Quaresma gets some playing time, and a goal for Portugal
CRITICISED BACK home and spurned by many of Portugal’s fans, Ricardo Quaresma sat on the bench for his team’s opening two World Cup matches.
He finally got some playing time in the third on Monday, and he scored in the 1-1 draw against Iran that earned Portugal a spot in the round of 16.
“Yes, this goal is an answer,” Quaresma said, referring to the flak he has been taking in Portugal. “It was a great goal. I was lucky to hit it where I had to.”
The veteran striker scored a spectacular goal with the outside of his foot at the Mordovia Arena – a shot likely to be remembered by all those who had wanted him to stay home.
The 34-year-old Quaresma was picked by coach Fernando Santos to replace Goncalo Guedes. He was applauded by the fans in Saransk when he left the field in the middle of the second half.
Quaresma said the same critics didn’t want him to play at the 2016 European Championship in France. But Portugal came back from that tournament as champions and Quaresma was seen as a key leader of that squad.
“I still have a lot to offer,” said Quaresma, who plays for Turkish club Besiktas. “People can say whatever they want.”
Portugal finished second in Group B and will next face Uruguay in Sochi on Saturday. Quaresma said he didn’t know if he would play in that match, but he still had praise for Santos.
“Our coach has the power to take the best of us,” Quaresma said. “We had a very tough group in the World Cup and now a different tournament begins. He will be even more important now.”
FANS IN stadiums about 1,000 miles apart — and millions watching on multiple screens around the globe — were transfixed on a studio outside Moscow where FIFA World Cup fates turned on nearly simultaneous video replay decisions.
Iago Aspas had scored in the first minute of stoppage time yesterday, pulling Spain into a 2-2 tie with Morocco in Kaliningrad, but a referee’s assistant ruled he was offside. If the goal did not count, Spain would be in second place behind Portugal.
Referee Ravshan Irmatov went to the monitor on the side of the field to view the image put on the screen by the control room at the International Broadcast Center in Krasnogorsk.
At the same moment, referee Enrique Caceres went to view his monitor in Saransk to determine whether Portuguese defender Cedric committed a handball when Iran’s Sardar Azmoun headed the ball down. Portugal were leading 1-0, past 90 minutes and into stoppage time.
If Portugal won, they would finish first. If Iran were able to score on the penalty kick and somehow score again while Morocco held on to beat Spain, Iran would have shockingly won the group, Portugal would finish second and Spain’s World Cup would be over.
Iramatov reversed the call, pointing to the center circle to signal goal, and Spain got the 2-2 draw. Cacares gestured to the spot for the record 20th penalty kick of the World Cup, and Karim Ansarifard converted in the third minute of stoppage time to give Iran a 1-1 draw.
NERVY ENDING
When final whistles blew, Spain and Portugal — which drew 3-3 earlier in the tournament — were tied again atop Group B, but Spain got the top seed on the second tiebreaker, total goals, 6-5.
That means hosts Russia, which finished second in Group A, will play Spain on Sunday in Moscow, while Portugal face the much more difficult opponent, Uruguay on Saturday in Sochi.
Iran coach Carlos Queiroz was incensed after a decision that followed a video review not to send off Cristiano Ronaldo. The five-time FIFA Player of the Year instead was given a yellow card after an arm of the Portuguese star hit Iranian defender Mortez Pouraliganji in the face in the 82nd minute.
Early in the second half, a video review led to a penalty kick for Portugal when Saeid Ezatolahi was judged to have fouled Ronaldo. There was minimal contact and Caceres originally waved off a foul. Ronaldo’s penalty kick was saved by goalkeeper Alireza Beiranvand.
Queiroz complained that Ronaldo gets star treatment.
“The reality is you stop the game too far. There is an elbow — elbow is red card in the rules, and the rules doesn’t say if it is (Lionel) Messi or Ronaldo.”
Queiroz railed against the way video review was used.
“I need to know if I am grandfather or no. I don’t want to know if my daughter is a little bit pregnant or it’s a little evidence or obvious,” he said. “It’s a red card. So the question it is for me, as I said before, it is not about the refs, it’s about the attitude and the bravery and the character. The decisions, they must be clear for everybody, for the people.”