Joao Felix, Pepe and Goncalo Ramos had been eager to downplay any connection between the absence of Cristiano Ronaldo and Portugal’s good efficiency within the final 16 of the World Cup.
Ronaldo was sensationally dropped by coach Fernando Santos for the conflict with Switzerland following a string of poor performances and unhelpful distractions.
21-year-old Ramos stepped in and hit a hat-trick on his World Cup debut in a 6-1 win that appeared to show that Portugal are not reliant on their all-time prime scorer.
Ramos himself was the primary to rally round Ronaldo after the match, saying: “He’s the captain, he’s the chief and we all the time look ahead to taking part in facet by facet with him.”
One other participant Ronaldo’s absence seem to unleash was Felix, who didn’t get himself on the scoresheet regardless of an excellent efficiency.
“It was a terrific recreation for the entire group,” Felix instructed RTP3. “We began effectively from the primary minute. We performed an entire recreation and when it is like that it is more durable for somebody to beat us.
“Whether or not Cristiano is there or not, the essential factor is the group. The group additionally performs effectively when Ronaldo is there.”
Veteran defender Pepe concurred, and he quashed any rumours that Ronaldo was throwing any tantrums over the choice to drop him.
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“He is aware of completely effectively that crucial factor is ‘us’,” Pepe stated. “What occurred right this moment was the coach’s selection and have to be revered.”
Pepe grabbed a chunk of World Cup historical past for himself too, as he turned the oldest man to ever rating in a knockout stage recreation.
He rose to brilliantly head house a primary half nook, however he was eager to credit score good old school coaching floor work for it.
”We have been engaged on it and within the first nook we had been going to hit straight,” he stated. “I used to be in the proper place. The collective exhausting work paid off.”
