Key events
This “I’m back” situation, though; it’ll take more than bagging a brace against Uzbekistan for that to be so.
Roberto Martínez has options, too. He could play a wide player up front – Pedro Neto has done it for Chelsea – or Goncalo Ramos, who’s a striker.
But it’s not just Ronaldo preventing this team from working as it should – Bernardo Silva was left out and, if they’re to fulfil their potential – they’ve got the players to win the thing – he must surely play a key role. I’d get him into a midfield three with Vitinha and João Neves, then have Bruno Fernandes and Neto with free roles behind – if we must – Ronaldo.
I think we’re meant to receive this as a point proved.
Surely no one rhose surname isn’t Dos Santos Aveiro really thinks that, though? Ronaldo can still finish – he’ll never lose that – but it’s very hard to even come up with rationale, never mind believe rationale, that says the best version of this Portugal team contains him.
Preamble
We go again! We’ll begin by reflecting on the latest action – Portugal getting their competition going by thrashing Uzbekistan, England and Ghana near-enough securing passage to the knockouts, Croatia just about seeing off Panama, now eliminated, and Colombia forcing their way past DR Congo.
Then, when we’ve done that, we’ll build up to today’s action, featuring the final round of matches in Group B – Switzerland v Canada and Bosnia and Herzegovina v Qatar; Group C – Morocco v Haiti and Scotland v Brazil… and Group A – South Africa v South Korea and Czechia v México.
I reckon some people might have some thoughts about all of that lot, so we’ll share those of our writers, but do send in yours too.
Let’s do it.
