Fernandes, until very recently his club mate at Manchester United, lifted the ball into the penalty area. Ronaldo pounced, lifted, but even the replays couldn’t make it clear if his header made it 1-0 in Portugal’s 2-0 win over Uruguay.
Ronaldo celebrated properly, but shortly afterwards Fifa changed the official scorer to Fernandes.
Ronaldo could take some of the credit. The effort to head the cross disturbed Uruguay goalkeeper Sergio Rochet enough for Fernandes’ lift to go all the way in with 54 minutes played.
Constantly making headlines
If Ronaldo had scored the goal, it would have been his ninth in 19 World Cup matches and his 119th in his national team career.
The Madeira-born superstar constantly grabs the headlines – often for vastly different reasons – and the latest has been about how he argued his way to a divorce with Manchester United.
But he can play the ball and is fundamental if Portugal are to go far in what is most likely Ronaldo’s last World Cup.
“We are in the round of 16 in the World Cup. We are in the fight and our dream is still alive,” Ronaldo tweeted.
With the victory, Portugal stands on six points and can go into the group finale against South Korea on Friday with no pressure on them.
— It is wonderful that we are further ahead. The first goal has been achieved, but we want to win the group and must be in our best form to do so, said Portugal’s Rúben Neves.
The national team captain Fernando Santos:
— A very well-deserved victory. The first part is over. Now we are in a hurry, now I want us to work on what we need to improve.
Worse is the case for Uruguay, who are on one point and must beat Ghana (three points) to have a chance to advance.
Dotted the post
It is not the World Cup of the South Americans. Two hits in the goal in the goalless meeting with South Korea was followed tonight by a resounding post shot by Maxi Gómez.
Uruguay pushed desperately in search of an equaliser. Substitute Luis Suárez was extremely close to one, but shot just wide.
Uruguay also had by far the best opportunity of the first half to break the deadlock of the match.
Rodrigo Bentancur brazenly charged through Portugal’s central defense and suddenly found himself alone with Diogo Costa. The Tottenham player appeared to attempt another cheeky finish – a finish between the legs of Costa.
But Porto’s 23-year-old goalkeeper managed to get his legs together tight enough to stop a Uruguayan lead.
Bruno Fernandes makes it 2-0 from a penalty.
Most went against Uruguay. In added time, Portugal received an extremely cheap penalty for one hand.
By then Ronaldo was substituted, but Fernandes, who was not keen on Ronaldo’s campaign against United, remained on the pitch. He stepped forward, reeled in 2–0 and then hit the post in pursuit of a hat-trick.
Portugal is the third nation after France and Brazil to be able to start preparing for the round of 16 after only two matches.