(Doha) A playmaker in the light: Bruno Fernandes, with a double, allowed Portugal to beat Uruguay (2-0) on Monday at the Lusail Stadium in Doha, and to qualify for the round of 16 .
After a victory against Ghana (3-2) when they entered the competition, the Portuguese Seleçao is therefore at the top of group H with six points, ahead of Ghana (three points), while Uruguay and South Korea (one point) bring up the rear.
The second qualifying ticket will be disputed next Friday between the three other nations of the group, and more probably between Ghana and Uruguay, who will face each other.
Monday evening in Lusail, in the largest stadium in the competition (88,622) filled for the occasion, the Portuguese may have won a pivotal match in their World Cup, by the performance of their attacking midfielder Fernandes.
Expectations placed around the Manchester United player (28) were high, but not yet met, as the team’s other star, Cristiano Ronaldo, is playing less and seems less able to carry Portugal, 37 .
PHOTO AIJAZ RAHI, ASSOCIATED PRESS
Cristiano Ronaldo and Bruno Fernandes celebrate victory with their teammates.
Above all, the two stars finally aligned, during the first goal of the meeting, a returning cross from Bruno Fernandes for Cristiano Ronaldo, who tried to touch the ball with his head… in vain.
Whatever, this goal allowed Portugal to force the padlock of the Celeste, and the symbol is strong: the two teammates, who were said to be cold since the departure with a roar of “CR7” from the Mancunian club, managed to combine and to silence rumors lending them an enmity harmful to the collective.
Just before that, a man carrying a rainbow flag and wearing a T-shirt in support of Iranian women and Ukraine entered the lawn before being intercepted by security agents.
Revenge of Portugal
For the revenge of the round of 16 of the last World Cup, won by Uruguay (2-1), it was Fernandes who shone the most, scoring a second goal from the penalty spot, one of his favorite exercises.
Small steps of momentum followed by a characteristic jump: his trademark made it possible to take Sergio Rochet on the wrong foot (90e+3). The former Sporting Portugal player could even have scored a hat-trick if his shot hadn’t hit the post at the very end of the match (90e+9).
Overall, Portugal have often mastered the game collectively, even rewarding their supporters with fine possession streaks, and appear to be gaining momentum in the competition.
Opposite, Celeste struggled and her attacking duo Darvin Nunez-Edinson Cavani was invisible. It was rather the midfielder Rodrigo Bentancur who showed up, and who for a time embodied the commitment, sometimes excessive (yellow card from the 6the minute) of his team.
After a superb slalom between Ruben Dias, Pepe and William Carvalho, Bentancur could have given the advantage to his team, but he came up against Diego Costa, well out.
La Celeste is now forced to beat Ghana to reach the round of 16.