Dreamy night, historical tour and gala exhibition. This is how Portugal’s expressive victory over Switzerland this Tuesday with an unthinkable 6-1 can be summed up. The national team thus achieved a place in the quarter-finals of the 2022 World Cup, where it will compete with Morocco, which had previously sent Spain home.
It was anything but an easy week for the Portuguese team, with a defeat against South Korea and especially with the outburst of Cristiano Ronaldo who, when he was substituted in that game, said that the coach was in a hurry to get him off the field. Well, Fernando Santos scored a strong position by leaving CR7 on the bench, although he assured in the short pre-match interview that it was not a penalty, but a strategic option already in preparation.
And when it did, it worked out better, as Gonçalo Ramos gave the Portuguese striker the mobility and ability to apply pressure that Ronaldo couldn’t offer in the group stage matches. The Benfica striker proved to be the cornerstone team’s trump card, as he ran across the full width of the attack and freed João Félix, who took advantage of the space to show off his full range of technical assets and vision of the game.
But don’t think that Fernando Santos’ changes have brought immediate results. None of that. Also because the first fifteen minutes were quite difficult for the corner team, especially in the beginning of the goalkeeper’s build-up, as Shaqiri’s positioning, next to striker Embolo – who played close to the right in the other games – blocked the ball. Portuguese game. A problem that was solved with the withdrawal of a player to the centre-backs, almost always William or Otávio.
The game progressed at a lukewarm pace until in the 17th minute, after a throw-in, João Félix assisted Gonçalo Ramos who threw a bomb into the corner of Sommer’s goal. The marker was open and then by the player who replaced Ronaldo in attack. Fernando Santos couldn’t ask for better, after all his strategy worked and Portugal were in a rush to reach the quarter-finals.
The Benfica striker was a true linchpin of the Portuguese attack, offering a shot to Otávio in the minutes that followed, which Sommer saved and then fired himself at the Swiss goalkeeper from range. The advantage had the effect of giving the team confidence, which now had the players closer together, which prevented Switzerland from deploying its attacking game. In fact, there were several times when Xhaka and company tried to launch the attack, but the passes were lost in the Portuguese defense. Diogo Costa’s first intervention was to stop Shaqiri’s dangerous free-kick, but Portugal soon struck again. After a corner kick taken by Bruno Fernandes, Pepe headed it all in to make it 2-0. The party was Portuguese and could have been even bigger, after a scare resolved by Dalot, when Ramos, relaunched by Félix, forced a defense with his fingertips.
Best only in 1966 and 2006
The break came with a comfortable lead, but we should not forget that at Euro 2020, Switzerland lost 3-1 to France and eventually won on penalties.
However, if there were still doubts about Portugal’s qualification, they were allayed in the 51st minute when Gonçalo Ramos scored the third goal, from Diogo Dalot’s pass, which definitively took João Cancelo’s place on the right.
Everything went well for Portugal and for Ramos, who soon after assisted Raphaël Guerreiro’s goal and, after Akanji had already reduced the score – he failed to score from a corner kick – completed his hat-trick, the first of this 2022 World Cup. the 21-year-old striker became the youngest player to score three goals in the knockout stages of a World Cup, after Pelé, in 1958.
Ronaldo’s name began to sound in the stands of the Lusail Iconic stadium, after all, there were many spectators to see the Portuguese star. Fernando Santos made them happy in the 73rd minute and CR7 even scored shortly after, but he was in an offside position. The party was not complete until extra time when Rafael Leão scored a beautiful goal to close the score at 6-1, to the dismay of the Swiss who did not believe in the disaster they had ended up in.
The national team qualified with distinction for the quarter-finals, a stage it only reached at the 1966 and 2006 World Cups, finishing in third and fourth place respectively. There is a lot at stake, but winning against Morocco on Saturday (3 p.m.) is the next goal, in a game in which Portugal is favored.
A word for Fernando Santos leaving Ronaldo on the bench. It must not have been an easy decision, but it must have been one of the right ones since he became a coach. After all, at the age of 37, CR7 is going through a phase of less brilliance, in which there are too many controversies around him. Moreover, he must have won the respect of the group, after all there are no untouchables.
Despite being on the bench, the captain showed his commitment to supporting his teammates and was one of the first to celebrate victory. Now it’s up to Santos to decide if he wants to keep the striker on the bench.
Man of the match: Goncalo Ramos
It was Fernando Santos’ gamble to replace Ronaldo and the Benfica attacker could not have reacted in the best way. He scored three goals – something only Eusébio, Pauleta and CR7 had achieved in the World Cup – and even provided an assist for Guerreiro to score. In addition to the numbers, Ramos gave great mobility to the Portuguese attack and an excellent rapport with João Félix.
Source: DN
