Magic Ronaldo lights up World Cup with hat-trick to deny Spain

Soccer Football - World Cup - Group B - Portugal vs Spain - Fisht Stadium, Sochi, Russia - June 15, 2018 Portugal's Cristiano Ronaldo celebrates scoring their third goal REUTERS/Hannah McKay

 

Ronaldo dazzles, Portugal draw 3-3 against impressive Spain

  Sochi, June 16 (IANS) Cristiano Ronaldo scored a hat-trick as Portugal and Spain drew a thrilling World Cup Group B game 3-3 in Sochi.   In the Friday night match, Ronaldo's last goal was a spectacular free kick, just when it looked as if two goals from Diego Costa and a volley from Nacho Fernandez would give Spain a winning start to their World Cup campaign, just two days after Fernando Hierro replaced Julen Lopetegui as coach, Xinhua reported.   Despite Ronaldo's late goal the Spanish can take heart that the change of coach doesn't appear to have had any negative effects on their play and both sides look much stronger than both Iran and Morocco, who played each other in Group B earlier in the day.   New Spain coach Fernando Hierro decided to play Costa in attack, while Koke partnered Sergio Busquets in midfield and Nacho Fernandez was given the task of stopping his Real Madrid clubmate, Cristiano Ronaldo. [caption id="attachment_372877" align="aligncenter" width="800"] Soccer Football - World Cup - Group B - Portugal vs Spain - Fisht Stadium, Sochi, Russia - June 15, 2018 Spain's Sergio Ramos checks on Portugal's Cristiano Ronaldo REUTERS/Carlos Barria[/caption] [caption id="attachment_372878" align="aligncenter" width="800"] Soccer Football - World Cup - Group B - Portugal vs Spain - Fisht Stadium, Sochi, Russia - June 15, 2018 Portugal's Cristiano Ronaldo celebrates after the match REUTERS/Lucy Nicholson[/caption] [caption id="attachment_372879" align="aligncenter" width="800"] Soccer Football - World Cup - Group B - Portugal vs Spain - Fisht Stadium, Sochi, Russia - June 15, 2018 Portugal's Cristiano Ronaldo celebrates scoring their second goal REUTERS/Lucy Nicholson[/caption] [caption id="attachment_372880" align="aligncenter" width="800"] Soccer Football - World Cup - Group B - Portugal vs Spain - Fisht Stadium, Sochi, Russia - June 15, 2018 Spain's Jordi Alba, Gerard Pique and Koke look dejected after Portugal's Cristiano Ronaldo (not pictured) scored their second goal REUTERS/Carlos Barria[/caption] [caption id="attachment_372881" align="aligncenter" width="800"] Portugal's Bruno Fernandes in action with Spain's Nacho.
REUTERS/Ueslei Marcelino[/caption] [caption id="attachment_372882" align="aligncenter" width="800"] Soccer Football - World Cup - Group B - Portugal vs Spain - Fisht Stadium, Sochi, Russia - June 15, 2018 Portugal's Cristiano Ronaldo in action with Spain's Sergio Ramos and Gerard Pique REUTERS/Francois Lenoir[/caption] [caption id="attachment_372883" align="aligncenter" width="800"] Spain's Sergio Busquets fouls Portugal's Goncalo Guedes prompting referee Gianluca Rocchi to award Busquets a yellow card.
REUTERS/Francois Lenoir[/caption] [caption id="attachment_372884" align="aligncenter" width="800"] Soccer Football - World Cup - Group B - Portugal vs Spain - Fisht Stadium, Sochi, Russia - June 15, 2018 Portugal's Cristiano Ronaldo celebrates scoring their second goal REUTERS/Lucy Nicholson[/caption] Portugal meanwhile fielded an attacking line up with Ronaldo, Goncalo Guedes and Bernardo Silva in the starting 11.   The game was only 4 minutes old when Ronaldo scored from the penalty spot after drawing a foul from Nacho, though TV replays implied it was the Portuguese striker who had looked for the contact.   Spain began to dominate possession but failed to turn that into chances until the 23rd minute when Costa won a high ball, twisted and turned and then beat Rui Patricio with a low shot.   A minute later Isco hit the bar from 25 yards and Spain were clearly on top, with their mobile midfield quintet causing Portugal problems with their pace and mobility as Iniesta shot just wide in the 35th minute.   However, on the stroke of halftime a dreadful error from Spain keeper David de Gea allowed Ronaldo to put Portugal back in front with a left foot shot from outside of the penalty area, which the keeper should have easily saved.   The second half began with a similar pattern to the first with Spain dominating possession and they were level 10 minutes after the break after Sergio Busquets nodded a Silva free kick across goal for Costa to score his second of the night from close range.   Three minutes later Spain were ahead when Nacho's volley from outside the area went in off the post and in the 69th minute Thiago Alcantara replaced Iniesta, moments before Costa fired wide from a low Jordi Alba cross as Spain continued to move the ball fluidly.   Portugal substitute Ricardo Quaresma hit a shot over the Spain bar and a run from Ronaldo had De Gea struggling as he came off his line, but Spain looked as if they were going to hold on until Ronaldo produced a moment of magic with an 87th minute free kick which left De Gea rooted to the spot.  

Soccer: Ice man Ronaldo comes up with the goods yet again

  SOCHI, Russia (Reuters) - Cometh the hour, cometh the man and where football is concerned there is no man quite like Cristiano Ronaldo.   The Real Madrid forward was superb in Portugal's 3-3 World Cup draw with Spain on Friday, giving his team the perfect start with a penalty, putting them 2-1 ahead and popping up at the death, cool as you like, to whip home a free kick and complete a magnificent hat-trick.   "I have said it so many times," Portugal coach Fernando Santos told reporters. "Cristiano is the best in the world."   The hottest debate in football over the last decade has been between those who think Ronaldo is the greatest and those who prefer Barcelona's Lionel Messi.   With both players now into their 30s – Ronaldo is 33 – the Russia World Cup could be the last chance for them to stake their claims at international level and the Portuguese made the best possible start.   His three goals against Spain made him the oldest man to score a hat-trick in the World Cup Finals and only the fourth to net in four consecutive global showpiece tournaments.   Known for his impressive physique, Ronaldo is often criticised for his preening but on a warm and humid night by the Black Sea, coach Santos lauded his striker not for his muscles but for his mind.   "More important than his physical form is his mental form, he has incredible mental endurance," Santos said. "He is in great physical shape and has an incredible mind and that is what makes him one of the best in the world. He raised the team, he had absolute trust in the team."   In a television debate this week, Brazilian great Tostao called Messi the better of the two stars but his assessment came with a kicker that rang all the more true after Friday's man of the match performance.   Ronaldo, he said, "is perhaps the greatest goalscorer in the history of football".   No one who watched his clinical performance in Sochi could disagree and they will be eagerly awaiting more.   The good news is there is almost certainly more to come.   When the pressure is on, Ronaldo is the main man.