FIFA World Cup 2022, Portugal vs Ghana highlights: Ronaldo’s record goal helps POR beat GHA 3-2 in thriller

Wow Portugal goalkeeper Diogo Costa nearly dedicated what might have gone down because the blunder of the match to nearly squander the lead within the final 10 seconds of the match. He rolled the ball ahead after catching it on the finish of a hopeful cross into the field. Inaki Williams had darted ahead to assert it earlier than working previous Costa and it appears the latter was unaware of the presence of the Bilbao ahead. He rolls the ball ahead to take a leisurely kick, solely to latter scramble after it after Williams charged in direction of it and nearly turned it into the again of the web. A chaotic end to the match after a totally flat first half. That is soccer for you. On the finish of all of it, Portugal declare all three factors. That was enjoyable proper? Effectively there may very well be extra enjoyable an hour later because the Brazilians lastly play their first match. Do be a part of us over there as we log off from right here. Tatass!! 

Some aggressive discussions results in Inaki Williams getting a cautioning. Portugal had taken off Joao Felix, Ronaldo and Bernardo Silva for Joao Palinha, Joao Maria and Goncalo Ramos.

Portugal simply made a triple substitution and one of many gamers they took off was Ronaldo. Cross is available in from the left and Pereira appears to be asleep as Bukari is available in to show it into the objective. Bukaro goes forward and does a Ronaldo celebration as well. 

Ghana are all over the place for the time being defensively. Ronaldo is launched down the precise however he cannot discover a well past the goalkeeper. The flag can also be raised for offside. 

80 minutes: Wow, he has been on the sector for only some seconds and he has discovered the again of the web with a neat end. Portugal may have put the sport to mattress now. Bruno Fernandes with a superbly weighted by means of ball down the left, Leao opens up his physique and caresses it previous the goalkeeper on the fats submit. 

68 minutes: Beautiful end from Joao Felix and Portugal’s lead is restored! Three objectives in simply 13 minutes right here. Felix fees into the field and lifts it over the goalkeeper expertly. 

73 minutes: Kudus squares it from the precise and Ayew turns it into the empty internet. What a response this has been from Ghana. Kudus had let loose a ripper of a shot from distance simply earlier than this and the African aspect have taken the attaack to the Portgueuese after that Ronaldo objective. 

68 minutes: About three minutes after the restart, Partey takes a shot from distance and that goes over the objective. The Portugal followers have discovered their voice now.  

65 minutes: The Portugal captain turns into the primary to attain in 5 completely different World Cups. Prolonged protests from the Ghana gamers and when the field is lastly cleared, Ronaldo lasers the ball previous the goalkeeper.  

62 minutes: Ronaldo comes along with Salisu and goes down, referee factors to the spot instantly. Surprise if VAR will check out that. It appears the choice has been upheld, Cristiano Ronaldo stands over the ball. Now then…

57 minutes: An argument between Felix and Seidu. Seidu strikes his head in direction of Felix’s, makes contact, and the latter falls down like a sack of stones. Seidu then proceeds to drag him again on his toes and the Portugal gamers aren’t pleased about it. The referee offers Seidu a speaking to and that’s the finish of that, for now. Seidu is on a yellow card, keep in mind. Some a lot wanted spice on this match. 

56 minutes: Kudus fees ahead and drills a shot from distance. It was a superb effort and fizzes simply broad of the submit. 

Ayew booked for a slipshod deal with on Otavio. Extra of the identical so far within the second half, Portugal hogging possession however unable to do a lot with it. 

No modifications at half time for both aspect. A lot of gesticulations between the Portugal attackers although, marvel if there was any change in plans. We’ll discover out quickly sufficient, Ghana kick off the second half. 

Portugal have finished practically all of the attacking however managed simply two photographs heading in the right direction. 62 p.c of possession for them. Ghana have managed no photographs in any respect. All in all, a somewhat underwhelming first half actually.

45 minutes: Yellow card for a excessive foot for Mohammad Kudus on Joao Cancelo. 

thirty seventh min: Would you consider it, Ghana even have some assault to do! The nook involves nothing after all, being headed clear by Ronaldo of all individuals. Who says he would not defend?

