Cristiano Ronaldo's son Cristiano dos Santos took to the field for the Portugal Under-15 national team for the first time on Tuesday, guiding the underage team to a 4-1 victory against Japan in their Group A opener at the Vlatko Markovic International Tournament.
Ronaldo posted a message on Instagram in praise of his son's international debut, saying, "Congratulations on your @portugal debut son. Very proud of you!
The game started off with both sides playing hard, each side high-pressing and trying to take control of the game early. Even with the hard beginning, neither side was able to create a real opportunity until the 20th minute.
Portugal took the lead when Lourenço Fernandes played a perfect pass to Rafael Cabral, who had the Japanese keeper one-on-one. Cabral coolly rolled the ball home to score the opening goal.
Only two minutes later, Cabral doubled Portugal's advantage with a fine solo effort. Picked up in the box, he beat one defender and unleashed a shot into the net, demonstrating his calmness and clinical finishing.
Japan replied by advancing their lines upwards and succeeded in suppressing Portugal's attempts to counter-attack. Despite some hopeful moments, Portugal goalkeeper André Marques was for the most part untested, with just one major fright when he had to deal with a tricky cross.
In the second half, Japan still probed the Portuguese defense but it was the Europeans who again breached the net. Cabral was fouled within the box, and the referee signaled for a penalty. The young forward took the responsibility and finished off his hat-trick, which capped a wonderful performance.
With the score 3-0, Japan kept on fighting to score a goal, although Portugal started making some changes and providing more youngsters an opportunity to make their mark. Among them was debutant Henrique Amen, who made an instant impression. Substituted into the game in the 72nd minute, Amen scored with his first touch, capitalizing on a quick counter-attack of João Santos' side.
During stoppage time, Japan scored a consolation goal by Toa Fujisawa to close the game at 4-1.
The first match of the Vlatko Markovic International Tournament showcased the potential and coolness of Portugal's youngest national squad, with several players making their debut remembered.
Portugal will carry on their campaign with three more games: versus Greece on May 14, England on May 16, and another game on May 18 against a still-to-be-announced opponent.
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