The Courier & Advertiser (Angus and Dundee)
Ronaldo misses penalty as Portugal blow chance
Cristiano Ronaldo missed a penalty and Portugal blew the chance to finish top of Group B, with a dramatic climax seeing them draw 1-1 with Iran.
The European champions were leading through Ricardo Quaresma’s stunning goal but were dramatically pegged back in stoppage time by a controversial spot-kick – and they would have gone out of the tournament had Mehdi Taremi not missed a golden chance at the end.
Ronaldo should have ended doubts about the outcome, and taken his goal tally for the tournament to five, when Portugal were awarded a 51st-minute penalty in Saransk.
But the Real Madrid superstar saw his effort beaten away by Iran goalkeeper Ali Beiranvand.
Things almost got worse for Ronaldo when he was the subject of a lengthy red card review by the video assistant referee, but his apparent swing of the arm was adjudged only worthy of a yellow.
But his night ended still in huge disappointment after Karim Ansarifard equalised from the spot in stoppage time.
The draw condemned Portugal to second place, behind Spain, and they will face Uruguay in the last 16.
Quaresma, starting his first World Cup match, had scored a memorable goal on the stroke of half-time.
Quaresma played a quick one-two with full-back Cedric Soares, sprinted to the edge of the box and curled the ball with the outside of his right boot into the far top corner.
Ronaldo’s big moment arrived via VAR, after he was brought down in the area by Morteza Pouraliganji’s clumsy challenge.
Referee Enrique Caceres initially gave nothing but after a second viewing pointed to the spot for the 19th spot-kick awarded in this summer’s tournament, more than in any previous staging.
The drama continued deep into added time with yet another VAR referral and Soares harshly adjudged to have handled in the area for penalty number 20.
Ansarifard tucked it away and Taremi had a great chance to send Iran through, but blasted into the side-netting.