Portugal’s hopes still hang by a thread, with their goal difference looking likely to cost them, following their 4-0 defeat to Germany in their opening game, but at least they go into their last match against Ghana with hopes of progress.
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This was supposed to be Ronaldo’s tournament. But he was just seconds away from heading home early with the so-called superstars of England and Spain.
Admittedly, it’s clear the Real Madrid ace and current World Player of the Year is a long way short of full fitness but, even so, he has cut a peripheral figure in Brazil so far.
He will be 31 by the time the next tournament in Russia comes around in 2018, so this is certainly his best chance to leave his mark on football’s premier tournament, and possibly even his last chance.
He struggled in the heat of Manaus to make his mark against the Americans but, when it really, really mattered, when the chips were firmly down, he delivered.
There were just seconds left on the clock when he picked the ball up on the right and delivered a vicious cross into the danger area which Silvestre Varela flung himself at and powered his header past a shattered Tim Howard.
It was the cruelest of blows for America, who had done so much to make the game another memorable one in a tournament that just keeps on delivering.
And that they did was huge testimony to their fighting spirit because they could easily have wilted after gifting their opponents a dream start. Geoff Cameron made a horrible hash of his attempted clearance in only the fifth minute, and he was made to pay in emphatic fashion thanks to an unerring finish by Nani.
From that point on, however, the dream looked like turning into a nightmare for the Iberians.
They had their moments, of course, with a stunning one-handed save from Howard to deny Eder on the stroke of half-time arguably the key incident of the match.
A goal at that point would have made the scoreline 2-0 at the interval and possibly sealed the points, although that would have been incredibly harsh on the USA.
Jurgen Klinsmann’s side had rallied superbly after that poor start, with Clint Dempsey, Michael Bradley and Fabian Johnson all going close, and arguably it was the Portuguese who were happier to hear the whistle for the interval.
But it was much the same during the second period, as America continued to push their more illustrious opponents back.
They should have equalised in the 55th minute, but credit must go to Ricardo Costa for somehow getting back to hook Bradley’s goalbound effort off the line.
That, though, was merely delaying what by now was the inevitable.
And the moment duly arrived in the 64th minute – and what a moment it was.
Brazil 2014 has given us some sublime goals already, and this was right up there with the best of them.
Jermaine Jones cut in from the left, sidestepped Nani and sent a delicious curling shot wide of Beto in the Portuguese goal and into the far corner.
By now you could see the belief coursing through the veins of the Americans, while the Portuguese were visibly deflated.
And so it was no real surprise when the USA grabbed a second nine minutes from time. And fittingly it was Dempsey who provided it.
It was far from the best goal the former Fulham favourite has scored, bundling the ball home with his chest from Graham Zusi’s cross, but for about 13 minutes it was a goal neither he, nor anyone in America, Portugal and beyond would ever forget.
But cometh the hour, cometh the man… and at that point Ronaldo finally came to the party.
Portugal, and Ronaldo, now have one last chance to save their tournament but, as they prepare to face Ghana in Brasilia next Thursday, the most important man in their camp won’t be any of the players, or the manager. It will be the physio.
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