31 min: Ronaldo turns away from Alexander Djiku to get to a cross from Felix and finishes it properly to seek out the again of the web however the referee has blown the whistle for a foul. It’s towards Ronaldo for the contact he made with Djiku whereas turning away from him. It’s a unfastened one and Ronaldo appears furious, as you’d anticipate him to. 

Good work by Ronaldo and Fernandes down the precise permits Guerrero to ship a cross in and that’s headed clear by Amartey. Goalkeepers have had little to nothing to do so far.  

The Ghana followers have introduced the get together to the stands however neither of the groups have finished something of the kind within the center. Ghana have been patiently letting Portugal have all of the possession they need, Portugal have finished virtually nothing with it. This recreation might use some infusion of vitality. 

thirteenth min: Cross from the left, Ronaldo brings out one in every of his monster jumps and it appears like that is going to be a transparent objective. Solely that it’s not, he heads it all the way down to the fallacious aspect of the bar with half of the objective gaping unguarded in entrance of him. If one forgets all of the drama from THAT interview, one would do not forget that Ronaldo had been in fairly rotten kind this season with Manchester United and it was precisely these sorts of possibilities that he was lacking. 

tenth min: Improbable work from Ghana goalkeeper Lawrence Ati-Zigi to thwart the Portugal captain. Ghana lose the ball carelessly simply forward of their closing third, Fernandes passes the ball ahead to an completely scot-free Ronaldo. He was not given time for a correct first tuch although because the keeper ran ahead and cleared the menace. 

Set items at each ends that come to nothing. Ghana had acquired a free kick which was conceded by Ronaldo. Portugal, however, had gained a nook from which Octavio’s shot goes broad. 

Ronaldo kicks it off in Doha. Portugal in crimson and inexperienced, Ghana in all whites

Portugal’s anthem performs out first, Ronaldo wanting like he had tears in his eyes as he sang it earlier than beaming with a smile on the finish of it. Then got here Ghana’s nationwide anthem. The workforce pictures adopted, the coin toss has been finished and Portugal will now kick all of it off. 

Cristiano Ronaldo leads out Portugal, Al Sadd’s Andre Ayew, the previous West Ham and Swansea striker, has the captain’s armband for Ghana. 

Even probably the most ardent of followers would say that may be a tough query to reply. Ghana have been completely woeful within the African Cup of Nations in January this yr. That led to go coach Milovan Rajevac being proven the door however Otto Addo has since led them to qualification to the World Cup, beating Nigeria in a play-off closing. 

Cristiano Ronaldo’s interview with Piers Morgan, which principally concerned Morgan prodding the Portugal captain to make a controversial assertion in case he forgot to make one throughout a solution, dropped simply earlier than the nationwide groups gathered collectively for the journey to Qatar. All of it ended this week with Ronaldo splitting with Manchester United and so, for the primary time in his profession, he performs this 

Should you had watched the match between Spain and Costa Rica, you’d keep in mind Nico Williams, the Athletic Bilbao winger who had come on as a second half substitute. His elder brother, Inaki Williams, performs for a similar membership however not the identical nationwide workforce. The brothers have been born to Ghanaian dad and mom and Inaki even acquired a Spanish nationwide workforce callup, though that was solely a pleasant. He was finally allowed to play for Ghana, which he selected to just do earlier than the 2022 World Cup. 

Lawrence Ati-Zigi, Abdul-Rahman Baba, Daniel Amartey, Alexander Djiku, Mohammed Salisu, Alidu Seidu, Thomas Partey, Salis Abdul Samed, Mohammed Kudus, Andre Ayew, Inaki Williams.

Diogo Costa, Joao Cancelo, Danilo Pereira, Ruben Dias, Raphael Guerreiro, Ruben Neves, Bernardo Silva, Bruno Fernandes, Otavio, Joao Felix, Cristiano Ronaldo.

Hardly ever has a workforce’s buildup to a match as large because the World Cup been dominated by the membership scenario of one in every of their gamers however that has been the case for Portugal. Nevertheless, as their gamers have mentioned, they know that they’ve a megastar of their midst in Cristiano Ronaldo and at all times knew that they might have had to talk about him even when his scenario was calm and serene going into this World Cup. So let’s get all the way down to the brass tacks, this may very well be the final time we see Ronaldo on this match, though everybody had mentioned the identical factor again in 2018 as properly, and so this is also the final likelihood for him to clinch the World Cup, that one lacking piece in his ridiculously shiny trophy cupboard.