Portugal grinds its way to Euro 2016 title, overcoming Ronaldo injury

Portugal bought in to Fernando Santos's pragmatic approach, and it was able to overcome Cristiano Ronaldo's injury to win Euro 2016.

Jonathan Wilson | Jul 10, 2016

Portugal grinds its way to Euro 2016 title, overcoming Ronaldo injury /

PARIS – Portugal won a single game at this European Championship in normal time. It got through the group stage as a best third-place team. It has played grim, attritional football throughout the knockout phase. But, for the first time, it has a European trophy. When the ends are glory, nobody in Portugal will mind much to quibble about the methods after a 1-0 triumph in extra time over France on Sunday.

Portugal won the Euros because of its defense. After the shambles of the 3-3 draw against Hungary to finish the group stage, manager Fernando Santos retreated into the utmost pragmatism and created a unit that conceded a single goal in 420 minutes of knockout play. Scoring goals, the message seemed to be, would look after itself. And so it proved. Even without Cristiano Ronaldo, forced off after 25 minutes with a knee injury, Portugal found a 109th-minute winner, hammered home from about 30 yards by Lille striker Eder–an unlikely source for a unlikely victory.

Watch: Portugal wins Euro 2016 on Eder's extra-time goal; Ronaldo hurt

Until then, the game had been largely representative of the tournament. There have been flashes of quality and flare, but for the most part the play has been drab and cautious, blanket defenses overwhelming inadequate attacks. Much was sideways, much was backward, much was predictable and France, faced with the obduracy of Portugal’s defending, looked short of ideas and inspiration.

This was never going to follow the pattern of the Germany game, of France being forced back and striking on the break. Portugal’s method since the end of the group stage has been to absorb pressure, using the energy of its midfield, along with the enormous presence of William Carvalho, all clanking movement and octopoid limbs, to stifle the opposition. So it proved again, France being allowed to dominate possession as Portugal hastened to fill gaps.

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Portugal’s attacking threat, restricted throughout the tournament, was diminished further by an early challenge by Dimitri Payet on Ronaldo. No foul was given but, as Payet won the ball with his left foot, his right knee banged into Ronaldo’s left. The Real Madrid forward collapsed in obvious distress, weeping, but struggled on with heavy strapping before finally accepting the damage was too serious and going off for Ricardo Quaresma. A Cedric foul on Payet 10 minutes later seemed a fairly clear attempt at gaining retribution.

As against Germany, there was an early French surge, but although an Antoine Griezmann header drew a fine save from Rui Patricio after Pepe’s slip had given Payet time to float a ball into the box, it produced no breakthrough.

The singing of La Marseillaise prior to the match had been notably poor, one half of the stadium getting a syllable or two ahead of the other half–perhaps the inevitable result of France’s fans spending too much time dabbling with the Iceland thunder clap rather than practicing what they’re good at–and that served as a metaphor for a disjointed France display.

GALLERY: Rare photos of Cristiano Ronaldo

Rare Photos of Cristiano Ronaldo

1987

A 23-month old Cristiano Ronaldo smiles for the camera.

2001

Cristiano Ronaldo practices with Portugal U17.

2002

Cristiano Ronaldo lies injured while playing for Sporting Lisbon before his transfer to the English Premiership team Manchester United.

2003

Cristiano Ronaldo and Manchester United teammates Diego Forlan and Ruud van Nistelrooy pose with Casey Ogden during the players' annual visit to children's hospitals in Manchester.

2005

Cristiano Ronaldo was the center of attention during an appearance on Herman SIC

2006

Cristiano Ronaldo attends Christina Aguilera's Back to Basics tour at the Manchester Evening News Arena.

2007

After giving Christmas gifts to a group of underprivileged children, Cristiano Ronaldo takes time to sign autographs.

2007

Cristiano Ronaldo and Bollywood actress Bipasha Basu attend the debut of the New Seven Wonders of the World at Luz stadium in Lisbon.

2008

Cristiano Ronaldo and Adrian Grenier strike a pose during a party in Hollywood.

2008

Cristiano Ronaldo didn't let an injury get in the way of his beach time during a visit to Malibu.

2008

Matthew Peters/Manchester United via Getty Images

Cristiano Ronaldo with his Barclays Player of the Year, Golden Boot and 30 League Goals awards at Carrington Training Ground in Manchester, England.

2008

Cristiano Ronaldo autographs a team jersey for a Saudi man after arriving at King Khaled airport in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.

2008

Cristiano Ronaldo kisses his "Golden Shoe 2008" award, presented to Europe's best goal scorer.

2008

Cristiano Ronaldo and Portuguese national teammate Aziza Makukula pose in a cockpit on their way to Zurich.

2009

Alejandro Gonzalez/Real Madrid via Getty Images

WWE star Rey Mysterio with Cristiano Ronaldo as they visit Valdebebas in Madrid.

