São Paulo – Cristiano Ronaldo has eliminated Morocco’s national team of the FIFA 2018 World Cup in Russia this Wednesday (20) morning, in Moscow. With a header in the 4-minute mark (picture above), the Portuguese star scored and brought the feeling that the game could be a blowout but that never materialized. Portugal had a middling performance at best, with only two shots at the goal, and had to defend during most of the game, struggling to keep the score unchanged, especially during the game’s second half.
Morocco came to play, kept an attacking style, kept goalkeeper Rui Patrício busy but failed to score on its many chances. Portugal won 1 x 0 and, thus, Morocco was the first team eliminated from the World Cup (B Group), and the first among the four Arab teams (Morocco, Egypt, Tunisia and Saudi Arabia – none of them scored any points in the tournament until now) competing in the tournament. The Moroccan national team qualified to the World Cup after twenty years and, in its first game, lost to Iran, 1x 0, with an own goal by striker Aziz Bouhaddouz, who didn’t play against Portugal.
Saudi Arabia (A Group) plays at noon, against Uruguay, and if it loses it will the second team mathematically eliminated from the FIFA world tournament. Tunisia and Belgium (G Group) play this Saturday, at 9 am. In the third round, Saudi Arabia plays Egypt in the first game between Arab teams in this edition of the World Cup, on Monday (25) at 11 am. In the same day, Spain play Morocco, at 3 pm.
The Soccer Museum is showing all of the World Cup games being broadcasted during its opening hours, Tuesday to Sunday, from 9 am to 6 pm, and, in a partnership with the Arab Brazilian Chamber of Commerce, is showing the games of the Arab teams in the World Cup and providing snacks and beverages.
Translated by Sérgio Kakitani
