29
maltatoday | SUNDAY • 1 JULY 2018
SPORTS
WORLD CUP
FOOTBALL
Mexico see off South Korea
despite late Son stunner
IT was supposed to be
a match about two of
the world's most talked
about strikers.
Cristiano Ronaldo's
four goals in the group
stage were the reason
Portugal qualified for
the World Cup's knock-
out round. Uruguay's
Luis Suarez's contro-
versial World Cup past is the
stuff of legend and the reason
for cat calls around the world.
Instead, it was Edinson Ca-
vani, Uruguay's other for-
ward, who sent La Celeste on
to the quarterfinal with spec-
tacular goals in Uruguay's
2-1 victory.
It will advance to play France
in Nizhny Novgorod on Friday.
In a game in which both
sides tried to play possession
football, Uruguay was able to
hold the ball when it mattered
(though, according to FIFA
match statistics, Portugal won
possession 62 percent of the
match).
Portugal could not extricate
the ball from the feet of Cavani
or Suarez, who teamed up for
the match's first goal in the sev-
enth minute.
Cavani switched the ball
across the field 40 yards to Su-
arez, then kept driving to to the
net.
Suarez took a couple touches
toward the 18-yard box, then
sent a cross to the back post
right back to Cavani, whose
header was picture perfect.
After Portugal tied the
match on a corner kick, La
Celeste broke out downfield
off a free kick and once again
put the ball on Cavani's feet.
He bent a shot around Por-
tuguese keeper Rui Patricio
to take the lead.
Uruguay celebrate
their second goal
Uruguay Portugal
2
1
Edinson Cavani stole the night
