The meticulously marked out run-up, the ludicrous power pose, the rolled up shorts to expose those bulging thighs, the puff of the cheeks and the fiery stare. Everything about Cristiano Ronaldo's 89th-minute hat-trick goal against Spain last Friday was pure theatre.
And wasn't it brilliant? A man who - love him or loathe him - lives for the biggest moments. A man who makes it All. About. Him. And then - THEN - he goes and delivers.
If anyone thought Portugal were a one-man team at this World Cup, last Friday's match only reinforced such an opinion. Their 3-3 draw against Spain showcased two things about Portugal's team: Ronaldo's total brilliance and the rest of team's (including your Bernardo Silvas, your Joao Moutinhos etc) bang averageness.
That draw means Portugal have emerged from their toughest match of Group B with a point and today they face a Morocco side who were stunned by Iran in their opener.
The Moroccans would have come to this World Cup knowing the scale of the task facing them in a group containing Spain and Portugal. The plan: do Iran over and then see if you can get a result against one of the big boys. So much for that.
The north African side dominated for much of their opening match, but paid the price for their profligacy in front of goal. Just as it looked like Iran would cling on for an admirable goalless draw, Morocco substitute Aziz Bouhaddouz stuck the ball in his own net in the 95th minute to gift the most unlikely of victories.
That has left Morocco in a whole heap of bother. Herve Renard knows his side now cannot afford to lose either of their remaining two games against the two heavyweights of the group.
These two sides have met once before at a World Cup and it was Morocco who came out on top in a 3-1 win. That was Portugal's only defeat against African opposition at any World Cup and the bookies have Ronaldo and chums as fairly heavy favourites to triumph today.
#PORMAR // Formations... #WorldCup https://t.co/hm2SGyS07i — FIFA World Cup 🏆 (@FIFAWorldCup) 1529494158000
Yellow card for Adrien Silva for a rough tackleFive minutes of stoppage time added to the match as some heated words are exchanged between Pepe and Mehdi BenatiaPortugal's Joao Moutinho is substituted by Adrien SilvaMorocco's Karim El Ahmadi is substituted by Fayçal FajrMehdi Benatia makes a rough tackle against Ronaldo, Portugal get a free kick, Ronaldo hits but it fails to breach the wall of the Moroccan defendersPortugal attack after a long time, but Fernandes' hit goes wide of the goalCorner for Morocco, but it is fended off by the Portuguese defendersHard luck continues for Morocco, they get another free kick, but captain Mehdi Benatia's header goes wide of the goalMorocco's Younès Belhanda is substituted by Mehdi CarcelaFree kick for Morocco but the ball flies straight into the hands of Portugal goalkeeper Rui PatricioPortugal's Joao Mario is substituted by Bruno FernandesSpot kick for Morocco but it goes way over the topFree kick for Morocco, captain Mehdi Benatia gets the pass in front but his kick see the ball going over the Portugal goalBernardo Silva is substituted by Gelson MartinsFree kick for Morocco, a superb header by Younes Belhanda but Portugal goalkeeper Rui Patricio dives to his right to make a brilliant saveHe gets a pass just in front of the goal but his ferocious kick sees the ball go high over the goal postPortugal get an early corner in the second half but it goes beggingFree kick for Morocco but it flashed past captain Mehdi Benatia before he could reactThree minutes of stoppage time added to the first halfMorocco captain Mehdi Benatia gets a yellow card for a rough tackle on RonaldoRonaldo takes a spot kick but it's blocked by the defenders of MoroccoCorner for Morocco and captain Mehdi Benatia heads it but it goes straight into the hands of goalkeeper Rui PatricioAn unmarked Ronaldo gets a pass in front and he shoots but it goes wide, seems like we're in for a goal feastEarly corner for Portugal and Ronaldo heads it in, as simple as that, he was unmarked! You leave Ronaldo unmarked and you pay for it Morocco: Rui Patricio; Cedric, Pepe, Jose Fonte, Raphael Guerreiro; Joao Moutinho, William Carvalho, Joao Mario, Bernardo Silva; Goncalo Guedes, Cristiano Ronaldo (capt)Fernando Santos (POR): Monir El Kajoui; Nabil Dirar, Mehdi Benatia (capt), Manuel Da Costa, Achraf Hakimi; Mbark Boussoufa, Karim El Ahmadi; Nordin Amrabat, Younes Belhanda, Hakim Ziyach; Khalid BoutaibHerve Renard (FRA)Mark Geiger (USA)Hello and welcome to the live coverage of Group B match between Portugal and Morocco. The match starts at 17:30 IST.
But Ronaldo’s score also was the worst possible start for the Moroccans, who dropped their opening game against Iran on a 95th-minute goal and promptly fell behind Portugal after only four.
Portugal had won a corner kick, and Ronaldo casually jogged into the center of the penalty area to receive it. Everyone knew the cross would come to him, no one more than Morocco’s Manuel Da Costa, who accepted the challenge of staying between Ronaldo and the ball.
