EM 2024 Bitter tears and pure despair: Ronaldo becomes an almost tragic hero against Slovenia – and redeems
Cristiano Ronaldo despaired at the Slovenian keeper
© Arne Dedert / DPA
When the great Cristiano Ronaldo falters, the whole of Portugal falters. In the round of 16 match, Ronaldo simply couldn’t find the goal, missed several great chances and cried bitter tears – but in the end he still had his happy ending.
It was a game in which superstar Cristiano Ronaldo left his super in the dressing room. Nothing really went right for the Portuguese in this round of 16 match against Slovenia. The ball just wouldn’t go in. Not from the left, not from the right, not from the front.
In the 30th minute, he headed the ball into the arms of goalkeeper Jan Oblak. Just three minutes later, he missed a free kick from around 20 metres, four minutes later the next, in the 55th minute the third, in the 70th the fourth. Ronaldo grabbed every ball, wanted to score at all costs, the Portuguese let him have it. None of them went in. Apart from one, they were not dangerous at all. And Oblak would probably have saved the dangerous one because it was very central and flew just over the crossbar. And that from a Ronaldo who once hammered free kicks like that into the goal blindfolded.
Only the penalty shootout saves the Portuguese in the quarter-finals – all highlights in the video
06:00 min
Cristiano Ronaldo no longer scores
Ronaldo, who is usually so precise, lacked precision. The striker could have saved everything in the 89th minute, but he was repeatedly stopped by Oblak. Nevertheless, he grabbed the ball as a matter of course in extra time when Portugal were awarded a penalty. Then the unbelievable happened to him – he missed, or Oblak saved. Ronaldo hadn’t even looked at the keeper.
That was a lot for the Portuguese player, who had been spoiled by success. During the break, his teammates hugged and hugged the distraught Ronaldo as if there was no worse misfortune. It was heartbreaking. Ronaldo cried bitter tears, knowing that this missed opportunity could mean the end of Portugal’s European Championship and that he himself could become the tragic hero of the night.
In the end, the Portuguese – or rather the Portuguese – were saved by the penalty shootout, goalkeeper Diogo Costa, who saved three of the Slovenians’ penalties, and Ronaldo’s last shot. Because that one was successful after all. The big old man’s relief at having progressed was clearly visible.
tpo.
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