Brilliant Edinson Cavani double sends Cristiano Ronaldo’s Portugal home
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ByEurosport
Updated 30/06/2018 at 21:59 GMT
Last-16, Fisht Olympic Stadium – Uruguay 2 (E. Cavani 7', 62') Portugal 1 (Pepe, 55)
Uruguay's Edinson Cavani celebrates scoring their first goal
Image credit: Reuters
Edinson Cavani’s fine double secured Uruguay a 2-1 win over Portugal and a spot in the quarter-finals of the World Cup.
The PSG man snuck in at the back post to dispatch Luis Suarez’s pinpoint cross past Rui Patricio with just seven minutes on the clock.
La Celeste managed to contain Cristiano Ronaldo and Portugal for the remainder of the first-half but Pepe found space at a corner just 10 minutes into the second period to restore parity.
However, Uruguay and Cavani were not to be denied, as having received a pass from Rodrigo Bentancur on the edge of the box, the 31-year-old wrapped his foot around the ball to dispatch past a despairing Patricio.
Bernardo Silva had Portugal’s best opportunity to send the tie to extra-time but snatched at his effort, with 70 minutes on the clock, and it flew over the bar.
Oscar Tabarez’s men will now face France for a place in the semi-finals.
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Edinson Cavani (Uruguay) y Cristiano Ronaldo (Portugal)
Image credit: Getty Images
TALKING POINT
The fearless Uruguay go marching on: The South Americans remain 'dark-horses' for World Cup glory, but with four wins out of four, conceding just one goal in the process, they simply cannot be overlooked. Uruguay have been compared to Atletico Madrid throughout the tournament and with a stubborn defence led by the brilliant Diego Godin and Jose Gimenez, the similarities are obvious. Diego Simeone has enjoyed great success at club level, so why can't Uruguay, with not just one but two outstanding strikers? Their style may not be pretty but it is most certainly effective. Next up for the underdogs is France and if they can snatch the first goal, their defence could see them through to the final four.
For Portugal and Cristiano Ronaldo it is heart-break, but ultimately they weren't good enough over the course of four games. At 33-years-old, this was probably Ronaldo's last chance to lift the World Cup and while he more than played his part, he needed some help from his team mates to bring the cup home to Portugal. As Argentina's exit proved, one man can only do so much.
MAN OF THE MATCH
After huffing and puffing his way through the opening two group matches, Uruguay's talisman Edinson Cavani has finally arrived at the party, and in some style. Forging a simply unstoppable partnership with Suarez, Uruguay look like scoring every time they come forward. Cavani's beauty of a second goal will steal the headlines but the opener was arguably just as good. Playing probably the finest one-two you will ever see, with Suarez, the 31-year-old finished at the near post with aplomb. Uruguay's deadly duo will be a real problem for Didier Deschamp's defence.
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Uruguay's Edinson Cavani celebrates scoring their first goal
Image credit: Reuters
PLAYER RATINGS
Uruguay: Muslera 7, Gimenez 8, Godin 8, Laxalt 7, Caceres 6, Bentancur 6, Nandez 6, Torreira 6, Vecino 6, Suarez 8, Cavani 9. Subs: Sanchez 5, Rodriguez 5, Stuani 5.
Portugal: Patricio 6, Pepe 7, Guerreiro 7, Fonte 6, Pereira 5, Mario 6, A Silva 5, Carvalho 6, B Silva 7, Ronaldo 7, Guedes 5. Subs: Fernandes 5, Quaresma 6, A Silva 5.
KEY MOMENTS
7' - GOAL - Uruguay 1-0 Portugal: Wow, this World Cup just keeps getting better! Uruguay's deadly duo - Cavani and Suarez - combine to lethal effect! Cavani switches the play with a beautiful diagonal pass, which Suarez takes down. The PSG forward doesn't sit back to admire his pass, instead sprinting to the back post to head in Suarez's cross.
22' - SAVE! Up steps Suarez who drills the free-kick low and hard, it's creeping into the bottom corner but Patricio, at full-stretch, dives across to push the ball away from his goal. Suarez tried a similar effort to the free-kick he scored against Russia - and almost pulled it off again.
55' - GOAL! Uruguay 1-1 Portugal: Portugal finally breach Uruguay's defence! A short corner catches the South Americans off guard, it is whipped in by Guerreiro, meeting the head of Pepe who powers home from a matter of yards out.
62' - GOAL! Uruguay 2-1 Portugal: Wow, wow, WOW! Cavani restores Uruguay's lead with a beautiful strike. Portugal are caught on the counter-attack. The South Americans work the ball to Cavani who has time to consider his options on the edge of the box... he wraps his body around the ball, curling an unstoppable shot into the top corner.
70' - CHANCE! Mulsera makes a howler, dropping the ball... it falls to Bernardo Silva who panics and blazes his shot over the bar with the goal gaping. What an opportunity for Portugal - and you would have put your house on the Man City midfielder scoring!
KEY STATS
- This was Cristiano Ronaldo's 38th match in the World Cup/European Championships - no player has played more across the two competitions (Bastian Schweinsteiger also 38).
- Ronaldo has failed to score or assist a goal in the knockout stages of the World Cup, despite playing over 500 minutes.
- Ronaldo attempted six shots for Portugal (one on target); one more than the entire Uruguay team managed over the 90 minutes (5).
- Ten goals were scored at the World Cup today; the most goals on a day of knockout football at the tournament since the 17th June 1970, when two semi-finals produced a total of 11 goals.
- Pepe's goal for Portugal ended Uruguay's run of 597 minutes without conceding a single goal, with the previous being conceded back in November 2017 vs Austria.
- Luis Suárez's assist for Edinson Cavani was the only successful pass that he made to the goalscorer in the entire first half against Portugal.
- Since 1966, only Grzegorz Lato and Andrzej Szarmach (5 for Poland) and Michael Ballack and Miroslav Klose (5 for Germany) have combined for more World Cup goals than Edinson Cavani & Luis Suarez (4 for Uruguay).
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