Friday’s other Group B match:
That’s about it for tonight’s blog. In these extreme times we all tend to get carried away with the moment - but even in the distant future I reckon we’ll see this as a World Cup classic for the ages. Thanks for your company and emails, I’ll leave you with Sid’s match report. Night!
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“Maybe not better,” begins Evan Crocker, “but USA 3-2 Portugal in 2002 was a watershed moment for US soccer and also completely bonkers.”
Good shout. And not even Nacho’s strike tonight was as good as Jeff Agoos’s own goal.
Give your eyes a Friday night treat
“Best group games,” begins Mike Buckley. “Thinking Scotland v Holland in ‘78 in Argentina. It was a cracker with that Archie Gemmil goal too.”
Ah yes, excellent shout. Spain 2-3 Nigeria in 1998 was another extremely good game. Italy 3-2 Brazil in 1982 is the greatest match ever played, but that was in the second group stage.
I’m trying to think of better matches in the first group stage. In my lifetime, the two that come to mind is Argentina 2-1 France in 1978, a classic with higher stakes than this game, and Ireland 0-0 Norway in 1994. Any other suggestions?
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Any thoughts on the game? Thanks for your emails, most of which I didn’t get chance to read during the match.
Spare a thought for poor old Sid Lowe, who had to file a coherent report on that classic BEFORE THE FINAL WHISTLE. If I was in his shoes, I’d have written nothing but wibble. Thankfully, Sid is a bit more accomplished.
Player ratings latest “I gave Ronaldo a 1,” says Louis Taylor, “because he’s not a team player and I don’t like him.”
Here’s Sid Lowe’s match report:
Spain will be annoyed to have drawn a game they dominated, but when the dust settles they will reflect with pride on a superb performance. Isco was majestic, Nacho scored the goal of his life, and Diego Costa bulldozed a couple of goals. Any doubts about whether they can win the tournament have gone.
Before you go, why not give your player ratings for the game? If you give Ronaldo less than 11, you need to have a word with yourself.
It’s important not to get carried away with how good that match was. It was only one of the greatest group matches in World Cup history. It had almost everything; most of all, it had a hat-trick from the monstrous Cristiano Ronaldo.
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Full time: Portugal 3-3 Spain
The World Cup? Bloody hell.
90+3 min Ronaldo has run himself into a state of exhaustion. I think he has cramp.
90+2 min Quaresma almost wins it for Portugal! He collected a crossfield pass on the left, danced sweetly past two players and hit a low shot that was brilliantly blocked by the sliding Busquets. I think it was Busquets, anyway. Whoever it was has probably earned Spain a point.
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90+1 min It’s Portugal on the attack, with one corner leading to another. If Ronaldo scores again, we might as well call off the World Cup and give him the trophy now.
90 min There are four minutes of added time.
89 min When Ronaldo dies he should donate his brain to the Fifa museum, because his mental strength is entirely beyond comprehension.
It was a glorious free-kick, curled around the wall and into the right-hand corner of the net. That is astonishing. Before the free-kick, he was inhaling and concentrating as if he was about to take a penalty, not a free-kick from 25 yards. It’s spine-tingling stuff. His mental strength is off the charts.
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RONALDO HAT-TRICK!!!! Portugal 3-3 Spain (Ronaldo 88)
He’s only effing done it!
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87 min Pique fouls Ronaldo 25 yards from goal, slightly to the right of centre. I wonder who’ll take this.
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86 min Spain make their last substitution, with Lucas Vazquez replacing the excellent David Silva.
84 min Portugal are struggling to get the ball, never mind keep it. Ronaldo is getting increasingly frustrated at the imperfections of those around him.
82 min Tiki taka tiki taka tiki taka tiki taka tiki taka tiki taka tiki taka tiki taka until Aspas mishits a shot through to Patricio from the edge of the box.
81 min Spain have this match under control. Portugal have spent most of the game chasing the ball in fierce heat and they look shattered.
80 min A last change for Portugal: Andre Silva replaces Goncalo Guedes.
79 min A long ball from Cedric invites Ronaldo to hare behind the defence. He is about to shoot and/or clatter into the outrushing De Gea on the edge of the box when Pique comes from the side to make a superb tackle.
