Uruguay 2 Portugal 1
Cavani 7 Pepe 55 Cavani 62
Luis Suarez is still a formidable warrior.
But this was his mate Edinson Cavani’s night.
The pair were born three weeks apart in the same small town, Salto, in 1987, but did not meet till they played for Argentina’s Under-19s.
Suarez was a one one-man army at Liverpool and he’s always a gladiator when he pulls on the light blue shirt of Uruguay.
His huge desire sets the tone of the team and when Cavani found him with a stupendous crossfield pass to the left touchline, Suarez came inside and fired a right-foot cross that was penetrating. It looked too ambitious, as if the ball must go out of play because it had the velocity of a shot into the top corner.
But Cavani launched himself into an electrifying forward-flying leap and met the ball with his cheekbone rather than his head – and it flashed into the net.
Unreal!!! Preposterous! A highly improbable goal.
Cavani is the only centre forward in this World Cup who could have reached that ball and scored his 45th goal for Uruguay from it.
When the second half started, Ronaldo was staying more in the middle, with Bernardo Silva playing just behind him in a No.10 role.
In 55, Portugal won a corner on the left, took it short, veteran centreback Diego Godin made a rare mistake, and Pepe headed the equaliser from eight yards. A well-worked goal from a slickly-executed set-piece.
Uruguay reacted when keeper Muslera drove a 70-yard pass upfield, Betancourt controlled it neatly on the right and passed perfectly across the penalty area to Cavani, who aimed the sweetest sidefoot shot of his career.
Cavani 2 Portugal 1 after 62 minutes.
WHAT A GOAL THAT WAS! Urgency from the keeper, immaculate skill on the cross, remarkable calm on the finish.
That goal won the game….if Uruguay could hold on.
Winger Ricardo Quaresma came on and played classy football on the right flank and also on the left but Portugal could not find the goal they needed to take the contest into extra time.
The final whistle came after 96 long minutes.
I was far too conservative when I backed BTS in the France-Argentina game that finished 4-3.
Kante, Pogba and Mbappe were superb in a top team performance.
So I consulted my gambling guru John. He was convinced that Uruguay would beat Portugal 3-1, so I had two bets on them.
SO THERE WE HAVE IT : On the day Argentina lost 4-3 to France, Uruguay beat European Champions Portugal 2-1.
The Uruguay- France quarter-final is on Friday afternoon.
Can the Paris-based Cavani, who went off with a calf injury, be fit for that game?
Russia 2018 so far?
I feel as if I’ve been waiting a long time to see dramatic games. But now I’m happy. We won’t see the losers again but we know a lot more about the winners.
For me, watching winners playing winners is what the World Cup is all about.
So it’s suddenly fascinating as the tournament becomes eight nations before it becomes four.
I was gonna post this piece last night but when I went downstairs I found Jan watching Eric Clapton Life In 12 Bars, a doc I saw with Jeff Dexter at the Hospital Club, so I watched it again with Mrs Palmer.
NB. Cesc is back on BBC for Spain v Russia. Best pundit!
Fabregas says more in two sentences than Shearer says in a whole season.
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URUGUAY: Muslera, Caceres, Gimenez, Godin, Laxalt, Nandez, Torreira, Vecino, Bentancur, Suarez, Cavani.
Subs: Campana, Varela, Sanchez, Rodriguez, De Arrascaeta, Stuani, Gaston Silva, Maxi Pereira, Gomez, Coates, Urreta, Martin Silva.
PORTUGAL: Rui Patricio, Ricardo Pereira, Pepe, Fonte, Guerreiro, Bernardo Silva, William Carvalho, Adrien Silva, Joao Mario, Goncalo Guedes, Ronaldo.
Subs: Lopes, Bruno Alves, Fernandes, Joao Moutinho, Andre Silva, Dias, Bruno Fernandes, Gelson Martins, Mario Rui, Quaresma, Cedric, Beto.
Referee: Cesar Arturo Ramos Palazuelos (Mexico).
http://arsenalnewsreview.co.uk/wp/southgate-plays-to-our-strengths-we-only-need-to-win-four-more-games/