Goncalo Ramos strikes hat trick in Portugal win
Who needs Cristiano Ronaldo when you have Gonçalo Ramos?
Portugal dismantled Switzerland 6-1 Tuesday in a World Cup Round of 16 contest that was never close. Before the game, massive attention was given to Fernando Santos’ decision to drop Ronaldo from his starting 11 in a do-ordie game. Turns out the surprise choice was a masterstroke from the wily old Portugal manager.
Ronaldo’s replacement was Ramos, who made his senior debut for Portugal in September. The young striker was not extraordinarily well known outside of the Portuguese league before kickoff but ended up producing three goals and assisting another in a star-making performance.
His first goal may have been his best. A Portuguese throw-in wasn’t defended with particular gusto from the Swiss, but Ramos – facing a low angle, with a defender on his back – still had work to do. Nonetheless, the 21-year-old Benfica striker snapped a shot on the turn into the far reaches of the upper corner, leaving Yann Sommer no time to react.
So, all right, Portugal didn’t need Ronaldo’s finishing. What about his experience?
Not today. Portugal has older players to turn to, and 39-year-old Pepe would crash home a 34th minute header, doubling his side’s lead. Pepe became the oldest player to score in a World Cup knockout game and the second oldest to score in the men’s tournament (Cameroon legend Roger Milla, who scored at 42 in 1994’s group stage, is the oldest).
Ramos nearly scored again, with Sommer barely tipping his low shot away, as Portugal seemed liberated and more mobile than it has in recent times with Ronaldo leading the line.
If anything, that dynamic only grew in evidence after halftime. Ramos would strike again in the 51st minute and picked up an assist for Raphaël Guerreiro shortly thereafter as Switzerland simply had no answer to the sharp passing patterns Portugal kept coming up with.
From front to back, it was a nightmare for Switzerland. The Swiss managed to show some sign of resistance in the 58th minute, as a Xherdan Shaqiri corner possibly glanced off Ramos at one post before falling for Manuel Akanji to touch over the line at the other.
Even there, it almost seemed like the fates had a message for Portugal. After the fourth goal, a member of Portugal’s support staff was seen on the broadcast speaking to Ronaldo, who was warming up along the touchline. Switzerland’s goal arrived less than two minutes later.
Ronaldo ended up taking a seat again, and almost on cue, Ramos made it 5-1. He wasn’t the intended target of the move forward, as Bernardo Silva’s attempt to find João Félix on the counter bobbled before the Manchester City playmaker struck the ball. Félix had to cut his run short as a result, but the Atlético Madrid star made a perfect adjustment, sending Ramos in to cruelly dink the ball over Sommer for what is the first hat trick at this World Cup.
At 5-1, Santos finally had a lead secure enough to bring Ronaldo into the match, with Ramos making way as part of a triple substitution. The free agent got a chance for a free kick, and also found himself with only one defender to beat on Portuguese counters, but everything went awry. The dead ball struck the Swiss wall, defenders intervened on a couple of those solo counters. The one moment where Ronaldo looked like the classic Ronaldo, he was caught offside before he fired past Sommer in the late stages.