Except that Da Costa did not. A shift of the hips and a half-dozen quick strides by Ronaldo — speed he now reserves for only the most appetizing moments — and he was free. The ball arrived on his forehead and just like that was redirected into the net. Portugal led. Ronaldo preened. And four minutes into their second game of the World Cup, Morocco wondered if it might be on its way out.
Ronaldo mostly stalked the rest of the match — a threatening presence more than a particularly active one — while Morocco banged away without success at the other end.
”We should have been much more effective,” Morocco Coach Hervé Renard said. “Just like in our opening game, we had lots of scoring opportunities. But those who know how to be in the penalty area and are the most gifted players know how to make a difference.”Portugal will have to be better than it was if it is to challenge in the later rounds here, Santos said: more disciplined, more creative, more willing to impose itself on teams rather than wait to counterattack.”We played well,” Santos said, “but I think we need more than that.”
But Santos rejected the assumption, posed by more than one reporter, that his team had been poor, and that Ronaldo had looked ineffective or, worse, old.
“Cristiano is like a port wine,” Santos said. “He knows how to refine his capacity and age at his best.”
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The secret, he said, is what was plain to see: Ronaldo is not the same player he was in his 20s. He is more efficient now — deadly so, at least through two matches — and aware of what he can do.
“He’s always evolving,” Santos continued. “Because he knows himself and he knows what he can do. He doesn’t want to do the things he did two or three years ago, and he will not be doing the same things two or three years from now.”
——
Here’s how Portugal beat Morocco, from Victor Mather:
90’ +4: Morocco Just Can’t Find the Goal
A long free kick by Morocco bounces around in the box tantalizingly. It’s Benatia again, it’s over the bar again.
90’ +2: Pepe Goes Down on a Pat
Benatia of Morocco pats Pepe on the back. Pepe goes down hard, then leaps up and yells at Benatia. Pepe, 35, has been known in his career for a hot temper.
90’: Ziyech Denied
Suddenly Ziyech is free in the box for Morocco: a dribble and a shot, but it’s blocked. Five minutes of added time.
83’: Ronaldo Free Kick Off the Wall
Morocco brings down Ronaldo right on the penalty line. It’s judged to be just outside the box, so a very dangerous free kick, not a penalty. Ronaldo ... everyone grabs their cameras ... off the wall. He has a big smile afterward. After the free kick, Ronaldo goes to ground but does not get a call.
80’: Back and Forth
Portugal, Morocco, Portugal, etc. Ziyech misses on a corner. Pepe kicks the ball onto his own hand. Action at both ends.
79’: Another Free Kick for Morocco
Ziyach takes a free kick from the right, which goes to Benatia. He can’t get his head on it, though, and the shot goes wide.
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76’: Morocco Feeling the Pressure
Morocco is racing around the pitch, playing hard defense, passing nicely, getting some crosses and free kicks. They just haven’t been able to finish.
A loss in this game would eliminate them from the World Cup. They have yet to score a goal in two games.
68’: Another Free Kick for Morocco Goes Over
A good extended period of control ends with a free kick to Morocco just outside the box. But Ziyech sends it over.
Andrew Das: Morocco’s best spell seems to have ended without the goal it needs so desperately. We’ve got some fresh legs on both sides now, though, and should see more on this hot day. Maybe one of them will land the decisive blow.
65’: Guerreiro Booked
Guerreiro has struggled all game against Amrabat. He’s now booked for grabbing and pulling him down.
65’: Portugal Struggling to Slow Morocco
Another series of attacks by Morocco ends with a tepid shot from Achraf Hakimi that is saved easily. Portugal cannot shut Morocco out of the game.
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61’: Benatia Takes His Turn
A free kick for Morocco ends up on the foot of Mehdi Benatia, who turns and shoots. Over the bar.
59’: Applause for Defense
While we’ve been praising the offenses, a word for the fine play from the rest of the teams. Portugal’s keeper Patrico has made several good saves, and Morocco has foiled Portugal counters by having their defensemen regularly in the right places.
57’: Patricio Makes Huge Save
And it’s Morocco again. Leaping save by Rui Patricio on Belhanda. It feels like a goal must be coming at one end or the other.
Andrew Das: Tremendous save by Patricio, who has now had two in a couple of minutes. Morocco has found its footing, and they are trying to cash in before they lose it again.
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55’: Morocco Making Some Noise
Morocco’s Amrabat finds room on the right, then sends one to Belhanda, who fires one right at Patricio.
50’: Rare Miss for Ronaldo
Ronaldo charges in unmarked but launches the ball over the net. Portugal playing better this half.
48’: Portugal Misses Wide
A creative corner for Portugal leads to a header by Jose Fonte, but it goes wide. Same setup as the corner that led to a goal, but this time the target was Fonte instead of Ronaldo, who played decoy.
46’: Morocco Will Keep Pressing
Second half underway. Morocco will keep looking for that equalizer.
Halftime Reading: Russian Doping Lab Now a Gastro Pub
Andrew Keh watched the Russia-Egypt game at the site of the infamous Sochi lab at the center of the Russian doping scandal, which is now a gastro pub with doping-themed cocktails. Read Andrew’s story here.
