Portugal, with drama, qualified for the quarterfinals of the Euro Cup after eliminating Slovenia: Ronaldo went from drama to happiness

With much drama, the Portuguese national team qualified for the quarter-finals of the European Championship on Monday, defeating Slovenia on penalties. in a match that was decided on penalties, after a 0-0 draw after 120 minutes.

From tears after missing a penalty in extra time to laughter after beating Slovenia in the penalty shoot-out, Cristiano Ronaldo will have an extra life in the Euros thanks to the great performance of his goalkeeper Diogo Costa, who reigned in the tragicomedy of his teammate after stopping three penalties in the penalty shoot-out and saving a one-on-one against Sesko in the last moment of extra time.

Cristiano Ronaldo was eliminated from the Euros for many minutes. Oblak, an impenetrable wall, another excellent goalkeeper who deserves a monument, stopped all his attempts. The most intense one, in the first part of extra time, caused the inexhaustible Portuguese footballer to cry, who could not contain his emotions after missing a penalty that would have prevented the subsequent lottery from the eleven meters.

But Diogo Costa appeared to rescue his teammate, who then dared to take another penalty, which he did not miss this time. Roberto Martínez must not have liked the experiment of the last day of the group stage, in which, with a few exceptions, he faced Georgia with a starting eleven full of theoretical substitutes. He lost, the image was close to disaster and he returned to his origins, to his most recognizable team with which he triumphed in his first two games of the Euro Cup.

The same team that beat Turkey 3-0 appeared on the Frankfurt Arena pitch to end the adventure of the determined Slovenia. Among them was Cristiano Ronaldo again. The Al-Nassr striker played almost the entire match. He only missed the last 25 minutes of the defeat against Georgia.

His ambition seems to have no limits and Roberto Martínez is going all out with his striker. He doesn’t care about the criticism that no matter how many goals he scores or how well he is physically, he is a burden on Portugal’s system.

The Portuguese coach is betting on him and that’s it. And as in the previous matches, Cristiano once again brought out his anxiety. He has not yet calmed down his insatiable voracity during the Euros and needs to celebrate a goal to calm down. It is absolutely necessary, because otherwise he will have an attack. Against Slovenia, from the first second, he demonstrated with excessive histrionics that he wants to become the oldest player to score in the history of the tournament. This haste and this desire perhaps infected Portugal, which was overly excited and always in fifth gear.

There was no pause. Everything was going at too high a speed. Slovenia, entrenched at the back around Oblak, managed to hold out against the Portuguese storm in the first half and only worried Portugal with a shot from Sesko on the edge of the break. They came out alive and without conceding because their rivals were off target. On occasions, they missed the target by the millimetres that Cristiano needed to head in two very clear attempts; also, because the Portuguese striker sent a free kick from the edge of the area over the crossbar, very close; and Palhinha, at the last minute, closed the carousel of opportunities with a shot that kissed the base of Oblak’s post.

The passage through the dressing room calmed Portugal, who abandoned their initial madness in favour of a slower game that also failed to work. Only Joao Cancelo, persistent and unbalancing on the right, managed to gene
rate something within the defensive framework of Slovenia, very secure in their area of ​​play and waiting for a counterattack that Sesko narrowly missed, showing his power in speed against Pepe only to fail in front of Diogo Costa.

Roberto Martínez looked for the solution to so much traffic jam with Diogo Jota and without Vitinhawho was taken off the pitch to face the last half hour. Cristiano, meanwhile, continued to be immersed in his world, trying everything with a certain amount of selfishness, taking fouls: the long ones, the close ones, the ones on the left or the right. All of them, except one, which at least went against Oblak’s body, badly taken. And in the end, when he had to score, he didn’t: in the 89th minute, in front of Oblak, he again sent the ball against the efficient Slovenian goalkeeper.

Maximum suspense

They had to face an extra time that Portugal probably did not expect. Slovenia’s plan was still in place, only now they had to extend the match to penalties with two teams that were terrified of any mistake and that is why nothing happened until the tragedy of the night.

Diogo Jota gave away a dubious penalty and Cristiano Ronaldo finally saw the light at the end of the tunnel with a unique opportunity. He grabbed the ball, no one else could take the penalty, and Oblak saved it. He went into the extra-time break in tears. Tragedy was looming for Portugal. His mother, in the box, was also crying inconsolably.

His teammates kissed and hugged an idol who seemed to have fallen and who was on the verge of not even extending the match to penalties. Diogo Costa gave Cristiano another match point with a decisive save in a one-on-one with Sesko, the second he failed in a clash that was decided on penalties. In them, once again, the Portuguese goalkeeper appeared to stop the shots of Drkusic, Balkovec and Verbic.

So Cristiano breathed a sigh of relief, his anxiety calmed and France awaits in the quarter-finals.

EFE