In the first match of the group K of the World Cup, Portugal and the DR Congo drew 1:1 at the stadium in Houston. This is a huge success for the African team that drew a point against one of the favorites of the entire tournament. Portugal had the initiative throughout the game and led over João Neves already in the sixth minute, but the DR Congo bravely defended and deservedly equalised over Yoane Wisse in the fifth minute of the first half.
The Portuguese initiative
Portugal dominated the field from the start, keeping the ball in their feet as the DR Congo retreated into a low defensive block. Already in the sixth minute we saw the first goal. After Pedro Neto's shot into the heart of the sixteeners, the highest in the jump was João Neves and he headed for a 1-0 lead over Portugal.
Gallery
It seemed that the African team was facing a difficult evening, but only five minutes later a surprise almost arrived. Wissa made a dangerous shot from twenty meters of height that went right by the goal. Despite the early lead, Portugal had difficulty creating opportunities. They dominated the possession, which reached 80 percent, but their initiative was barren and in the whole game they made only one shot in the frame. The Congolese defense acted organized, and Cristiano Ronaldo at the top of the attack was mostly cut off and invisible.
Wissa tied the game in the final seconds of the first period.
The penalty for the Portuguese inefficiency came in the last moments of the first half, after a short corner, Arthur Masuaku scored, and Wissa hit with his head to tie the score at 1-1, with the result going to rest.
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In the second half, a similar picture continued. Portugal attacked, and Congo defended and threatened from the counter. In the 55th minute, João Cancelo scored with attractive crosses, but it was justifiably cancelled because of the back. As time went by, the rhythm of the game fell.
The Portuguese still had the initiative, but without a concrete finish. One of the rare opportunities was badly grabbed by Ronaldo after the return ball, which caused the frustration of Bruno Fernandes who thought he was in a better position. Congo had a promising counter in the final, but the shot of Cédric Bakambu went over the goal. By the end of the match the result did not change. In this group are also Uzbekistan and Colombia who play at 4 am.
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90+5 minutes to go!
The end.
90+3' and
He's turned Araujo yellow.
90 minutes
He's gonna play for at least five more minutes.
88' and
He's turned Semedo yellow.
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85' Other
Banza and Kalulu are in, Bakambu and Wan-Bissaka are out.
84' and
Vitinha is out, Ramos is in.
82' and
The Congo retreats lower and lower, the Portuguese attack, but leave a lot of space behind the defense.
77 seconds.
Congo pulled off a promising counterattack, but it ended with Bakambu's shot across the goal.
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75 seconds.
Masuaku and Edo Kayembe are out, and Joris Kayembe and Pickel are in.
72 seconds
Semedo and Leao have replaced Mednes and Net.
68 seconds.
Conceição gave a return ball that Ronaldo caught badly, and Fernandes is angry with Ronaldo for not giving it to him, because he thinks he was in a much better position.
65 seconds.
Portugal still has the initiative, but the pace of the game has dropped.
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57 seconds.
Noah Sadiki is a Sunderland player and worth 35 million euros, the most of any player in DR Congo.
55' Goal scored
Cancelo's masterful goal was nullified by the cuts because the Portuguese defender was in the thick of the back, and Neves added a breast, but Cancelo rushed in front of the Congolese defensive line, and the goal was rightly nullified.
53 seconds.
Neto is still one of the most spirited players on the field, tirelessly dribbling and running on the left wing.
46 seconds.
Conceição has replaced Silva.
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46 minutes into the second half
The second half has begun.
45+6' End of the first part
Despite the complete dominance of Portugal in possession, the team of Roberto Martinez only once more seriously threatened the goal of the Congo and from that situation João Neves scored.
45+5' Congo is tied!
Congo equalised in the final seconds of the first half over Wisse, after a short combination from the corner, Masuaku centered, and Wissa headed in.
45 seconds.
Four more minutes to play.
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40 seconds.
We're entering the last five minutes of the first period, and Portugal is still circling the low Congo block.
38 seconds.
Portugal has 80 percent possession of the ball, but they're having a hard time finding their way through the Congolese defence, with Ronaldo cut off at the top of the attack and failing to make a significant contribution to the game.
34 seconds.
Kayemb…
Read the full article at Index.hr →📄Source document: Sqawka
14 reports
Index.hrIndependentCenter2 days agoKevin-Prince Boateng has called on Cristiano Ronaldo to step down from his starting position in Portugal's national team to allow younger players to develop, following Portugal's draw against DR Congo at the start of the World Cup. Boateng criticized Ronaldo's performance, stating that his presence hinders the team's potential and that Portugal plays better without him. He suggested Ronaldo should enter games only in the final 15–20 minutes rather than starting.
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Official sources cited
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