On an unusually warm night in Toronto, with the presence of rapper Drake, Cristiano Ronaldo and Portugal showed resilience by beating Luka Modrić and Croatia, thus guaranteeing their passage to the round of 16. The game was full of drama, culminating in an electrifying second half, where Croatia's attempt to equalize in the final minutes was ruled out by VAR. Ronaldo's quest for the desired World Cup victory continues. As for the legendary Croatian captain Modrić, he may be experiencing his last tournament, one of the greatest midfielders in the history of football. Here are my main points:
- A Magnificent Second Part
The first half ended in a draw, but revealed opposing strategies, with Portugal attacking strongly and Croatia protecting its defense. The first 45 minutes were dominated by Portugal, where coach Roberto Martínez must have questioned why they weren't winning. In the second half, Croatia proved more resilient, managing to score first with a goal from 37-year-old Ivan Perišić. From that moment on, the game became electrifying, with Ronaldo equalizing through a penalty – his first goal in a World Cup knockout game. The pace of the match increased drastically, requiring firm defenses and fantastic saves from Portuguese goalkeeper Diogo Costa, who made acrobatic interventions to deny several attempts. After Gonçalo Ramos scored, the Croatians pressed for an equalizer and thought they had achieved it, but Joško Gvardiol's goal was canceled out by a slight touch from Igor Matanović that put Mario Pašalić in an offside position. In the end, Portugal won in a great football spectacle.
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The Change in the Portugal Team Brought Result
As soon as I saw Rafael Leão in the starting eleven, I knew that Roberto Martínez was willing to take a risk. It was a different approach to previous games, where Portugal focused on a more conventional game construction, something that led to two draws in the group stage against Colombia and the Democratic Republic of Congo – teams that also advanced to the round of 16. That changed against Croatia, where Portugal started with aggression and a strong commitment to scoring first. Leão was part of a four-man attack that applied pressure from the start. Croatia resisted well, but Portugal dominated all statistics. I give a lot of credit to Martínez, whose decision to remove Ronaldo in the 80th minute had a positive result. The changes further stabilized the midfield, and the substitutes pressed in search of the goal, with Ramos scoring the winning goal after a precise cross from Leão. -
A Moment for Modrić in the Last Meeting with Ronaldo
Ronaldo and Modrić are good friends who shared wonderful moments together at Real Madrid. Both are 41 and 40 years old, respectively, which makes the end of their World Cup stories ever closer. Despite Portugal's victory, this result also makes us reflect on the Croatian midfielder, as we are (probably) saying goodbye to one of the best players of his generation and the most capricious and decorated member of his team. The 2018 Ballon d'Or winner, who led his nation to the World Cup final that same year, continued to play at an elite level and led Croatia to third place in 2022. For me, Modrić is more than statistics and awards. He is the perfect definition of a midfielder, someone who keeps the ball with an elegance that few can match. It is the beating heart of each team because without it, there is no life. Here's a toast to you, Luka. -
A Victory in Memory of Diogo Jota
On the first anniversary of the tragic death of Diogo Jota and his brother André Silva, Jota's presence was felt throughout the match. It was an emotional moment for the team and staff who remembered their friend and companion. Before the game, there was an emotional tribute on the screen as Portugal sang the national anthem. After the game, Ronaldo wore Jota's number 21 jersey as he and his teammates received applause from the public in Toronto. This victory was for him.