Portugal top Group H but end on bum note
It was a case of job done for Portugal but that was the only real positive as the Seleção let an early lead slip in defeat to South Korea.
Ricardo Horta scored inside five minutes but Santos’ side couldn’t kick on from the bright start and their more motivated opponents made them pay with a spirited turnaround capped with a stoppage time winning goal.
PortuGOAL.net’s Jamie Farr rates players’ performances.
Starters
Diogo Costa - 7
Did all that was asked of him, making mostly routine saves barring one very good stop in the first half. Can’t be blamed for either South Korea goal.
Diogo Dalot - 7
Excellent first half, in particular a brilliant assist for Horta’s opening goal. Some sloppy moments in the second defensively however, and saw the decisive ball for the winner get through him. However, should have done enough to warrant a place in the lineup for the knockout stages.
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Pepe - 7
Solid once more in the heart of defence even if he couldn’t quite marshall the backline into a good performance cohesively. Great long pass to start the move for Portugal's goal.
António Silva - 7
Composed display that belied his inexperience. Individually didn’t really put a foot wrong, even if the defence as a unit as already mentioned was perhaps not up to scratch.
João Cancelo - 7
Guilty of overplaying at times but in general contributed to the notion that he should be Santos’ preferred left-back going forward. Positive in his play, even if he coasted through the game to a degree.
Rúben Neves - 6
Showed off a couple of sublime long passes in the second half but perhaps should be offering more to the contest. Was happy to sit deep for much of the match without affecting proceedings in the final third.
Matheus Nunes - 6
Busy and bustling as usual but his output was inconsistent. Decision-making in possession perhaps should have been better, one or two nice touches in the first half.
Vitinha - 7, PortuGOAL.net Man of the Match
A very slow start but grew into the game and showcased his talent. Some fine passing and creativity in midfield, and his technical ability is up there with the best in the squad. His first minutes of the tournament, they should not be the last on this evidence.
Ricardo Horta - 7
Great finish to open the scoring early on, and one or two decent linkups in the first half. Overall drifted in and out of the game, had a couple of half chances to double his tally but couldn't connect well with his efforts.
João Mário - 5
Very minimal impact on the game as a whole. Sloppy first half at times in particular. Not really made a case for selections as the tournament goes deeper, needed more positive contributions.
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Cristiano Ronaldo - 5
Made several good runs that were not picked out, but ultimately a frustrating display. Finishing was a little off, but did lack service. Somewhat bizarre contribution to South Korea’s equaliser.
Substitutions
Rafael Leão - 5
Lacked sharpness on the ball and didn’t have much of an impact.
André Silva - 5
One or two openings without any real end product.
João Palhinha - 6
Tidy enough in possession and put in some tackles as per.
Bernardo Silva - Not rated
William Carvalho - Not rated
By Jamie Farr
