ST PETERSBURG: Maybe the turning point in Russia’s FIFA Confederations Cup campaign was that Cristiano Ronaldo header which saw them lose their second Group ‘A’ game.

That was Ronaldo’s first goal in the ‘Tournament of Champions’ that is the dress rehearsal for next year’s FIFA World Cup in Russia. He got his second on Saturday, leading European champions Portugal to a 4-0 win over New Zealand, taking them into the semi-finals as group winners and looking primed for more in the coming week.

Russia had opened the tournament in front of President Vladimir Putin with a clinical victory against New Zealand but since then, and after that Ronaldo goal, everything has gone downhill for the hosts who were hoping to raise expectations ahead of the biggest sporting event the country hosts in less than a year’s time now.

Needing a win against Mexico in Kazan to go through the group stage, home hopes were raised when they took the lead against the CONCACAF champions but it was for a few fluttering moments, when the Russians would’ve felt they were on their way to victory, until the game was back on level terms before a calamitous error by goalkeeper Igor Akinfeev and a valiant header by Hirving Lozano gave El Tri the win, which saw them advance as group runners-up behind Portugal.

“I hope the players will use the experience to grow and develop,” Russia coach Stanislav Cherchesov said in the press conference afterwards.

“We have new players coming through all the time and I’m optimistic about the future. We’re making steps in the right direction and we managed to show good football.”

Russia need to take steps in the right direction if they are to make an impression at the World Cup next year. They also crashed out at the group stage at the European Championships in France last year, a competition that was won by Portugal.

“Portugal showed why they are a top side and why they might as well go on to win the Confederations Cup,” New Zealand goalkeeper Stephan Marinovic told Dawn after the match in which he produced some brilliant saves to limit the European champions to just four goals.

Marinovic did feel that the penalty decision that saw Ronaldo open the scoring was a “bit soft”.

“I think it was a bit soft to be fair,” he said. “For a game like this, for a game where a big team [Portugal] shouldn’t need any help, this is a bit deflating.”

Ronaldo wasn’t complaining, though.

“I’m very happy to be in the semi-finals,” he said in short comments after the match, in what has been a feature at this Confederations Cup as speculation swirls over his future after being accused of tax evasion by Spanish authorities, and the fallout resulting in him reportedly threatening to leave Real Madrid.

“We will play a difficult opponent whoever that will be, Chile or Germany, two great teams. But we’re confident and want to win.”

Ronaldo had already struck the crossbar with a header before he opened the scoring in the 33rd minute, firing a right foot shot from the spot, after Danilo went tumbling down inside the box while looking to get to a corner.

It was 2-0 four minutes later when Bernardo Silva turned in Joao Moutinho’s cross, even though the former got injured in the aftermath of the goal, twisting his ankle and not appearing for the second half.

Portugal had to wait for quite a while before they could add more gloss to their win with Andre Silva scoring with a solo effort ten minutes from time and substitute Nani completing the rout with a low shot past Marinovic.

Like Portugal, Russia had an inspired start and went in front in the 25th minute when Alexander Samedov found the far post after the third time the hosts had pinged the ball into the area in quick succession.

Mexico equalised five minutes later with a looping header by Nestor Araujo after he met a cross by Hector Herrera. That was probably the moment their chance had gone.

And it was to get worse seven minutes into the second half, when Akinfeev was left embarrassed.

Herrera sent a towering clearance from near the Mexican area that caused chaos in the Russian defence. As it began to descend at the edge of Akinfeev’s box, the defenders stood away and the goalkeeper, unsure about whether he should handle it or kick it out, allowed Lozano to nip in bravely and head home an extraordinary goal to seal Mexico’s progress to the semi-finals.

“We faced a rival that simply had to go for a win and had nothing to lost, and we competed very well against them,” Mexico coach Juan Carlos Osorio said at the press conference afterwards.

“This is a big victory for Mexican football. We are building a team that it showing it can play against any opponent in any situation.”

That is exactly what Russia need to do if they are to make a deep run at the World Cup finals next year.

Published in Dawn, June 26th, 2017