Fernandes double fires perfect Portugal to victory over Uruguay, enter last-16
Doha, Qatar: A second half brace from a stunning Bruno Fernandes fired Portugal into the last-16 stage of the World Cup on Monday, November 28, to join France and Brazil, after a 2-0 win that outclassed an uninspiring Uruguay given little chance to get into the match.
Although Portugal’s World Cup narrative has mostly been crafted by the brilliance of Cristiano Ronaldo up to this point, the night belonged to Fernandes, who shone throughout and looked threatening all through the game.
Bruno’s first goal set the tone for the match, with a 54th minute cross intended for Ronaldo that sailed fortuitously into the net, before a perfectly executed spot-kick in stoppage time that guaranteed his side’s passage to the knockouts with a match remaining.
Ronaldo had celebrated the first goal ecstatically as his own and smiled awkwardly as it was announced as belonging to Fernandes, who twice came close to completing a hat-trick in the dying moments.
My goal could have been Ronaldo’s: Bruno
Portugal midfielder Bruno Fernandes said a goal awarded to him — the first of his two in the win over Uruguay — might in fact have been scored by Cristiano Ronaldo, but what mattered was securing Portugal’s place in the World Cup’s next phase.
Fernandes was named as the scorer of Portugal’s opening goal in the 54th minute when his cross seemed to sail just past the head of Ronaldo and dropped into the net with Uruguayan goalkeeper Sergio Rochet confused by Ronaldo’s leap. Portugal’s captain appeared to be claiming the goal with his celebrations and was then seen laughing when Fernandes was announced as the official scorer on the stadium’s loudspeakers.
“The feeling I had was that Cristiano touched the ball. I was passing the ball to him,” Fernandes told reporters. “What matters is that we’re going through to the next round after playing a very tough opponent.”
This was the third time at a World Cup match that Portugal have won two successive group stage matches, and the previous two times led to streaks into the semifinals.
Fernandes played down talk of his starring role and said his focus was the next match against South Korea and getting a perfect nine points for Portugal.
“What’s important is we were able to go on to the next round and very important was the win against a tough opponent,” he said. “Our objective is to think match after match and we have to do our best because we obviously want to win all the matches.”
Uruguay, the dark horse in a succession of World Cups, looked nothing like the side that knocked Portugal out in the last-16 in Russia in 2018 and struggled to get into the match as the European side piled on pressure from the start.
Portugal had the lion’s share of the possession and pressed continuously but laboured in the final third and lacked clear-cut scoring chances until the second half, in a game where Uruguay were scrappy, off kilter and lacking initiative.
The result leaves Uruguay with a difficult final match against Ghana, who kept themselves in contention by beating South Korea 3-2 in the earlier Group H match.
Short Takes
Cameroon keeper Onana suspended
Cameroon’s first-choice goalkeeper Andre Onana has been suspended for disciplinary reasons, the country’s federation said, after he was left out of the squad for their 3-3 draw with Serbia on Monday.
Onana was marked as “absent” on the team sheet, with head coach Rigobert Song saying he had to “put the team first ahead of an individual” amid reports of a falling-out over tactics.
Cameroon are third in Group G on one point and need to beat Brazil in their final group game on Friday to stand any chance of reaching the last-16.
Protester with rainbow flag banned
The protester who ran on to the field during a match carrying a rainbow flag dressed in a blue Superman T-shirt with messages in support of Ukraine and Iranian women was banned from attending any more matches during the tournament.
The organising committee said in a statement that “the individual involved was released shortly after being removed from the pitch” and that his embassy had been informed. The protester identified himself on social media as Mario Ferri, an Italian who has carried out similar stunts at football matches before. Ferri ran on to the field in the second half of Monday’s match between Portugal and Uruguay.
Senegal captain’s tribute to Diop
Senegal captain Kalidou Koulibaly wore a special armband in memory of former international Papa Bouba Diop, who died exactly two years ago, in his team’s game against Ecuador. Diop, who died at the age of 42, scored the goal that helped Senegal beat France 1-0 in the opening game of the 2002 World Cup, where the African side reached the quarterfinals.
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