Uruguay 2 Portugal 1: Sublime double from Edinson Cavani dumps Ronaldo on to the World Cup scrapheap with Messi
Paris Saint-Germain star netted early in both halves either side of Pepe's header to give Portugal a glimmer of hope
CRISTIANO RONALDO exited the World Cup stage and it is questionable whether we will ever see him on it again.
Edinson Cavani snatched star billing from him here in Sochi with two wonderful goals.
Now it will probably be that 2006 was the best of Ronaldo’s four chances to win football’s greatest prize.
He was inspirational in their march to the semi-finals in Germany where they lost 1-0 to France.
He is so often their inspiration. Two years ago he propelled them to Euro glory.
While his presence in the final was cut short through injury they wouldn’t have been there without him.
The 33-year-old wanted to carry the weight of expectation again and deliver but there is only so much even he can do in what was his 38th game in World and Euro finals.
Only Bastian Schweinsteiger can match that. Last night, however, the star billing went to Edinson Cavani.
The 31-year-old PSG striker scored spectacular goals in either half to win the game for Uruguay, who have to be considered serious challengers now for this crown.
Their quarter-final now against France will be some test, but one they can come through.
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The French had contested the game of the tournament earlier in the day.
Les Blues knocked-out Lionel Messi's Argentina in a sensational 4-3 win.
That bar had been set high as well by Portugal themselves after they played out a thrilling 3-3 draw here in Sochi in their opening Group B game with Spain.
Ronaldo completed his hat-trick that night with an 88th minute equalising free-kick.
He followed that up with the winner against Morocco but Portugal just scraped through to the knockout phase after drawing their final game against Iran who missed a late chance to knock them out.
Uruguay’s passage by contrast had been very smooth in what was one of the easier groups.
They beat Egypt and Saudi Arabia 1-0 and then impressively took the wind out of host Russias sales with a 3-0 thumping.
More impressively that was their sixth game without conceding a goal.
Portugal came into the game on a run of 17 competitive games unbeaten in normal and extra time.
Both sides appeared so well matched that a Russian journalist had asked both coaches on the eve of the game if this would result in a boring game.
Oscar Tabarez and Fernando Santos both seemed affronted at the suggestion and last night we saw why.
Uruguay coach Tabarez did, however, claim to have a team plan to stop Ronaldo lighting up the Fisht Stadium.
One that he was clearly confident about as he claimed he would not be losing any sleep over facing the world’s best player.
It is often all about Ronaldo but both Luis Suarez and Cavani were determine to have their say last night too.
They gave the Portuguese back four nightmares whether through the middle or when they pull pulled wide onto either flank as they did for the seventh minute goal.
Cavani skipped down the right and launched a ball the width of the pitch to find Suarez on the left, before charging into the box and leapinh to meet the return.
What a return it was too as Suarez brilliantly controlled the ball with his left foot but easing it back onto his right to deliver the perfect curling cross to the far post.
The fact the ball came off Cavani’s cheek rather than his head should not detract from the athleticism of the jump and the brilliance of the combination.
Cavani looked genuinely moved by the whole thing once he had reemerged from his teammates.
Someone’s going to pass out in these mass hugs.
Suarez almost increased the lead on 22 minutes when from a free kick he curled the ball through a pathetic breaking Portuguese wall forcing Rui Patricio into an excellent one handed save.
Portugal by contrast were relying on Ronaldo but Uruguay just weren’t allowing him onto his right foot to get a shot in.
He had a chance from a free kick on 31 minutes and went through his usual theatrics in the build-up.
He even added an extra bit pulling up the sides of his shorts to show the top of this thighs like some sort of unfortunate wedgy.
But the Uruguay wall was ready for what was to come and jumped to block his curling effort to the top righthand corner.
Suarez had his hands on knees late in the first half gasping for air such was the effort he was putting in.
He also went down holding his head and continued to rub it even though replays showed that Raphael Guerreiro had simply barged him in the back.
At the break Ronaldo gathered his teammates together in a huddle in the tunnel to deliver his own message on top of the words of coach Fernando Santos.
It worked too because Portugal took off from the restart and bore down on Uruguay’s goal grabbing the equaliser on 55 minutes.
A short corner routine finished with Raphal Guerrero swinging over a cross and Pepe rose highest in a crowded penalty area to plant a header home.
The response from Uruguay was quick and spectacular once more from Cavani.
Goalkeeper Fernando Muslera launched a ball forward which found it’s way to Rodrigo Bentancur who immediately picked out Cavani on the left and his curled finish with his instep from just inside the area beyond the full length dive of Rui Patricio was a work of art.
It was turning into another classic at this incredible World Cup and just two minutes later Portugal should have been level.
Muslera spilled and Raphael cross and with the goalkeeper out of his ground Bernardo Silva fired over a gaping goal.
If looks could kill, the one Ronaldo gave him would have had him floored.
As this happened Cavani went down injured and Ronaldo helped him hobble off the pitch to be replaced by Christhian Stuani.
His job was done, it would be enough.
