Portugal suffered a lot to beat Slovenia in a game marked by the national team’s suffocation, which never ended in a goal. The Portuguese had a great opportunity at the feet of Cristiano Ronaldo, who missed a penalty.
On the other side of the pitch, Diogo Costa made a vital save that took the game to the penalty spot, where he was the size of the entire goal and prevented any goal.
Reactions:
Diogo Costa (goalkeepers of Portugal and recognized as the best on the field): “[Defesa a Sesko quando apareceu isolado] I thought, ‘I have to protect myself, right?’ I tried my best, read his body well and, thank God, I was able to help the team.
It was the best game of my life. It was the game where I was able to help the team the most. Richard [treinador de guarda-redes e antigo internacional] and everyone said good words to me. They motivated me even more.
I followed my instinct blindly. That’s what I felt at that moment. I took a few deep breaths and followed my instinct. I’m very happy and very happy to help the team.
I understand Cristiano’s frustration. [Ronaldo, por falhar um penálti]. He is an example for us, it is a great honor to play with him. As Pepe says, we are here for the family.
For me, these are more difficult games, where we always spend a long time without touching the ball. I am very happy to help the team and want to dedicate the game to my family. This is my support.
There will never be a shortage of work. I kill myself by working and believing in myself.”
Cristiano Ronaldo (Portuguese player): “Initial sadness, and joy at the end. These are inexplicable moments, from eight to 80. I have not let them down in a year. [um penálti] and Oblak defended himself. The most important thing is to enjoy this passage.
If you look closely at the game, Slovenia played the entire game on the defensive, and that’s where it gets difficult.
Congratulations to the whole team, especially our goalkeeper, who made three very good saves.
Those who fail are those who try too. I forgot. Sometimes it is difficult to score, I have scored over 200 penalties in my career. Sometimes it is confusing to think whether to shoot to the right, to the middle… but in the end it was fair.”
João Palinha (Portugal player): “Diogo Costa was our hero tonight and he deserved this success too. He is one of the best goalkeepers in the world and it was obvious. Emphasizing the victory and the unity. It is not always easy to unlock these teams and go.” to penalties. Fortunately, everything went our way and we are going into the next game with everything.
We fought until the end to score and I always believed in victory. Penalties are worrying but we deserved the victory, it was fair and emotional.
It will be a different game than the ones we have played, it will be 50/50. France has a very strong team, as does Portugal. The motivation will be high to go even further, which is the goal.
“There have been a few moments like that in Ronaldo’s history, and they’re what made him stronger. We all clung to each other, we became more united.”
Bernardo Silva (Portugal player): “Very happy. A tough game against a very organised team. The pitch was terrible and slowed us down. Very happy with the qualification, even though I knew we could do better.
Diogo Costa had a fantastic game and saved us. This performance allowed us to reach the quarter-finals.
“Cristiano failed, but only those who accept responsibility can fail. Cristiano likes these moments and he thinks he should have scored. When things are not going well, we can go down, but Diogo kept us alive.”
Joao Cancelo (Portugal player): “I feel like we were superior throughout the game, but we lacked the calm to find space. In the end, I think we won fairly.”
Anything can happen. We have a very strong opponent to play against – France. We are prepared, we work very well day after day. Everyone is committed to this team.”
Roberto Martinez (Portugal coach): “We have started a new tournament. At this stage there are details where we can win on penalties or create a moment of individual quality. The team played very well, worked very well, but the grass was difficult and that helped the team that had less of the ball.
The passion in the locker room was incredible. Today we saw a determined team, proud and strong. We tried everything and deserved to win. We didn’t convert our chances, but we are in the quarter-finals and I think the fans have something to celebrate.
Usually the Portuguese count and suffer together, but today is a day to celebrate a hard-fought victory.
I lived this game with pride. I really liked our performance. It was a test of new values of the group, the locker room. The players showed that they can endure, they do not accept defeat. We deserved to win within 90 minutes. I really liked the strength, concentration and belief of the team.
Ronaldo is a constant example. The only player who has played with six Europeans. He is a player who cares about the national team, who lives a lot for the team and has won what he has won in his career. I am grateful to him for that. It taught me a lesson: never give up. He is an example and we are very proud of him.
The dressing room showed that they can endure. We have an incredible group, a group of people who love to play for the national team. Talent is very important, but to win you need more than that, and this group has it. Incredible passion. Yes, we suffered, but the teams that win know how to suffer.
We are ready [para os quartos de final]”The players are physically ready to go out on the pitch and help. We don’t like weekends. The focus is already on France, a historic team that is part of the path to victory in 2016. The tournament is approaching a very good stage, with some interesting games. Three days of break is enough and we are ready.”
PM stresses ‘sacrifice’
“We are created for this, to have a spirit of sacrifice, but also to believe that we have great opportunities to achieve this goal, and that is what we have done,” the Portuguese prime minister told RTP in an interview in the mixed zone of Deutsche Bank Park in Frankfurt.
“France has a great team, but we have a team that can win in 90 minutes or, if necessary, in extra time. And if it comes down to penalties, then so be it. The main thing is to achieve the great goal – to move forward, until 14 p.m. [de julho, data da final do Euro2024]”, Montenegro noted.
Matjaz Kek (Slovenia coach): “Usually when you don’t lose, you don’t celebrate. In this case, there is the bitterness of defeat, but the sweetness of what we have achieved in this tournament. I hope this is the beginning of a bright future for Slovenia.
Congratulations to Portugal. Portugal deserved to win. We are sad to leave. Slovenia grew as the game went on and we lacked luck in key moments.
“We played well, but Portugal were better. There is a type of football that I really appreciate. I hope they can go as far as possible in the tournament.”
Author: morning Post This Lusa
Source: CM Jornal
I’m Dave Martin, and I’m an experienced journalist working in the news industry. As a part of my work, I write for 24 News Reporters, covering mostly sports-related topics. With more than 5 years of experience as a journalist, I have written numerous articles on various topics to provide accurate information to readers.