A game of epic personal drama and tears for Cristiano Ronaldo ended with his Portugal making the European Championship quarterfinals after beating Slovenia in a penalty shootout on Monday in Frankfurt, Germany. The last-16 game went the distance because Ronaldo’s extra-time spot kick in the 114th minute was saved by Slovenia goalkeeper Jan Oblak – leaving him in tears and consoled by every teammate before restarting play. Regulation and extra time finished 0-0.
When they went to penalties, Ronaldo scored his and Portugal’s first, and teammate Diogo Costa saved all three of Slovenia’s kicks from Josip Ilicic, Jure Balkovec and Benjamin Verbič. Bruno Fernandes and Bernardo Silva also scored for Portugal to seal the shootout 3-0 with two kicks to spare. “Sadness at the start is joy at the end.
That’s what football is. Moments, inexplicable moments,” Ronaldo said during an on-field interview immediately following the final whistle. “You cannot explain it.
” “A direct shot to give the team the lead. I didn’t manage it. Oblak made a good save .
.. I have to see the penalty, I don’t know if I shot well or badly, but I haven’t missed once all year, and when I needed it most, Oblak saved it.
” Portugal will face France in the quarterfinals on Friday in Hamburg, a rematch of the 2016 final that Portugal won in Paris after Ronaldo went off injured early. Costa had already made his first save when Ronaldo walked up to take Portugal’s first kick of the shootou.
