Portugal 0 Spain 0 (aet, 2-4 on pens): Oh no Ronaldo! Star man stranded as Cesc seals it
By IAN LADYMAN PUBLISHED: 21:31 GMT, 27 June 2012 | UPDATED: 06:59 GMT, 28 June 2012
After strolling imperiously through this tournament, Cristiano Ronaldo stumbled home burdened by a single decision that will surely trouble him for the rest of his glorious career. Portugal’s captain and inspiration has led his country brilliantly throughout Euro 2012, not just by the decisive nature of his football but also by the sheer force of his will and personality.It was largely due to him that Portugal were in this semi-final at all.
Job done: Spain's players go wild as Fabregas slots the winning penalty
MATCH FACTS
Portugal: Rui Patricio; Joao Pereira, Pepe, Bruno Alves, Fabio Coentrao; Meireles (Varela 113), Veloso (Custodio 106), Joao Moutinho; Nani, Almeida (Nelson Oliveira 81), Ronaldo.
Subs not used: Eduardo, Quaresma, Ricardo Costa, Rolando, Ruben Micael, Miguel Lopes, Hugo Viana, Postiga, Beto.
Booked: Fabio Coentrao, Pepe, Joao Pereira, Bruno Alves, Veloso.
Spain: Casillas; Arbeloa, Pique, Sergio Ramos, Jordi Alba; Busquets, Alonso; Silva (Jesus Navas 60), Xavi (Pedro 87), Iniesta; Negredo (Fabregas 54).
Subs not used: Valdes, Albiol, Javi Martinez, Juanfran, Torres, Mata, Llorente, Santi Cazorla, Reina.
Booked: Sergio Ramos, Busquets, Arbeloa, Alonso.
Referee: Cuneyt Cakir (Turkey)
Attendance: 51,500.
On Wednesday night, though, when the reckoning arrived, Ronaldo was to be found with his hands on his hips on the halfway line as his country lost a penalty shootout in which he had — remarkably — played no part. As Cesc Fabregas’s winning penalty struck the inside of a post and found its way into the net — ‘I said to the ball that we had to make history and it shouldn’t let me down,’ revealed the former Arsenal man later — Ronaldo raised his arms in exasperation.
It is a familiar and irritating mannerism but on this occasion it was understandable. Another Portuguese dream had died and he had been central to it. It was not clear why the Real Madrid star was listed as Portugal’s fifth penalty taker; whether it was his decision or that of his coach Paulo Bento. Immediately after the game, Bento would only say: ‘We had this order. Ronaldo was fifth.’What was beyond dispute, though, was that it should not have happened. He is the regular penalty taker for Real and for his country. He used to take them regularly and decisively during his years at Manchester United.
Defender Bruno Alves, hardly the most cultured Iberian footballer, was the Portuguese fall guy in the end. After both countries had missed their first kicks — Xabi Alonso and Joao Moutinho seeing their penalties saved — there were no further mistakes until the score stood at 3-2 to Spain. Alves then smashed his team’s fourth against the underside of the bar, meaning Ronaldo was left stranded once Fabregas had stroked in the winner. During the Spanish celebrations, he was caught on Portuguese TV mouthing: ‘It’s an injustice, it’s an injustice.’ It wasn’t really. It was a disaster brought about by horrendous planning.
Where were you? Cristiano Ronaldo (left) and his Portugal team-mates react to their defeat
So near... Bruno Alves (left) hits the crossbar with his penalty in the shootout
In Portugal on Thursday morning there will be huge regret. Having never beaten their great rivals, or indeed contested a major final, outside their own country, this was their chance. Spain were very ordinary during a quite dreadful game. Over the border in Spain, they will not care now they stand one victory from becoming the first nation to win three major tournaments in a row. After Alonso’s initial miss, they converted the rest without trouble.
Defender Sergio Ramos even contributed a ‘Pirlo’ penalty, floated expertly into the net with deft touch. Not bad for a player who recently crashed one into the stands during a Champions League semi-final.At least today we have something to talk about as the game itself, all 120 painful minutes of it, provided almost nothing.
Played in a stadium that was nowhere near full, this was a contest that rarely got out of first gear.After all the talk before the game about whether Spain would play with a number nine — Fernando Torres — or a ‘false nine’ — Fabregas — coach Vicente del Bosque surprised everybody by playing a No 11 who once almost signed for Hull City.
After strolling imperiously through this tournament, Cristiano Ronaldo stumbled home burdened by a single decision that will surely trouble him for the rest of his glorious career. Portugal’s captain and inspiration has led his country brilliantly throughout Euro 2012, not just by the decisive nature of his football but also by the sheer force of his will and personality.It was largely due to him that Portugal were in this semi-final at all.
Job done: Spain's players go wild as Fabregas slots the winning penalty
MATCH FACTS
Portugal: Rui Patricio; Joao Pereira, Pepe, Bruno Alves, Fabio Coentrao; Meireles (Varela 113), Veloso (Custodio 106), Joao Moutinho; Nani, Almeida (Nelson Oliveira 81), Ronaldo.
