Bruno Fernandes scored twice to help Portugal achieve a 2-0 victory and a spot in the round of 16 at the World Cup 2022 thanks to the Portuguese team’s advancement.
The European team dominated the first half in terms of possession, but they failed to create any serious chances that were easily exploitable. The team led by Fernando Santos attempted to find a way through Uruguay’s defence, but they were unable. This should not have come as a surprise considering that Uruguay entered this encounter having kept five straight clean sheets at the World Cup.
In the early stages of the first half, Uruguay struggled to mount any significant attacks and instead focused on regaining possession of the ball whenever they had the opportunity.
After that, Rodrigo Bentancur had the finest opportunity of the half, getting near after driving past the Portuguese defence, but Diogo Costa was able to save it. Rodrigo Bentancur’s chance was the best of the half. It was a fantastic chance for the team captained by Diego Alonso, who really could have taken a 1-0 lead into the halftime break.
Fernandes scored the goal that put Portugal ahead for the first time in the 54th minute. At first glance, it seemed as if Cristiano Ronaldo had the tiniest of touches on the ball that was crossed into the area by the Manchester United player. However, FIFA soon overturned their decision to award the goal to Ronaldo and instead awarded it to Fernandes.
After that goal, Uruguay seemed to be a completely different side. They made some adjustments in their assault by bringing in Facundo Pellistri, Maximiliano Gomez, and Luis Suarez, and they went all out in their pursuit of an equaliser, coming dangerously near on many occasions.
Maxi Gomez had an attempt that was saved by the goalpost, and then only a few seconds later, replacement Suarez launched an effort that was so close to becoming the equaliser, but it missed the mark by a hair.
Portugal remained resolute in their defence, but it seemed like Uruguay was going to score an equaliser. That is, until Portugal earned an injury-time penalty that put an end to the competition. After entering the penalty area, Fernandes attempted to score a goal by slipping the ball between Jose Maria Gimenez’s knees but the defender was able to stop it with his arm. The individual who was responsible for the foul was available to score the goal from the penalty spot, which resulted in a score of 2-0.
