Tag: Euro

Portugal beats Slovenia at Euro 2024 despite Ronaldo penalty miss

On: By: admin


Portugal’s Cristiano Ronaldo reacts after scoring in penalties shootouts during a round of sixteen match between Portugal and Slovenia at the Euro 2024 football tournament in Frankfurt, Germany, Monday, July 1, 2024. (AP Photo/Matthias Schrader)

FRANKFURT, Germany — No one does high drama in international football to such an operatic extent as Cristiano Ronaldo.

Portugal is heading to a blockbuster quarterfinal with France at the European Championship after its star captain generated compelling viewing on center stage of the victory over Slovenia on Monday.

Winning a penalty shootout 3-0 after a 0-0 game against the 57th-ranked team in world football might not sound much.

But there were tears, lots of them, from Ronaldo; an apology in prayer-form to his fans, who responded with adulation; extravagant arm gestures of anger, frustration and exasperation; chances wasted and denied to make more tournament history; a renewed duel with an old rival goalkeeper; and ultimately redemption and victory.

READ: Spain rallies to thrash Georgia, reach Euro 2024 quarterfinal

Ronaldo’s mother was in the stadium and TV pictures showed her crying, too, after he missed his penalty.

“Sometimes it’s hard and difficult to score penalties,” Ronaldo told Portuguese broadcaster RTP after the match, getting emotional again. “I’ve scored more than 200 penalties in my career. Sometimes it’s a mess.”

Still, the last act of Monday’s show gave Portugal what it needed.

“We showed the enthusiasm that we still have to play, to have fun, to give joy to the fans and that’s it, this is our life,” he said after it was all over, close to midnight in Frankfurt.

The 39-year-old Ronaldo went into the game without a goal at Euro 2024.

READ: Ronaldo still Portugal’s main man despite slow start to Euro 2024

The moment when he surely had to become the oldest player ever to score at a Euros finals tournament came in the first period of extra time, the 105th minute, after missing five or six of the kind of chances he has thrived on now for 20 years at this level.

Portugal had been awarded a penalty kick and Ronaldo stepped up to take what could have been the decisive goal.

Instead, Slovenia goalkeeper Jan Oblak, a long-time adversary from their time playing Spanish league football in Madrid, dived left to push aside the well-struck shot against a post and away to safety.

Portugal vs Slovenia Euro 2024

Portugal’s players celebrate after winning the penalties shootouts of a round of sixteen match between Portugal and Slovenia at the Euro 2024 soccer tournament in Frankfurt, Germany, Monday, July 1, 2024. (AP Photo/Ariel Schalit)

Tears welled in Ronaldo’s eyes and soon flowed during the break before the second period of extra time began. Teammates consoled him, kissed his forehead and urged him to keep going.

Extra time also finished 0-0 and when the penalty shootout started, Slovenia’s first kick was saved by Portugal goalkeeper Diogo Costa.

Up stepped Ronaldo, facing a massed stand of about 10,000 Portugal fans. He placed it perfectly low beyond Oblak diving to his right.

Ronaldo looked apologetically to the fans and put his hands together as if in prayer. The fans responded with a bellowing and forgiving shout of “Siuuuu” — their football icon’s trademark goal scream.

“I was certain that he had to be the first penalty taker and show us the way to victory,” Portugal coach Roberto Martinez said. “Life gives you difficult moments and the way he reacted makes us very proud.”

Costa answered the rest of those fans’ prayers with as good a penalty shootout as any goalkeeper could have.

He saved all three of Slovenia’s kicks from Josip Ilicic, Jure Balkovec and Benjamin Verbič. Then he was in tears, too.

Bruno Fernandes and Bernardo Silva also scored for Portugal to seal the shootout 3-0 with two kicks to spare.

“I was sad and now I’m overjoyed. This is what football gives you,” Ronaldo said in translated comments in a post-game interview. “You cannot explain it.”

Portugal will face France in the quarterfinals on Friday in Hamburg, a rematch of the 2016 final that Portugal won in Paris after Ronaldo went off injured early.

“We all know that Cris is the hardest worker. I understand how frustrated he is,” Costa said. “For me, it’s an honor to play on the same team.”

