HISTORY was made in Qatar earlier today (Philippine time) during the Ghana-Portugal faceoff. No one has ever scored in five World Cups... not even the greatest of all time, Pele.
But a penalty was awarded to Portugal, and Cristiano Ronaldo scored his first goal of the tournament.

An iconic moment indeed, topped off with his signature “SIUUU” celebration with Lionel Messi’s face featured on the background. It made me look back at all of Ronaldo's World Cups: his 2006 debut where he brought the team all the way to the top four after eliminating England’s golden generation, to his last one back in 2018 when he scored a hat trick against Spain.
But even his goal-scoring exploits will forever be engraved in history, the way Ronaldo's team performed was not quite as memorable.
What's wrong with Portugal?
No offense, but Portugal was flat with their build up. Ironically, this team is already blessed with creative sparkplugs. If you need an energetic playmaker who can move around the pitch, Bruno Fernandes is your guy.
If you need to overload a flank or utilize the midfield areas, Joao Cancelo can tuck in from his right back spot, as he does with Manchester City. And speaking of Manchester City, Bernardo Silva is also part of the club, and he, too, offers some next-level craftiness.
Then there are two young, exciting and energetic attackers in Joao Felix and Rafael Leao. I was even surprised that the latter was on the bench when it was clear by the second half that he was the offensive threat that was sorely needed. He even had the confidence to show a smile as the ball was about to reach the net.
But I barely felt any of that, especially in the first half. Portugal’s build up lacked the creativity that other European teams like England and Spain boasted.

It made me wonder if Fernando Santos is the right coach for the job. Remember Portugal’s EURO 2020 campaign? I definitely saw shades of the same outing. Portugal had the creative talent, but they seem underutilized. I was even horrified to see a moribund Bruno Fernandes — a far cry from what he's showcased in Manchester United.
I thought it was going to be the same in this World Cup, but at least Bruno was able to redeem himself and show the drive needed in this outing against Ghana especially with his two assists. The slippery pass to Joao Felix for Portugal’s second was the sort of thing this team needed.
Yet despite some of Portugal’s flaws in terms of possession, backline, and concentration, as seen with the potential blooper highlight from Diogo Costa, Portugal was able to commit daylight robbery with a win.
In fact, Portugal should have capitalized on some tactical flaws from Ghana — like their decision to build up from the back instead of launching long balls — that would complement Inaki Williams' signature runs.
With such a shaky win, the team should take a pause and reflect: Can they go deep in the World Cup?
Some final thoughts:
Santos’ coaching philosophy contradicts his players. Since the EURO 2016, Santos has always been a defensive-minded coach.
This would be understandable back in 2016 when Portugal’s creativity was limited to a young Renato Sanches, but now things are totally different with the stacked talent on the pitch.
Of course, there are the pieces that can complement Santos’ gameplan. Diogo Jota comes to mind, given his energetic pace as seen with Wolverhampton and Liverpool, but his injuries have denied him his World Cup place.

This made me wonder, what would happen if Portugal plays against an elite level team like France? I can imagine their sluggish build up would be be stifled, and the only offensive options would be a surprise run from Joao Felix, Rafael Leao, or Cristiano Ronaldo. Heck, Santos should stick to this front three given that his gameplan needs quality runners on the break.
But still, this can be nerfed, especially if teams decipher their counterattacking patterns.
Indeed, this is only Portugal's first day in the World Cup. Will things improve as the tournament continues?
But in a squad where coaching philosophies seem to contradict the personnel, I'm having doubts if this team is destined to give Cristiano Ronaldo the last dance he deserves.
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