Bruno Fernandes (fake images)
Bruno Fernandes scored twice to give Portugal a 2-0 win over Uruguay on Monday and send them into the World Cup round of 16 alongside France and Brazil.
The Manchester United midfielder netted a cross nine minutes into the second half and then added a stoppage-time penalty after a handball from José María Giménez.
HOW IT HAPPENED | FIFA World Cup – Portugal v Uruguay
The match at Doha’s spectacular 89,000-capacity Lusail Stadium also saw Qatar’s first tournament ground invader: the man carrying messages of support for Ukraine and the Iranian women and carrying a rainbow flag.
With Portugal already qualified, Uruguay must now beat Ghana in their last Group H game to have any chance of advancing as well.
Both teams made three changes from their first games. Portugal brought in veteran Pepe in place of the injured Danilo Pereira, who suffered a broken rib in training.
Pepe became the third-oldest outfield player in World Cup history.
Portugal dominated the first half, hogging the ball and creating several chances, but never testing Uruguayan goalkeeper Sergio Rochet.
Uruguayan strikers Edinson Cavani and Darwin Núñez were left without the ball but the South Americans still had the best chance of the first half.
Rodrigo Bentancur picked up the ball in his own half and charged forward, slipping between two defenders to find himself one-on-one with goalkeeper Diogo Costa, who fanned out well to save the midfielder’s shot.
Portugal captain Cristiano Ronaldo was largely anonymous for the first 45 minutes but delighted the fans with a shoulder pass to signal William Carvalho, who volleyed through.
field invader
The main drama came after the break.
Moments after a pitch invader ran onto the pitch with an LGBTQ rainbow flag and a message of support for Ukraine and Iranian women on his jersey, only to be spectacularly tackled by security, Portugal stormed ahead.
Fernandes created space for himself on the left and fired a cross deep into the mixer, with Ronaldo breaking the offside trap to attempt a deflected header.
As the ball settled into the goal, Ronaldo stepped away to celebrate, but FIFA ruled that he had not touched the ball, thus denying him a ninth World Cup goal, which would have put him on a level with Portuguese great Eusebio. .
Uruguay coach Diego Alonso released forwards Maxi Gómez and Luis Suárez as the South Americans began to apply some late pressure, and both came close to drawing.
Gómez’s rough shot from 20 yards came over the post with Costa battered, while Suárez hit the side netting from close range.
Nearly 90 minutes into the game, Fernandes brought down Giménez, whose straggling hand deflected the ball away from the midfielder and prevented him from going one-on-one with Rochet.
Iranian referee Alireza Faghani awarded the penalty after a VAR check and Fernandes sent Rochet the wrong way after his signature jump, jump run.
He then nearly completed a hat-trick, but hit the post from 20 yards out.
