Cristiano Ronaldo celebrates after scoring twice for Portugal against Uzbekistan at the World Cup.
Cristiano Ronaldo answered his critics in emphatic fashion on Tuesday. He became the first player to score in six World Cups as Portugal defeated Uzbekistan 5-0 in Houston.
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The 41-year-old scored twice and ended a difficult run. Before this match, he had gone 10 games without scoring in major international tournaments.
After the final whistle, Ronaldo shouted “I’m back, I’m back” into the television cameras. The celebration reflected his relief after weeks of criticism.
As a result, Ronaldo increased his World Cup tally to 10 goals. He also moved past Eusebio to become Portugal’s leading scorer at the tournament.
However, Ronaldo said records were not his main focus.
Instead, he praised the team’s improvement and highlighted the confidence shown after a disappointing opening game.
Portugal now have four points from two matches. They will face Colombia in their final Group K fixture.
Meanwhile, Uzbekistan remain without a point. They now face a difficult path to qualification and will meet DR Congo next.
Portugal started with high intensity from the opening whistle.
The players appeared determined to respond after drawing 1-1 with DR Congo in their first match. Consequently, they attacked quickly and created repeated chances.
Portugal finished with 17 attempts and placed eight shots on target.
Although Ronaldo missed opportunities for a hat-trick, Portugal stayed in control throughout the match.
Head coach Roberto Martinez praised the team’s progress.
He said difficult opening games can help teams improve during a tournament. He also said Portugal showed greater maturity in their second outing.
Ronaldo opened the scoring in the sixth minute. He converted Joao Cancelo’s low cross with a composed finish.
Soon afterwards, he added another goal by placing Bruno Fernandes’ pass into the far corner.
Meanwhile, Nuno Mendes scored with a clever free kick. Ronaldo distracted the defence and acted as a decoy.
Uzbekistan briefly thought they had scored. However, VAR ruled out Azizjon Ganiev’s effort for a foul on Cancelo.
In the second half, Portugal extended their lead after goalkeeper Abduvohid Nematov accidentally turned the ball into his own net.
Later, Rafael Leao added the fifth goal.
Portugal then controlled the final stages comfortably in front of 68,777 supporters.
