World Cup 2022: Portugal is in eighth with Bruno Fernandes Size Patron

Author of a double, the midfielder allows the Seleçao to dominate the Celeste (2-0) and ensures its qualification after two games. Cristiano Ronaldo, him, almost marked.

by Alexandre Pedro (Lusail, Qatar, Special Envoy)

A question of habit no doubt. Cristiano Ronaldo celebrated 118 goals in selection, so he celebrates this 119 e with his characteristic jump and this guttural cry imitated before this Portugal-Uruguay by hundreds of spectators in the corridors of the metro near the stadium de Lusail, Tuesday, November 29. But the video and the FIFA are formal, “CR7” did not even touch this center of Bruno Fernandes with a wick at 54 e minute. If Ronaldo has the merit of disturbing the opposing goalkeeper with his trip, the paternity of the goal returns to the passer. And in the stoppages, it is still the middle of Manchester United transforms a penalty, caused by him, to seal the victory of the Seleçao (2-0).

Two successes in two games, Fernando Santos players can already travel in business classes to the knockout stages of this World Cup like France and Brazil even before facing South Korea on Friday. But in its collective expression, this Portugal is still an object to be defined. Talent overflows everywhere, but still arises intermittently and there is also this annoying tendency to get out of matches. Uruguay thus had three equalization balls, but the clumsiness of Edinson Cavani, bad luck (with the strike on the post of Maxi Gomez) and the talent of the young Diogo Costa in the cages decided otherwise.

At times, this Portugal even suffered. Maybe he likes that, in the background. In 2016, victory at the Euro had a background of masochism and a big dose of solidarity. “It is also important to know how to suffer, especially against an aggressive team like Uruguay, but we have controlled this match and developed our game,” says midfielder Ruben Neves.

The Portuguese student can do even better. Passed by the dams to validate his presence in Qatar, he found an identity start with Bruno Fernandes and Joao Felix as offset creators on the wings and a Bernardo Silva in free electron in the axis. There remains the question, that which no Portuguese journalist advances to ask out of respect for the icon. Can this Portugal be more sparkling without its captain, goalscorer and gondola head?

As soon as he was asked about Ronaldo or what is starting to look like a takeover on the part of Bruno Fernandes, Fernando Santos issued a sigh, then started his long summary of the match, almost minutes per minute. “I don’t want to talk about my players’ personal cases publicly,” he said in the preamble. Shame. “I said that my team is very united, that we have a very good team spirit, and we bring answers,” savor (without ever smiling) the technician, no more revengeful than that against Uruguayans falling from his team in the round of 16 during the 2018 edition.

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