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Halftime: Portugal 1, Morocco 0
An entertaining game. Underdogs are often in bad shape when they fall behind in matches like this. Morocco played about as well as you could ask. They just didn’t quite get a goal. Goof for Morocco: they took seven shots to Portugal’s five, and 50 percent of the possession. Portugal was forced into 17 clearances in the half.
Andrew Das: Morocco had some chances in the half, and Amrabat especially has been persistent trouble for Guerreiro on the right wing. But the Moroccans haven’t taken advantage of the chances they have created, and Ronaldo buried his really good one. And that, I guess, is why Real Madrid pays him all that money.
47’: Morocco Threatens, but Misses
Header by Belhanda goes wide. Morocco still attacking.
41’: Close Call for Morocco
Morocco’s attacking style leaves them a wee bit open at the back, and Ronaldo finds Goncalo Guedes, who forces a one-handed save, then fluffs the rebound. Great save by Mohamedi Munir. That really should have been 2-0.
Andrew Das: Morocco needs a little composure here. They feel very aggrieved by a couple of calls, and they’ve lashed out a couple times. Benatia just got a yellow for persistent infringement — basically, a handful of fouls that added up to one yellow once he rolled Ronaldo at midfield — and they just lost Guedes and had to be bailed out by their goalkeeper. Going into halftime down by 1-0 is not great. Going in down by 2-0 would be worse.
36’: Patricio Keeping Busy
Portugal keeper Rui Patricio catches a lobbed shot and upbraids his defense. He’s working harder than expected.
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35’: Not Even Close
El Ahmadi’s speculative shot for Morocco lands in row Z.
33’: Free Kick for Ronaldo
After appealing for a foul on one end, Morocco commits one on the other. Ronaldo stands over a short free kick. Goal No. 5? No, it goes off the wall. End-to-end action right now.
27’: Penalty Appeal for Morocco
Amrabat of Morocco goes down in the box and a big penalty appeal goes up. No call. The Morocco bench wants video review. Still no call. Amrabat lifts his shirt to reveal blood to the viewing audience. No call.
Andrew Das: Both players were holding, Geiger tells a furious Herve Renard at the next stoppage, and the replays confirm. Either way, the contact happened outside the area, so it shouldn’t have been a penalty. Geiger explained as much to the Moroccan players, and then goes to the sideline to talk with Renard about confronting the fourth official.
“Both were holding,” one can discern from amateur lip-reading. And he’s right. Guerreiro pulls up his shirt to show a nasty red wound from Boutaib’s hand.
26’: Ronaldo Rolls
Benatia bumps into Ronaldo, and Ronaldo executes the “oh-I’m-injured” barrel roll. Three rotations. He’s fine.
24’: Portugal Looking to Regain Control
Long-range effort by Ziyach of Morocco was saved. Portugal is going to want to get control of the ball a bit more. The thing is, if teams get enough shots and enough chances, the ball eventually goes in. Morocco is getting a lot of chances right now.
Andrew Das: Ronaldo is strolling mostly, or walking in the first half. His economy of movement, and effort, is remarkable. Sometimes he’ll just stand still, watching for a bit, then jog a few steps. But he only runs when he has to run, and those are the moments when everyone edges forward on their seat a little.
20’: Morocco Keeps Shooting
Morocco, as you might expect, is throwing everything at Portugal and it’s working. Ziyech and Boussoufa got close-in shots that drew saves.
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12’: Morocco Gets a Look
The chances are coming thick and fast! A header from Benatia of Morocco, the captain, is saved at the corner of the net. Both teams are playing an open and aggressive brand of soccer.
9’: Ronaldo Threatens Again
Nearly two for Ronaldo. He dribbled right, shot left (through a defender’s legs), but it went barely wide. Morocco is in deep trouble here.
GOAL! Portugal Leads 1-0
That was fast. Portugal took a tricky short corner, and Moutinho quickly stepped up to send it into the box. Who should be there to head it in but that man Cristiano Ronaldo? Goal No. 4 for him at this World Cup.
Andrew Das: How do you lose Cristiano Ronaldo on a corner? I mean, c’mon Morocco. Somehow, Manuel Da Costa fell for a stutter step, turned his head, and got beat. Any player at the World Cup buries a free header from six yards. Ronaldo? He lives for them.
3’: Morocco Attacks First
Morocco started fast, whipping the ball downfield. Eventually new striker Boutaib got off a headed shot, which missed wide.
Kickoff!
Portugal in a blinding all-white and Morocco in red with green shorts. Portugal have brought in the skillful midfielder Joao Mario. Three changes for Morocco, including the forward Khalid Boutaib and two new defenders, Dirar and Da Costa.
Portugal beat Morocco 1-0 on Wednesday afternoon courtesy of a Cristiano Ronaldo header.
Morocco had the better of the game after Ronaldo's fourth minute goal, but they were unable to break down Fernando Santos' side and ultimately crashed out of the competition with the defeat.
Portugal have climbed to the top of Group B with the victory.
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