LUSAIL, Qatar — Portugal coach Fernando Santos now has a level of control over Cristiano Ronaldo that Erik ten Hag created at Manchester United.
We all know how that played out – Ronaldo’s Old Trafford contract was torn up in a bitter exit last month – but Portugal showed on Tuesday night that a similar implosion for their Qatar captain is not inevitable.
Santos felt compelled to remind the 37-year-old that he is part of a team, no longer untouchable and immune to the disciplinary conventions that bind mere mortals. The irritation shown by Ronaldo when he reacted negatively to his substitution against South Korea was reminiscent of the behavior that led to his departure from United; his devoted supporters see any declining status as disrespect, his critics fueled by evidence Ronaldo is unable to contain his anger at the inexorable dying of the light.
Ronaldo’s stunning skills may be on the wane but make no mistake, benching him against Switzerland was a mighty decision. It was the first time since 2008 that he had not started for Portugal in a major tournament, ending a 31-game streak. And what followed was nothing short of remarkable: Ronaldo’s successor, Goncalo Ramos, braved just 33 minutes of international football to score a hat-trick in the 6-1 win over Switzerland, in which Portugal looked far more fluid and dynamic than ever here in Qatar.
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It was a collective effort to rival anyone at the finals and saw Portugal join England as joint top-scorers in the tournament with 12 goals. The apparent mix of fluidity and flair will serve as a warning to all seven remaining teams – and should also evoke familiar feelings from Ronaldo, who is watching until the final 17 minutes.
United became a stronger and more unpredictable attacking force without Ronaldo. How else can you argue about Portugal here? Ramos became the youngest man, after Pele, to score a hat-trick in a World Cup knockout game.
Switzerland, who had conceded only two goals in three games up to that point, were completely overwhelmed. Bruno Fernandes had one of those nights when his instincts were sharp and his passes were accurate, as opposed to the scattergun spread he often produces for United. Joao Felix was a constant threat. With Portugal leading 4-1 after the hour mark, Santos came under pressure from a crowd eager to see their idol, despite the unity they experienced in his absence.
It was a feeling that was reinforced before kick-off when as many cameras were trained on the Portuguese dugout as the teams belting out their national anthems at the Lusail Stadium. Santos eventually shooed the assembled crowd away as they threatened to snap the rope that sealed them off from Ronaldo and his fellow substitutes. He desperately wanted attention drawn to something else. And from the moment Ramos smacked a superb shot from a tight angle into Swiss goalkeeper Yann Sommer’s near post in the 17th minute, Santos’ judgment seemed vindicated.
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Alex Kirkland reacts to Portugal’s 6-1 win over Switzerland in the World Cup Round of 16.
Pepe added a second, Ramos a third, Raphael Guerreiro a fourth. Yet the Ronaldo subplot remained. He was praised when he ran to loosen up early in the second half. The crowd openly called out to him when the game was over as a contest.
The cheers that erupted when he came free to take the field in the 73rd minute were as loud as any goal celebrations, which he often joined in as the substitutes ran down the touchline in celebration. Ramos had scored his hat-trick by this point, but Ronaldo’s name was the one chanted.
Received the captain’s armband from Pepe, he kept running in search of the goal that would add the personal coda he no doubt wanted to the ensemble piece before him. After the goal was ruled out for offside in the 84th minute, it was actually another substitute who found the net, AC Milan’s Rafael Leao, who put in a nice shot in added time.
Few people talk about it, but Portugal are now a real contender for this World Cup. In the quarter-finals they start as favorites against surprise package Morocco, with or without Ronaldo, who now has to accept this change of status.
“It’s something that still needs to be defined,” said Santos after the game of Ronaldo’s continued role in the team. “I have a very close relationship with him, I always have. I’ve known him since he was 19 at Sporting CP [in Lisbon] and then he started developing in the national team when I came in 2014. Ronaldo and I never misinterpret the human and personal aspect with that of the coach and player.
“I will always remember that he is a very important player in the team.”
Santos added: “That’s something that’s completed and resolved, it’s also important to look at the example of this player’s history, he’s one of the best players in the world and that’s why we just have to come [together] together.”
Ronaldo could still win a World Cup, which he seemed half-jokingly hinted at in his interview with Piers Morgan, would trigger his immediate retirement. He doesn’t have to be the star for Portugal to shine brightly. Santos, like Ten Hag, can provide clear evidence that his team is better in the line-up without him. It’s clear that a player with serious claims to being the greatest of all time could be a truly devastating Impact substitute.
But he must face this new reality, something he never managed under Ten Hag. He probably didn’t even try. The closeness of the price in Qatar should sharpen his focus. Perhaps his treatment at United will help him. And in that context, that was actually a step forward: after all, he didn’t refuse to come.