Uruguay 2-1 Portugal: 5 Talking Points as Portugal are knocked out, World Cup 2018

Uruguay v Portugal: Round of 16 - 2018 FIFA World Cup Russia
Edinson Cavani's brace saw Uruguay qualify for the quarter-finals

Uruguay beat Portugal 2-1 in the second Round of 16 match at the World Cup at the Fisht Stadium in Sochi on Saturday night to qualify for the quarter-final. A brace from Edinson Cavani was enough for the South American side to become the second side to qualify after France beat Argentina earlier in the day.

Pepe had equalised for Portugal to give the Iberian side hope but a Cavani masterclass saw Oscar Tabarez's side seal their progress to the next round. Here are the major talking points from the game.


#1 Uruguay's lightning-quick start to take the lead

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Edinson Cavani opens the scoring from A Luis Suarez cross to the back post

It took Uruguay just 7 minutes to get on the scoresheet and it was the strike duo of Luis Suarez and Edinson Cavani working their magic to give the South American side the lead.

Although the two strikers were expected to play on the shoulder of the defenders in the back-line, this goal was created by both players dropping deep. It was Cavani who floated a cross-field ball to Suarez on the opposite flank before sprinting to the far post.

All Suarez had to do was look up to see a blue blur making that run and crossed the ball to the back post - a cross that beat both Jose Fonte and Raphael Guerreiro - to find an aerial Cavani heading it past Patricio to make it 1-0.

With two fantastic crosses, Cavani and Suarez had taken out the entire Portuguese defence to score Uruguay's second-fastest goal ever scored in the World Cup. For a defensively-solid team like Uruguay, it was the perfect start to set the tone for the rest of the match.

Suarez almost made it 2-0 with a clever free-kick that was deliberately kept low to beat the wall before Patricio made a diving save to deny a goal.

#2 Cristiano Ronaldo fails in the knockout stages yet again

Uruguay v Portugal: Round of 16 - 2018 FIFA World Cup Russia
Cristiano Ronaldo was unable to find a way through Uruguay's defence

Once Uruguay were 1-0 up, they knew they were in control and played a 4-4-2 formation when they did not have the ball. Portugal had 64% of possession in the first half but just couldn't make progress into the final third.

Uruguay were rigid in defence - as Oscar Tabarez's teams usually are - and the first half showed why they were the only team yet to concede in the tournament.

Ronaldo initially started on the left, trying to attack Martin Caceres and Jose Gimenez (who had returned to the squad after recovering from an injury). But he had no luck with Caceres using his experience to prevent him from drifting wide while Nahitan Nandez also tracked back to help out the defence.

The Real Madrid star had no choice but to cut in where the next defender and even the central midfielders stood in his way. As a result, Ronaldo then shifted to the right side of the attack but again he had no luck with skipper Diego Godin standing tall.

The only time Ronaldo made his presence felt was when he bunched up his shorts for a free-kick that was hit straight at the wall and cleared. Even the second half saw Ronaldo fail to make any sort of impact on the game.

This is Ronaldo's fourth World Cup. And, just like Lionel Messi, he has failed to score in the knockout stages yet again.

Sadly, at 33, this may be his last World Cup game and the only thing the reigning Ballon d'Or winner had to show for it was a 94th-minute yellow card that could have ruled him out of the quarter-final had Portugal qualified.

#3 Lucas Torreira was Uruguay's fulcrum for attack and defence

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Lucas Torreira was exceptional in midfield

If there was one thing Uruguay lacked in midfield in the first two games, it was an all-action midfielder who could contribute in attack and defence. They found that verve and energy in Lucas Torreira for the third game and he was rewarded with a place in the starting lineup against Portugal.

The midfielder is only 5 ft 6 in tall but he was arguably the most commanding presence in a midfield battle that was supposed to see someone like William Carvalho dominate proceedings.

Torreira's positioning was impeccable in both attack and defence. He provided an escape route in attack with his constant movement while he was also quick to negate space in defence when Portugal had the ball.

There were times when the smallest man on the pitch was even the deepest of all midfielders for Uruguay. Even when Portugal were making inroads in the second half, it was Torreira who made crucial interventions on low crosses and passes into the box - even trying to head the ball away when he was flat on the ground with players' boots all around him trying to kick it.

#4 Uruguay finally concede at the World Cup before retaking the lead

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Pepe scored the equaliser 10 minutes into the second half

After going 325 minutes without conceding a goal in Russia, Uruguay's resilience was finally broken when Portugal took a set-piece. With no way through a crowd of blue shirts in open play, all they needed was a player to out-jump the defenders in the box.

And it was Pepe who eventually scored the equaliser with a fine header. With Diego Godin trying to mark Ronaldo, the centre-back lost sight of the ball and misjudged its trajectory, allowing Pepe to rise above him and take the header unimpeded.

However, the lead did not last long. Just when Portugal thought they were back in the game, a long ball punted forward by Muslera found Rodrigo Bentancur who squared the ball to an unmarked Cavani who took his shot first time from the edge of the box to curl it past the outstretched hand of Patricio.

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Edinson Cavani gave Uruguay the lead twice in the game

Portugal's hopes of getting back into the game had evaporated in just seven minutes.

#5 Uruguay hustle their way to the quarter-final

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Portugal simply had no room to create opportunities in open play as Uruguay pressed hard

If there was one area where Uruguay were clearly better than Portugal, it was the way they hustled when their opponents had the ball. The sheer hard work put in by every player in a blue shirt is to be applauded. With a standing ovation.

The win not only confirmed Uruguay's progress to the quarter-final but it was a major win for the 4-4-2 formation that is slowly making its way back into the modern game. Two-striker formations are almost a thing of the past but the Cavani-Suarez partnership has thrived.

Uruguay's press was systematic and done with purpose. Patricio, in Portugal's goal, sometimes struggled to pass to a teammate when they tried to build from the back. Suarez and Cavani led the press for Uruguay and they never stopped running - even in the second half.

In contrast, Portugal simply failed to play with the urgency required until it was too late. When Ronaldo attempted to press, Uruguay had the entire third of the pitch to pass their way out of trouble. Portugal never pressed as a team - like the unit Uruguay were, hunting down every ball no matter where they were on the pitch.

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