Major World Cup Upset
LIVE: Ronaldo in the Starting Lineup! Portugal vs. Congo
The next surprise of this World Cup! In Group K, superstar Cristiano Ronaldo and his favored Portuguese team could not manage more than a 1-1 draw against the Democratic Republic of the Congo. The favorites even took an early lead thanks to a goal by Joao Neves. But the underdog showed great spirit.
Portugal had to settle for a 1-1 (1-1) draw against the Democratic Republic of the Congo in its World Cup opener. Joao Neves put the favorites ahead in the 6th minute, but Yoane Wissa equalized just before halftime (45+5) with the Central Africans’ first-ever World Cup goal. In front of 68,777 spectators in Houston, Cristiano Ronaldo and his teammates were unable to build up any decisive pressure after that. Other opponents in Group K are Colombia and Uzbekistan.
Ronaldo, making his sixth World Cup appearance—the same number as Lionel Messi—started as the center forward, as expected. The 41-year-old veteran was barely visible when his team took the lead in the fully air-conditioned arena. Portugal laid siege to Congo’s five-man back line in a handball-style attack, and the 1.74 m tall Neves of Champions League winner Paris Saint-Germain headed home a cross from Pedro Neto with precision. The Iberians, who took the field without injured defensive leader Ruben Dias, took it easy from there on.
Ronaldo Barely Visible
The underdog—which last appeared at the World Cup 52 years ago as Zaire—got off to a tentative start. Newcastle’s Wissa shot wide of the goal after ten minutes. The Portuguese kept looking for Ronaldo but couldn’t find him. The Portuguese completely lacked momentum, and shots on goal were few and far between. Just as the halftime whistle was about to sound, the Congolese finally struck. Wissa, completely unmarked, headed home a short corner kick. Portugal was punished for its passivity.
Bernardo Silva, who will soon be playing for Real Madrid, remained in the locker room. João Cancelo scored a spectacular goal while leaning backward, but was offside. Ronaldo was barely visible in his 229th international match, coming just one day after Messi’s spectacular performance. It wasn’t until the 68th minute that he fired a shot wide of the goal, and a second attempt a few minutes later also went well wide. The Congolese team kept threatening with sporadic attacks, but they, too, failed to land that “lucky punch.” The Portuguese ultimately completed nearly 800 passes, but they only managed one shot on goal.
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