The personal duel between Ronaldo and Oblak had been memorable merely in regulation time.

It was an intensely frustrating first 90 minutes for Ronaldo with three free kicks, two mistimed jumps for headers and a golden chance to score with his first clear shot in open play.

That was in the 89th, when he ran clear on goal with the ball passed perfectly into his stride. The left-foot shot was low and powerful but Oblak’s block was better.

The best of Ronaldo’s free kicks was a powerful line drive right at Oblak in the 55th that the tall goalkeeper squatted to push away with strong hands.

The intense drama for the Portugal superstar almost overwhelmed the troubled evening for Slovenia’s emerging star.

Benjamin Šeško had chances to win the game, in the 62nd and 115th minutes, going one-on-one with Costa after racing past 41-year-old defender Pepe.

The first was a weak shot that screwed wide, and the second was powerful and accurate but saved by the goalkeeper’s outstretched boot.

So it went penalties. Just as it had in the Euro 2012 semifinals, when Spain beat Portugal before Ronaldo — as the fifth scheduled taker — even had the chance to step up.

Just as it had when Ronaldo’s Real Madrid and Oblak’s Atletico Madrid met in the 2016 Champions League final. Back then, Ronaldo placed the fifth and decisive spot-kick past Oblak to win the title.

Portugal is still competing to win back the European title it also won in 2016, at the expense of an admirable Slovenia squad that was effectively unbeaten after drawing all four of its games at Euro 2024.



Your subscription could not be saved. Please try again.


Your subscription has been successful.

“His emotions show respect for Slovenia,” coach Matjaž Kek said of Ronaldo, “and that is what I am content with.”

Spain rallies to thrash Georgia, reach Euro 2024 quarterfinal

On: By: admin


Spain’s midfielder #08 Fabian Ruiz celebrates with teammates after scoring his team’s second goal during the UEFA Euro 2024 round of 16 football match between Spain and Georgia at the Cologne Stadium in Cologne on June 30, 2024. (Photo by Alberto PIZZOLI / AFP)

Rodri, Fabian Ruiz, Nico Williams and Dani Olmo all scored as Spain came from behind to beat surprise packages Georgia 4-1 at Euro 2024 on Sunday and set up a blockbuster quarterfinal against hosts Germany.

Robin Le Normand’s own goal gave Georgia a shock lead in the 18th minute of this last-16 tie to send their noisy supporters wild in Cologne.

It was the first goal Spain had conceded at the competition but they came back to equalise six minutes before the interval courtesy of Manchester City midfielder Rodri.

READ: Ronaldo still Portugal’s main man despite slow start to Euro 2024

Ruiz then headed home in the 51st minute and Williams ran through for the third before substitute Olmo made sure of the win as La Roja stayed on track to become European champions for the fourth time.

“There are things we need to improve and at some points in the game we were not forceful enough, but in general terms we were superior,” said Rodri.

Spain now takes on Germany in the last eight in Stuttgart on Friday in a repeat of the Euro 2008 final, which they won 1-0 to begin their golden era of dominance in international football.

“Germany might be playing at home but we are not afraid. We are here to win, not just to play well or give off a good image,” Rodri added.

Luis de la Fuente’s team is looking to bring back the glory days and they were expected to brush Georgia aside here.

READ: Spain advances to knockout round at Euro 2024, beating Italy

They would have ultimately won by a far greater margin had they converted more of their chances, with 16-year-old winger Lamine Yamal squandering several opportunities in his attempt to become the youngest ever goal-scorer at the Euros.

Georgia is ranked 74th in the world, 66 places below Spain. Willy Sagnol’s team lost twice to Spain in qualifying, going down 7-1 at home and 3-1 away.

Yet they still qualified for a first major tournament and then made it to the knockout stages with a stunning 2-0 win over Portugal. They now go home with their heads held high despite eventually crumbling here.

“I am not saying we are disappointed but we are a bit sad because we lost,” Sagnol said.

“I am sure in some days we will realize exactly what we have done and the happiness will come back very quickly.”

They have a lively attacking partnership between Khvicha Kvaratskhelia and Georges Mikautadze that is a danger for any opponent, and Giorgi Mamardashvili has been one of the best goalkeepers at the tournament.

