1 day ago
19
Key events
I can only get to a few more …
“What is the shorts thing? Surely a multi-billion industry can make shorts that work. Ruben Dias doing a Declan Rice.” – Beth Davies
“First of all: what a game! Feel privileged to have seen it live! Hard to escape the feeling that Croatia were really hard done by, especially at the end. If I were the referee (and I have no refereeing experience whatsoever), I think the ethical decision would have been to let the goal stand and let the teams play extra time. That is a hugely consequential decision especially so late in the game and with such small margins, I think it is only fair to let the teams decide it the honourable way, by playing to get a proper goal. I think technicalities can get in the way of fairness. Anyway, Spain will probably crush Portugal anyway so maybe Croatia will get some poetic justice?” – Matthew Leung
I think it’d be fun to make it to a game at this Cup, but I also like having food and paying rent, so …
And a final comment for now on the technology in the sport …
“Computer says no goal. – Scott Bassett, linking to this clip (profanity alert)
This took me a second but is definitely in the running for Email Of The Day:
“If Portugal are at 0.97 xG, why not just take a long shot from 50 yards? It should automatically go in right?” – Thomas Krantz
“Don’t know what if any commentary you have yourself, but I’m stuck with the BBC claiming of the crowd “they’ve come here to see Ronaldo!” of that spot-kick. … Bloody hell, it’s reaching new lows when the English commentators are telling a Scottish audience what the Americans have turned up for.” – James Humphries
“Hate to disagree with you, but that wasn’t so much a hold as the kind of cursory pat-down a bored bouncer gives you when he knows you’ve never done anything more illegal than share your history homework.” – Ben Goodge
I’m thinking that’s in reference to the call that led to Ronaldo’s penalty kick. I’ve never been patted down that I can recall. Is that weird?
“Yea that’s not a pen. Especially in this WC we’ve seen that level of contact in the box and they’ve not been called.” – Casiano Martinez
I’m sure you’re not alone in thinking that. How many times did Paraguay get away with more blatant holds against Germany?
“If that’s a pk then there should be at least 4 a game. VAR has made a nonsense of the game.” – Alan Kirkup
Maybe giving four a game would make defenders stop holding?
“I am confused as to why Portugal aren’t anywhere near as convincing as they look on paper. A midfield featuring Fernandes with João Neves and Vitinha at the heart of it - and Nunes, Neves and Bernardo Silva should be running rings around their opponents. Perhaps it is a Roberto Martinez thing. Maybe someone like Luis Enrique should be managing them.” – Farhan
For much of the first half, they were indeed running circles around a pretty decent Croatian team, but why aren’t the incisive final passes there?
Pausing mail release to note that Portugal have just held up a jersey in honor of Diogo Jota, who passed away one year ago tomorrow (or today, if you’re not in the Americas).
Mail not related to the last play …
“Portugal went for the unorthodox decision of starting with a specialist penalty taker and removing him just before it got to the shootout.” – Cian Mulligan
“Regarding 78 minutes. I attended a summer exhibition match at Busch Stadium in St Louis, my seat behind one of the goals. The match finished 3-2 (I think), and all the goals were scored on the other end. The struggle is real.” – Joe Pearson
OK, tons of mail, and I apologize that I’m going to be working in reverse chronology …
“Pasalic is in offside position when ball is played intentionally by his teammate, Pasalic then passes it to Gvardiol after receiving ball in an offside position. Very fast and tight but straightforward offside.” – Rick McGahey
Right, so my questions would be whether Pasalic was NOT in an offside position when the ball was crossed, and does that mean Croatia are out because Matanovic has a full head of hair?
Ted Graves asks about a chip being in the ball – yes, there is. That actually looked like a cricket replay with the audio sensor
“Get rid of technology in this sport. We had a cracking goal disallowed by a faux offside. We have a last minute game tying goal disallowed by a strand of hair. The game is gone.” – Billy Graboso
Funny thing – at first glance, in real time, I thought Matanovic made a more substantial touch on the ball and thought it was an obvious call. Replay showed that it wasn’t substantial. R2D2 in the ball says it was still touched.
