Los Angeles (United States) (AFP) – Portugal battled into the last 16 of the World Cup with a drama-filled 2-1 victory over Croatia on Thursday to set up a titanic showdown with European champions Spain. In another nerve-shredding World Cup classic, Goncalo Ramos headed Portugal into the lead in the fourth minute of stoppage time before Croatia saw a last-gasp equaliser agonisingly ruled out for offside in Toronto.
Portugal’s 41-year-old superstar captain Cristiano Ronaldo had helped haul his team back into the contest, burying a 68th-minute penalty to cancel out Croatia’s 53rd-minute opener from Ivan Perisic. Ronaldo later joined frenzied celebrations after Ramos glanced home a sensational header deep into injury time to give Portugal the lead. But Ronaldo and his Portugal team-mates were left stunned when Josko Gvardiol prodded home an apparent equaliser in stoppage time.
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Yet VAR chalked off the goal after a chip embedded in the match ball detected that it had just brushed Croatia striker Igor Matanovic while Mario Pasalic was in an offside position in the build-up. After the final whistle, an emotional Ronaldo held up and pulled on a Portugal shirt bearing the number 21, a tribute to late team-mate Diogo Jota, the Liverpool star who tragically died in a car crash almost a year to the day from Thursday’s win, on July 3 last year.
“We knew it before the game. It was a so special moment. We speak today, our group, about that, the coincidence of life, it’s unbelievable,” Ronaldo said afterwards of the tribute to Jota. “I was amazed because the situation of today. It means a lot to us, not only because we won the game, but also the way we won the game. It was a difficult game, we knew it.” The result ensures that Ronaldo’s incredible World Cup career will be extended for at least one more match when the Portuguese face Iberian rivals Spain in the last 16 in Dallas on Monday. Ronaldo’s second-half penalty made him the oldest man to score in a World Cup knockout match. The goal was also the first time Ronaldo had scored in a World Cup game in his glittering career.
– Spain romp past Austria –
Spain had advanced to that meeting with a scintillating 3-0 win over Austria in Los Angeles earlier Friday that confirmed their status as one of the favourites for the title. Two goals from Mikel Oyarzabal and a Pedro Porro header sealed victory for the Spaniards, who produced their most complete performance of the tournament to advance to the next round. Spain opened their World Cup campaign with a faltering 0-0 draw against Cape Verde, but have subsequently built momentum with each match.
With Spanish movie stars Penelope Cruz and Javier Bardem in the 70,492 crowd at Los Angeles’ SoFi Stadium, Spain were always in control against a limited Austrian side who failed to register a shot on goal. Oyarzabal fired Spain into the lead in the 36th minute, sweeping in a low finish to crown a slick passing move, and more deft interplay set up Porro to head home the second in the 66th minute. Real Sociedad striker Oyarzabal grabbed his second as he coolly tucked away a low finish from Marc Cucurella’s pinpoint cross.
“We played a magnificent match. I am happy because, in every aspect, we came close to perfection,” said Spain coach Luis de la Fuente. “Every match from now on will be more complicated. Every match will be a bit more demanding. We are moving into a more critical phase” of the World Cup, he added. De la Fuente said his Spain side can still get better “in every area.” “That is our spirit — the belief that we haven’t hit our ceiling yet. We need to improve naturally. We are ambitious,” he said.
In the late match on Thursday, Switzerland eased into the last 16 with a 2-0 victory over Algeria, as Africa’s rocky start to the knockout rounds continued. Goals from Breel Embolo and Dan Ndoye saw Switzerland into the next round, where they will face the winners of Friday’s game between Colombia and Ghana. Algeria, who had never won a World Cup knockout game in four previous trips to the tournament, were the latest African team to exit in the last 32, after the demise of Ivory Coast, Democratic Republic of Congo, Senegal, and South Africa. Only Morocco has gone through to the last 16.
© 2024 AFP
