Portugal 4-1 Latvia: Ronaldo leads Selecao to victory
The Real Madrid netted twice for his side in Sunday's World
Cup qualifier to ensure they remain within touching distance of Switzerland
Portugal survived a scare and a missed Cristiano Ronaldo
penalty as they beat Latvia 4-1 in Sunday's World Cup qualifier.
William Carvalho's first international goal and late efforts
from the captain and Bruno Alves rescued the victory after Arturs Zjuzins had
shocked Estadio Algarve with a well-taken equaliser midway through the second
half.
Ronaldo had put his side ahead from the spot just prior to
the half-hour mark, but the Real Madrid star hit the post with a second
spot-kick eight minutes before Latvia – who had lost back-to-back games against
the Faroe Islands and Hungary – scored their surprise leveller.
The European champions had been kept at arm's length for
much of the match despite dominating possession, with the fluid attacking
display that saw them score six against both the Faroe Islands and Andorra
sorely lacking.
Carvalho proved an unlikely hero with a header from Ricardo
Quaresma's cross, before Ronaldo's emphatic volley and a late Alves header
ensured that Fernando Santos' side moved back into second place in Group B,
three points behind Switzerland.
Portugal unsurprisingly began in dominant fashion without
putting the Latvia goal under undue threat and Igors Tarasovs missed the first
presentable chance as he turned a corner straight into Rui Patricio's grasp.
Glebs Kluskins was fortunate to escape with only a yellow
card for a high challenge on Andre Gomes and Portuguese frustrations grew when
the Barcelona midfielder was himself booked for a late tackle on the Latvia
forward two minutes later.
The visitors had contained Portugal efficiently, but they
ruined their good work after 28 minutes. Nani was felled in the box by the
sliding Gints Freimanis after a clever one-two with Ronaldo and the captain
struck the penalty beneath Andris Vanins' grasp.
Portugal continued to be frustrated by Latvia's deep-lying
defence despite enjoying close to 75 per cent possession.
A clumsy challenge from Kluskins on Gomes gave Ronaldo the
chance to score a second spot-kick after 58 minutes, but his low strike rattled
Vanins' right-hand post before deflecting off the goalkeeper's back and out of
play.
Just eight minutes later, the home crowd was stunned into
silence as Latvia snatched an equaliser with their first shot on target, with
Zjuzins blasting the ball beneath Patricio from the edge of the area after
Portugal had failed to clear.
Any Portugal anxiety lasted only two minutes, though.
Substitute Quaresma bent a fine cross in from the right and Carvalho met the
ball ahead of Vanins to head in from inside the six-yard box.
Gelson Martins dragged an effort wide and Ronaldo saw a
close-range strike blocked, but the 31-year-old was not to be denied five
minutes from time as he met Quaresma's deep cross with a splendid scissor-kick
volley that went through Vanins' legs for his seventh goal in three
international games.
Ronaldo – who now has 68 international goals, level with
Gerd Muller and Robbie Keane in the all-time European standings – hit the
crossbar with a header before Alves nodded in Raphael Guerreiro's cross to add
some gloss to the scoreline and ensure a welcome three points in Portugal's
quest to reach Russia 2018.
