The dream ended and the tears of Cristiano Ronaldo leaving the field and melting away in the access tunnel to the changing rooms said enough. It was a difficult farewell, with Portugal saying goodbye to the 2022 World Cup in the quarter-finals with a 1-0 defeat to Morocco, the result of a mistake by goalkeeper Diogo Costa. But the Porto goalkeeper cannot serve as a scapegoat. There were other dropouts. The game called for a different approach, not least because there was the example of the challenge with Spain to learn lessons about the African way of playing. Also, luck was especially lacking in the various scoring opportunities, almost always with João Félix as the protagonist.
Now the coming days will be for balances, starting with the continuity of Fernando Santos as manager (he has a contract until 2024) and whether this could be the closing of a cycle in the national team – on his return to Lisbon there will be meetings between the coach and president Fernando Gomes. And also understand the real impact of the Ronaldo case within the group, he returned to sit on the bench this Saturday and only came in in the second half.
Another key question will be to discover to what extent it will still be possible for CR7 and Santos to live together in the same team, as the captain’s dissatisfaction with the substitute’s condition was all too apparent. And by the way, whether the continuity of the responsible coach could lead Ronaldo to part with the national team.
At first it seems difficult for them to live together again. As much as the selector tried to convey the message that the relationship had not faltered and the group was unaffected, the signs were too obvious. And perhaps in the coming days, new episodes of this case, which was not always well managed by the FPF communication, will become known
Warm entry and mistake from Diogo Costa
Football is also made of mistakes and Portugal paid a high price for a move in the 42nd minute should have marked the African striker better.
But guilt can’t just die here. Far from it! Portugal was aware of the dangers of this Moroccan team and the round of 16 against Spain was the best reference. A team that gives the initiative to the opponent, who plays in a low block and then goes on the attack with quick transitions and tries to take advantage of the spaces.
Fernando Santos must have seen the match against Spain several times. But either the message didn’t come across well, or the players didn’t know how to interpret it. Portugal failed to dismantle the Africans’ strategy in the first half. It lacked speed, intensity and creativity, although João Félix had three good chances. The first at 4″, stopped in a header by goalkeeper Bono. Then at 31″ he tried from long range and at 39″ with a first class shot over the top. .
Half-time stats showed that Portugal had much more possession (66% to 34%), but Morocco finished more (7-5). An indicator that there is still a lot to be done in terms of strategy for the second part.
Santos didn’t move at half time, but it wasn’t long before he went to the bench, not least because Morocco were very close to scoring the second goal on the restart. And at 51″ he put Ronaldo and João Cancelo on the field and relinquished Guerreiro and Rúben Neves. Portugal gained more speed and installed itself permanently in the Moroccan midfield. But if it was difficult to dismantle the African wall, it became even more difficult complicated with the whole team close behind.
Gonçalo Ramos, at 58″, had a good chance to equalize, but shot wide. At 64″, it was Bruno Fernandes’ turn to miss the target. Santos moved again, launching Rafael Leão and Vitinha into the match. It was all for all, trying to achieve at least a draw. But at that moment the heart already spoke louder. Portugal dominated, but the way the Moroccans defended created a lot of problems for the national team. At 83″, Félix had the goal in his feet again, but this time the shot was stopped by Bono. Already in extra time, Ronaldo allowed another defense from the Moroccan goalkeeper and at 90″+7, Pepe almost scored with a header.
The final whistle blew and the faces of the Portuguese players contrasted with the delight of the Moroccans, who became the first African team to reach the semi-finals of a football World Cup. The cameras immediately focused on Ronaldo, who left with tears in his eyes. But it was in the entrance tunnel to the dressing room that it fell apart. An image that will remain for some time to illustrate the end of a dream of one of the greatest generations of Portuguese football, which in the next World Cup will count on values that are already certain, but will lose others through old age , such as the cases of captains Cristiano Ronaldo and Pepe.
The Portuguese campaign cannot be classified as a fiasco, but maybe I knew it a little, largely due to the fact that the elimination was at the feet of a theoretically much weaker team. Now is the time for much reflection. But it seems certain that something will have to change…
VIEW GAME STATISTICS HERE.
Source: DN
