1. Sub-par Ronaldo fails to shine but delivers in shootout
IT’S A TESTAMENT to the incredibly high standards which Cristiano Ronaldo has set that, even after leading Portugal to the semi-finals of Euro 2016, you are left expecting more.
The 31-year-old attacker scored two brilliantly taken goals in Portugal’s thrilling 3-3 group stage draw against Hungary, but that instance aside, he has failed to fully catch fire at Euro 2016.
The Real Madrid star was underwhelming again against Poland last night, fluffing several chances and missing one particularly gilt-edged opportunity after a beautifully lofted through pass from substitute Joao Moutinho had set him up perfectly.
Yet you still get the feeling Ronaldo could come alive at any stage in this competition — as TV3 pundit Neil Lennon pointed out, it’s not “luck” that he’s getting all these chances, with his clever movement serving to create the openings in the first place.
Moreover, the former Manchester United player also had the character to step up and score in the penalty shootout, despite having missed four of his last five spot kicks.
In addition, Ronaldo hasn’t been the only star who’s been slightly underwhelming at times during this tournament.
Robert Lewandowski, some people’s pre-tournament tip for the Golden Boot, had not scored in four Euro 2016 games prior to Thursday evening.
And while the Bayern Munich star slotted the ball home beautifully during the early stages of last night’s match, his influence on proceedings was minimal thereafter, as Poland produced a display that was high on effort but low in quality.
2. Good tournament for Ireland’s rivals
Some Ireland fans have complained about their lack of luck with draws recently.
Not only were Martin O’Neill’s men put in a very difficult Euro 2016 qualifying group, they also found themselves playing three of the best sides in the competition over the course of the tournament.
In fact, of the eight quarter-finalists, five have played Ireland either in France or during qualification beforehand.
Furthermore, many followers of the team expressed disappointment after the Boys in Green’s respective draw and loss home and away against Poland in the qualifiers.
However, in hindsight, given that Adam Nawałka’s side were just a penalty shootout away from reaching the Euro 2016 semi-finals, perhaps the aforementioned displays were not so bad after all.
3. Remember the name: Renato Sanches
The man who originally scouted Raheem Sterling recently said the £49 million price tag was the worst thing to happen to him after the star produced a series of inept displays for England at Euro 2016.
Moreover, one youngster who entered Thursday’s Portugal-Poland encounter with a similar potential burden of a hefty price tag was Renato Sanches.
Back in May, it was confirmed that the 18-year-old would join Bayern Munich from Benfica on a five-year contract in a deal reportedly worth €35 million, with an extra €45 million in potential add-ons.
And the midfielder’s performance for Portugal last night suggests there is substance behind the hype.
Sanches was a lively, influential presence throughout the game, scoring his side’s all-important equaliser while also having the courage to take and score a penalty during the shootout.
In scoring, the Portuguese starlet also became the third youngest player to score in the history of the Euros behind England’s Wayne Rooney and Switzerland’s Johan Vonlanthen.
Therefore, while there is plenty of hard work ahead, Sanches looks to be on the right track to stardom and even eclipsed some of the more established players with his display on Thursday.
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