Portugal defeated Slovenia on penalties and will face France in the quarterfinals. It didn’t happen thanks to Cristiano, who cried after missing a penalty in extra time; not Bernardo Silva, not Bruno Fernandes… but ‘Super’ Diogo Costa. The Porto goalkeeper saved a one-on-one with Sesko after a slip by Pepe in the 115th minute of extra time and saved the penalties from Ilicic, Balkovec and Verbic in the fateful shoot-out. What less than inviting him to a few beers, Cristiano!
Portugal-France, another early final
They say comparisons are odious. I think the same thing looking at both sides of the painting. Three theoretical ‘outsiders’ (Romania, Austria and Türkiye) will play with the Netherlands for a place in the semis. On the other hand, at the top, we have two early finals in the quarterfinals: Spain-Germany and Portugal-France. Too much talent that will go home early: Mbappé, Cristiano, Griezmann, Bernardo Silva… And then they say that luck has no influence. It is a lie that to win a European Championship you have to beat the best, you only need to beat those that the hype puts in your way.
The years do not forgive: Cristiano, not even a penalty
Sometimes you get tall, you start playing football and you still think you’re 20 years old. However, the head goes one way and the legs go the other.: the controls go away, that autopass that you can’t reach… Something similar happens to me, saving the distance, seeing Cristiano Ronaldo of 2024. I see him so fine – he has an extra shirt – that it takes me back to 2010, to name a date. However, any past time was better. It has lost its spark and that, no matter how many kilos you lose, will not come back. “He no longer dominates physically, he no longer has that prodigious jump, his finishing lacks his old venom…”, ‘The Guardian’ warned. They are right. The years do not forgive… not even Cristiano, who has just turned 39. The CR7 of 2010 would already have 2-3 goals (minimum). The one from 2024 remains unmarked. And there have been four games. She doesn’t get tired of trying, that’s true. Against Slovenia he ‘threw his boots’, but sometimes he doesn’t make it, other times he narrowly misses… The last straw was the penalty that Oblak saved in extra time. He redeemed himself by scoring in the shootout and with the subsequent pass. His tears hurt, but it must be said: he is not even a shadow of what he was.
Oblak beat Cristiano
It is as deserved to dedicate a (negative) section to CR7 as another (positive) to Jan Oblak. They have seen each other 22 times and the numbers can be misleading. Cristiano has scored 11 goals against Atlético’s goalkeeper… but he has only really scored against him in five games. In the remaining 17 he has finished with the counter at zero. It is true, yes, that the only three hat-tricks that the Slovenian goalkeeper has conceded have been scored by Ronaldo. Against Portugal he exacted his particular ‘vendetta’. In the 90′ he hardly gave him any work and when he did, like in a direct free kick in the 56th minute or in a one-on-one in the 90th minute, Oblak responded wonderfully. In extra time he made a huge effort to stop CR7’s shot with the help of the post. It was his ‘vendetta’ for the Milan final. Little more can be asked of him. They only managed to defeat him, with a penalty, in the fateful shootout.
If it is not the best it is, among other things, because it does not want
Joao Cancelo has it or had it allone no longer knows whether to speak in the present or the past, to be the best full-back in the world – left or right, you choose – for several years. He played for City, he was successful… but suddenly, we don’t really know why, he collapsed. The feeling, seen from the outside, is that he lacked dedication and consistency, especially in defense. Upwards, without being a physical marvel, he is still an ‘airplane’. You don’t need speed. She overflows with quality, with astonishing ease. Against Slovenia, many of Portugal’s best chances came from his boots.
Oh if Vitinha cost only 50 million…
Portugal has so many good players that I think, until now, I had forgotten to dedicate a aside to Vítor Machado Ferreira. Vitinha, to understand us. He had just completed a great season with PSG, but the Champions League quarterfinal tie with Barcelona ended up putting him in the showcase. She elevated him to a new dimension. Sometimes she errs on the side of driving excessively, but it’s nice to see him. And against Slovenia – he was substituted – he did not have the best performance. What we are going for. He doesn’t run. Fleet. In addition, he has brutal control of the ball. His controls and his stomps are like those of a futsal player. It doesn’t stop: it goes up, it goes down, it gets between the lines… If it only cost the 50 million that ‘Transfermarkt’ rates it, I would already pay it.
Vanja Drkusic, the reincarnation of Cannavaro
Jaka Bijol was an insurmountable wall against England (0-0) and Vanja Drkusic took his baton against Portugal. The 24-year-old Sochi center back He recalled, at times, Fabbio Cannavaro. Above all, because of his ‘bareness’. He suffered when he had to cover the open field with Leao’s speed – he saw yellow in the 32nd minute – but defending the area and The continuous lateral centers that Portugal posted looking for the Cristiano proved impregnable. Another name to add to the list of not so well-known players who have shone at the Euro…
