Portugal pay touching tribute to Jota on anniversary of his death, Spain show up

When Portugal beat Croatia 2-1 in a scintillating World Cup round of 32 game in Toronto, they were playing for something bigger than themselves – they were playing for Diogo Jota.

After the final whistle, Cristiano Ronaldo led his team on an emotional walk towards the Portugal fans wearing Jota’s jersey, number 21. It was a fitting tribute to a player who has meant so much for Portugal and whose memory the team has carried throughout this tournament.

Jota, 28, and his brother Andre Silva were killed in a ​car crash in northwestern Spain when their Lamborghini veered off the road and burst into flames on 3 July last year, an incident that plunged Portugal into grief and sent shockwaves around the football world.

Jota’s close friend Ruben Neves, the Portugal midfielder, now wears the number 21 for the national team. He kissed a wristband bearing the Liverpool forward’s name as he stood for the anthem, at the end of which Jota’s image was cast on the big screen, drawing cheers from every corner of the stadium.

Ronaldo took to Instagram after the game as he held the shirt for a group picture with the team. The message read: “We won for us, Diogo and Portugal!”

Portugal coach Roberto Martinez, who has described Jota as “our light” and named ​him an honorary member of the World Cup squad, said his team’s performance showed what the player meant for his team.

“Several beautiful symbols of power and energy and what Jota meant for the team. He was someone who believed, and we have a responsibility for Diogo and we are going to keep doing this,” he told reporters.

The fans at the stadium did their part too.

When the clock hit the 21-minute mark, they got up from their seats and unfurled a banner with his image and balloons that said 21.

In the end, if there was one player on the pitch who may have personified the live wire that Jota was in the dying minutes of the game, it was Gonçalo Ramos. His goal sealed the team’s spot in the last 16.

“We talk about him every day. He gives us strength,” Ramos said.

Praise for ref

Martinez said his team deserved their 2-1 win over Croatia and praised the referee for getting the big decisions right in a pulsating match that lived up to its billing.

Portugal were awarded a penalty after a Video Assistant Referee (VAR) review, which Ronaldo slotted home to cancel out Ivan Perišić’s opener. Ramos then netted a stoppage-time header to put Portugal in front.

Croatia looked to have equalised at the very end, but the last-gasp effort was ruled offside after another VAR review, prompting the team’s supporters in the south end of Toronto Stadium to shower the pitch with debris.

“There were no bad decisions. Today we were fortunate,” said Martinez when asked if Croatia had been robbed of a second goal by VAR.

“The chip ball showed that it was offside, the penalty was also clear. I understand the work of (Croatia coach Zlatko) Dalić in this team and it is shame that there was only one winner today.”

Dalić had a different opinion on the officiating in the match, saying he was unhappy with the “bad refereeing”.

Portugal will next play Spain in the round of 16 in Dallas, and Martinez expected a high-quality encounter between two European heavyweights.

“We respect the quality of Spain. I think it is going to be a fantastic match, it is going to be the European game of this World Cup,” he said.

When asked how he deals with nerves during such crucial games, Martinez said he had learned to keep his emotions in check and that it was important to remain rational and calm.

Thursday’s match had taken a toll though, he added.

“I have lost my hair through this, but I think it is worth it.”

Spain show up

Spain put their World Cup rivals on notice with a dominant 3-0 win over Austria on Thursday thanks to a Mikel Oyarzabal double and another commanding defensive display to reach the last 16.

Spain, who arrived at the tournament among the favourites and have yet to concede a goal, made a slow start with a draw against Cape Verde but Austria had no answer to their opponents’ relentless attack and impenetrable back line on a sunny day in Southern California.

While Spain’s attack, especially teenage forward Lamine Yamal, gets most of the attention, their defence continues to excel.

They did not allow a shot on target on Thursday, the first team to achieve that feat in a World Cup knockout match since Germany in the 2014 final against Argentina.

The Spaniards started brightly, with Lamine repeatedly troubling Austria’s defence as La Roja pressed for an early breakthrough.

They thought they had gone ahead from a short-range shot by Marc Cucurella, but the effort was ruled out for a foul on goalkeeper Alexander Schlager.

The pressure finally paid off, though, when Cucurella whipped a precise cross into the area and Oyarzabal steered it into the bottom corner, igniting the largely Spain-supporting crowd.

Schlager kept Austria in the match before half-time, producing back-to-back saves from a free kick and the ensuing scramble to ensure his side went into the interval trailing by only one.

Austria’s best opportunity to equalise came in the second half when a lovely cross into the box was headed by Saša Kalajdžić, but the ball landed harmlessly on top of the goal.

Austria, who squeaked into the knockout round with a last-gasp goal to draw with Algeria, struggled to create clear chances against a Spain side who remained composed in possession and disciplined at the back to continue their shutout streak.

Pedro Porro added Spain’s second in the 66th minute with a header into the middle of the net in front of a sold-out crowd that included Spanish actors Penelope Cruz and Javier Bardem.

Oyarzabal struck again in the 89th minute for his fourth goal of the tournament following a defensive lapse by a visibly frustrated Austrian side. Reuters/DM