Portugal’s long search for a goal-scoring centre-forward to aid Cristiano Ronaldo could be over after 20-year-old striker Andre Silva netted a first-half hat-trick in Monday’s 6-0 World Cup qualifying hammering of the Faroe Islands.
Ronaldo has been relied upon as the country’s main scoring threat since Pauleta retired in 2006, but Silva’s encouraging emergence continued as he netted three times in just his fourth senior international appearance in Torshavn.
Free-scoring Portugal also hit Andorra for six on Friday, with Ronaldo scoring four and Silva claiming his first international goal, and the Faroe Islands were no better, keeping the visitors at bay for only 12 minutes.
