Cristiano Ronaldo broke an international record on Thursday as he celebrated his 197th cap with a double in Portugal's 4-0 opening Euro 2024 qualifier win over Liechtenstein. Joao Cancelo put the home side into an eighth-minute lead with a long-range half volley that took a slight deflection through a crowd of players. Bernardo Silva then picked up a loose ball after Cancelo was halted and rifled home for a two-goal lead in the second half. Ronaldo, who turned 38 last month, tucked in a 51st-minute penalty before adding his 120th international goal from a trademark free kick that bent back the hands of visiting goalkeeper Benjamin Buchel in the 63rd minute. Portugal's victory keeps them atop their Group J standings while also extending former Belgium manager Roberto Martinez's unbeaten start as coach to one game. Martinez said Ronaldo has showed commitment and experience since joining the national team and is eager to continue using the star player's talents. The visitors could have had some consolation had they managed to break through Portugal’s solid defense, but instead Ronaldo can celebrate becoming the most-capped player ever while also leading both countries in all competitions since November 2018.
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
Articles
All
|