Ronaldo, Fernandes and Portugal’s Euro 2020 failure

Failure. It’s a harsh, ruthless word.

In many ways, Portugal didn’t fail in their Euro 2020 last 16 showdown with the world’s number one ranked side, Belgium.

They held the attack of their much-vaunted opponents at arm’s length for the most part of 95-plus minutes.

They didn’t allow any shots of note on Rui Patricio’s goal from inside the penalty area, and had 29 shots to the Red Devils’ six.

They were the better side on a dire pitch in Seville and created the better chances, as an xG scoreline of 1.56 to 0.23 attests.

But the only scoreline that mattered meant it was a night of non-fulfilment for the European champions at the Estadio La Cartuja, as Thorgan Hazard’s long-range effort, which deceived Patricio, settled the affair and turned their crown to dust.

Patricio, the Wolves ‘keeper likely heading to link up with Jose Mourinho at Roma this summer, took one step to his right, shifted his weight and couldn’t respond quick enough as Hazard’s strike veered in the air to his left, beyond him into the net.

In elite level sport, one step the wrong way is sometimes all that’s required to make the difference.

In 2016, it was enough to ensure Eder’s extra-time effort beat Hugo Lloris and that Portugal became kings of Europe. This time, it was enough to ensure their exit.

For the Seleccao, having scored seven times in three group games, when a clinical finishing touch was required most, it deserted them.

When they needed to fashion just one chance for the tournament’s all-time leading goalscorer, Cristiano Ronaldo, they couldn’t; needing one goal to go out in front of Ali Daei as international football’s top marksman – wasted free kicks from distance aside – chances came and went begging for others, rather than Europe’s greatest-ever finisher.

Ruben Dias headed straight at Thibaut Courtois from eight yards. Raphael Guerreiro hit the post from 20. Andre Silva stretched but was foiled. All good chances.

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Joao Palhinha fired high and wide from distance twice in the first half. As desperation set in late on, substitutes Joao Felix and Bruno Fernandes both sent wayward efforts from distance well off target.

Atletico Madrid’s 21-year-old forward Felix, playing his first minutes at the tournament as arch-pragmatist Fernando Santos uncharacteristically went all-out-attack in the final half hour, dragged the game’s final effort wide from 18 yards.

In the ITV studio, Roy Keane fumed.

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“There’s no excuse for it, seeing players leaning back and just missing the target, at least test the goalkeeper,

“Felix, when he came on, that guy’s an imposter, he’s an imposter. He comes on, your country needs you…hit the target! What was he? £100 million? If I was [Cristiano] Ronaldo I’d certainly be going after him in the dressing room. Shocking.

“Felix and Fernandes were driving me crazy.”

In truth, Felix, far from being bad, actually added some creativity and verve to the attack after replacing Diogo Jota, following another disjointed display from the Liverpool man.

He couldn’t find a finishing touch, but he asked questions of the Belgium defence with his movement and actively attempted to add penetration to a Portugal attack that had been sorely lacking prior to his arrival.

Manchester United talisman Fernandes didn’t quite have the same impact after the pair were brought on as 55th minute subs together.

We all know he enjoyed an outstanding season at Old Trafford, scoring 28 times in 58 games and being named the club’s player of the year and being named in the PFA’s Premier League team of the year, but there’s no doubt he finds things more difficult under Santos.

Some have pointed to fatigue – having had almost no break whatsoever in 18 months, although it’s something the player himself refutes – but his international record stands at just four goals in 33 caps; while he has starred at both United and previously Sporting, being the attacking lynchpin for both, he continues to struggle in a more secondary role for his country.

“On the pitch but not playing,” was how Jose Mourinho coldly described his display in the 4-2 thrashing by Germany, a defeat which could, and should, have been more.

He was subsequently left out against France and did nothing in his 18-minute cameo to push Santos into recalling him against Belgium, with Renato Sanches and Joao Moutinho preferred. Undroppable for United, untrusted by his country, it wasn’t long after Portugal’s exit had been confirmed that ‘Penandes’ was trending on Twitter.

By that time, Ronaldo had looked to the heavens, muttering under his breath, seemingly in search of answers, Now 36, this was likely his final fling at a European Championship, although never say never where he’s concerned.

“Lucky eh. [The ball] didn’t want to go in today,” he told Thibaut Courtois as the pair embraced on the pitch.

He had a point, although the Belgian ‘keeper only actually made four saves, and only one of those came via Ronaldo, a 25-yard free-kick pushed away.

He had done his utmost to drag his side back into contention in the second half, dropping deep to create for others, cajoling teammates, making unselfish runs to try and stretch the Belgium backline.

However, in the end, this was a game the Juventus superstar couldn’t bend to his will.

“I think it is unfair but this is football,” Santos declared. “If you score you win – they scored, we didn’t.

“But apart form the first 10 minutes when we didn’t play that well, my players played with a strong mentality and tried to attack.

“We wanted the ball. We had 29 shots and couldn’t score one. They had six shots and one on target and they won.

“We hit the post and carried on being dangerous but the ball wouldn’t go in. We kept our heads up and kept thinking we could turn things but this is football.

“Sometimes we have had fewer chances and won.”