Cavani's brace sends Portugal crashing out of World Cup

Two goals from Edinson Cavani sent Portugal and Cristiano Ronaldo packing from the 2018 World Cup. The Paris Saint-Germain forward scored two sensational goals (7th minute, 62nd minute) to seal the win for Uruguay in the Round of 16 match at the Fisht Stadium in Sochi. Pepe pulled one back for Portugal in the 55th minute but it proved to be inadequate.

Portugal had a lot more shots on goal, but failed to make it count. Ronaldo had six shots, of which only one was on target. That summarised Portugal’s performance. Uruguay were superior and will prove quite a handful for France in the quarterfinals. Portugal’s exit meant both Ronaldo and Messi are out of the World Cup after France beat Argentina in the seven-goal thriller earlier.

Uruguay were arguably the best defensive side coming into the match, with a clean sheet in 2018. They had gone the last 16 games without conceding. Both Uruguay and Portugal made promising inroads into their opposition’s box in the first and second minutes respectively but nothing came off them. Ronaldo took a shot on goal in the 6th minute, but fired it straight at goalkeeper Muslera. Uruguay attacked on the counter. Cavani sent a crossfield pass from the right to Suarez, who returned the favour by sending a cross back to Cavani, who headed it straight into goal on the right. The build-up was excellent and so was the finish. Cavani returned the favour in the 14th minute, but Suarez’s shot was deflected for a corner. Suarez had another sniff at goal in the 22nd minute from a free-kick, but his low shot was parried away by Rui Patricio. Portugal had more shots on goal than Uruguay but failed to make anything meaningful out of them.

Uruguay were resolute in defence and looked set for another clean sheet, but Pepe had other plans. A short corner in the 55th minute saw the former Real Madrid defender head in from inside the six-yard area. It was the first time in the match that Uruguay looked shaky in defence. Uruguay were back on track though and continued to dictate play every time the ball ventured into their area.

Another beauty from Cavani was the final blow for Portugal. Bentancur played the ball to Cavani who opened up his body to side-foot his shot into the right of goal. It was a brilliantly executed shot to give Uruguay the deserved lead. They were the better team in the match. Uruguay survived a scare in the 70th minute, when Muslera fumbled the ball while trying to clear a high ball. The ball fell to Bernardo Silva who shot it way over the bar. That would turn out to be Portugal’s last clear chance on goal.

Towards the last 10 minutes, Uruguay parked the bus, defending with all their might. Cavani was taken off in the 75th minute after picking up a knock. Uruguay’s attacking firepower diminished after that but Suarez caused enough trouble every time he got the ball. Uruguay came close to scoring in the 93rd minute, but Rodriguez couldn’t control Suarez's cross. Ronaldo picked up a yellow card in the 94th minute which would have ruled him out of the quarterfinal, had Portugal managed to get through to the next round.

Uruguay beat Portugal convincingly although it just one goal that set them apart. They were the better team and were superior in play even though Portugal dominated possession. They were ruthless in attack and had an iron defence. Uruguay would now face France in the quarterfinal.

For Ronaldo, 33, it was probably his last World Cup. Only time would tell if he has enough gas left in his tank for another World Cup. Argentina and Portugal’s exit means the din around Messi and Ronaldo would now end, at least for the time being. For both fans and neutrals alike, they can now enjoy the World Cup and look forward to other talents on the pitch.