2010

Elisa Estrada/Real Madrid via Getty Images

Cristiano Ronaldo with Russell Crowe during the actor's visit to Madrid.

2009

Cristiano Ronaldo and Nani celebrate in the dressing room after the Barclays Premier League match between Manchester United and Arsenal at Old Trafford in Manchester.

2010

Cristiano Ronaldo and Raul Gonzalez pose with Rafael Nadal at the Madrid Open tennis tournament.

2010

Cristiano Ronaldo leaves Da Silvano Restaurant in New York City after having lunch.

2011

Cristiano Ronaldo and girlfriend, model Irina Shayk, watch Rafael Nadal serve during a tennis match on day nine of the Mutua Madrilena Madrid Open.

2011

Cristiano Ronaldo participates in a kart race with his Real Madrid teammates at Carlos Sainz Center in Madrid.

2011

Cristiano Ronaldo and Irina Shayk attend the Marie Claire Prix de la Mode gala at the French Ambassador's Residence in Madrid.

2012

Cristiano Ronaldo and Irina Shayk attend the Mutua Madrid Open tennis tournament at La Caja Magica.

2012 Cristiano Ronaldo and Queen Sofia of Spain

Queen Sofia of Spain presents Real Madrid's Cristiano Ronaldo with the Ibero-American Community Trophy during the National Sports Awards ceremony at El Pardo Palace in Madrid.

2013

Cristiano Ronaldo leans in to kiss Irina Shayk as they attend the Mutua Madrid Open tennis tournament at La Caja Magica.

2013

Angel Martinez/Real Madrid via Getty Images

Cristiano Ronaldo and former player David Beckham pose after a training session at UCLA Campus in Los Angeles.

2013

Jill Weisledero/Los Angeles Dodgers via Getty Images

Real Madrid's Cristiano Ronaldo kicks around a baseball as Dodgers outfielder Yasiel Puig looks on prior to the Dodgers game against the New York Yankees at Dodger Stadium in Los Angeles.

2013

Cristiano Ronaldo launches his CR7 underwear line in Madrid.

2013

Cristiano Ronaldo attends the unveiling of his wax figure at the Museo de Cera (Wax Museum) in Madrid.

2014

FIFA Ballon d'Or nominee Cristiano Ronaldo, his son Cristiano Ronaldo Jr., and Irina Shayk arrive at the FIFA Ballon d'Or Gala 2013 at the Kongresshaus in Zurich, Switzerland. Ronaldo won the award as FIFA top player over Lionel Messi and Franck Ribery.

2015

Alexander Hassenstein/FIFA via Getty Images

FIFA Ballon d'Or winner Cristiano Ronaldo signals during the FIFA Ballon d'Or Gala 2014 at the Kongresshaus in Zurich, Switzerland.

2016

Europa Press/Europa Press via Getty Images

Cristiano Ronaldo sprays his fragance 'Cristiano Ronaldo Legacy' at World Duty Free store at Barajas airport in Madrid.

Perhaps the stoppages for Ronaldo to receive treatment upset the rhythm, perhaps his disappearance affected its concentration, perhaps Portugal held the ball rather better after Ronaldo had gone off rather than repeatedly trying to feed him quickly, but there was little fluency in France's attack, little sense that a breakthrough might come. There was one smart turn and shot from Moussa Sissoko, preferred on the flank as Deschamps stuck to his 4-2-3-1, but that was a rare moment of incisiveness in a largely drab first half.

It didn’t improve much after halftime.

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Portugal did what it set out to do and made the game one of grim attrition. Payet, France’s hero in the group stage, was removed just before the hour for Kingsley Coman, the thinking presumably being that his pace might help penetrate the Portuguese ranks. He did land a cross on Griezmann’s head midway through the half–but the Atletico Madrid forward put the chance over–and then created a chance for Giroud that was well-saved by Rui Patricio.

The Portugal goalkeeper also made a full-length diving save to keep out a long-range blast from Sissoko, while Nani almost caught out Hugo Lloris with a deft chip. And then, quite unexpectedly, from nothing, substitute Andre-Pierre Gignac turned Pepe in injury time and rolled a shot past Rui Patricio and saw it bounce back off the post. A sudden smattering of chances could disguise the fact that there was little pattern to the game, little quality. As Portugal vs. France clashes go, this was far more World Cup 2006 than Euro 84.

Quite suddenly, just after halftime in extra time, there came a furry of chances in a Portuguese rally. Raphael Guerreiro hit the bar with a free kick and then, within a minute, Eder drifted in from the left and struck a fearsome shot past Hugo Lloris. It was a goal whose quality was utterly out of keeping with the game and, in truth, the tournament.

But nobody in Portugal will care about that.

Published Jul 10, 2016

JONATHAN WILSON

An accomplished author of multiple books, Jonathan Wilson is one of the world’s preeminent minds on soccer tactics and history.