77 min Another change for Spain: Iago Aspas replaces the irresistible Diego Costa.
76 min Quaresma waves an extravagant shot over the bar from the right edge of the box.
75 min Portugal are struggling to lay a glove on Spain, with or without the ball. It’s been such a good game but Spain’s superior class is really starting to tell.
72 min A short corner is played to Joao Moutinho, whose deep, lofted cross is headed back beyond the far post by Fonte. Ronaldo keeps it in play but Spain clear. Fonte might have done better there.
71 min Diego Costa misses a good chance for a hat-trick, mishitting a first-time shot wide from Jordi Alba’s crisp cutback. The chance came at the end of another delightful move. On this evidence, Spain are in the top group of contenders with Brazil and Germany. They have been wonderful.
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70 min Spain make their first change: Thiago Alcantara replaces Andres Iniesta, who played very well. A hat-tip to the man who said before the game that Iniesta should be subbed after 70 minutes.
69 min Another Portugal change: Ricardo Quaresma replaces Bernardo Silva, who didn’t see much of the ball.
69 min “Re: Diana Ross and the Supremes,” begins Liam Murray. “I seem to recall Diana Ross eventually dropped her second-rate colleagues and doing everything on her own. It’s the inevitable next step for CR7.”
68 min Portugal make their first change, with Joao Mario replacing Bruno Fernandes.
66 min For the first time in the match, Spain have retreated. It’s human nature, I guess, but with the way they are playing they could kill this game pretty quickly.
64 min I wonder how Julen Lopetegui feels tonight. He should be extremely proud of this brilliant Spain performance, but he probably can’t go there just yet.
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63 min Bernardo Silva is very lucky not to be booked for a cynical pull on Isco. The referee played a good advantage but should have gone back to book Silva. Isco has been utterly brilliant.
62 min “What I’m enjoying most about the World Cup is, watching my 6 year old son falling in love with football.,” says Matt Dony. “He’s been so excited, and asks non-stop questions about players. The best part of this is the fact that he’s still young enough to have complete trust in me (the fool!) As such, I have explained that Ronaldo is objectively the best footballer in the world, and the Messi apologists are simply wrong.”
This will be one of the goals of the tournament, even if we play until the year 2027. With Portugal under all kinds of pressure, a desperate defensive clearance hit Carvalho and rebounded across the edge of the box. It bounced up awkwardly for Nacho, who cut across the ball to swish a spectacular shot that clattered off the inside of the far post and into the net. The technique was perfect, with the ball whistling just above the ground all the way into the net.
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GOAL! Portugal 2-3 Spain (Nacho 58)
Nacho gives Spain the lead with a stunning goal!
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57 min As Danny Murphy says on BBC, Spain have spent most of the match passing the ball beautifully – and their goals have come from a long hoof and a free-kick. Tiki-taka 0-2 kicky-hacka.
56 min “Have to admit, I have so missed Costa since he left Chelsea,” says Hubert O’Hearn. “I used to call him The Little Ball of Hate, but he’s truly unique with a temperament always right on the edge. What a terrific match so far!”
Iniesta was fouled 30 yards from goal in a central position. David Silva took a short free-kick with Koke and clipped the ball beyond the far post, where Busquets towered over his man to head back across goal. Diego Costa reacted fastest and stabbed the ball in from six yards.
GOAL! Portugal 2-2 Spain (Diego Costa 55)
Diego Costa gets his second equaliser!
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53 min Spain have a few options on the bench, including Marco Asensio and Iago Aspas.
52 min “I’m afraid I still don’t understand VAR,” says Prateek Chadha. “What is the rule? The Portuguese were clearly incensed by Costa performing a WWF/E style ‘clothesline’ on Pepe and VAR looked at it and deemed there to be no foul. Why it wasn’t a foul is a mystery to all those watching in the stadium and on TV. Surely VAR referees must be miked up and asked to explain their decisions to the audience like in cricket and the NFL.”
Decisions are only overturned if there is a “clear and obvious error”, so I can understand why the Costa goal stood. I agree that the process isn’t quite right though. Somebody will punch a referee before the tournament’s out.
