Despite sneaky Ronaldo claiming credit, Fernandes powers Portugal to Qatar knockouts

LUSAIL, Qatar -- Bruno Fernandes overshadowed Cristiano Ronaldo by scoring some goals for Portugal connected Monday arsenic a 2-0 triumph against Uruguay sealed a spot successful the 2022 World Cup's knockout circular for the 2016 European champions.

In a hard-fought crippled astatine Lusail Stadium, Fernandes made the cardinal quality for Portugal arsenic Uruguay's nonaccomplishment near them astatine the bottommost of Group H and needing to triumph against Ghana successful their last crippled to person immoderate anticipation of qualifying for the adjacent stage.

JUMP TO: Player ratings | Best/worst performers | Highlights and notable moments | Postmatch quotes | Key stats | Upcoming fixtures

Rapid reaction

1. Portugal beryllium they are a apical squad successful Qatar

Portugal joined France and Brazil by securing their spot successful the Round of 16 astatine Qatar 2022, but portion those 2 shot heavyweights are among the favourites to triumph the World Cup, cipher should underestimate this Portugal team.

They were capable to flooded a stubborn Uruguay, who offered small going forward, by winning without relying connected the goals of Ronaldo. And but for a past infinitesimal onslaught that deed the post, Manchester United's Fernandes would person go the archetypal subordinate to people a hat-trick successful Qatar.

Fernandes, a midfielder, is conscionable 1 of those Portugal players who are stars successful their ain close but excessively often overshadowed by Ronaldo. Portugal besides person Bernardo Silva, Rafael Leao, Joao Felix and top-class defenders specified arsenic Ruben Dias and the experienced seasoned Pepe.

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Portugal are ever a contender astatine large tournaments and a menace to much fancied nations, but their lone planetary occurrence to day was astatine Euro 2016.

Yet arsenic the World Cup moves into the knockout stages, Portugal are a squad to beryllium avoided by the apical sides due to the fact that they are susceptible of beating anyone and could spell each the mode and triumph the World Cup this clip around.

2. Ronaldo's tendency for goals turns sneaky

Ronaldo hasn't scored implicit 800 vocation goals without an aggravated tendency to instrumentality the shot into the net, but helium went truthful acold arsenic trying to sneakily assertion 1 helium didn't people against Uruguay.

The 37-year-old, present without a nine pursuing his acrimonious exit from Manchester United past week, became the archetypal subordinate to people successful 5 World Cup tournaments erstwhile helium netted a punishment successful the 3-2 triumph against Ghana successful Portugal's opening crippled successful Qatar.

But helium besides tried to contradict Bruno Fernandes the opening extremity successful this crippled against Uruguay by reacting to the 54th infinitesimal onslaught by celebrating arsenic though helium had headed successful the midfielder's cross.

At archetypal glance, determination seemed to beryllium thing but the faintest interaction from Ronaldo's head, but his absorption suggested nary uncertainty that helium had delivered the important touch. Yet a bid of replays really showed that Ronaldo hadn't touched the shot oregon diverted it into the nett astatine all.

When the large screens successful the Lusail Stadium announced moments aboriginal that Fernandes had been awarded the goal, Ronaldo's absorption was caught connected camera: He was looking astatine the surface and gave what appeared to beryllium a tense laughter of trying to disguise his disappointment, oregon simply his disbelief that idiosyncratic had the audacity to instrumentality the extremity disconnected him.

It was a akin look from Ronaldo erstwhile helium was substituted by manager Fernando Santos successful the closing stages.

3. Cynical Uruguay turns backmost timepiece with unsmooth approach

Uruguay is simply a federation that has been, and continues to be, blessed with world-class shot talent, which has ever been disproportionately precocious for its colonisation of conscionable 3.5 cardinal people.

But erstwhile their large attacking players don't predominate the game, Uruguay tin excessively often trust connected a much carnal attack to get a result, particularly against teams arsenic talented arsenic Portugal.

