He wasn’t exactly lighting the world on fire.
Ronaldo’s Portugal went the way Lionel Messi’s Argentina have gone every time they’ve faced Chile in a knockout: trophyless after losing on penalties.
Former FC Barcelona keeper Claudio Bravo was once again immense, stopping all three penalties he faced, proving that as long as he’s not in a Manchester City shirt, he’s a monster. Meanwhile, Ronaldo once again took the rather strange decision to wait until the fifth kick to shoot... something which is never assured. Just as it happened in a shootout against Spain in Euro 2012, he didn’t even get a chance to shoot as Portugal lost the shootout before the fifth kick.
The focus for FC Barcelona, though, should be on Andre Gomes. Gomes started 3 of the 4 matches Portugal have played at the tournament, only missing out on the one against New Zealand, in which many players were rested. He played the full 90 in all three starts, although he was withdrawn in the last few minutes of extra time against Chile.
Despite being a trusted part of the lineup, he didn’t exactly draw rave reviews for his performances. His shooting and passing were particularly savaged in that semifinal loss against Chile.
Reports have circled that Barcelona turned down offers to sell Gomes on for 35 million euros. If true, the question of whether they have made the right call after a mediocre season at Barcelona is once again in focus.
On the positive side, Gomes seemed to improve as the season went on. He’s young and should be more comfortable at Barcelona next season. But still, his matches for his national team have not exactly silenced critics.
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