51 min It’s been a slow start to the half, though these things are relative. It’s fascinating to watch Spain probing for gaps in this superb Portugal defence.
49 min “Hang on,” says Rachel Clifton. “Is someone accusing YOU of being more impressed with stereotypical masculinity!?”
48 min Spain have started the second half as they spent most of the first: in possession of the football. Isco continues to pop up all over the pitch; he’s been the biggest threat to Portugal.
47 min Here’s Jonathan Bradley. “Recalling how the Supremes became Diana Ross and the Supremes, are we now to accept the renaming of Portugal as Ronaldo and Portugal.”
46 min Peep peep! Portugal begin the second half.
I still cannot believe that error from De Gea. Maybe it was karma for doing a Joe Hart before the penalty.
Half time chit chat
Thanks for all your emails, most of which I haven’t had chance to read because of this storming match.
Charles Antaki “How did Ramos manage to concuss his own keeper?”
Phil Podolsky “I guess it’s a matter of ideology: whether you are more impressed by Messi’s palpably superior skills or by bronca, lack of Xaviesta, ‘leadership’ and the rest of the stereotyped iconography of masculinity etc.”
Honestly, you couldn’t imagine a better half of football at this stage of a World Cup. Spain played brilliantly in possession but gave away two silly goals, one of them from an unthinkable error by David De Gea. Diego Costa scored a brilliant and controversial equaliser; Isco thundered a stunning shot off the underside of the bar. And Cristiano Ronaldo, who was quite majestic, scored twice. God bless the World Cup!
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Half time: Portugal 2-1 Spain
Who needs a drink? That was scorching stuff.
45 min There will be two minutes of added time.
They used VAR to check whether Ronaldo was offside. He was in an offside position earler in the build up but it was a different phase of play.
How can you begin to make sense of that? Ronaldo, teed up in the D by a short pass from Guedes, drilled a left-foot shot straight at De Gea. It was well struck but should have been a routine save. Instead it slithered through De Gea and into the net.
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GOAL! Portugal 2-1 Spain (Ronaldo 44)
Ronaldo gets his second thanks to a hideous mistake from David De Gea!
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43 min The excellent Isco works the ball back onto his left foot and hits a decent shot from the edge of the area. Patricio saves comfortably. Isco has been like a ghost in the Portugal half.
42 min Portugal keep the ball for 90 seconds, which gives them a necessary breather. When Spain regain possession, Pepe takes a sly shortcut through the back of Diego Costa’s Achilles. He’s lucky not to be booked for that.
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39 min “Regarding the 90% comment you made, do you not think Messi is (by a wide margin) better than Ronaldo?” asks El Mox. “I’ve supported Real my whole life, I was there for Ronaldo’s very first game for Real (a dull 1-0 win vs Shamrock Rovers in Ireland), he is an icon for Real, however, I’ve watched Messi for his whole career and it’s pretty to clear who the superior player is. Messi is the most complete footballer I’ve ever seen. Come join the 90% Rob, it’s fun over here.”
Messi was better from 2008-13, but I think Ronaldo has comfortably surpassed him in the last five years; I don’t really see how anyone can think otherwise. But it’s probably a discussion for another day. And neither of them are fit to clean Maradona’s bidet.
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37 min Portugal were terrific on the counter-attack at 1-0, but since it went to 1-1 they have struggled to get out of their third, never mind their half. It’s been a thrilling half of football.
35 min His goal was typical, with defenders being tossed around as if it was a Royal Rumble rather than a football match, but Diego Costa has also shown a more intricate side to his game – especially during that last move. Spain have been terrific.
34 min Iniesta almost makes it 2-1. Spain moved the ball around delightfully on the left, with Diego Costa and Iniesta involved. Eventually Alba cut the ball back to Iniesta, who dragged a left-footed shot just wide of the far post.
32 min Portugal are hanging on, with Spain looking very slick in possession.
28 min Fernandes is booked for a foul on Nacho.
27 min This is blistering stuff. I’d like to see that Costa goal again, because a foul could easily have been given for the challenge on Pepe.
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26 min: Isco hits the bar! It was a scintillating strike from the left edge of the area which slammed off the underside of the bar and bounced down towards goal. Spain thought it was over the line but the goal-line technology showed that wasn’t the case.
