Portugal has booked their ticket to the Round of 16 but getting there was no easy task. Here’s a look at their final match performance and what the future has in store for Portugal.
Portugal has qualified for the Round of 16 after playing their last game of the group stage against Iran. The journey has by no means been easy and advancement brought about a huge sigh of relief from Cristiano Ronaldo and company. Of course, the competition will only intensify and Portugal will need to figure out their game plan soon.
Ronaldo’s side started off the competition with an incredible 3-3 draw against Spain. From there they squeaked away with a 1-0 win over Morocco and finally a 1-1 draw against Iran. Portugal finished level on points with Spain but finished the group in second place having scored one goal less. Here’s a look at the match recap and what’s in store for Portugal moving forward.
Match Recap
Much like the Spain game, Portugal made what should have been an easy task much harder than it needed to be. Their final game of the group would be played against Iran, a side that also caused trouble for Spain. Iran’s tactic was to sit back, play a conservative game and break on the counter when possible.
With Iran winning their first game against Morocco and holding onto three points the possibility of progression was there. As a result, they played a more aggressive style trying to win the ball whilst holding their defensive formation. Iran’s confidence in the match grew as Portugal struggled to score. The urgency from both teams resulted in six yellow cards being handed out. All three substitutions from both teams were used and a whirlwind of VAR decisions.
Portugal dominated possession for most of the game with a near 75-25 split. They also had twice as many shots with 14 to Iran’s 7 but only four would make it on target. Portugal also had twice as many dribbles and passed with great accuracy hitting an 87% completion rate in comparison to Iran’s 64%.
Ricardo Quaresma would open up the scoring with a sublime outside of the foot curler into the top corner. Those who know they winger could sense the goal as he made his run goal-ward. Nonetheless, it was a moment of beauty and just what Portugal needed.
VAR Controversy
Later in the second-half Iran’s goalkeeper, Alireza Bieranvand would stop Cristiano Ronaldo’s penalty kick. The whole incident was clouded with skepticism as many thought that it was not a penalty. In addition, viewers on Twitter pointed out that Alireza had left his line before Ronaldo made contact with the ball.
The 83-minute saw a questionable yellow card show to Cristiano Ronaldo. After battling with the Iranian defender for positioning Ronaldo was called for a foul. The foul would be escalated to VAR, where officials would look to see if a possible red card was warranted.
In stoppage time Iran would be given a penalty of their own which they would score turning up the heat in Russia. This put Ronaldo’s miss under more scrutiny as Iran chased for a second goal. Iran would come close firing a shot just inches of the wrong side of the post.
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Round of 16
Portugal has officially claimed their spot in the Round of 16 where they will face Uruguay. Luis Suarez side finished top of Group A and will look to crush the hopes of many Portuguese fans.
Uruguay finished the group with 9 points having won all three of their matches scoring five goals in the process. Their strong defense is one of their greatest assets as they’ve yet to concede a goal this World Cup.
Fernando Santos will need to work hard if his team has any chance of making it past Uruguay. Cracking their strong defense won’t be easy which boasts great experience. Portugal’s defense will have to be ready to deal with heavy hitters Edison Cavani and Luis Suarez.
Don’t be surprised if Santos goes into Euro 2016 mode, soak up the pressure counter, be swift and lethal in the counter-attack. Say what you will about that style of play but it’s worked for the Portuguese Manager. In his last 32 competitive matches for Portugal, his side has won 23, drawn 8 and lost just once.