World Cup hits and misses: Cristiano Ronaldo’s replacement Goncalo Ramos shines on beautiful day for Morocco’s Yassine Bono | Football News

Portugal flourish with out Ronaldo

A free-kick was gained and the ball dutifully tossed to Cristiano Ronaldo. The crowd had chanted for his introduction and cheered wildly when it got here. Here he was over the ball, that theatrical stance. The shot hit the wall. Play may resume.

It was an illuminating passage of play in its personal means, coming because it did along with his group 4-1 up. The recreation had been gained in – perhaps even due to – his absence. The distinction between the Ronaldo present and the Portugal present that preceded it was hanging.

Replaced by Goncalo Ramos, ostensibly on account of his response to being substituted in opposition to South Korea, what adopted was a reminder that there are different abilities on this squad. Talents that confirmed in opposition to Switzerland that they might shine given the possibility.

Of course, Portugal succeeding with out Ronaldo is nothing new. The most well-known victory within the nation’s historical past got here within the remaining of Euro 2016 following his early harm. But that was stoicism. This was one thing else. This was a thrashing. This was a group unleashed.

Even so, no one, not even Fernando Santos with all that he has seen within the recreation, may have anticipated what adopted. The first hat-trick of the event. The nation’s greatest win of the knockout phases. World Cup hopes not simply alive however revitalised, resurgent.

It was Ramos’ day however perhaps it may but be Portugal’s event. As the world’s media seemed to the bench, Ronaldo nonetheless owned the digital camera however Joao Felix owned the soccer. Alongside Bruno Fernandes, they relished Ramos’ motion forward of them.

There was nonetheless time for Ronaldo to crash the ball into the web from an offside place, a glimpse of the ending potential that has not left him. But when Rafael Leao added the sixth, the message couldn’t have been clearer. This present will go on with out him.
Adam Bate

Bono brilliance however Amrabat embodies collective spirit

Spain’s penalty curse continues to plague them, however Morocco made a mockery of their unfancied standing. The Atlas Lions arrived on the shootout with their very own monkey on their again having misplaced all 4 of their earlier penalty showdowns, the latest being in opposition to Algeria in final yr’s Arab Cup.

But due to Bono’s brilliance they’d turn into simply the fourth African aspect to succeed in the quarter-final of a World Cup after Cameroon in 1990, Senegal in 2002 and Ghana in 2010.

Bono, who missed a bunch recreation simply earlier than kick-off in opposition to Belgium by way of sickness, was lifted to the heavens after his heroics and Walid Regragui has Morocco reaching for the sky.

The first African man to guide a aspect to the final eight, and this was a collective effort. Sofyan Amrabat lined each blade of grass and is primed to be included within the group of the event.

Back in the summertime, Morocco seemed in disarray after a heavy pleasant defeat to USA, however only one aim conceded within the seven video games since he took cost has led to historical past being made.

For the primary time, they will sit up for a quarter-final look on the World Cup. There was a jig and bumps for Regragui that even Roy Keane would have welcomed.

Spain had been suffocated by the whistles through the shootout. Sergio Busquets gained the toss and selected the tip, however it actually did not matter. The Spaniards had been outnumbered on the Education City Stadium, and Madrid-born Achraf Hakimi schooled Unai Simon from the spot to spark joyous scenes.

Bono, the person who has spent virtually his total senior profession taking part in in Spain, will head again to Sevilla within the coming weeks. A pariah in his personal parish however a king in Casablanca. Football is a humorous outdated recreation.
Ben Grounds

Spain stumble from the spot once more

“Over a year ago, in many national camps we told players, ‘You have homework ahead of the World Cup. You must take at least 1,000 penalties with the club’. You can’t just train them when they’re with the national team’.”

Luis Enrique knew Spain must maintain their nerve on the World Cup lengthy earlier than they arrived in Qatar. When the second got here, they stumbled once more.

Spain have turn into the primary nation within the event’s historical past to lose 4 penalty shoutouts. They crashed out to Italy within the Euro semi-finals final yr and went surprised by Russia on spot kicks on the 2018 World Cup.

“I don’t think it’s a lottery. If you train often, then the way you take penalties improves. Obviously, you can’t train the pressure and tension, but you can cope with it,” Enrique mentioned 24 hours earlier than their newest penalty heartache.

Back to the coaching floor.
David Richardson

Yakin gamble backfires as Swiss roll over

Switzerland had been just one aim away from qualifying prime of Group G forward of Brazil, so why supervisor Murat Yakin determined to modify to a again 5 for their first knockout recreation is a query solely he can reply.

It actually was not one thing his gamers had been ready to overtly defend. “We were all surprised by the system change,” Xherdan Shaqiri advised the press afterwards.

The Swiss had been rocked by the absence of Silvan Widmer, the squad’s solely pure right-back, however altering form and utilizing Edimilson Fernandes – an attacking midfielder – as his replacement by no means appeared the logical answer.

Yakin has made his identify as a tactical maverick, whose unorthodox, daring decision-making has gained him extra video games than it has misplaced throughout his managerial profession.

But right here, there isn’t a query. There may be no nuance to a 6-1 defeat, the worst in Switzerland’s World Cup historical past.

Something went horribly mistaken, and after an encouraging group-stage efficiency raised hopes of a primary ever victory within the spherical of 16, all that ambition was introduced crashing again all the way down to earth in only 45 minutes.

“It wasn’t the system,” Yakin mentioned after the sport. The Swiss media actually do not share that opinion. “The defeat is a humiliation for Switzerland, nothing else,” was one newspaper’s damning evaluation. “The manager messed up.”
Ron Walker