Audacious

Mamardashvili had already saved from Pedri and kept out Dani Carvajal’s glancing header before Georgia went ahead.

The move started with a fine piece of play by Kvaratskhelia on the left, as he picked out a pass for Mikautadze, who then released Otar Kakabadze on the right wing.

Kakabadze’s cross into the box was a horrible one for Le Normand, who had Kvaratskhelia arriving behind him and could not stop the ball rebounding off him and into the net for the eighth own goal of Euro 2024.

Spain was now vulnerable to the counterattack, which is Georgia’s strength, but the men in red continued to dominate the game and kept testing Mamardashvili.

The Valencia shot-stopper made several more interventions in an increasingly wild encounter before the equalizer came, Rodri controlling a Williams pass at the edge of the box and stroking the ball into the corner.

It felt as if that might be that for Georgia, but they remained audacious on the break, with Kvaratskhelia almost scoring from inside his own half at the beginning of the second period, his shot going just wide with goalkeeper Unai Simon out of position.

Spain went ahead shortly after, as Yamal crossed from the right for Ruiz to head in his second goal of the tournament.

Yamal didn’t just miss chances of his own, as he also forced an own goal which was disallowed for offside before Georgia fell apart defensively under increasingly heavy rain.

Ruiz released Williams, who ran from inside his own half, skipped past Giorgi Gvelesiani into the box and fired into the roof of the net to make it 3-1 on 75 minutes.



Your subscription could not be saved. Please try again.


Your subscription has been successful.

A delightful control and finish from the edge of the box by Olmo completed the scoring with seven minutes left.

Ronaldo still Portugal’s main man despite slow start to Euro 2024

On: By: admin


Portugal’s Cristiano Ronaldo gestures as he leaves the pitch at half time during a Group F match between Georgia and Portugal at the Euro 2024 soccer tournament in Gelsenkirchen, Germany, Wednesday, June 26, 2024. (AP Photo/Andreea Alexandru)

DORTMUND, Germany — Cristiano Ronaldo has been a showstopper, as expected, at the European Championship.

Just not necessarily in the way he’d like to be.

The Portugal superstar with 632 million followers on Instagram and a never-ending stream of endorsement deals has had to deal with a raft of on-field selfie-seekers, during matches and in training. One presumed super-fan even leapt from the stands over the players’ tunnel toward a startled-looking Ronaldo as he headed to the locker room after Portugal’s match against Georgia.

He’s raged at a referee (earning a yellow card), booted away a water bottle, and angrily remonstrated in the dug-out. He’s also had 12 shots, more than anyone else at Euro 2024.

READ: Cristiano Ronaldo to lead Portugal into record 6th European Championship

What Ronaldo hasn’t done is score a goal — and that’s the currency he deals in, at least in soccer.

OK, there was that moment he passed up a golden chance to score by passing unselfishly to Bruno Fernandes for Portugal’s third goal in the 3-0 win over Turkey. A double-stepover that befuddled Abdulkerim Bardakci and left the Turkey center back on his back has proved a hit on social media and gave the world a reminder of the Ronaldo of 10, 15, even 20 years ago.

Ronaldo, though, is 39 now. Those big moments have become fleeting, especially when it comes to the big tournaments and when he’s playing against top-level defenses.

Make that seven straight matches in which he has failed to score at a major tournament, covering the 2022 World Cup and Euro 2024. For the first time in his 21-year international career taking in five World Cups and six European Championships, he has ended a group stage without a goal.

READ: Cristiano Ronaldo will ‘never give up’ playing for Portugal

So, with the powers of this undoubted soccer great on the wane, the question will again be asked heading into the knockout stage: will the constant drama surrounding Ronaldo wind up being a distraction for the Portugal team in its bid for another big soccer title, eight years after winning its only one at Euro 2016?

Roberto Martinez clearly doesn’t think so.

The Portugal coach is in thrall with Ronaldo, as shown by his reaction to the striker’s assist — his record-tying eighth at the European Championship — against Turkey.

“It should be shown in every academy in Portugal and world football,” Martinez said, purring at this “spectacular” piece of play.

