That is it. Accounts are closed. On matchday two, the national team secured qualification for the round of 16 of the 2022 World Cup thanks to a 2-0 win against Uruguay, with a Bruno Fernandes brace.
This was only the second time in history that the team from the corners managed to qualify for the second game of a World Championship, imitating what it achieved in 2006 when it finished in fourth place. Now all that remains is to secure first place in Group H, which will serve to avoid Brazil in the round of 16. And for that they could even lose to South Korea, provided Ghana does not recover from the three-goal deficit they have in the standings against the Uruguayans.
Fernando Santos made three changes related to the win against Ghana, with Nuno Mendes replacing Raphaël Guerreiro, alongside the already predictable arrivals of Pepe and William Carvalho to replace the injured Danilo and Otávio. Diego Alonso, the Uruguayan coach, changed the system and went from a 4x3x3 to a 3x5x2. The goal was clear: better fill the defensive zones to block the creatives of the national team and then bet on quick transitions.
Practice showed that at the beginning of construction, the Uruguayan team tried to put pressure on Pepe and Rúben Dias, but also on Rúben Neves, with the clear intention of intimidating and provoking the foul. The pressure was so great that there were fouls in the first minutes and Bentancur even got a yellow card. Faced with difficulties getting the ball out, Bernardo Silva moved from the right side to the center of the field, in exchange for Bruno Fernandes. Soon, Portugal’s game became more fluid. With little space to reach the opponent’s area, the effort was on long range shots, but without the necessary target. There was a feeling that more speed was needed in the circulation of the ball.
In the 32nd minute, against the tendency of the Portuguese dominance, Uruguay were very close to scoring, with Bentancur advancing at will through the center of the field despite the passivity of the national players, but it was worth it Diogo Costa to defend at the feet of the Juventus midfielder. From then on, the South Americans began to use more often the offensive strategy they had prepared, taking advantage of the fact that Rúben Neves was often late in the dispute.
The only situation of any danger near Rochet’s goal – other than Bruno Fernandes’ offside header – was when Ronaldo corrected with his chest and tried to shoot off balance in the small area. Bad news for Portugal was the injury of Nuno Mendes, who was one of the best and left the field in tears. Although the corner team reached the break with 60% possession, with more shots (9 against 4), more creativity and speed were essential to reach the goal.
Goal that confused even FIFA
The second half started quietly, with Rúben Neves injured due to a hard challenge from Matías Vecino and, later, when a supporter took to the field with an LGBTQI+ flag and a t-shirt with messages of respect for women in Iran and support for Ukraine.
But when football could be played again, João Félix set the tone with a shot into the side net. It was the warning of what happened next. Bruno Fernandes crossed, Ronaldo headed and the ball went into the net. Portugal had the advantage on a goal that left even FIFA in doubt as to who had scored. The images clarified: CR7 did not touch the ball and Bruno Fernandes took credit.
The problem with this goal was that the team pulled back the lines despite Santos ordering them to defend further forward. The coach then opted to launch Rafael Leão instead of Rúben Neves to take advantage of the space at the back of the Uruguayan defense, but as the match drew to a close, Uruguay tightened up the squad, a tendency accentuated by the entries from Luis Suarez and Maxi Gómez. Between the 75th and 82nd minutes it was a straight save in the Portuguese area: Maxi’s ball hit the post, Suárez’s dangerous shot into the side net and Diogo Costa’s providential save against De Arrascaeta pointed to a draw.
It was then that Santos made a decision that ended the fight, adding Palhinha, Matheus Nunes and Gonçalo Ramos. From then on, Portugal began to control the game with the ball and again appeared in danger in the opposing area.
And it was in an exchange of passes that the penalty came – the hand of Giménez – when Bruno Fernandes tried to isolate Bernardo Silva or Gonçalo Ramos. Alerted by the VAR, the referee ordered a penalty. Bruno Fernandes took the opportunity to score twice. The midfielder could even have scored twice more, but Rochet and the post rejected the third goal to the corner team, who still made the qualifying match.
Man of the match – Bruno Fernandes
After the two assists in the game against Ghana, he now solved the problem with two goals: the first was even a cross for Ronaldo and the second a won penalty. The 28-year-old midfielder is in top form and never tires of chasing for goal, as witnessed by six shots, one of which hit the post.
Source: DN
