Sport, World Cup 2018, Ronaldo, Suarez Put World Cup Dream On line As Portugal Face Uruguay

Ronaldo, Suarez Put World Cup Dream On line As Portugal Face Uruguay

Sochi (Russia) (AFP) – In Cristiano Ronaldo, Luis Suarez and Edinson Cavani, Portugal and Uruguay boast some of the greatest goal-scorers in world football, but Sochi could be the scene of a World Cup battle of attrition on Saturday evening.

These two small countries with proud footballing traditions face off on Russia’s Black Sea coast with a place in the quarter-finals at stake.

For Ronaldo it is a return to the same Fisht Stadium where he scored a hat-trick against Spain earlier in the tournament, but this time he will be up against a Uruguayan defence that was alone among the 32 teams in Russia in coming through the group stage without conceding a goal.

That, and Portugal’s recent track record of being involved in tense knockout matches that have gone to the wire, has raised the prospect of a nail-biting contest as the World Cup heads into its latter stages.

“I don’t know what kind of game it’s going to be. Will it be boring? That doesn’t cross our minds, but if it’s boring and we win…,” said Uruguay’s veteran coach Oscar Washington Tabarez on Friday, looking ever more frail at the age of 71.

Tabarez has led Uruguay for 12 years, restoring the small South American nation as a footballing power once again.

Under him they have won a Copa America and reached the semi-finals of the World Cup in 2010. If they can come through Saturday’s tie, they may even start to believe that they can go all the way and win a third World Cup, a first since 1950.

“We are in good shape, we have been working together for 12 years and achieving our objectives gradually, little by little,” Tabarez said.

“Considering the limitations we have as a country in footballing terms, we have come into this World Cup just as we wanted and in the three games we have played so far I think we are closer than ever to what we want to be.”

Uruguay’s formidable defence have not let in a goal at all in 2018, while Suarez has recovered from a poor first outing in Russia to score in wins over Saudi Arabia and the hosts.

– ‘No greater motivation’ –

His partnership with Cavani will provide a stern test to a Portuguese defence that was picked apart by Spain and given a fright by Iran in their last group game.