Bruno Fernandes was relieved that Portugal teammate Cristiano Ronaldo opened his goal account with two strikes at the World Cup on Tuesday.
The Manchester United midfielder set up Ronaldo for Portugal’s third goal in a 5-0 win over Uzbekistan.
“It’s always special to get an assist with the national team, especially at the World Cup, which is a special tournament,” Fernandes said.
Portugal and Ronaldo had been criticised in the media for their lacklustre performance in their first game, a goalless draw with Congo DR.
Read more:Cristiano Ronaldo preparing for sixth World Cup with same enthusiasm as first – Roberto Martinez
Ronaldo, 41, responded by scoring the opener in the sixth minute before adding his second before half-time.
In doing so, he became the first man in history to score at six separate World Cups. “It was important for our captain to score,” Fernandes said of Ronaldo.
“It was important for us that he scored. He’s our go-to player in attack. We’re very happy for him.”
Fernandes, 31, knows his time to shine will come too. He is coming off a terrific season with Manchester United, where he broke the all-time Premier League record for the most assists (21) in a single campaign and received the award as best player of the Premier League season.
Read more:No obligation to pass to Ronaldo – Portugal’s Francisco Conceição
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“What matters is that Portugal scores, whether it’s me or not,” he said.
Fernandes added: “We managed to score a lot of goals, and we’re happy about that. I’m here to set up my teammates up front — t’s part of my game — regardless of whether I score or not. I believe my moment will come, and that it will be at a time when it’s truly needed.”
Portugal next face Colombia in Miami on Saturday in a battle for top spot in Group K. Colombia have already sealed qualification to the knockout stage of the World Cup with two wins from two games.
