At 41 years old, Cristiano Ronaldo had a long time to wait to finally score in a World Cup knockout round. And it came at a time when his team needed it most.
Ronaldo’s converted penalty kick-started Portugal’s comeback, overcoming a goal deficit to advance to the Round of 16 with a 2-1 win over Croatia. But Portugal needed a controversial video decision at the death to secure the victory. More on that later.
Ronaldo and company will take on Spain, who won earlier Thursday 3-0 against Austria, in the Round of 16 on July 6.
The first half didn’t just leave both squads frustrated from not converting opportunities – it also left them drenched – from the severe heat as well as the humidity. It was 88 degrees Fahrenheit at kickoff in Toronto, with 56% humidity, amid a heat wave sweeping across a wide swath of North America.
As both squads entered halftime without a goal, the chatter around the game up to that point was around Portugal’s missed chances, who outshot Croatia nine shots to three.
