Twitter blew up when Portugal’s starting line-up for the game against Switzerland was announced.
How could Fernando Santos leave Cristiano Ronaldo on the bench? Would it be worth it?
The team responded with a resounding yes.
The team’s impressive efforts dwarf the star on the bench
Portugal took just 17 minutes to . Gonçalo Ramos announced himself on the world stage in style. His shot sailed past Swiss goalkeeper Yann Sommer near the post. Before the tournament, Ramos was a name to reckon with, even if he didn’t grab the headlines. He has scored goals for Benfica in both the Portuguese Primeira Liga and the UEFA Champions League.
The Portuguese team was relentless in their attacking game in the first half. This was Portugal unleashed. Veteran defender Pepe added the second in the 33rd minute with a header after a Portuguese corner. Half time couldn’t come soon enough for the Swiss who were fighting to stop the devastating Portuguese attack.
Six minutes into the second half, Gonçalo Ramos added a second, Portugal’s third. It started to become a question of how many goals Portugal would be able to score. The Swiss couldn’t keep up with the fast passes and fluid movements of Portugal’s three forwards.
Portugal takes things from bad to worse for Switzerland
Even when the Swiss had the front three covered, the midfield and wingers pushed forward in support. Raphaël Guerreiro came from a wide position to hide Portugal’s fourth goal. Perhaps the only shining moment in the game for Switzerland came when Manchester City defender Manual Akanji scored a consolation goal 3 minutes later.
However, in the 67th minute Gonçalo Ramos completed his hat-trick. Although Cristiano Ronaldo has stolen a lot of headlines in the last two weeks. Today, all eyes were on. The 21-year-old has thrown himself into contention for the Golden Boot. He is now just 2 goals behind leader Kylian Mbappe.
Ronaldo came on in the 73rd minute. Though it was Rafael Leão, another substitute, who was able to find the back of the net in stoppage time to cap off an impressive 6-1 win. Ronaldo is chasing the World Cup record set by the legendary Portuguese Eusebio. He will have to wait for Portugal to face Morocco in the quarterfinals on Saturday.
No one saw Switzerland capitulate like it did. Take nothing away from Portugal’s brilliance, but the Swiss will be disappointed with the manner of defeat. Insert your Swiss cheese jokes here.
PHOTO: IMAGO / Pressinphoto
World Cup 2022 Guide
Here are some resources to help you make the most of the biggest event in soccer!
