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Fans had a go at right-back Joao Cancelo after Cristiano Ronaldo's Portugal registered a goalless draw against Scotland at Hampden Park on Tuesday (October 15). It was also the first time that A Selecao dropped points in the UEFA Nations League this season.
Despite dominating ball possession (70%) and registering 14 shots on the Scottish goal, the Portuguese were wasteful with their finishing. They only had three shots on target out of 14 attempts and struggled to connect the dots in the final third of the pitch.
Cancelo was one of the team's weak links because of his indecisiveness with the ball and poor ball distribution. The Al-Hilal player gave the ball away to the opposition 19 times - more so than any player in the Portuguese side. He also managed just two successful ground duels out of an attempted 10 and was substituted by Nelson Semedo in the 88th minute.
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Fans on X slammed Joao Cancelo, with many blaming his recent move to Saudi side Al-Hilal for his drop in form. Some popular comments are as follows:
"Cancelo showing us that that Saudi move was deserved," wrote a fan on X.
"Cancelo has been shocking tonight. That Saudi move might’ve finished the international career," opined another.
"João Cancelo went to Saudi and forgot how to cross a ball," another fan chimed in.
Another user claimed that Portugal lack creativity when Cancelo plays, tweeting:
"There is never any creativity with him on the pitch for Portugal. Final product is always ass."
"Cancelo is overrated and bad player. Sucks," inferred another.
Finally, one fan noted that Joao Cancelo used to be one of the most sought-after fullbacks in the world at one time.
"Bruh there was a time Cancelo was the best fullback on the planet," tweeted the fan on X.
How has the UEFA Nations League 2024-25 been so far for Cristiano Ronaldo's Portugal?
Portugal has been one of the most in-form teams in the UEFA Nations League this season. A Selecao currently sit atop their group with 10 points scored in four games. They had won all their games before the goalless draw against Scotland at Hampden Park.
In their Nations League opener against Croatia on September 5, Cristiano Ronaldo scored his record-breaking 900th goal, becoming the only player in the history of the game to reach that landmark. Cristiano Ronaldo (34') and Diogo Dalot's (7') first-half strikes ensured a 2-1 victory.
Their second game was against Scotland on September 8, and it ended with a 2-1 victory for Cristiano Ronaldo's side. Bruno Fernandes (54') and Ronaldo (88') scored to get their side over the line.
Ronaldo scored again in Portugal's third game against Poland on October 12. The match ended in a 3-1 victory for A Selecao, with Bernardo Silva (26') and Cristiano Ronaldo (37') getting on the scoresheet. In the final minutes of the game, Poland's Jan Bednarek scored an own goal (88') to make it 3-1.
After their clash against Scotland, Portugal will face Robert Lewandowski's Poland on November 15 at the Dragon Stadium.
