FIFA World Cup : Portugal vs Uruguay

 Portugal & Uruguay clashed for the last game of the night in Group H, with the South American giants needing a victory badly. However, it was Portugal who were off the blocks with a superior game in the end. While the first half was a scrappy, dull goalless affair, Portugal had more intensity on the pitch, led by Ronaldo. Carvalho came close to scoring, after Ronaldo did the hard work of bursting through & laying the ball, as his crisp volley went just over the bar. Uruguay kept their usual style of disrupting the flow of the game & managed to keep Portugal at bay, till Bentancur raced into the Portuguese box, but his effort was saved by Diogo Costa under the bar. 

In the 2nd half, nearing the hour mark, Bruno Fernandes managed to float a cross which Ronaldo missed, but the ball sailed into the far corner of the net, & the deadlock was broken. Uruguay, realising that  the match was slipping away, upped the ante & Maxi Gomez's effort went out just wide. Suarez also missed an opportunity to level the score, reminding everyone that age does catch up. In the injury time, Gimenez was guilty of a handball inside his own box (looked like a tough decision & at the edge of the box), & Bruno Fernandes stepped up to covert the penalty & put the match to bed. He also had another opportunity to get his hattrick in the dying minutes, but failed to score, as the keeper defended well with his legs, & Portugal ended up prevailing over Uruguay 2-0. 

With this win, they became the 3rd team to qualify into knockouts after France & Brazil. Uruguay will face Ghana in their last game & will need to beat them with a good margin & expect favourable results for the other fixture between Portugal & South Korea. Portugal with riches in talent at all positions & Ronaldo in his last cry, look a formidable team in the knock out stages.