A day earlier, he’d got into an exchange with a journalist who questioned whether Ronaldo could handle the intensity of a major tournament at age 39.

“All you need to do is look at what he has done in the last 12 months,” Martinez proffered, pointing to his record in the Saudi league with Al-Nassr, for whom he started 31 of 34 games and scored a league-high 35 goals, and his 10 goals in Euro 2024 qualifying — second only to Belgium’s Romelu Lukaku.

Before the tournament, Martinez had lauded Ronaldo by saying he “approaches every day as a new way to be the best” and that his stats “are better than anything, subjectively, that you can say.”

Maybe to justify his arguments — or who knows, to keep in Ronaldo’s good books — Martinez started the striker against Georgia despite resting all of his other key outfield players for a game that meant little for Portugal, which had already qualified as group winner.

It was at this stage at the last World Cup where Ronaldo lost his place in Portugal’s team, to the shock and anger of his millions of fans who might not see him play as much these days because of his move to the Middle East. He had started all three of the group games, scoring only a penalty, and reacted poorly to being substituted by then-coach Fernando Santos against South Korea in the third.

Ronaldo didn’t start the 6-1 win over Switzerland in the round of 16 — his replacement, Goncalo Ramos scored a hat trick — nor the quarterfinal loss to Morocco, after which he left the field in tears.

Given his public comments, it’s unlikely Martinez will follow Santos’ path and drop his captain in the knockout stage, starting against Slovenia on Monday, for what may prove to be Ronaldo’s last matches at a major tournament.

Nor do his teammates, who have grown up idolizing Ronaldo, want that to happen.

“We want to be side by side with our captain,” Portugal defender Diogo Dalot said, while midfielder Vitinha has spoken of the “privilege to be able to share moments with him on and off the pitch.″

Ronaldo’s desire and passion clearly remains. He is still a prolific scorer, albeit mostly against weak opposition these days, even if his mobility and, in particular, his pressing isn’t at the level of a top-notch striker. It would be no surprise to see the top scorer in men’s international soccer — with 130 goals — get off the mark against Slovenia.



Your subscription could not be saved. Please try again.


Your subscription has been successful.

Whether his continued selection is beneficial for Portugal is another thing entirely.

Mbappe scores, France draws 1-1 with Poland at Euro 2024

On: By: admin


Kylian Mbappe of France celebrates after scoring a penalty kick during a Group D match between the France and Poland at the Euro 2024 soccer tournament in Dortmund, Germany, Tuesday, June 25, 2024. (Friso Gentsch/dpa via AP)

DORTMUND, Germany — Kylian Mbappe, wearing a mask to protect his broken nose, marked his return at the European Championship with a goal against Poland.

It wasn’t enough for a victory on Tuesday, though, and it’s not enough to solve France’s growing problems at Euro 2024.

Mbappe removed his protective mask to celebrate in front of his team’s fans after converting a 56th-minute penalty. But Robert Lewandowski secured a 1-1 draw for Poland with a 79th-minute spot kick that he got to take twice, leaving the French as the runners-up to Austria in Group D and dropping them into the same half of the draw with Portugal and Cristiano Ronaldo, host nation Germany and Spain — three of the continent’s heavyweight nations.

Austria beat the Netherlands 3-2 in a match played at the same time.

READ: Mbappe breaks nose in France Euro 2024 win

The result also means France has yet to score an open-play goal at Euro 2024, having beaten Austria 1-0 on an own-goal and then drawn 0-0 with the Dutch — when Mbappe was missing after breaking his nose against the Austrians.

Les Bleus have advanced, sure, but they haven’t been convincing.

“I would be a lot more concerned if there were no chances, but obviously there is a little bit of room for improvement,” France coach Didier Deschamps said. “Maybe there are other teams who have given off something a bit different, but the fact we haven’t scored limits our performance. We are here where we want to be.”

Mbappé returned to the starting lineup against last-place Poland, which was already eliminated before the match began, and was clearly impaired by wearing a black mask that limits his peripheral vision.

He largely kept away from overly physical challenges and didn’t compete for the ball in the air. He was often seen hanging back at the edge of the area, waiting for the ball to come to him.

Deschamps said it was “complicated” for Mbappe.

