Portugal goalkeeper Diogo Costa and his teammates celebrate their victory over Slovenia after the penalty shootout in the Euro 2024 round of 16 soccer match in Frankfurt, Germany, July 1, 2024. KAI PFAFFENBACH / REUTERS
The plan was clear. “We know what we [doit] faire »assured Portuguese midfielder Bruno Fernandes, on the eve of the eighth-final of Euro 2024 football against Slovenia. It was necessary ” be patient “. The fact remains that on Monday, July 1st, the Seleçao still found the time long. Too long. The face of Cristiano Ronaldo, in tears, on the giant screen of the Deutsche Bank Park in Frankfurt (Germany), while the match was not over, said a lot. The first half of extra time was coming to an end, the captain of the Seleçao had just seen his penalty saved by goalkeeper Jan Oblak (105th). Another missed opportunity.
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Since referee Daniele Orsato gave the kick-off, Portugal have dominated in all directions. Without finding the fault. And it took until the most random moment of any match, the penalty shootout, for the hierarchy to be respected.
In a few minutes, everything finally changed. Thanks to one man: Diogo Costa. The Portuguese goalkeeper kept out Josip Ilicic’s shot, Jure Balkovec’s, then Benjamin Verbic’s. Three saves, something never seen before in the tournament. At the same time, “CR7” found the back of the net, like Bruno Fernandes. Bernardo Silva would take care of the decisive point. Final score: 0-0 after extra time, 3-0 on penalties. The Seleçao players could rush towards their supporters’ corner to exult, while their rivals’ faces closed.
Diogo Costa, elected man of the game, still has a little trouble believing it: “It’s probably the best game of my life. I focused on what I had to do. I followed my instincts.” “Today he went with his guts, with his feelings, he has grown a lot. He is an extraordinary goalkeeper. His maturity and experience allow us to take advantage of it.”greets his coach, Roberto Martinez, at a press conference. The latter savors: “I’m very proud. I really liked our performance. We said that the next meetings would be decided on details. It was a challenge for us tonight. We showed that we were capable of resisting. We never threw in the towel.”
A favorite status to consolidate
Of course, on the side of his counterpart Matjaz Kek, it was not a time for celebration. But the coach is showing himself to be a good sport. After all, “You have to know how to win on penalties”. The former international knows above all everything that his selection has accomplished. It which, before this Monday, had never played a knockout match in a major competition. So, yes, the defeat is bittersweet. “We have exceeded expectations. I hope this Euro will mark the starting point for the future.”
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2024-07-02 00:15:05
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