ARLINGTON: Super-sub Mikel Merino scored a dramatic late winner to guide Spain into the quarter-finals with a thrilling 1-0 victory over rivals Portugal on Monday, effectively ending legendary forward Cristiano Ronaldo’s World Cup career on a bitter note. The reigning European champions successfully booked their spot for Friday’s high-octane clash in Los Angeles, where they will square off against either Belgium or the United States—the lone remaining co-host nation of the tournament.
The highly anticipated round-of-16 showdown took place in front of a massive, expectant crowd of 70,649 spectators inside the fully air-conditioned home stadium of the Dallas Cowboys. Despite the stellar lineup on paper, the cagey match largely failed to live up to its massive pre-game hype. As the clock ticked down, extra time felt absolutely certain for both sides. However, in the very first minute of stoppage time, fellow substitute Ferran Torres cleverly slipped a neat pass into the path of Merino, who calmly settled the contest with a clinical finish. The sudden blow meant a deeply emotional and sour exit for the 41-year-old Ronaldo, who was visibly seen choking back tears as the final whistle blew across the arena.
Following the emotional triumph, Spain captain Rodri highly praised the collective “maturity” displayed by his young side on the big stage. “If anyone thinks that we will move forward in this tournament without suffering, they are completely mistaken,” the Manchester City midfielder stated. “We firmly knew we had to wait patiently for the absolute right moment, and it eventually came, even though they also had distinct chances to win the game,” he added. Rodri further heaped rich praise on match-winner Merino, who had only been introduced onto the pitch six minutes prior to his decisive goal, calling him a “sensational player.” Ronaldo, who currently plays his club football in Saudi Arabia, had formally confirmed on the eve of the match that this North American campaign would be his absolute “last dance” on football’s biggest international stage.
The pre-match proceedings witnessed a sombre moment shortly before kickoff when a poignant black-and-white image of the late Portugal forward Diogo Jota flashed across the giant stadium screen looming over the field. Once the action commenced, Spain missed a golden opportunity to take an early lead within the opening ten minutes when Dani Olmo set up Mikel Oyarzabal, who shockingly pulled his shot wide with only goalkeeper Diogo Costa to beat. At the other end, Portugal skipper Ronaldo tested Spanish custodian Unai Simon with a stinging effort from a tight angle. Portugal came incredibly close to breaking the deadlock late in the half when a Nuno Mendes shot was accidentally deflected onto the crossbar by Spanish fullback Pedro Porro’s head. Portugal suffered a heavy blow in the 56th minute when Mendes was forced off due to an injury. Ultimately, the tight encounter was settled at the death by Arsenal midfielder Merino, sealing a memorable win for Luis de la Fuente’s men.
ലഘു വിവരണം പോർച്ചുഗലിനെ ഒന്നിനെതിരെ പൂജ്യം ഗോളുകൾക്ക് തകർത്ത് സ്പെയിൻ ലോകകപ്പ് ക്വാർട്ടർ ഫൈനലിൽ പ്രവേശിച്ചു. ഇഞ്ചുറി ടൈമിൽ പകരക്കാരനായി ഇറങ്ങിയ മിഖേൽ മെറീനോയാണ് സ്പെയിന്റെ വിജയഗോൾ നേടിയത്. ഇതോടെ സൂപ്പർ താരം ക്രിസ്റ്റ്യാനോ റൊണാൾഡോയുടെ ലോകകപ്പ് കരിയറിന് കണ്ണീരോടെ ദാരുണമായ അന്ത്യമായി. 41-കാരനായ റൊണാൾഡോയുടെ അവസാന ലോകകപ്പ് മത്സരമായിരുന്നു ഇത്. വെള്ളിയാഴ്ച ലോസ് ആഞ്ചലസിൽ നടക്കുന്ന ക്വാർട്ടറിൽ സ്പെയിൻ അമേരിക്കയെയോ ബെൽജിയത്തെയോ നേരിടും.
(With inputs from TNIE)
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