Portugal’s three penalties missed in the semi-final shoot-out against Chile were followed by another wasted opportunity in the fifteenth minute of the Mexico game when André Silva was felled in the box by Rafa Marquez. André Silva got up, brushed himself down and took the spot-kick which Guillermo Ochoa comfortably saved; four consecutive missed spot-kicks!
To make matters worse, ten minutes after the interval Luis Neto turned Javier ‘Chicharito’ Hernandez’s cross into his own net to give Mexico the lead which they held onto until the first minute of stoppage time.
It was Portugal’s veteran defender, Pepe, who popped up to steer home a Ricardo Quaresma cross and send the game into extra-time. The 34-year-old, who recently brought his ten-year career at Real Madrid to an end, has been linked with Paris St-Germain and AC Milan but has also had offers from England.
Substitute, Adrien Silva, then had the unenviable task of taking a 104th minute penalty, conceded by a Layun handball, but thankfully he found the back of the net to wrap up victory for the European champions.
The game ended with each side having ten men; Portugal full-back Nelson Semedo was sent off two minutes after the winning penalty for a second yellow card and he was followed by Mexico’s Raul Jimenez six minutes later.
Where was Cristiano Ronaldo? He was at home spending time with his newborn twins. Ronaldo is set to make a statement over his future and Real Madrid are hopeful that he could end up staying at the club as his ever growing young family are happy in Madrid. It seems that he could even sign a new, improved deal at the club should the terms be right. Or he might just accept €15m in back tax payments, something the vast majority of people on the social media feel he has been angling for all summer.