“We’re already ruled by the machines, aren’t we?” – Justin Kavanagh
No, we’re ruled by Alex Morgan, whose ad lampooning the “international media” for questioning her tea-sipping celebration over England just aired for the 8,000th time.
“I don’t get it. What is next. His nose hair puts him offside?” – Mary Waltz
Hey, you and I are old enough to know that’s a real problem.
“Have I gone absolutely mad or did VAR draw the wrong offside line for Sucic’s goal (from the CB rather than Mendes at left back). Ignore if I’m talking nonsense, and loved your Budimir line.” – James Burrows
I may miss the next game while rewinding this one.
Ronaldo and Modric have a few words and embrace. Immense respect between the two players whose combined international experience is in the 50-year range.
Final: Portugal 2-1 Croatia
I have no idea how, but the better team on the evening prevailed.
So here’s what it is – when the ball was crossed, Pasalic wasn’t in an offside position. I think. But it took a faint touch off Matanovic’s hair, according to a chip and a soundscan, so that was a play of the ball, and then Pasalic was off?
No goal
But the referee mentioned “Croatia player No. 20 touched the ball” before the PA system failed to cut through the crowd noise. But we knew that.
No, this can’t possibly count, can it? Pasalic seemed to be more than a body width offside. The only question is whether Croatia touched the ball as it went toward Pasalic, who brought the ball down and pinged it to Gvardiol, who finished at close range.
Goal!?
That pinged around like something from the Price is Right Plinko game and found its way into the net. Will it count?
Diogo Costa adds one more save to his stats. It was far too easy. Croatia just don’t have the legs to press forward.
90 min +12 Croatia aren’t getting numbers forward! They lose the ball too easily, and Conceição takes a shot at making it 3-1.
90 min +11 Modric is still on the field. Can he muster anything at this stage? He tries to keep a ball in play, but it rolls over the line for another goal kick.
90 min +10 Now we’re getting players asking the ref for VAR checks on the goal kick vs. corner kick decisions. This is what it’s come to.
90 min +9 Croatia get a corner kick. We’ll get more than 10 minutes because of the goal celebration and sub, so … maybe three minutes left?
90 min +8 WAY behind the ball, Perisic pulls a Zidane but with a shove rather than a headbutt, and it’s yellow rather than red as a result.
90 min +7 That’s a straight offense-for-defense sub. Croatia loft it into the box but can’t win the aerial duel.
The same Croatian player shoves two Portuguese players like the Hulk smashing up a bar, but Portugal maintain possession.
Do we have a VAR check? Of what?
Oh no – it’s a sub. Kramaric for Kovacic.
Goal! Portugal 2-1 Croatia (Ramos 90 min +4)
A superb header.
Leão chipped it to the center of the box. Ramos is in between Gvardiol and Pongracic but somehow outleaps both and hits a glancing header inside the post.
90 min +3 Vitinha charges into the box with the ball and falls over, but there wasn’t enough contact for anything but a short-lived shout from the Portuguese team.
Will we next see a VAR check of how much stoppage time to add? Seems only fair.
90 min +1 Portugal corner, and it’s another half-dangerous one but goes out again.
Vlasic out, Manchester City defender Gvardiol on. He started the first two games.
90 min Portugal press a little, and it pays off in forcing a long, aimless ball. Portugal possess as we await the stoppage-time signal. I’ll guess seven because we had a VAR check on top of the subs and the hydration break.
It’s 10. OK then.
88 min Croatia go ahead to Sukic on the right, he crosses and Mario Pasalic somehow heads it all the way back across the goal mouth wide of the far post. It seemed harder to do that than it was to put it on frame.
87 min Veiga outleaps everyone to get a head to the well-played corner, but he’s not able to redirect it toward goal.
86 min But THIS ball finds Conceição, who bangs it off a defender for a corner.