“I thought he was quite good on his feet with the mask — he needed to get used to it,” the coach said. “But when he sweats, that sticks in his eyes and he needed to wipe his eyes.”

READ: Spain advances to knockout round at Euro 2024, beating Italy

Still, Mbappe remained France’s most dangerous attacker and finally got his first goal in six matches at the tournament — taking in four at Euro 2020 and two at Euro 2024 — after Ousmane Dembele was tripped in the area. It was the Real Madrid-bound striker’s 48th goal for France.

Mbappé played the full game, starting as a central striker before ending up on the left wing, in another underwhelming display from France — a two-time European champion and the World Cup runner-up in 2022.

A match against the runner-up in Group E, which could be Belgium, Romania, Slovakia or Ukraine, awaits in the last 16 on July 1.

Then it gets a whole lot harder for the French.

At least they advanced, which cannot be said for Poland.

Making likely his last appearance at a European Championship, the 36-year-old Lewandowski departed with a goal — even if he needed two attempts to get past goalkeeper Mike Maignan with his stutter-step run-up.

Maignan saved the first kick but was adjudged to have come off his line before making the save.

Lewandowski had another opportunity, performed the same routine, and this time found the bottom corner for his 83rd international goal, even with Maignan diving the right way.



Your subscription could not be saved. Please try again.


Your subscription has been successful.

The same thing happened to Lewandowski against France at the World Cup, when Hugo Lloris was goalkeeper. Again, Lewandowski scored on the second attempt after Lloris encroached.

Spain advances to knockout round at Euro 2024, beating Italy

On: By: admin


Spain’s Alvaro Morata celebrates with teammates after Italy’s Riccardo Calafiori, right, lies face down on the pitch after scoring an own goal during a Group B match between Spain and Italy at the Euro 2024 football tournament in Gelsenkirchen, Germany, Thursday, June 20, 2024. (AP Photo/Andreea Alexandru)

GELSENKIRCHEN, Germany— Europe beware — Spain might just be back.

The three-time European champion advanced to the round of 16 at Euro 2024 after a 1-0 win against holders Italy on Thursday.

A 55th-minute own goal by Riccardo Calafiori settled the Group B game at the Veltins Arena in Gelsenkirchen. But that didn’t begin to tell the full story of a statement performance from Spain, which surely marks it as one of the favorites to win a record-extending fourth European Championship.

“I think it was the best Spain performance I have taken charge of,” coach Luis de la Fuente said. “I don’t see a ceiling on this team. The sky is the limit.”

READ; Mbappe breaks nose in France Euro 2024 win

Spain totally dominated defending champion Italy, with 16-year-old winger Lamine Yamal further enhancing his reputation as one of football’s most exciting young stars.

Player of the match Nico Williams also tormented Italy’s defenders and was the width of the crossbar away from scoring in the second half.

It took Italy goalkeeper Gianluigi Donnarumma to keep the score down with a string of fine saves until inadvertently pushing the ball into the legs of Calafiori, who couldn’t prevent it from ricocheting into his own goal.

“They deserved to win and we were never in the game,” Italy coach Luciano Spalletti said. “There was too much of a gulf. We were constantly stretched, we were never able to squeeze the gaps between the various units and they were able to cause us problems. They caused us more problems than the score line suggests, let’s not beat around the bush.”

READ: Spain removes word ‘women’ from national team name to show conceptual shift

Spain produced a throwback performance that brought to mind the years when it ruled international football when winning back-to-back Euros and the World Cup from 2008 through 2012.

Having failed to dominate possession for the first time in 136 competitive games in its opening 3-0 win over Croatia, Spain was back to its old ways in starving Italy of the ball and dictating play in a largely lopsided game.

Chances came thick and fast in the first half, with Donnarumma pulling off a number of saves to keep the score goalless.

For all of Spain’s superiority, it took Calafiori’s own goal to break the deadlock after halftime.

Donnarumma pushed Alvaro Morata’s glancing header into the legs of Calafiori, who could only watch as the ball rebounded into the back of the net.

Williams was then millimeters away from extending the lead with a curling shot that hit the bar.

“We dominated across the board,” Williams said. “Italy are an excellent side but we played very well and deserved to win.”

