Portugal hit Swiss for six as Morocco make history

Goncalo Ramos of Portugal celebrates after completing his hat trick during the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022 R of 16 match against Switzerland at Lusail Stadium on December 06, 2022 in Lusail City, Qatar. (Photo by Buda Mendes/Getty Images)

Portugal have discovered a new goalscoring hero and the World Cup has discovered new quarter-finalists in Morocco after the concluding matchday of the Round of 16 in Qatar.

Fernando Santos, coach of Portugal, was rewarded for replacing Cristiano Ronaldo with Goncalo Ramos when the 21-year-old marked his first start for his country with a hat-trick in a 6-1 defeat of Switzerland.

Ramos opened the scoring with a powerful drive which beat keeper Yann Sommer at his near post after only 17 minutes and veteran Pepe, captain in place of Ronaldo, headed a second 15 minutes later.

In the second half Portugal ran riot. Ramos struck again from a right-wing cross in the 50th minute and completed his hat-trick in the 66th. He is only the second Portuguese player to have scored a World Cup treble after the great Eusebio against North Korea in 1966.

Inbetween Ramos’s second and third goals Raphael Guerreiro scored another and Manuel Akanji grabbed a consolation for the shell-shocked Swiss. Rafael Leao chipped a stunning sixth goal for Portugal in the last minute.

Ronaldo, left on the bench after his bad-tempered reaction on being substituted against South Korea, replaced Ramos in the 72nd minute to cheers from Portuguese fans. He did put the ball in the net but the ‘goal’ was disallowed for offside.

In the quarter-finals on Saturday Portugal will play Morocco.

The Atlas Lions reached the last eight for the first time after beating Spain 3-0 on penalties after a disappointed goalless draw with few chances. Spain thus became the first team beaten four times on penalties in the World Cup. They went out in a shootout at the same stage to Russia in Moscow four years ago.

Spain’s shooters lost their nerves in front of the raucously raging wall of green and red Moroccan support behind goalkeeper Yassine Bono’s goal. Pablo Sarabia, brought on especially for the shootout, hit a post then Carlos Soler and captain Sergio Busquets had weak efforts saved by the Moroccan keeper-hero.

Spain’s Unai Simon did stop one Moroccan kick, from Badr Benoun, but Abdelhamid Sabiri, Hakim Ziyech and Achraf Hakim easily put away the others. Hakim’s moment of triumph was appropriate. He had been head and shoulders above every other individual on the pitch.

The quarter-finals:

Fri, Dec 9: Croatia v Brazil (Education City); Netherlands v Argentina (Lusail).

Sat, Dec 10: Morocco v Portugal (Al Thumama); England v France (Al Bayt).

Source Keir Radnedge – AIPS Football Delegate