Key Points
- Portugal beat Croatia 2-1 to reach the World Cup Round of 16.
- Cristiano Ronaldo equalized from the penalty spot after Croatia led 1-0.
- Gonçalo Ramos headed the winner in stoppage time.
- Portugal advance to face Spain; a late Croatia equalizer was ruled out for offside.
Portugal came from behind to beat Croatia 2-1 and reach the World Cup Round of 16, surviving a late scare in a game that turned on a stoppage-time header. Cristiano Ronaldo hauled them level from the penalty spot, and Gonçalo Ramos won it at the death.
Croatia carried a 1-0 lead into the second half before Ronaldo converted a penalty to equalize — his first goal in a World Cup knockout match. Ramos then rose for a stoppage-time header to put Portugal ahead. Croatia thought they had leveled again moments later, but the goal was ruled out for offside. It was a nervy, backs-to-the-wall win rather than a statement — the sort of escape good teams find and great ones rarely need.
The lasting image was Ronaldo in tears at the whistle. At 41, in what he has said is his final World Cup, a knockout goal was the one line missing from his record — every previous World Cup goal had come in the group stage. He became the first man to score in six World Cups earlier in this tournament; the knockout goal that had always eluded him arrived when it mattered most.
The read: Portugal are through, but they looked mortal against a disciplined Croatia side and needed a disallowed goal and a stoppage-time winner to avoid extra time. Waiting in the Round of 16 is Spain, who dismantled Austria 3-0 — a step up in class that will test whether this Portugal team is a genuine contender or a Ronaldo farewell tour that keeps finding one more escape.
Source: Yahoo Sports, CBS Sports
Comments