Portugal needed some miracle from somewhere and alas it was provided by none other than their talismanic skipper, Cristiano Ronaldo.
Portugal needed some miracle from somewhere and alas it was provided by none other than their talismanic skipper, Cristiano Ronaldo who set up a cross for fellow teammate Silvestre Varela as Portugal scored a late equaliser to hand them a 2-2 draw with the United States and hope for a spot in the second round of the World Cup.
Real Madrid forward Cristiano Ronaldo, who had been playing despite a left knee injury, sent in a cross in the fifth minute of stoppage time and Varela scored with a diving header in the last seconds of the match. Nani had scored first for Portugal, shooting past a sprawling Tim Howard in the fifth minute, but the Americans responded in the second half as Portugal seemed to wilt in the stifling heat.
Earlier in the game, American midfielder Jermaine Jones had made it 1-1 with a curling shot in the 64th minute after a cross from Graham Zusi made its way through the Portugal defence. Clint Dempsey, playing with a broken nose, then put the Americans ahead in the 81st. But it’s not over till the final whistle as Silvester Varela tapped in to keep his team in check.
The last-second draw denied the Americans a spot in the second round, but it kept Portugal alive in the tournament. The United States now have four points in Group G, the same as Germany. Both Portugal and Ghana have one point. The Americans will face Germany on Thursday in Recife, while Portugal takes on Ghana at the same time.
