Chapter 621: Advancing to the Round of 16
The entire nation of Portugal was in a frenzy after this victory—an epic comeback for the ages.
In Lisbon's Praça do Rossio (Pedro IV Square), jubilant crowds set off fireworks.
Bars were packed to the brim with ecstatic fans.
Ships docked in the harbor blared their horns.
Even supermarkets reported that sales of "various rubber products preventing human reproduction" were nearly sold out, with certain lubricants also flying off the shelves.
That night, Lisbon didn't sleep. The whole of Portugal didn't sleep!
In the first match of Group B at the 2018 FIFA World Cup, Portugal and Spain clashed in a high-stakes game that ended with Portugal narrowly defeating Spain 4-3.
Earlier that day, Iran secured a narrow 1-0 victory against Morocco in the other Group B match.
This left Portugal at the top of the group, Iran in second, Spain in third, and Morocco at the bottom.
Portugal's celebrations continued for an entire week, with the entire country embracing a carnival-like atmosphere. The players, too, were brimming with emotion.
In their second group-stage match, five days later, Portugal faced Morocco at Moscow's Luzhniki Stadium in front of 80,000 fans. Portugal claimed another victory thanks to Cristiano Ronaldo's goal in the 4th minute. João Moutinho delivered a corner kick, and Ronaldo, unmarked at the edge of the six-yard box, headed the ball into the net.
That was the only goal of the match. Unlike their thrilling first-round game against Spain, this match wasn't a high-scoring affair. Still, Portuguese fans didn't mind.
In the other Group B match, Spain defeated Iran 1-0. Despite Portugal's back-to-back wins, they hadn't yet secured a place in the knockout stage.
If Portugal were to lose to Iran in the final round while Spain defeated Morocco, three teams would finish with six points, and Portugal could be eliminated. This kept the suspense alive until the final round of the group stage.
On June 25th, the final two Group B matches kicked off simultaneously. Portugal faced Iran in Saransk's Mordovia Arena, while Spain played Morocco in Kaliningrad.
In another timeline, both matches ended in draws: Portugal 1-1 Iran, and Spain 2-2 Morocco.
The night before Portugal's game, an amusing "incident" occurred outside their team hotel. Large numbers of Iranian fans gathered, singing, dancing, and making noise with musical instruments to disturb Portugal's players and disrupt their rest.
Cristiano Ronaldo appeared at a window, waving and gesturing for the fans to quiet down so he could sleep. Instead, their cheers grew louder.
While many Portuguese players struggled to rest, Bruno Fernandes was unaffected.
When Bruno smashed a long-range shot into Iran's goal in the 23rd minute, the match took a decisive turn. Iran's tactical plans fell apart as they found themselves unable to adapt to Bruno's rhythm.
Portugal's lead boosted the team's confidence and morale, and their performance improved throughout the match.
Portugal ultimately defeated Iran 2-1. Bruno scored his second goal of the tournament, and Quaresma added another. Iran managed to score a late penalty in the 93rd minute. After reviewing VAR, the referee awarded Iran the penalty for a handball by a Portuguese player. Ansarifard converted the spot-kick to narrow the scoreline to 2-1.
In this match, Bruno once again demonstrated his incredible talent in both offense and defense. Whether attacking or defending, the Iranian players had no answer for him.
When attacking, Bruno was versatile:
If opponents guarded against his shots, he'd fire a long-range effort.If they anticipated a long shot, he'd slice through their defense with a precise pass.If they focused on his passing, he'd dribble straight through their ranks.
On defense, Bruno consistently positioned himself perfectly, making crucial interventions whenever gaps appeared in Portugal's backline.
The commentators couldn't stop praising Bruno during the match. Afterward, one fan even posted online, tallying how many times the commentators exclaimed, "Bruno is amazing!"
Bruno's performance earned him the Man of the Match award. Even without his goal, he would have been the standout player. He repeatedly set up scoring opportunities for his teammates, and had they been more clinical, the scoreline could have been far more one-sided.
Although the final scoreline suggested a close match, anyone who watched the game knew Portugal's victory was well-deserved. The simple reason? Portugal had Bruno.
By June 28th, the group stage concluded, and the Round of 16 lineup was finalized. The best-performing teams from the group stage were also named, and Portugal had two players in the tournament's Best XI: captain Cristiano Ronaldo and midfield maestro Bruno Fernandes.
While Ronaldo missed a penalty in the final match against Iran, his influence on Portugal's success was undeniable. His performance would determine how far Portugal could go.
Bruno's inclusion, however, was unquestionable. Not only did he score in two matches, but he was also pivotal on defense. He was arguably Portugal's MVP during their three consecutive wins in the group stage.
As a result, other teams began to focus heavily on Bruno, understanding that neutralizing him could be the key to defeating Portugal. Opponents would resort to any means, including fouls, to disrupt his play—even attempting to injure him.
Santos was well aware of the treatment his star player would face. He worried constantly about Bruno's safety, knowing full well that without him, Portugal's chances of success would plummet.
In the Round of 16, Portugal, as the top team in Group B, faced Russia, the host nation and runner-up in Group A.
This was far from an ideal matchup. Hosts often enjoy certain advantages, and Russia was a formidable team, having scored the second-most goals in the group stage, behind Belgium's nine.
From the start, it was clear the referee was favoring the hosts. Whenever a Russian player went down after contact, the referee immediately whistled for a foul against Portugal. Conversely, when Portuguese players were fouled, the referee often let play continue or gave only verbal warnings.
Bruno faced relentless challenges and fouls from the Russian players.
Santos was livid on the sidelines, frequently leaving his technical area to protest to the fourth official. His frustration was understandable. If Bruno were injured, Portugal's entire strategy would collapse. Without him, they were a second-tier team at best. With him, they were world-class.
Portugal's entire system revolved around Bruno. Without him, they'd be like a car without an engine—completely stalled.
Despite the rough treatment, Bruno remained calm. He rarely complained about the fouls and always focused on the game. Even when brought down, he simply got up and continued playing.
Bruno understood that the opponents' fouls were meant to provoke him into losing his cool. If he wasted energy arguing with the referee or retaliating against the opposition, they'd succeed.
The best response was to let his football do the talking. He was determined to beat them on the pitch, proving that even fouling him couldn't stop him.
Whenever possible, Bruno stayed on his feet, shielding the ball with his strength and skill until he could find a teammate to pass to.
The first half ended 1-1, with both goals scored by the Russian team—one an own goal by veteran Ignashevich, and the other a penalty converted by Dzyuba after Portugal conceded a foul in the box.
The match was scrappy, with frequent interruptions, mostly due to Portugal being penalized for fouls
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