PALM BEACH GARDENS, June 25 (Reuters) - Pedro Neto doesn't care which wing he is asked to play on but is hoping to really hit his straps at his first World Cup when Portugal take on Colombia in the Group K decider in Miami on Saturday.
The Chelsea winger played 72 minutes on the left of the attack in Portugal's disappointing 1-1 draw with DR Congo in their tournament opener and the first half on the right flank in the 5-0 thrashing of Uzbekistan.
"Honestly, I feel more comfortable on the right, but
I think throughout my career I've actually played more on the left," he told reporters on Thursday.
"But in any position I feel comfortable. I want to help the team, I want to be at my best, and I think that's what I always try to focus on.
"I hope I can really take off (against Colombia)," he added. "I'm here to help, and I hope this will be that moment, especially since it's an important match for us to finish first."
RESPONSE TO CRITICISM?
Portugal's display against the Uzbeks was seen as a response to the criticism they received after failing to beat DR Congo and while Neto agreed with that analysis, he thought it was fuelled by determination rather than anger.
"We have a very winning mentality, and it's normal that after the first game we were a little down," he said.
"Without a doubt criticism is part of the game. We have to know how to deal with it, and in the second game we also used that in a motivating way to go out and give our best."
Neto thought the Uzbekistan match, in which under-fire captain Cristiano Ronaldo scored twice, had restored Portugal's status as genuine title contenders.
Colombia lead Portugal by two points in the group standings and while both teams would advance with a draw on Saturday, Neto expects an intense contest to decide who finishes top.
"It's always a very lively game, full of fight," he said. "Personally, I really like that style of match, and I think people are expecting a great game, a great spectacle, and that's what we'll try to give them."
Introduced at the press conference as "the most handsome player at the World Cup", Neto was asked about his appearance at the top of several online lists ranking tournament participants by their looks.
"I don't think there's anything surprising about it. It's completely normal," he said, to laughter.
"And I don't think it was even a topic in the dressing room, because the whole group was unanimous in the opinion that I'm the cutest."
(Reporting by Nick Mulvenney, additional reporting by Joyce Zhou and Ayhan Uyanik, editing by Ed Osmond)
