By Suben Ravindran
Portugal performed entirely the opposite compared to the match against Ivory Coast. They played some superb football to leave the commentator even telling they played like Brazil with Cristiano Ronaldo the man-of-the-match. This is how Portugal should have played 6 years ago when they hosted the European Championship. The golden generation of Figo and co would have been proud of this team.
Portugal whipped DPR Korea 7-0, Liedson who was not physically outstanding in their first match did not start the match but came on in the second-half as a substitute to score a goal. This match though was an excellent team performance and saw Cristiano Ronaldo playing the role of ultimate play-maker. He did not seem to have the world on his shoulders and appeared to spread the play well. There were no unnecessary step-overs or anything like that, he was all over the park making the plays, but could not find the goal he wanted for himself. It finally came in the 87th minute as if the crowning of the king ceremony indeed it did seem like the crown when the ball was flicked on his back and to his head and he dully tapped in a goal.
The Koreans played a very different game whether this had anything to do with the so-called defected players remain to be seen, but on the field this team did not play the “pack-like-sardines and run forward when you can football” that was played against Brazil. Here the Koreans played openly and maybe they thought they had confidence after that match against Brazil to win it, how wrong they were. Ivory Coast now have a tough task ahead to qualify as Brazil and Portugal only need a draw in their next match to qualify.
