Off the bench, Ronaldo can help Portugal in a way he refused to at Manchester United

LUSAIL, Qatar -- Portugal manager Fernando Santos present has a level of power implicit Cristiano Ronaldo that Erik 10 Hag created astatine Manchester United.

We each cognize however that turned retired -- Ronaldo's Old Trafford declaration ripped up past period successful an acrimonious exit -- but Portugal showed connected Tuesday nighttime that a akin implosion is not inevitable for their skipper successful Qatar.

Santos felt compelled to punctual the 37-year-old is portion of a team, nary longer an untouchable immune from the disciplinary conventions that hindrance specified mortals. The petulance Ronaldo showed successful reacting negatively to his substitution against South Korea was a reminder of the behaviour that led to his departure from United; his devoted supporters viewing immoderate diminishing presumption arsenic disrespect, his critics fuelled by grounds Ronaldo is incapable of controlling his rage astatine the inexorable dying of the light.

Ronaldo's awesome powers whitethorn beryllium connected the wane but marque nary mistake, leaving him connected the seat against Switzerland was a monolithic call: this was the archetypal clip helium did not commencement a crippled for Portugal astatine a large tourney since 2008, ending a 31-game streak. And truthful what followed was thing abbreviated of remarkable: Ronaldo's replacement, Goncalo Ramos, defied having conscionable 33 minutes of planetary shot to his sanction to nett a hat-trick successful a 6-1 thrashing of Switzerland successful which Portugal looked acold much fluid and dynamic than astatine immoderate erstwhile signifier present successful Qatar.

This was a corporate show to rival immoderate produced astatine these finals, propelling Portugal alongside England arsenic the tournament's associated top-scorers connected 12 goals. The substance of fluidity and flair successful grounds volition service arsenic a informing to each 7 teams near -- and should besides evoke acquainted feelings successful Ronaldo, watching connected for each but the past 17 minutes.

United became a much potent and unpredictable attacking portion with Ronaldo. How tin anyone reason otherwise astir Portugal here? Ramos became the youngest antheral to people a hat-trick successful a World Cup knockout lucifer aft Pele.

Switzerland, who had conceded conscionable doubly successful 3 matches to this point, were wholly overwhelmed. Bruno Fernandes had 1 of those evenings wherever his instincts were sharp, playing passes with precision arsenic opposed to the scattergun organisation helium often produces for United. Joao Felix was a changeless menace. As Portugal sat 4-1 up connected the hr mark, Santos came nether unit from a assemblage hopeless to spot their idol, careless of the cohesion they witnessed successful his absence.

It was a feeling that built earlier kick-off, with arsenic galore cameras trained connected the Portugal dugout arsenic determination were connected the teams belting retired their nationalist anthems wrong the Lusail Stadium. Santos ended up shooing distant the assembled throng arsenic they threatened to interruption the enactment cordoning them disconnected from Ronaldo and his chap substitutes. He desperately wanted the attraction shifted elsewhere. And from the infinitesimal Ramos smashed a sumptuous 17th-minute changeable wrong Switzerland goalkeeper Yann Sommer's adjacent station from a choky angle, Santos's judgement looked vindicated.

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Alex Kirkland reacts to Portugal's 6-1 triumph implicit Switzerland successful the past 16 of the World Cup.

Pepe added a second, Ramos a third, Raphael Guerreiro a fourth. Yet the Ronaldo subplot persisted. He was lauded arsenic helium ran retired to loosen up astatine the commencement of the 2nd half. The assemblage openly called for him with the crippled implicit arsenic a contest.

The cheer that rang retired arsenic helium stepped retired successful the 73rd minute, uncaged, to participate the tract was arsenic large arsenic immoderate extremity celebration, galore of which helium joined successful with arsenic the substitutes ran on the touchline successful jubilation. Ramos had netted his hat-trick by that constituent but Ronaldo's sanction was the 1 being sung.

He received the captain's armband from Pepe and ran connected successful hunt of the extremity that would adhd the idiosyncratic coda helium nary uncertainty wanted to the ensemble portion that went earlier him. After having 84th-minute onslaught disallowed for offside, it was successful information different substitute who recovered the net, AC Milan's Rafael Leao curling successful a good effort successful stoppage-time.

Few radical are talking astir them but Portugal are unrecorded contenders for this World Cup now. They volition commencement favourites against surprise-package Morocco successful the quarterfinals, with oregon without Ronaldo, who indispensable present judge this alteration successful status.

"That is inactive thing which has to beryllium defined," said Santos aft the lucifer connected Ronaldo's ongoing relation successful the team. "I person a precise adjacent narration with him, I ever have. I've known him since helium was 19 astatine Sporting CP [in Lisbon] and past helium started to make successful the nationalist squad erstwhile I arrived successful 2014. Ronaldo and I ne'er misinterpret the quality and idiosyncratic facet with that of manager and player.

"I volition ever see that helium is simply a precise important subordinate to person successful the team."

Santos added: "This is thing that is finished and solved, it is besides important to look astatine the illustration of this player's history, helium is 1 of the champion players successful the satellite and truthful each we person to bash is travel [together] collectively.

Ronaldo could inactive triumph a World Cup, thing helium lone half-jokingly seemed to bespeak successful his interrogation with Piers Morgan would trigger his contiguous retirement. He does not person to beryllium the prima for Portugal to radiance bright. Santos, similar Ten Hag, tin constituent to wide grounds his squad are amended without him successful the line-up. It stands to crushed that a subordinate with superior claims to beryllium the top of each clip could beryllium a genuinely devastating interaction substitute.

But helium has to clasp this caller reality, thing helium ne'er managed nether Ten Hag. He arguably didn't adjacent try. The proximity of the prize successful Qatar should sharpen his focus. Perhaps his attraction astatine United volition assistance him. And successful that context, this was really a measurement forward: astatine slightest helium didn't garbage to travel on.