The fourth match at today's 2018 World Cup promised to be a top-class game. Portugal and Spain both stand for high art of play and impressive ball relays, but the game was contemplative during many phases and could not quite meet the expectations. The final score of 3:3 is fine.
From the first second, the Portuguese eagerly stormed on the goal of the Spaniards and soon became dangerous. In the fourth minute, star striker Cristiano Ronaldo was fouled in his attack inside the 16-meter area: penalty! Unsurprisingly, he converted it ice-coldly. But after this success, the game flattened out a bit. Throughout the game, both teams lacked the fire and passion that southerners are known for. It seemed as if the World Cup tournament had just begun and no one wanted to lose in their first game. It took some time for the Spaniards to find their way into the game. The counterpart to Ronaldo was Diego Costa for the Spaniards, who was responsible for two goals. The goals scored by the Spaniards in particular gave the Spanish team a sense of self-confidence, and as the game progressed, they found their game more and more and really outplayed the Portuguese with impressive ball sequences. If it wasn't for Ronaldo, the result would have been different. Of the three goals scored by the Portuguese, Ronaldo scored all three, the last with a dream free kick over the wall in the 88th minute. And the Portuguese also have the Spanish goalkeeper to thank, after all, at least the 2nd goal was entirely on his head.
Hopefully, the two teams have put aside all nervousness with this first game and are capable of more in the next games than they were this evening. The focus on Cristiano Ronaldo for the Portuguese poses a big danger: what if the star gets injured? The Spaniards, on the other hand, will have good chances with their good ball combinations once they have settled into the tournament and become a bit more confident. The 3:3 is fine: on the Portuguese side was an outstanding Cristiano Ronaldo, on the Spanish side a collective that knows how to run the ball to win.