute. Malta's record is not enough for them to qualify as the best third-placed side from the 12 groups.