85 min Croatia press deep, but will they pay for it as Portugal work their way into the other half? Mendes ends up putting it in the air for Conceição, and I’m winning a 100m dash before he wins that ball in the air.
84 min Portugal have it now but can’t find a passage through the Croatian masses. They opt for “over” rather than “through,” but no one’s there.
82 min Portugal possessing against a neatly spaced gaggle of Croatians. They play it out for a goal kick, get it back, lose it again – still not seeing the long spells of possession they enjoyed in the first half.
Ronaldo is subbed out
Will that be his last kick in a World Cup? Ruben Neves is in.
No goal!
I was starting to say Portugal’s backline looks disorganized, and Croatia notice it as well, with a through ball to Sucic. He finishes neatly, tucks the ball into his jersey, then sees the flag.
80 min Did Martinez make too many changes? Don’t look now, but he’s about to make another one, which will be his last.
79 min Veiga rises to get a head to a Croatian cross with an attacker looming a few feet behind him.
78 min Now Portugal can’t get a hold of the ball. Maybe the ball wants to remain in this half of the stadium, where Portugal were attacking in the first half and Croatia are attacking now.
77 min COSTA AGAIN! Matanovic pounces on an errant aerial clearance and is 1v1 against the Portuguese keeper from a somewhat acute angle. Costa saves. Hadn’t typed his name until a couple of minutes ago, and now he’s made three huge saves.
75 min CROATIA OFF THE POST, THEN SAVED! What a run from Kovacic, then a shot on the ground from the center 22 yards out. Costa gets a fingertip to it and deflects it off the post. Ball gets back to Kovacic near the same spot, and Costa punches his shot over.
“The next issue they need to sort out, or at least clarify with respect to offside, is how they are determining when the ball is released. A few frames earlier and Ronaldo is onside.” – Jonathan Francis
This is something I’ve challenged for a while. You can make a precise-looking graphic showing when the ball was played, but have you synced it that perfectly with the ball? The ball now has a chip in it, but I’m wondering about that one …
72 min Baturina out, Pasalic in. Long throw-in, handled without too much difficulty by Diogo Costa, whose name I have not typed in this whole match thus far.
“Come on man, that was not a stonewall pen. Vlasic was holding him back but Veiga dived forward…” – Sicheng Jiang
Yeah, but he probably wasn’t able to dive as far forward as he would’ve liked? Maybe?
Everyone need a drink after all that? Good news!
Goal! Portugal 1-1 Croatia (Ronaldo 68 pen)
Ronaldo walks up, places the ball on the spot with no hesitation. Livakovic stands rigid. Whistle blows, Ronaldo takes one step, comes to a dead stop (are you allowed to do … never mind), no one moves, but Livakovic leaps to his right as Ronaldo rips it up the middle where Livakovic’s left shoulder used to be.
Penalty!
See? VAR does some good!
Now … who takes this?
Subs out: Cancelo, Neto, Vitinha, Fernandes.
Still reviewing. This is absolutely a penalty, as Vlasic made the Canadian football tackle on Veiga.
64 min Dangerous corner for Portugal, and was Veiga being held? I think so!
63 min The graphic is … oddly drawn.
Let’s see if we can get all the subs. Bernardo Silva, Semedo, Ramos and Conceição in.
He was off? No he wasn’t! I don’t care what some contrived graphic says. If that’s offside, I’m typing this from the pool.
No goal
It was a lovely finish by Ronaldo … oh wait! He looks on!
FOUR subs are up for Portugal. Martinez reacting or overreacting?
60 min Modric with the foul to slow down Portugal, and that’s a yellow card.
59 min SHOT ON GOAL FOR CROATIA! Sucic from just inside the penalty area, foot save out for a corner.
58 min OFF THE BAR FOR PORTUGAL! Leão rips a shot from the top of the box, easily beating Livakovic but off the woodwork near the far post.
No goal!
But Croatia have it in the net again! Vlasic raced onto the ball and centered, but he was well offside. No VAR or anything needed here. Clear-cut call.
56 min: Portugal possess, still reeling from the shock.
