GROUP G: PORTUGAL 7 NORTH KOREA O:IT WAS the moment Cristiano Ronaldo had waited 16 months for but when it came he almost felt the need to apologise. Portugal's captain ended his international scoring drought with a goal he described as "funny" and the coach called "bizarre".
Given that it was the team’s sixth and it came against opponents who had long since been demoralised, it may not have felt like one of Ronaldo’s more significant efforts.
It was certainly not one of his spectaculars either. Having raced through late on the ball flicked up off the North Korea goalkeeper, Ri Myong-guk, to land on the back of Ronaldo’s neck. Finding his composure, he allowed it to roll down before he lashed it into the empty net.
The Real Madrid forward, however, has finally begun scoring again. His last international goal had come in a friendly against Finland, from the penalty spot, in February 2009 and his previous one in a competitive fixture was against the Czech Republic at Euro 2008. It is not only Portugal who are now up and running at these finals.
“He needed that goal,” the central-defender Ricardo Carvalho said, “as all forward players do, for their confidence. Everyone is happy for him and when Cristiano scores one goal, he often scores many more. I hope this will be the case.”
Ronaldo gave his official man-of-the-match award to his team-mate Tiago, who scored twice and was one of several outstanding Portuguese performers.
“There were three or four players who deserved to win the award,” he said.
North Korea had started quite well, but the Dear Leader would have been somewhat less pleased with their second-half efforts, when the manager, Kim Jong-hun, admitted they “fell apart”.
“We need to be serious and we need to fight,” Carlos Queiroz, Portugal’s coach, said, “but it is also important the players feel free to express their joy and ability. We are close to the last 16 now and this should underline the notion that it is worth keeping faith with this Portuguese team.”
For 29 minutes things were looking positive for North Korea. Carvalho had hit a post with an early header but as the rain lashed down and Portugal failed to fashion a breakthrough, Queiroz’s players looked frustrated. Ronaldo gestured in annoyance when one move broke down and Queiroz began looking nervous in the dug-out.
North Korea even had a 10-minute spell when they threatened the Portugal goal from distance. Their best moment came when the captain Hong Yong-jo flashed in a shot from the right but after Eduardo had parried, Pak Nam-chol could not control his header.
But in a moment the game turned. Tiago stroked a through ball for the well-timed run of Raul Meireles and his finish was low and true.
The goal was simply worked but Portuguese relief was palpable. Queiroz pumped his fists in delight.
Ronaldo came to life in the second half and he almost scored in the 71st minute only for a 25-yard shot to rattle the crossbar with Ri Myong-guk beaten.
By then, though, Portugal were 4-0 up, having moved up through the gears in scintillating style and helped themselves to three goals in nine minutes.
Simao Sabrosa’s was a beauty, a smart finish after Meireles and Hugo Almeida combined from Miguel’s long pass.
Almeida, with a thumping header from Fabio Coentrao’s cross, and Tiago, from Ronaldo’s assist, set up the rout.
North Korea’s legs looked heavy on the soaked surface and as Portugal sought to deepen their misery, the game began to resemble a playground mismatch. It could not end soon enough for North Korea. Portugal even passed up a couple of presentable chances.
The fifth came when Ri Kwang-chon erred dreadfully and the substitute Liedson took the opportunity and after Ronaldo’s tonic, it fell to Tiago to head his second, and their seventh, from the substitute Miguel Veloso’s centre.
“Credit to North Korea,” said Queiroz. “Their players did not react to defeat by fouling. They left with their heads held high.”
It was the smallest crumb of comfort.
Queiroz said beforehand that the three points were all that mattered, but his team got them and more. Never mind their confidence, this has pepped up the goal difference dramatically. It would take a calamity now for Portugal not to qualify ahead of Ivory Coast. Their final group match, against Brazil on Friday, suddenly does not look so worrying. Guardian Service
Rout shown live in North Korea
SPARE A thought for the North Korean side. There was no live coverage on state television of their rather excellent performance against Brazil in their opening group game, the match not broadcast in full until 17 hours after it finished.
That decision was largely put down to the time difference (the game was played in the middle of the night, North Korea time).
But, perhaps because they were suitably impressed by the showing against Brazil, state broadcaster Korean Central Television, according to South Korea's Yonhap news agency, announced it would be showing yesterday's game against Portugal – live.
Oh, dear.
– Mary Hannigan
