At the final whistle the celebrations from Cristiano Ronaldo were quite restrained compared to the other occasions when he has added another trophy to his personal collection. Two arms raised, but nothing too elaborate. Ronaldo did not even mark the moment by peeling off his top to remind us of the contours of his six-pack. Which was highly unlike him but a reflection, perhaps, that the Nations League is still finding its way.
At the same time, Ronaldo and his Portugal team-mates can still reflect on another highly satisfying achievement to win the inaugural competition following their success at Euro 2016. Gonçalo Guedes, a 22-year-old winger for Valencia, scored the decisive goal and, yet again, it was difficult not to marvel at the country’s ability to produce so many gifted footballers.
Written by Daniel Taylor at the Estádio do Dragão
This news first appeared on https://www.theguardian.com/football/2019/jun/09/portugal-netherlands-nations-league-final-match-report under the title “Portugal provide local cheer as Gonçalo Guedes does for the Netherlands”. Bolchha Nepal is not responsible or affiliated towards the opinion expressed in this news article.
