A thundering out-of-the-blue shot by substitute Eder gave Portugal a shock 1-0 win over France in the European Championship final, delivering the country’s first international title as superstar Cristiano Ronaldo watched injured from the touchline.
Ronaldo was stretchered off in tears in the first half and limped on crying with joy again after his side delivered the final knockout blow in the month-long tournament of upsets.
Hosts France dominated the game, as they had nearly every match since the start. However, they could not break down a Portuguese defense in which man-of-the-match Pepe was majestic and goalkeeper Rui Patricio produced a string of dramatic saves.
Photo: AFP
“It was not the final I wanted, but I am very happy. It is a trophy for all Portuguese, for all immigrants, all the people who believed in us so I am very happy and very proud,” Ronaldo said.
Up against a French team with a whole nation behind them, Portugal healed their own soccer wound from a shock they suffered twelve years ago. In the Euro 2004 final, Portugal lost to Greece 1-0 on home territory.
Portugal’s coach, Fernando Santos, and the other players paid tribute to Ronaldo’s role in urging the team not to give up in the tense match at the Stade de France. Ronaldo returned from treatment at the end of 90 minutes to give pep talks to his teammates.
He fell to the ground in agony in the eighth minute following a clattering challenge from Dimitri Payet. After twice going off for treatment and trying to come back, Ronaldo was definitively carried off.
“He told me I was going to score the winning goal,” said Eder, who plays for French side Lille OSC and only went on in the 79th minute. “He gave me strength and positive energy.”
Victory also gave Ronaldo energy. He danced past reporters with other Portugal players as they left the stadium.
“Cristiano is fundamental to us,” Santos said. “It would be utopian to not use Ronaldo and all his added value.”
“Cristiano could score at any moment and sort everything out on his own, but I always said we are a team — we win as a team,” Santos added.
Portugal defended doggedly and threatened occasionally without their inspirational skipper.
With 109 minutes gone, Eder beat off a challenge by Laurent Koscielny to fire a shot from outside the penalty area that France captain and goalkeeper Hugo Lloris could not even get a hand to.
The tournament featuring 24 teams for the first time failed to produce classic soccer, and Lloris was the latest to raise questions about the manner of Portugal’s wins.
“If they won the tournament, it is because they deserved it,” Lloris said.
However, he described France’s luck as “cruel,” adding: “One can always argue about the way they play, but they are efficient and you must congratulate them.”
Santos had always said he does not care if Portugal win “ugly” as long as they win.
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