IRAN 1 PORTUGAL 1
Kane can laugh as Ronnie misses pen..then VAR robs them of top spot
PORTUGAL were denied top spot in Group B after a dramatic night of VAR controversy.
The European champions were on course to head the table and set up a last-16 tie against Russia after Ricardo Quaresma’s first-half wonder-goal.
But sub Karim Ansarifard’s injury-time penalty, controversially awarded by referee Enrique Caceres for handball by Cedric Soares (left), after the third VAR review of the game, earned Iran a draw.
Fuming at the harsh decision there might have been a Portuguese riot had Mehdi Teremi fired a later chance into the net rather than the side-netting.
If he had scored, Portugal would have gone out
But a draw was a bad enough setback for them as, coupled with Spain’s late equaliser in the other Group B game against Morocco, it meant Fernando Santos’s side were relegated to second spot.
They will face a much tougher task against Uruguay while Iran bow out, with Carlos Queiroz’s side’s fightback against his countrymen not quite enough to earn them a place in the last-16 place for the first time.
Cristiano Ronaldo also missed a second-half penalty in Saransk which was given following a VAR review while the Portugal captain had a huge let-off after surviving a VAR redcard appeal following an off-the-ball clash. All the second-half drama made Quaresma’s stunning strike, which deserved to be a headline-grabbing matchwinner, a mere footnote.
At the end of a highoctane first half, Quaresma traded passes with Adrien Silva and bent a beautiful effort into the top corner with the outside of his right foot.
Ronaldo could have killed off Iran’s dreams.
Caceres initially waved away his appeals after he took a tumble over Saeid Ezatolahi’s clumsy challenge.
But he reversed his decision after a pitchside review only for keeper Alireza Beiranvand to plunge to his left and brilliantly save Ronaldo’s 53rd-minute spot-kick, ensuring he blew the chance to draw level with England captain Harry Kane on five goals in the race for the Golden Boot.
The decision sparked Iranian fury as they had two players booked and Queiroz thought he too had been sent off for his protests before he returned after just a warning.
Ronaldo’s heart was then in his mouth when he lashed out a couple of times at Morteza Pouraliganji but escaped with a yellow.
Caceres somehow ruled Soares had deliberately handled Sardar Azmoun’s knockdown even though he wasn’t looking at the ball and Ansarifard levelled in the 93rd minute.
Portugal and Caceres were lucky Teremi fluffed his lines from close range.