On July 2, it was reported that in the 1/8 finals of the European Cup that ended in the early morning of July 2, Portugal eliminated Slovenia 3-0 on penalties, and the top 8 will face France. In extra time, Jota made a point, Ronaldo cried bitterly, and in the penalty shootout, Ronaldo scored a penalty to make up for it. After the game, Cristiano Ronaldo spoke about why he took the first penalty.
After 90 minutes of regular time, the two sides played to a 0-0 draw.
In the 105th minute, Jota broke through to the penalty area and was fouled and fell to the ground, creating a penalty, Ronaldo took a low shot into the bottom right corner of the goal, but it was saved by Slovenian goalkeeper Oblak.
After missing the penalty that could have helped his team win, Ronaldo cried bitterly on the spot, and his teammates quickly gathered in a circle and stepped forward to comfort him.
It was still 0-0 after 120 minutes, and the two sides went to a penalty shootout, with Portugal taking the first penalty.
Cristiano Ronaldo took the initiative to take the first penalty, which was definitely the best chance for him to make amends and redeem himself. I saw Ronaldo take a deep breath.
He then deceived the goalkeeper and hit the bottom left corner of the goal to give Portugal a 1-0 lead.
Subsequently, Ronaldo was not too excited, and put on a celebratory gesture of folding his hands to redeem himself.
Cristiano Ronaldo was interviewed after the game and said of the first penalty shoot-out: "As you can see, I missed the penalty, so I wanted to be the first goal in the shoot-out and you have to take responsibility when you need to. You can't be afraid, I'm never afraid to face things. Sometimes I can do it, sometimes I can't, but giving up is something you'll never see from me. ”
Speaking after the game, Portugal coach Martinez said: "Cristiano Ronaldo missed the penalty, but he played a decisive role at the start of the penalty shoot-out and he paved the way for the team. It was a victory of unity, starting in the dressing room, Cristiano Ronaldo was our captain and he showed everyone that we have difficult moments in life and in football, we can't give up, we have to keep going, and this proves what to do when things don't go well. ”
Ronaldo also spoke about what will be his last European Championship: "Without a doubt, this is my last European Championship. But that's not what drives me, what drives me from everything football has, my passion for the game, all the passion I see in the fans, but also my family, the passion of the people, their feelings for me, my team-mates, not because I'm leaving football. The journey I've traveled is the passion I'm still here. In my 20 years with the national team, playing football, bringing joy to people, making your family and children happy, that's my biggest motivation. ”