Still raging against the dying of the light, fighting the years with every fiber of his being, pursuing immortality with every step, Cristiano Ronaldo became the first man to play in six European Championship finals when he took the field with Portugal against the Czech Republic in the first leg. Red Bull Arena.
He won his 208th international cap, enjoyed the adulation of the fans who still adore him, played in front of a highly talented team that did everything possible to set him up for what would have been his 15th goal of the tournament.
He launched into headers, fell spectacularly, launched a free kick over a wall and into the arms of the Czech goalkeeper and saw a couple of shots deflected. He’s not disappointed but he’s not Peter Pan either. He may hate the idea, but age has weakened his temper.
But he fought and fought and Roberto Martínez maintained his 39-year-old talisman until the bitter end. And just when it seemed that victory was not going to come and that Ronaldo’s 26th appearance in the final was going to end in a draw, the fairy tale happened.
It didn’t happen to him, but it did to his team and this version of Cristiano now behaves as if it were apparently enough. It’s not the on-again, off-again presence he had at the 2022 World Cup, when he couldn’t accept his waning importance to the team.
Cristiano Ronaldo (right) celebrates with Francisco Conceicao after the youngster’s last goal.
Substitute Conceicao won in the 92nd minute, after the Czech Republic had taken the lead in Leipzig.
Conceicao scored his first international goal and sparked scenes of joy among the Portuguese players.
Diogo Jota thought he had scored late but the goal was disallowed for offside
Czech Republic’s Robin Hranac was dejected after scoring an own goal in the 69th minute.
Lukas Provod celebrates the goal that gave Czechia the lead against Portugal
Portugal had already had what would have been a late goal disallowed by VAR, but then Francisco Conceicao, who had just come off the bench and was making his first competitive appearance for his country, popped up with another deep goal in added time. After all, it wasn’t the old man. The young man was the hero.
And so the debate about whether Ronaldo still deserves his place, the debate that would have raged if this Portugal team, which won every qualifying match, had not beaten the Czechs, will not rage now. Cristiano is still the king of Europe. Portugal is off to a winning start.
When Portugal’s line-up was read out before the warm-up, Ronaldo’s name was greeted with a huge guttural roar from his fans behind one of the goals and he ran onto the field punching the air and applauding every part of the field. where the followers of Portugal gathered.
When the Portuguese anthem was sung and the camera stopped on Ronaldo’s face, there was not a trace of nerves to be seen. He seemed beatifically happy, like a big boy barely able to suppress his energy.
There’s something inspiring about that. All the riches he has, all the possessions, all the records, all the fame, all the fans, and yet playing is still what elevates him more than anything.
As the countdown to kick-off began, Ronaldo could no longer contain his excitement. A few seconds before the referee blew his whistle, he ran away from the halfway line and into the Czech half. The referee saw it but let it pass.
The first opportunity of the game inevitably fell to him. Rafael Leao cut inside from the left and sent a cross to the penalty spot. Ronaldo rose to meet it, but was slightly behind him and mistimed his header, which hit his shoulder and he fell limply to the ground.
There were also a number of crosses inside the box (from Bernardo Silva, Nuno Mendes and Bruno Fernandes) that a younger man could have at least tried to reach. Ronaldo gave each pass a withering look as he walked past him.
Provod showed impressive composure and managed to score with a magnificent shot.
Pepe, 41 years old, becomes the oldest player to play in a Euro Cup
Ronaldo had a chance saved by Czech goalkeeper Jindrich Stanek in the first half.
However, Portugal has youth and energy around Ronaldo. Bernardo Silva’s work rate was astonishing, Nuno Mendes made one break after another from the left side of the defence, Vitinha and Bruno Fernandes dominated the midfield.
On the field, these men now dominate this Portugal team. Ronaldo may still be the team’s talisman, but he is not its best player. There are several others competing together for that title now.
Portugal had more than 70 percent of the possession and almost made it surrender midway through the half when Bruno Fernandes slid a ball across the box and Rafael Leao dived alone in the middle. A touch would have diverted it. He couldn’t reach it.
A couple of minutes later, Ronaldo wasted a golden opportunity to put Portugal ahead. He ran onto a brilliant pass from Bruno Fernandes that beat the entire Czech defense, but when he shot into the corner for the first time, Czech goalkeeper Jindrich Stanek stepped up and blocked it. Ronaldo looked completely dejected.
In the first half, Ronaldo had some frustrating moments when he couldn’t find the net.
Ronaldo tried to score with a header but the Portuguese star couldn’t score
He had one last chance before the break, putting the ball in with his back to goal and turning sharply, leaving space for a fierce shot that Stanek dived to deflect with both hands.
Ronaldo came close again 10 minutes after the break when he rose to meet Ruben Dias’s cross 10 yards out and headed his header towards goal. But Czech captain Tomas Soucek arrived just in time and Ronaldo’s header crashed into Soucek’s head from a corner.
Ronaldo launched a free kick over the wall, but it was too central and Stanek saved it comfortably. A few minutes later, Bernardo Silva crossed when he was supposed to shoot. Portugal was looking for a moment of incisive quality but couldn’t find it.
The Czechs, however, could. Just over an hour had passed when Portugal failed to clear an opposing corner and the ball was returned to Lukas Provod, who was waiting on the edge of the area.
Provod shot well away from Diogo Costa in the Portugal goal and it flew just inside the post. The Czech players celebrated with their fans behind that goal. The Portuguese players began gesturing at each other in a flurry of recriminations.
The lead only lasted seven minutes. Portugal sent a deep cross to the far post where Nuno Mendes rose to head in. Stanek tried to smother it, but it slipped out of his hands, hit Robin Hranac in the shin and bounced into the net.
Substitute Diogo Jota had a goal disallowed by VAR for offside, but then the Czechs failed to clear a Pedro Neto cross and Conceicao forced the ball for Portugal and Ronaldo to cross the line.
