Portugal secure progression amidst VAR decisions
Portugal has advanced to the World Cup last 16 following a match against Croatia that featured significant VAR interventions. The game, which saw Gonçalo Ramos score the winning goal, was marked by four disallowed goals in total, including one that denied Croatia an equaliser in the final moments.
The atmosphere in the stadium was lively, particularly for Toronto’s Portuguese community. Portugal initially dominated the first half, with Rafael Leão and Pedro Neto creating several opportunities. Bruno Fernandes had two shots saved by Dominik Livaković, and Neto delivered numerous crosses that narrowly missed their targets, including one that eluded Cristiano Ronaldo.
Croatia, despite being on the defensive for much of the first half, maintained their composure. Their strategy involved isolating Martin Baturina against João Cancelo and delivering crosses for Ante Budimir. However, Rúben Dias provided strong physical opposition to Budimir.
Second half sees shift in momentum and VAR interventions
The second half saw a change in momentum after Zlatko Dalić introduced Igor Matanović for Budimir. Croatia took the lead eight minutes into the half when Josep Stanišić crossed the ball from the right, allowing Ivan Perišić to control it at the back post and score past Diogo Costa.
Croatia then had a period of sustained pressure. Petar Sučić set up Matanović for a goal that was later ruled out for offside. Sučić himself later had a strong shot saved by Costa. Meanwhile, Leão hit the crossbar with a 25-yard effort, and Ronaldo had a goal disallowed for offside.
A turning point occurred when Livaković inadvertently put the ball out for a corner after a backpass. Following the corner, a VAR check was initiated, leading to the Norwegian referee Espen Eskås reviewing the incident at the monitor. It was determined that Nikola Vlašić had an arm wrapped around Leão, resulting in a penalty for Portugal.
Ronaldo converted the penalty, levelling the score and igniting celebrations among the crowd. Despite this, Croatia continued to press, with Mateo Kovačić having two long-range efforts saved and Matanović forcing another save. Sučić also had another goal disallowed for offside.
Roberto Martínez made a tactical substitution, bringing on Rúben Neves for Ronaldo. This change helped Portugal to close down counter-attacking spaces and regain control of the ball. The play was frequently directed to Leão, who ultimately made a decisive contribution with a goal.
The celebrations for Leão’s goal were extended, leading the referee to add three extra minutes to added time. In the final moments, Croatia scored again through Joško Gvardiol, but this goal was also ruled out for offside by VAR, marking the fourth disallowed goal of the match. This decision prompted protests from some sections of the crowd.
Spain also secure last 16 spot
In another World Cup fixture, Spain secured their place in the last 16 by defeating Austria. This victory marked Spain’s first knockout win at the men’s World Cup in 16 years.
Spain took the lead after 36 minutes when Mikel Oyarzabal scored from Marc Cucurella’s low cross. They extended their lead in the 66th minute through Pedro Porro’s header from Alex Baena’s cross. Cucurella and Oyarzabal combined again to seal the victory, with Oyarzabal scoring his fourth goal of the tournament.
Early in the match, Spain had a goal disallowed when Cucurella’s shot was ruled out due to Pau Cubarsí being judged to have fouled Austria goalkeeper Alexander Schlager. Schlager made several key saves, including a double save from Baena’s free-kick and Lamine Yamal’s follow-up. Austria, playing in their first World Cup knockout fixture since 1954, rarely threatened, with a header from substitute Saša Kalajdžić being one of their few notable attempts.
Spain joins Mexico as teams that have not conceded a goal in their first four 2026 World Cup matches.
Read Also
Source: theguardian.com
