Sporting star left on the bench as Portugal reach World Cup last 16 | OneFootball

Portugal’s U-17 national team defeated their Belgian counterparts on Friday afternoon, in the round of 32 match of the U-17 World Cup. Bino Maçães’ squad won 2-1 and secured qualification for the next stage of the competition – unlike the senior national team, which lost last Thursday.

It’s worth noting that only one player from Sporting was listed on the match sheet. Alexandre Tverdohlebov was the only Lion called up for the U-17 World Cup. The 17-year-old goalkeeper, who plays for the club’s U-19 team, was an unused substitute for Portugal.

As for the match, it started well for the national side. Anisio Cabral opened the scoring for the team at the 38th minute and doubled the lead shortly after, at 45+1’, making it 2-0. However, just before halftime, Belgium managed to pull one back, making it 2-1.

In the second half, it was a hard-fought game in which Portugal never lost control. Bino Maçães’ men were unable to score again, but they locked down their goal, not allowing the opponent any chances and confirming their place in the round of 16.

After a group stage with two wins and one loss, Portugal returns to winning ways and secures a spot in the U-17 World Cup round of 16. The national team now awaits their next opponent, which will be decided between Mexico and Argentina.

This article was translated into English by Artificial Intelligence. You can read the original version in 🇵🇹 here.