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Who needs tiki-taka? The goal came from a long ball by Busquets, which Pepe could only head up in the air while being flattened by Costa’s challenge. Costa picked up the loose ball, ignored a couple of challenges from Fonte and worked the ball into position before dragging a low shot past Patricio from 12 yards. They used VAR to see if there was a foul on Pepe, but it wasn’t overturned.
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GOAL! Portugal 1-1 Spain (Diego Costa 24)
Diego Costa scores a brilliant equaliser!
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22 min What a chance for Guedes! Portugal broke from the Spain corner and should have made it 2-0. Fernandes on the right curled a brilliant pass around the defence to Ronaldo, who eschewed the expected shot and instead flicked the ball deliciously into the path of Guedes. He should have shot first time but took a touch and was dispossessed vitally by Alba. Ronaldo throws his hands up in disgust.
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21 min Beautiful play from Iniesta. He scoots into the box from the left, sends a defender off to a different postcode and then eases the ball back to David Silva. His shot is deflected behind for a corner.
20 min “Three more international goals from Ronaldo and he’ll overtakes Puskas (currently on 84) as the highest scoring European international in history,” notes Mike Gibbons. “He might never catch Ali Daei who has the world record (with 109), but bloody hell.”
It fascinates me that maybe 90 per cent of football fans still think Messi is the best player.
18 min The free-kick is 20 yards from goal, in line with the right edge of the box. Ronaldo batters it into the wall.
17 min Busquets is booked for a lunge at Guedes.
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16 min Spain are having all of the ball now, though Portugal – as we saw two years ago – are very well organised defensively. And they know how to break: a beautiful touch from Ronaldo in his own half releases Guedes, who can’t decide whether to go it alone or try too play it back to Ronaldo. In end he does neither.
13 min Spain are starting to look a little sharper, with Isco winning their first corner. Nothing comes of it but the signs are better.
12 min “Looked to me,” says Dave Ankers, “that Ronaldo was already diving before the contact.”
I thought he made certain of the contact but that it was a foul nonetheless.
11 min An early goal is perfect for Portugal, who can sit and play on the break. Ronaldo, incidentally, has now scored at four World Cups. He’ll make it five in 2022.
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10 min Spain’s first chance. Isco’s left-wing cross is knocked down by Costa to Silva, who lashes the bouncing ball over the bar with his right foot. He slipped in the act of shooting, which may be why the finish was unusually imprecise.
9 min Spain look half asleep at the moment. As Andrew Hurley highlighted earlier, there is a real lack of pace in their team.
7 min Oh, Spain.
6 min “I was a big fan of Spain and Spanish football back when they were enthusiastic underachievers, before tiki-taka made them the hipster’s choice (always hated Pep, though, but that’s for another time...),” says Matt Dony. “Now that flush of popularity has passed, I should be able to enjoy supporting them without the self-conscious concern about looking like just another band-wagon jumper. And yet. And yet. I have to be honest, Ramos has just undermined it all in the Champions League final. Not just the Salah incident, it was the whole shebang. The little look before the dive that lead to Mane’s booking was particularly sly. I mean, I know he’s always been the same, but I was able to appreciate his commitment to the ‘dark arts of defending’ (as we’re obligated to describe it) with a cool detachment in the past. It might be the result of being a one-eyed Liverpool fan, but that game was a turning point in the way I see Spanish football. What I’m trying to say is, ‘Go on, Ronaldo.’ I’m throwing my support firmly behind Portugal. Which I’m sure they will greatly appreciate.”
I always think football is better for having a villain who leaves opposition fans foaming with impotent rage. Though I did briefly change this view while flinging all sorts at Vinnie Jones when he celebrated in front of the United fans at Selhurst Park in 1997.
Goodness me, what a start. De Gea tried to put Ronaldo off but it didn’t work. Ronaldo ignored him and slapped a penalty into the right side of the net with De Gea going the wrong way.
GOAL! Portugal 1-0 Spain (Ronaldo 4 pen)
It’s Ronaldo v De Gea - and Ronaldo scores!
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Ronaldo ran at Nacho on the left edge of the box, beating him with a stepover. Nacho dangled a leg absent-mindedly and brought him down.
