 |
| Portugal’s players celebrate after Éder scored during extra time in the Euro 2016 final against France. Photograph: Philippe Desmazes/AFP/Getty Images |
 |
| Euro 2016 champions. Photograph: Kai Pfaffenbach/Reuters |
In the end, Cristiano Ronaldo
had his winner’s medal, even if it was not the way the great showman
had intended. Portugal, the team that finished third in their group, had
found a way even on a night when their greatest player left the pitch
on a stretcher. The players of France were on their knees and, on the
far touchline, Ronaldo could be seen trying to make sense of an
extraordinary story and take in all the contrasting emotions.
Ronaldo’s damaged knee might have been a grievous setback but Portugal
refused to let it be the decisive factor. They gave everything to keep
out France during those long passages when they were put under pressure
and, ultimately, Éder’s decisive goal in the second period of extra time
won a test of endurance. Their run of 10 successive defeats to France,
stretching back to 1975, is over and they can reflect on the greatest
achievement in the history of their national team. Their tactics will
not appeal to everyone but nobody could possibly dispute their toughness
to cope after the jarring challenge that meant their three-time Ballon
d’Or winner could play only a bit-part role in the glory.
The problem with Ronaldo sometimes is that his occasional histrionics
makes it difficult to know whether he is suffering from faux pain. This
time, however, it was quickly apparent he was in trouble. Dimitri
Payet’s right kneecap had followed through, at speed, into the side of
Ronaldo’s left leg, bending the joint with the force of the impact.
Portugal’s medical staff doused the area with magic spray but there was
not a single moment from that point onwards when Ronaldo looked
pain-free. His body language had sunk. He was unable to run with any
freedom and nine minutes later he was down again, signalling for help,
and eventually taken off for another round of treatment by the side of
the pitch.
Had it been any other player he would have been taken off straight away.
This being Ronaldo, there was a desperate attempt to see how far his
powers could stretch, but it always felt unrealistic when he blew out
his cheeks and made one last attempt to run it off. Ronaldo had been
back on the pitch for three minutes when he finally conceded defeat,
raised his hand and collapsed to the ground for the third occasion, this
time removing his captain’s armband.
The tears quickly followed and, for once, the sport’s ultimate
showman did not want the crowd’s acclaim. He might not even have noticed
in his desolation but it was a long, sympathetic ovation: a crowd not
only recognising genuine greatness but that this was no way for a player
of that magnitude to be removed from the occasion.
Nani took over as captain but Portugal were shorn of their most
important player and Ronaldo’s absence meant being even more dependent
on a system whereby all four of their midfielders would routinely drop
back into defence when the team did not have the ball.
 | ||||||||
| Eder scores the opening goal. Photograph: Mike Hewitt/Getty Images |
 |
| Lloris has no chance. Photograph: Michael Dalder/Reuters |
France
had put them under considerable pressure from the start with Payet and
Moussa Sissoko given the licence to roam, Antoine Griezmann picking up
space and Paul Pogba frequently galloping forward with that long, leggy
stride. Yet it was difficult for les Bleus to navigate a way
behind the opposition defence and Portugal were troubled only
sporadically in that period, most notably when Rui Patrício’s sprawling
save turned a flying header from Griezmann over the crossbar.
France needed more wit and creativity around the penalty area and
Payet looked absolutely intent on showing them the way. Not everything
he tried came off, but Payet played with the drive and energy that made
it seem strange Didier Deschamps thought it necessary to take him off
after 57 minutes.
His
replacement, Kingsley Coman, has penetrative qualities of his own but
the substitution prompted loud, derisive whistles from the crowd.
France had lost their early momentum, looking increasingly short of
ideas and not helped a great deal by Olivier Giroud’s lack of movement
in attack. A more ambitious team than Portugal might have sensed this
was a good time to show more adventure. Instead, they continued to play
with near-unremitting caution and were fortunate that Griezmann
misdirected his header after Coman’s cross created one of the game’s few
clear opportunities. Maybe, sans Ronaldo, they did not truly
believe in themselves but the Portuguese conservatism was suffocating
for the match as a spectacle and they had players – notably Renato
Sanches and João Mário .– who would surely have benefited from letting
off the handbrake.
Giroud’s only real attempt came shortly before his substitution but
Patrício kept out the shot and produced an even better save in the 84th
minute to turn away Sissoko’s powerful drive.
In between, Lloris clawed away Nani’s cross from beneath his crossbar
and then caught Ricardo Quaresma’s follow-up effort. The game was
belatedly opening up and André-Pierre Gignac, Giroud’s replacement,
might have won the match in stoppage time after turning inside Pepe in
the penalty area. He scuffed his shot against a post and the game moved
into extra time.
Raphaël Guerreiro, Portugal’s left-back, struck the crossbar with a
free-kick at the start of the second period and, a couple of minutes
later, the ball was at the feet of Éder. His shot was struck with power
and precision and Portugal had their glory.
Match stats
Possession
| 52 | 48 |
Goal attempts
- Portugal Off target
- 7
- France Off target
- 9
- Portugal On target
- 3
- France On target
- 7
No comments:
Post a Comment
PLEASE BE POLITE