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Scouting Notebook: Gelson Martins a Rare Athlete but Still Lacks Cutting Edge

Related Topics: Gelson Martins, Ricardo Quaresma

An easy way for viewers to cut through a Confederations Cup competition that is yet to start simmering is to search for unfamiliar talents. There are major nations competing this summer in Russia—Portugal, Germany and Chile among them—and the "mixed" nature of their squads has allowed some fresh, new faces to come forth.

Germany's selection is highly experimental, while Portugal have included five players with fewer than 10 caps. Given the ageing nature of the latter's traditional forward options—Cristiano Ronaldo, Ricardo Quaresma and Nani produce a combined age of 96—it's imperative they find alternative solutions, and quickly.

To many, Manchester City new boy Bernardo Silva is the next major player for Portugal, and he impressed as they defeated Russia 1-0 on Wednesday evening.