Patrick McEnroe takes dig at Cristiano Ronaldo after Portugal cruise into 2022 FIFA World Cup quarterfinals
Portugal's brilliant 6-1 win over Switzerland drew reactions from the world over even as Patrick McEnroe voiced his thoughts on the FIFA World Cup Round of 16 encounter in Qatar.
McEnroe highlighted that Portugal excelled on the day despite the absence of star striker Cristiano Ronaldo, who watched the lion's share of the proceedings from the bench.
"No Ronaldo. No problem," he tweeted.
No Ronaldo
No problem
Not even Ronaldo's most ardent fans could hold back their delight, as Goncalo Ramos, who took the place of the 37-year-old scored an absolute scorcher of a goal from a difficult angle as early as the 17th minute.
Goncalo Ramos replaced Cristiano Ronaldo and now has more World Cup KO goals than him in his first ever World Cup start! 🔥 https://t.co/H1hXFZcyew
The Portuguese team doubled their lead after Pepe found the back of the net with a powerful header in the 33rd minute before the 21-year-old Benfica forward added a second to his tally in the 51st minute.
Ramos went on to complete a memorable hat-trick as he deftly guided one past an advancing Yann Sommer after Raphael Guerreiro had scored Portugal's fourth goal in the 55th minute.
Even when Ronaldo finally did manage to put the ball in the net after coming in as a substitute with fifteen minutes left on the clock, the goal was disallowed as the flag went up for a clear offside.
Patrick McEnroe's message about the six-time Ballon d’Or winner also comes after Ronaldo lost his composure after being substituted during his side's 1-2 defeat against South Korea in the group stages.
Patrick McEnroe had predicted that USA could upset Netherlands in FIFA World Cup knockouts
Patrick McEnroe's tennis expertise was never in question, but the ESPN broadcaster was seen breaking new ground as a football pundit ahead of the USA's Round of 16 clash against the Netherlands.
Appearing on CNN, McEnroe told anchor Jake Tapper that the young US team was capable of upsetting a Dutch side that "did not look dominant" during the group stages.
"They (USA) go into the game against the Netherlands as the underdogs and the Netherlands despite winning their group Jake, I don't think they looked that great, they did not look dominant. This (USA) team is the one I think that is right for an upset and I think this young US team - one of the youngest teams in the tournament is ready to do that," the 56-year-old stated.
ESPN commentator @PatrickMcEnroe tells @jaketapper why he thinks the U.S. will defeat the Netherlands in the World Cup knockout match and which player could become a breakout star https://t.co/FShYMsaVD4
The Netherlands went on to defeat the USA 3-1 in the Round of 16 and will take on two-time FIFA World Cup champions Argentina in the quarterfinals.