European champions Portugal swept into the semi-finals of the FIFA Confederations Cup on June 25, overpowering New Zealand's All Whites 4-0 in front of 56,290 fans at St. Petersburg's Krestovsky Stadium to finish top of their group. The table-toppers didn't have it all their own way against the group minnows, however, with Anthony Hudson's charges refusing to be overawed despite finding themselves up against some of the European game's household names. Indeed, it was the All Whites who fired the first shot in anger in the contest, Dane Ingham picking out Chris Wood with a cross from the right which invited the captain to fire an effort on target in the sixth minute. Rui Patricio smothered this, and was little troubled throughout the rest of a half ultimately dominated by Portugal, who looked to hit back sixty seconds later via Bernardo Silva's raking eye-of-a-needle forty yard pass, which only just failed to pick out Cristiano Ronaldo's run towards the far post. After feeling their way into the contest, Portugal began to move through the gears half-way through the first spell. A short corner routine featuring Silva, Nelson Semedo and Joao Moutinho culminated in the last-mentioned picking out Ronaldo with a  cross which the muscular striker headed at Stefan Marinovic. Three minutes later, on the left flank, the wily Ricardo Quaresma worked a one-two with Moutinho before darting in towards goal prior to picking out Ronaldo with a cross. Once more, the striker's neck muscles propelled the ball goalwards, this time beating Marinovic but not the crossbar, which quivered with the impact. You could sense a Portuguese goal wasn't far away, and in the 32nd minute, only the strategically placed figure of Tommy Smith prevented the European champions from opening the scoring, after Danilo had met Silva's corner with a bullet header. It only delayed the inevitable, however, and from Quaresma's resulting corner, Smith and Tom Doyle combined to foul Danilo in the area. Referee Mark Geiger had no hesitation in pointing to the penalty spot, from where Ronaldo did what Ronaldo usually does - 1-0. This was his 75th goal in international football, with just the legendary Ferenc Puskas to overhaul for the reigning FIFA Player of the Year to become the most prolific European marksman of all time in world football, a target which is just nine goals away. That 33rd minute strike was followed four minutes later by a second Portuguese goal, one which owed volumes to the guile of Quaresma, who played a part in all three goals scored while he was on the pitch. On this occasion, the Besiktas striker lured two opponents to him before cleverly lobbing the ball over them for the overlapping figure of Eliseu to latch onto. The fullback cut a swathe to the by-line before pulling the ball back into the stride of Silva, who steered the ball home from close range before landing awkwardly under the challenge of Doyle. That two-goal cushion was a fulfilling advantage which Portugal took into the half-time break, after which they took a while to get into the stride again - indeed, as in the first half, it was the All Whites who created the first genuine opening of the spell. This time it was Marco Rojas' driving run which caused Portugal problems, the striker feeding the overlapping figure of Doyle, who delivered a gem of a low cross to the far post. Wood was arriving on cue, but had the misfortunate to see his goal-bound  effort blocked on the line by the recovering figure of Bruno Alves.

This sparked the European Nations Cup holders into life, and three times inside the next ten minutes they drew saves from Marinovic, the first of them coming on the hour mark to foil another Ronaldo header, after Quaresma and the overlapping figure of Semedo had combined to good effect on the right. Four minutes later, Quaresma combined with Moutinho, who threaded a ball through for Andre Silva to latch onto in the penalty area. He took and beat Michael Boxall, but Marinovic was right behind his shot five minutes before turning a deflected shot from substitute Nani to safety after Moutinho and the overlapping figure of Semedo had combined on the right. Moments prior to this, the All Whites had again gone close to pulling a goal back. Substitute Bill Tuiloma's long throw-in wasn't cleared, allowing Smith to head the ball down for another newcomer in Costa Barbarouses, whose deflected shot on the turn was smothered by Rui Patricio. Portugal's custodian was called upon again fourteen minutes from time to prevent his net from bulging, Wood's rasping twenty-five yarder materialising after he had begun a move which also featured Barbarouses and fellow substitute Shane Smeltz. The more fancied team's response to this was predictable, and productive. After Semedo had stung the gloves of Marinovic with a drive, Portugal made it 3-0 ten minutes from time. Inevitably, Quaresma, the game's most influential figure, was involved again, catching Doyle in possession before feeding Andre Silva, who still had plenty to do. Forty yards and three defenders later, he did it, burying the ball in the top far corner of the net from the edge of the penalty area - 3-0. Even though they were certain to bow out of the tournament before this game kicked off, the All Whites were determined to depart Russia with a goal to show for their efforts against the group winners, and three times in the last ten minutes they came close to realising that objective. Seven minutes from time, Smith won an aerial duel which Barbarouses benefited from, the substitute turning the ball into the stride of Rojas, whose dipping twenty-five yarder narrowly cleared the crossbar. After Andre Silva had twice been denied at the other end by obdurate defending, a deep cross from Tuiloma in the 88th minute picked out the head of Wood, who directed the ball back across goal. Patricio fumbled the sphere in his bid to catch it, presenting the incoming figure of Boxall with the chance to strike from close-range. But the 'keeper recovered to block his effort, and looked on with relief as Barbarouses thrashed a twenty yarder over the bar, the striker having worked a one-two with Smeltz after first receiving the ball from Wood. By the time this opportunity had materialised, Portugal had struck a fourth goal, with Moutinho and Andre Silva combining to allow Ronaldo's replacement, Nani, to arrow a shot across Marinovic into the far corner of the net, thus wrapping up the scoring in a contest which saw the vanquished All Whites beaten but not disgraced by a Portugal combination which is focused on FIFA Confederations Cup glory, make no mistake. Portugal:     Patricio; Semedo (booked, 21), Pepe (booked, 56), Alves, Eliseu; B. Silva (Pizzi, 46), Danilo, Moutinho, Quaresma (Martins, 83); A. Silva, Ronaldo (Nani, 67) All Whites:     Marinovic; Boxall, Durante (Smeltz, 74), Smith; Ingham (booked, 81) Lewis (booked, 19) (Barbarouses, 64), McGlinchey (Tuiloma, 36), Thomas, Doyle (booked, 38); Wood, Rojas Referee:     Mark Geiger (USA)