Williams is just one of the bright young stars in De la Fuente’s team. Yamal is another and the Barcelona teenager, who has a $1 billion buyout clause, showcased his talents with slaloming runs and tricks.

Barcelona midfielder Pedri looks like the modern-day answer to Spain great Andres Iniesta.

“I want to underline the quality of this generation of players, particularly those in this squad. Spanish players are the best in the world,” De la Fuente said.

Spain has endured frustrating times since it last won the Euros in 2012, with early exits from the last three World Cups.

At the last Euros, it lost on penalties to Italy in the semifinals.

But there have been signs of its resurgence in recent times, having won the UEFA Nations League last year.

Now it looks well-positioned to push for another major title in Germany.

“Essentially we haven’t achieved anything yet,” De la Fuente said. “Football can be very cruel. We have to be cautious, humble and show resect.”

England drew 1-1 with Denmark in Group C after Harry Kane scored and then made a mistake that led to the Danes’ leveler. Kane struck a record-extending 64th goal for his country to fire England ahead in Frankfurt. But his loose pass then allowed Morten Hjulmand to equalize from long range.



Your subscription could not be saved. Please try again.


Your subscription has been successful.

In the other Group C game, Luka Jovic scored in stoppage time to salvage a 1-1 for Serbia against Slovenia.

England leads the group on four points and is likely to advance to the round of 16.

Mbappe breaks nose in France Euro 2024 win

On: By: admin


Kylian Mbappe of France receives a treatment after suffering an injury during a Group D match between Austria and France at the Euro 2024 soccer tournament in Duesseldorf, Germany, Monday, June 17, 2024. (AP Photo/Alessandra Tarantino)

Kylian Mbappe will not need surgery but will wear a mask when he returns to action after the France captain suffered a broken nose in his team’s 1-0 Euro 2024 win over Austria on Monday, the French Football Federation said.

Mbappe’s head violently collided with the shoulder of Austrian defender Kevin Danso as they competed for the ball in the air late in the Group D opener in Duesseldorf.

The star striker left the pitch in the 90th minute as blood poured from his nose, with a source close to the player later saying it was broken.

Philippe Diallo, president of the French federation (FFF), told reporters that Mbappe would “not require an operation”.

READ: Mbappe rules out representing France at Paris Olympics

A statement published by the FFF confirmed the extent of the injury, saying Mbappe had undergone tests at a hospital in Duesseldorf before rejoining the France squad at their base in Paderborn, a two-hour drive to the east.

“A mask will be made which will allow (Mbappe) to contemplate a return to action after a period of treatment,” the FFF said.

However, it is not clear if that means Mbappe will be able to play in France’s next game, against the Netherlands in Leipzig on Friday.

France coach Didier Deschamps was not optimistic when he spoke to reporters after Monday’s match, which was decided by a Maximilian Woeber own goal late in the first half.

“He is in a bad way. He is not well. His nose is a mess, that’s for sure. That is the black mark of the evening for us,” Deschamps said of Mbappe.

Play had initially continued after the accidental collision, with Mbappe prone in the opposition box until Austria goalkeeper Patrick Pentz signaled to the referee that the Frenchman required attention.

READ: Kylian Mbappe finally joins Real Madrid

Mbappe was treated by the France medical team and his white shirt was streaked with blood as he wandered down the touchline holding his nose.

The new Real Madrid signing came back onto the pitch and promptly sat down as the referee brandished a yellow card in his direction for re-entering the field of play without permission.

Mbappe was then replaced by veteran attacker Olivier Giroud.

“It is not a little scratch. I know he is always being talked about but I can’t say more,” Deschamps added, before expressing hope that his star player would not be sidelined for any length of time.

“I have always said that the France team will be stronger with Kylian in it.”

Deschamps was at least pleased with the result, as France kicked off with a victory in their quest to win a first European Championship title since 2000.

“It is good to start with a victory against such opponents,” he said.

“We could and should have done better with certain opportunities. But overall, it was positive, and we showed we were up for the fight as well.



Your subscription could not be saved. Please try again.


Your subscription has been successful.

“That is important. We have quality and talent, but we need to remain solid as well.”