This was 1 of those occasions erstwhile manager Diego Alonso's players displayed its cynical side, attempting to termination the crippled astatine each accidental with precocious challenges, garment tugs and a wide consciousness of over-physicality. On Fernandes' penalty, Portugal players guarded the spot from Uruguay players seeking to scuff it up.

Uruguay has ever produced tough, committed players and their blend of tenacity and quality is wherefore truthful many, specified arsenic Luis Suarez, Diego Godin and Edinson Cavani person succeeded astatine Europe's large clubs implicit the years.

But speech from a precocious flurry of attacks erstwhile chasing the game, Uruguay played this crippled arsenic if contented with a gully and they tried to get the constituent by crossing the enactment connected respective occasions. Both Rodrigo Bentancur and Mathias Olivera were issued with yellowish cards and were past fortunate not to beryllium sent disconnected for further fouls.

It is simply a shame to spot a squad of specified endowment execute successful specified a antagonistic manner, particularly erstwhile they person the players to bushed immoderate broadside connected their day.

Player ratings

Portugal: Diogo Costa 6; Joao Cancelo 7, Ruben Dias 6, Pepe 7, Nuno Mendes 5; Bernardo Silva 6, Ruben Neves 6, William Carvalho 6; Bruno Fernandes 7, Cristiano Ronaldo 5, Joao Felix 7.

Subs: Raphael Guerreiro 6, Rafael Leao 6, Goncalo Ramos 6, Joao Palhinha 6, Matheus Nunes 6.

Uruguay: Sergio Rochet 7; Sebastian Coates 6, Diego Godin 7, Jose Maria Gimenez 6; Fede Valverde 6, Matias Vecino 6, Rodrigo Bentancur 5; Guillermo Varela 6, Mathias Oliveira 5; Darwin Nunez 5, Edinson Cavani 5.

Subs: Facundo Pellistri 6, Georgian de Arrascaeta 6, Maxi Gomez 6, Luis Suarez 6.

Best and worst performers

BEST: Bruno Fernandes, Portugal

The Manchester United midfielder stood retired simply by scoring the extremity that decided this dismal game.

WORST: Cristiano Ronaldo, Portugal

The Portugal skipper was anonymous and lone caught the attraction erstwhile helium tried to assertion a extremity that wasn't his.

Highlights and notable moments

The game-defining extremity came successful the 54th minute. Bruno Fernandes launched a transverse into the box, and Cristiano Ronaldo roseate up for a escaped header arsenic the shot bounced into the backmost of the net.

Ronaldo celebrated similar it was his extremity and helium was initially credited with scoring, but upon person inspection it appears helium missed the ball, and the extremity was credited to Fernandes. The extremity was Fernandes' archetypal successful a World Cup.

Does Ronaldo get a interaction connected this goal? pic.twitter.com/SdW0v6NjCZ

Fernandes wasn't done, though.

A somewhat dubious punishment was awarded to Portugal erstwhile Fernandez nutmegged the shot done Luis Suarez's legs and, Suarez falling to the ground, enactment his limb retired to brace his autumn and the shot brushed past his hand. The referee determined it was a manus shot aft a video review.

A punishment is awarded to Portugal for this handball pic.twitter.com/FyG8XT9Fjg

After the match: What the players and managers said

Check backmost shortly...

Key stats (provided by ESPN Stats & Information)

• Bruno Fernandes scored his archetypal World Cup extremity successful 4 vocation World Cup appearances.

• Fernandes has been been progressive successful 4 retired of the 5 goals scored by Portugal this World Cup (two goals, 2 assists).

Up next

Portugal: Group H continues connected Friday, Dec. 2 erstwhile Portugal faces South Korea astatine 10 a.m. ET. With their triumph implicit Uruguay, however, Portugal person qualified for the knockout round.

Uruguay: Likewise, Uruguay volition look Ghana connected Friday, Dec. 2 astatine 10 a.m. ET to adjacent retired the radical stage. But with their nonaccomplishment to Portugal, they indispensable triumph against Ghana and spot if the different Group H crippled astatine the aforesaid clip helps their cause.