By: Gordon D’Costa
Step aside Ronaldo, there’s a new kid on the block. Portuguese 21-year-old striker Goncalo Ramos, has made football pundits sit up and take notice. The dashing striker Ramos vindicated coach Fernando Santos’s decision to give the young Benfica footballer a start ahead of the national team’s iconic player Cristiano Ronaldo, for their match against Switzerland on Monday.
Ramos, who replaced the veteran Ronaldo in the starting line-up, grabbed the opportunity with both hands. He notched up a brilliant hat-trick in his first full game as Portugal went on to humble the Swiss 6-1 in the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022 Round of 16 match, at the Lusail Stadium, Lusail, Qatar, on Tuesday.
The other three goals, all splendid efforts, came from Pepe, who is now the oldest player to score a goal in the World Cup Knockout stage, Raphael Guerreiro and Rafael Leao. Switzerland got a consolation goal through Akanji midway through the second half. The Portuguese defender Pepe, who will turn 40 in February, scored with a header off a corner kick in the first of half of the match. Cameroon’s Roger Milla (42 years ) is the oldest player to score at the in the match against Russia in 1994.
At 21, Goncalo Ramos Ramos has become the third youngest player to score a hat-trick in the FIFA World Cup knockout stage after Germany’s Edmund Conen (19 years and 198 days) in 1934 and Brazil’s Pelé (17 years and 244 days) in 1958. He is the fourth Portuguese player to score a hat-trick in FIFA World Cup history after Eusébio in 1966, Pauleta in 2002 and Cristiano Ronaldo in 2018.
Coach Santos was satisfied with his selection of players and starting with Ramos. “I reason picked Ramos was because of what I saw of him in the matches I watched him in, I saw a lot of his matches. I have my way of observing, I have my way of seeing, I brought the players I preferred. The players we have in that position have different characteristics. Cristiano is currently a more fixed player, more of an area player. Gonçalo is quite different, he is a more dynamic player. He attacks the spaces in midfield very strongly. He has a strong competitive rhythm, that’s what I saw at his club. It’s the observations I’ve seen, in training he has shown that. He had already come on in the first and second match, so there’s a reason for that. We have three different strikers that I have total confidence. And I will put on the pitch whatever I think is best for the match. I have always done that in my career,” explained his decision Santos on resting the incomparable Cristiano Ronaldo, who is playing his fifth FIFA World Cup.
Ramos launched his football career with the Benfica academy at the age of 13 and represented Portugal at various levels, including the under-19 team that finished as runners-up at the 2019 UEFA European Championship and the under-21 team that finished as runners-up at the 2021 European Championship. In September 2022, Ramos was inducted into the senior team for the first time. He came in as a replacement for Rafa Silva, who retired from international football, for the upcoming 2022–23 UEFA Nations League matches against the Czech Republic and Spain. This season the prolific goal-scorer has nine goals in the Portuguese Primeira Liga, and a further five in Europe.
The young talented forward Ramos said that he was not aware of starting the game, but came to know only after Ronald spoke to the players. “Not even in my wildest dreams did I think I would start. Honestly, nobody talked about it in the changing room. But, as our captain, Cristiano did what he usually does before any game. He motivated us and offered me and all the others some words of support. That’s when I realized my selection,” Ramos stated.
Santos warned his players to stay on the ground and not carried away. “Now, I think it’s important not to get overconfident. We’re playing against Morocco next. It won’t be easy, I remember our match in 2018. I understand everyone is happy right now, as they should be. But for me, the most important thing is our match four days from now. There are three matches left, and the next one is against the team that just eliminated Spain, one of the favourites to win this title.
“It wasn’t because of Spain, it was Morocco’s merit. They are and competitive. They will be a threat to our attack, as they leave so little space for plays. Right now, we have to look at them and decide the best strategies for this match. That’s what led to Ronaldo being switched out. I’ve said it three times already. I also said it at the pre-match conference. I made it clear that it was a normal switch. That page is turned. We also must look back on the great example that this amazing player is. He’s the best in the world. An example of professionalism, of a captain, of a goal-scorer and of determination. So we must uphold our teams collective spirit, all of the 24 players, unfortunately we are just 24 right now. If we keep up like this, and make some adjustments when necessary, we’ll be on the right path,” the 68-year-old Manager admitted.
“I agree with what the coach said because the match against Morocco is in a few days and that game starts at 0-0. Today’s result doesn’t matter anymore. Our job here is done. We’re going to go all out in the next game, Now we’re fully focused on the game against Morocco without thinking about the next round because we take it game by game,” a modest Ramos mentioned.
Portugal have reached the FIFA World Cup quarter-finals for the third time in history and for the second time in the 56 years. They face off against Morocco and if they win it would be a clash with either defending champions France or England.
Showing a solid attacking structure and commitment and with the kind of form that the Portuguese are in presently, they could possibly go all the way.