After the debacle towards Belgium, the United States is making ready to face one in every of the favorites to win the World Cup, Portugal, which regardless of being with out Cristiano Ronaldo nonetheless boasts sufficient firepower to hassle Mauricio Pochettino’s aspect.
The final time the two groups met was 12 years in the past at the Brazil 2014 World Cup. Ronaldo was current then, in a bunch that additionally included Germany, Ghana, and the Americans.
Within 5 minutes, it regarded like it will be a routine afternoon for Portugal, a workforce coming off a heavy defeat to Germany in its match opener. Nani gave the Portuguese an early lead. But Jürgen Klinsmann’s aspect refused to again down.
In the second half, Jermaine Jones unleashed a long-range strike that beat goalkeeper Eduardo, and with 9 minutes remaining, Clint Dempsey put the Stars and Stripes forward.
I nonetheless keep in mind this Jermaine Jones 🇺🇸screamer towards Portugal 🇵🇹 prefer it was yesterday….
I used to be working round my home screaming at the high of my lungs. pic.twitter.com/1Q7dIuqAk1
— MLS Moves (@MLSMoves) June 17, 2024
Cristiano Ronaldo then discovered Varela in stoppage time, who scored the equalizer. The level stored Portugal alive, but it surely finally proved to be the downfall of Paulo Bento’s workforce.
“Obviously we’re disappointed, but at the end of the day we have to look at the positives: we’ve got a point,” stated United States captain Clint Dempsey.
Despite beating Ghana, Portugal was eliminated on aim distinction by the United States, which might then go on to face Belgium, the place its run finally got here to an finish.
“We needed three goals and were depending on Germany’s result. It wasn’t possible, we knew it was complicated (…) That’s soccer. We leave with our heads held high. We gave everything and it wasn’t enough,” Cristiano Ronaldo stated at the time.
Two utterly totally different groups
Twelve years later, either side meet once more with completely totally different squads. From that encounter, solely Ronaldo stays – although he’ll miss Tuesday’s sport by way of damage.
Portugal now options gamers similar to Vitinha, Bruno Fernandes, João Neves, and Nuno Mendes, amongst others – expertise that was absent in that World Cup marketing campaign, which finally resulted in disappointment for the European aspect.
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