Portugal boss Fernando Santos sprung a huge surprise by
leaving the leading goalscorer in the history of international football on the
bench. A 21-year-old making his first international start promptly stole the
show and booked a quarterfinal showdown with Morocco.
Ramos violently crashed a 17th-minute shot into the top
corner before a man 18 years his senior, veteran center-back Pepe, become the
second-oldest goalscorer at the World Cup behind Cameroon great Roger Milla.
There was nothing backward-looking or nostalgic about this Portugal side, though, as Ramos and Raphael Guerriero put the game to bed early in the second half. After Manuel Akanji, one of Switzerland’s bedraggled defenders pulled one back, Ramos secured the match ball and substitute Rafael Leao rifled home a show-stopping sixth.
The Political Eye
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