Cristiano Ronaldo hat-trick sees Portugal past Switzerland and into Nations League final
Portugal 3-1 Switzerland: Ronaldo struck twice in the final two minutes as Portugal recovered from Switzerland’s second-half comeback to reach Sunday’s final
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Your support makes all the difference.You could, of course, write it. On a day when England supporters were at the centre of violence mere miles away in Porto, when a more farcical VAR decision threatened to overshadow this entire match and there was other news about the man himself, Cristiano Ronaldo ensured everyone was talking about what he does on a pitch.
Portugal’s record goalscorer naturally hit a hat-trick of the highest quality - including two late goals to actually win the match at the death - to send his country through to the inaugural Nations League final on Sunday, after a 3-1 win over Switzerland.
The reality was that he could have won the game much earlier, had referee Felix Brych not called back a penalty he was set to take to remarkably give one to Switzerland.
The way attention was suddenly directed to the other end could have been a metaphor for the game, as Ronaldo put on another wonder show.
That penalty would only have prevented this.
This is why he is so loved here. This is why they don’t want to hear anything negative about him.
This game wasn’t the only source of headlines about Ronaldo on Wednesday, after all. There were also the reports that the rape lawsuit made against him in a Nevada state court had been dropped, but that the case is now being pursued in a federal court
As has been the situation for most of the last year, this story has been impossible to ignore, but also impossible to discuss.
Many in Portugal don’t want to discuss it at all.
Performances like this are why, illustrating that influence of sport.
Before that, this game meanwhile wasn’t treated like a low-intensity tournament semi-final, and certainly not a friendly. There was a lot of spike.
Some might point to the fact there is a political history between these two countries given the amount of Portuguese immigration to Switzerland, but that might be looking a bit too deeply into young footballers just going up against each other.
But go up against each other they did, and with force.
There might have been two red cards before 20th minute. Bruno Fernandes went in high on Kevin Mbabu before Granit Xhaka responded with what looked a two-footed stamp on Nelsen Semedo’s feet.
A tone had been set, and atmosphere conditioned.
It was then Mbabu himself who went in on Ronaldo, for the first strike of the game.
This, for what it was worth, was exactly the type of wondrous strike with which Ronaldo has made himself such a celebrated footballer.
A free-kick that looked like a deflection was actually ingenious swerve.
It wasn’t his only moment of wonder.
There was also a nutmeg to humiliate Mbabu and then a supreme no-look pass to set up debutant Joao Felix.
The 19-year-old and Bruno Fernandes have rightly been heralded as future stars of the Portuguese team, but they know who remains the main man for now. Fernandes did show his abundant quality with one fine lofted pass for Bernardo.
It was Bernardo at the centre of the match’s most curious incident, and not in the manner he expected.
It was he who went down under a challenge from Fabian Schar in a fall that did look a dive, but that wasn’t why referee Felix Brych - who didn’t have his best game - went to VAR. It was because, just seconds beforehand up the other end, Semedo grasping Steven Zubar’s arm had been noticed.
Brych went to check and, remarkably, gave the penalty.
It seemed soft, but represented one hard turn.
Ricardo Rodriguez stepped up to finish.
It was still one of those that was going to require some serious contortions even from VAR’s most ardent defenders.
Or at least it would have, had Ronaldo not reduced Switzerland’s defenders to contortions.
This is what he is capable of.
On 88 minutes, with the game tediously heading for extra-time, he displayed that extra quality. Bernardo did well to cut the ball back from the by-line and, from the edge of the box, Ronaldo did better to fire it first-time past Yann Sommer.
The best was yet to come. With Switzerland stretched, he picked up the ball in their half before striding at goal. Just as the defence closed in on him, though, Ronaldo deftly produced some stepovers of the time that so stood out in his game when he was young and curled the ball into the bottom corner.
It was quite a variety of goals.
It ensured variety to the headlines, but still only one man this country looks up to above all others.
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