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PENALTY TO PORTUGAL!
3 min It’s been a decent start from Portugal, with Carvalho having a lot of touches in midfield - and now they have a penalty!
2 min “Here’s what’s going to happen,” says Olly Wicks. “Spain will win comfortably and cruise to first place in their group. Meanwhile, Egypt will beat Russia and the Saudis and finish second in their group. This means we get a Spain v Egypt last 16 game, in which Salah nutmegs Ramos to score a 95th minute winner and take sweet, sweet revenge. From Olly, a completely unbiased Liverpool fan.”
Imagine if Ramos put him out of the World Cup with a sly suplex.
1 min Peep peep! Spain, in white, kick off. Portugal are in red.
Ronaldo and Sergio Ramos shake hands in the centre circle. It’s time for the first humdinger of Russia 2018.
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Ronaldo “The Wheels of Justice picked up sudden speed early today in Spain,” says Luiz. “Ronaldo got himself a suspended two-year sentence and a huge fine. The good judge could have waited for Monday morning. Ronaldo, according to the Portuguese press, is all upset, mainly, for parting with his hard-earned money. What you think? Is it going to demoralise CR or put him in a killer mood?”
I’m not sure two broken legs could demoralise Ronaldo, who is one of the mentally toughest footballers I’ve ever seen. I’d be reluctant to give him any additional motivation.
“I’ve noticed Iniesta holding onto the ball a bit too much this year and not releasing it as fast as he usually would, as if trying to convince himself and others that he’s still at that level,” says Paul Fitzgerald. “But Barca conceded a goal to Roma through him getting dispossessed and he struggles around the 70min mark these days.”
An email! “I’m a huge fan of both but even if still at a very high level, aren’t David Silva and Iniesta on the way down (more so the latter)?” says Andrew Hurley. “Forget about the coach, I think this will hurt Spain more...”
I thought David Silva was majestic last season, though his central role at City probably suits him better at his age. Iniesta is past his best but he’s still influential enough. I know what you mean though - it’s a pretty old team, with nobody under the age of 26 in the starting XI. As ever with Spanish football, they could learn a lot from England.
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Your pre-match task ... is to pick your all-time World Cup XI for Spain and/or Portugal.
If you need some inspiration, or you just want to copy a legend, you can look at the teams picked by Iker Casillas and Paulo Futre. WHERE THE HELL IS ALBERT FERRER?
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The teams
Portugal (4-4-2) Patricio; Soares, Pepe, Fonte, Guerreiro; Silva, Carvalho, Moutinho, B Fernandes; Guedes, Ronaldo.
Spain (4-2-3-1) De Gea; Nacho, Pique, Ramos, Alba; Busquets, Koke; Silva, Isco, Iniesta; Costa.
Referee Gianluca Rocchi (Italy)
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In the other Group B match, Iran have snatched a famous victory over Morocco. Barry Glendenning can tell you more.
Preamble
In the Little Book of How To Win a World Cup, there is no mention of sacking your coach 24 hours before the tournament starts. But we shouldn’t write Spain off just yet. From Helmut Schön’s breakdown in 1974 to Calciopoli in 2006, the majority of World Cup winners have overcome chaos, scandal and/or a slew of negativity on the way to lifting that magical hunk of gold.
If there’s one dressing-room that should be self-governing, it’s Spain’s. Their squad have won almost 300 trophies between them, so they don’t need that much guidance. As we’re accentuating the positive here, let’s say they also have the perfect opening game to concentrate their minds: an Iberian derby against Portugal, the European champions, and their old friend Cristiano Ronaldo. It’s quite a game to have so early in the tournament.
Most will think it’s a cosmetic match - that, even if one side loses, they will still qualify for the second round ahead of Morocco and Iran. But we thought something similar before the first games in 2014, when Spain faced the Netherlands and Portugal met Germany. Both were plugged by four goals and never recovered.
Then again, in 2010 Spain lost their first game and won the tournament. The departure of Julen Lopetegui, sacked for disrespecting the Bing Spanish FA, has reinforced the sense that nobody really has a clue what’s going to happen this time. Which is just the way we like it at a World Cup.
Kick off is at 7pm BST, 9pm in Sochi.
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