Subs not used: Eduardo, Quaresma, Ricardo Costa, Rolando, Ruben Micael, Miguel Lopes, Hugo Viana, Postiga, Beto.
Booked: Fabio Coentrao, Pepe, Joao Pereira, Bruno Alves, Veloso.
Spain: Casillas; Arbeloa, Pique, Sergio Ramos, Jordi Alba; Busquets, Alonso; Silva (Jesus Navas 60), Xavi (Pedro 87), Iniesta; Negredo (Fabregas 54).
Subs not used: Valdes, Albiol, Javi Martinez, Juanfran, Torres, Mata, Llorente, Santi Cazorla, Reina.
Booked: Sergio Ramos, Busquets, Arbeloa, Alonso.
Referee: Cuneyt Cakir (Turkey)
Attendance: 51,500.
On Wednesday night, though, when the reckoning arrived, Ronaldo was to be found with his hands on his hips on the halfway line as his country lost a penalty shootout in which he had — remarkably — played no part. As Cesc Fabregas’s winning penalty struck the inside of a post and found its way into the net — ‘I said to the ball that we had to make history and it shouldn’t let me down,’ revealed the former Arsenal man later — Ronaldo raised his arms in exasperation.
It is a familiar and irritating mannerism but on this occasion it was understandable. Another Portuguese dream had died and he had been central to it. It was not clear why the Real Madrid star was listed as Portugal’s fifth penalty taker; whether it was his decision or that of his coach Paulo Bento. Immediately after the game, Bento would only say: ‘We had this order. Ronaldo was fifth.’What was beyond dispute, though, was that it should not have happened. He is the regular penalty taker for Real and for his country. He used to take them regularly and decisively during his years at Manchester United.
Defender Bruno Alves, hardly the most cultured Iberian footballer, was the Portuguese fall guy in the end. After both countries had missed their first kicks — Xabi Alonso and Joao Moutinho seeing their penalties saved — there were no further mistakes until the score stood at 3-2 to Spain. Alves then smashed his team’s fourth against the underside of the bar, meaning Ronaldo was left stranded once Fabregas had stroked in the winner. During the Spanish celebrations, he was caught on Portuguese TV mouthing: ‘It’s an injustice, it’s an injustice.’ It wasn’t really. It was a disaster brought about by horrendous planning.
Where were you? Cristiano Ronaldo (left) and his Portugal team-mates react to their defeat
So near... Bruno Alves (left) hits the crossbar with his penalty in the shootout
In Portugal on Thursday morning there will be huge regret. Having never beaten their great rivals, or indeed contested a major final, outside their own country, this was their chance. Spain were very ordinary during a quite dreadful game. Over the border in Spain, they will not care now they stand one victory from becoming the first nation to win three major tournaments in a row. After Alonso’s initial miss, they converted the rest without trouble.
Defender Sergio Ramos even contributed a ‘Pirlo’ penalty, floated expertly into the net with deft touch. Not bad for a player who recently crashed one into the stands during a Champions League semi-final.At least today we have something to talk about as the game itself, all 120 painful minutes of it, provided almost nothing.
Played in a stadium that was nowhere near full, this was a contest that rarely got out of first gear.After all the talk before the game about whether Spain would play with a number nine — Fernando Torres — or a ‘false nine’ — Fabregas — coach Vicente del Bosque surprised everybody by playing a No 11 who once almost signed for Hull City.
Putting the boot in: Nani challenges Xabi Alonso
Of all the feted players on his roster, little has been said or heard about Sevilla striker Alvaro Negredo.
Nevertheless it was Negredo, for whom Phil Brown bid £12million in 2009, who was given the job. It was a brave move by Del Bosque, but one that did not work.
In the first half of normal time both teams were at least trying to be ambitious. They just couldn’t find any fluency. Spain perhaps had the better chances as Alvaro Arbeloa and Andres Iniesta dispatched shots over the bar. At the other end Ronaldo drove one shot wide.
Centre of attention: Ronaldo was excellent in the first half but fell away in the second
In the second half Del Bosque withdrew Negredo and then the subdued David Silva. Torres never appeared, though. One senses his tournament is over.
As the game wore on, Xavi produced the game’s first shot on target in the 68th minute before Ronaldo drove a couple of free-kicks over. Portugal striker Hugo Almeida was also close with two efforts from distance while Ronaldo wasted a dramatic chance to win it on the break in the 90th minute.
Rolling back the years: Portugal boss Paulo Bento juggles the ball on the sidelines
Extra time belonged to Spain in terms of territory. Perhaps the Portuguese had tired. When the chances came, though, they didn’t go in as Iniesta was denied point-blank by Rui Patricio in the 103rd minute and Jesus Navas was foiled eight minutes later.
As it turned out, the drama was yet to come. For the first time in history we were left talking about a penalty shootout that ultimately revolved around a guy who didn’t even take part.
Glorious chance: Rui Patricio saves from Iniesta from point-blank range
Key moments: Ramos (above) celebrates his cheeky penalty before Bruno Alves (below) misses for Portugal
On the way to Kiev: Spain scraped through by the skin of their teeth
