Penalty miss, tears: Ronaldo's whirlwind night as Portugal reach Euro 2024 quarters
Penalty miss, tears: Ronaldo's whirlwind night as Portugal reach Euro 2024 quarters
It was a whirlwind night for Cristiano Ronaldo as Portugal was forced to work to edge past Slovenia in the Round Of 16 of the Euro 2024 on July 1, Monday. Goalkeeper Diogo Costa was the star of the show in the penalty shootout as he saved all three penalties from Slovenia as Portugal won it 3-0. However, the spotlight was firmly on Ronaldo as the game was a rollercoaster ride of emotions for the superstar.
Ronaldo experienced a tough match, squandering multiple chances, including a missed penalty in extra time, which left him in tears, requiring comfort from his teammates. Portugal was granted the penalty late in the first half of extra time after Diogo Jota's powerful run into the box was halted illegally by defender Vanja Drkusic, who, already on a yellow card, was fortunate not to receive a second one.
Despite having a dependable penalty taker in Bruno Fernandes, captain Ronaldo opted to take the crucial kick. However, his shot was expertly saved by Slovenia's Jan Oblak, who deflected the ball onto the post.
Throughout the match, the 39-year-old Ronaldo, aiming to become the oldest scorer in Euros history, appeared out of form, missing several headers. He also insisted on taking all four free-kicks awarded to Portugal in shooting range, none of which troubled Oblak significantly.
Slovenia's defense was stellar, and whenever they gained possession, they launched long balls to forwards Andraz Sporar and Benjamin Sesko, aiming to capitalize on opportunities. This strategy was effective, with Sesko having two one-on-one chances due to mistakes by Pepe. The first was misfired wide, and the second, seven minutes from the end of extra time, was well saved by Costa.
Sesko's missed opportunities will likely haunt him, and when it came to the pressure of the shootout, Slovenia faltered against excellent goalkeeping. Despite his earlier struggles, Ronaldo redeemed himself by confidently scoring the first penalty for Portugal in the shootout.
After that moment, Ronaldo was seen apologising to the Portugal fans for his earlier penalty miss.
Was at rock bottom
Ronaldo would say that he had hit rock bottom when his team needed him the most but was happy that things turned out well for them in the end. The Portugal captain believed that his side deserved to win in the end as they had more authority.
"Even the strongest people have their (bad) days. I was at rock bottom ... when the team needed me the most,"Ronaldosaid in a post-match interview before bursting into tears again.
"Sadness at the start is joy at the end. That's what football is. Moments, inexplicable moments," he said.
"I feel sad and happy at the same time. But the important thing is to enjoy it. The team did an extraordinary job.
"We fought right to the end and if you look at it, if you analyse the game, I think we deserved it because we had more authority."
Portugal will now face France in the quarterfinal on July 5, Friday.
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