Manchester United captain Bruno Fernandes has outlined his relief at Cristiano Ronaldo silencing his critics with his sensational performance for Portugal against Uzbekistan.
Fernandes and Ronaldo combine
Fernandes played a key role for Portugal as they put Uzbekistan to the sword in a dominant 5-0 victory on Tuesday.
United legend Ronaldo broke the deadlock inside six minutes with a superb finish at the near post. The goal was his first of the tournament, making him the first player to find the back of the net at six World Cups.
Paris Saint-Germain star Nuno Mendes doubled the Selecao’s advantage directly from a free-kick. Fernandes then teed up Ronaldo from a counter-attacking move, shortly after Uzbekistan had a goal ruled out for a foul on Joao Cancelo.
An Abduvohid Nematov own goal and a late Rafael Leao strike rounded off the scoring for Portugal, who have all but guaranteed their progression to the knockout stage of the World Cup.
Having endured a torrid week and been widely panned for his dismal display in the opener against DR Congo, Ronaldo responded in the best possible fashion with his heroic performance. After the final whistle, he was spotted by the cameras repeatedly stating, “I’m back, I’m back!”
Fernandes also spoke to the media and insisted that Ronaldo remains the go-to player for the country.
Fernandes’ verdict
The playmaker said, “It was important for our captain to score. It was important for us that he scored. He’s our go-to player in attack.”
“We’re very happy for him.”
He added, “It’s always special to get an assist with the national team, especially at the World Cup, which is a special tournament.”
Ronaldo may be grabbing the lion’s share of the headlines, but Fernandes continues to be a key figure for Portugal and believes his own opportunity is on the horizon.
“What matters is that Portugal scores, whether it’s me or not. We managed to score a lot of goals, and we’re happy about that. I’m here to set up my teammates up front – it’s part of my game – regardless of whether I score or not.”
“I believe my moment will come, and that it will be at a time when it’s truly needed.”
Fernandes and his countrymen are next in action in the early hours of Sunday morning when they face Colombia.
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