Date:13/06/2008 URL: http://www.thehindu.com/2008/06/13/stories/2008061353201900.htm

Sport

Ronaldo stars in Portugal’s win

The 2004 runner-up is well placed to make the quarterfinals

— Photo: AFP

EARLY STRIKE: Portuguese midfielder Deco gets the ball past a sprawled Czech Republic goalkeeper Petr Cech to score his team’s first goal, as Cristiano Ronaldo (left) and Nuno Gomes watch, in the Group ‘A’ match in Geneva on Wednesday.

GENEVA: Portugal’s playmaker Cristiano Ronaldo hit a second-half goal to all but book his side’s place in the Euro 2008 quarterfinals in a 3-1 win over the Czech Republic here on Wednesday.

As Manchester United struggles to keep him at Old Trafford and Real Madrid attempts to lure him to Spain, the 23-year-old playmaker showed why the European giants are battling for his services.

After Barcelona’s Deco had given Portugal an eighth-minute lead, the Czechs hit back with a brilliant header from midfielder Libor Sionko on 17 minutes, before Ronaldo sealed the game with a superb shot in the 63rd minute.

And he then turned provider for substitute Ricardo Quaresmo to score a third goal in extra-time.

After both sides had got off to winning starts last Saturday in their Group ‘A’ campaigns, the result leaves the Portuguese on six points and all but sure to reach the last eight.

Last Saturday, Portugal beat Turkey 2-0 and the Czechs — who had broken Switzerland’s defence with a 1-0 win — will now need to beat Turkey here on Saturday in its last group game to be sure of reaching the last eight.

Koller doesn’t start

Before kick-off, Czech coach Karel Bruckner had found no place in his starting line-up for towering forward Jan Koller, preferring to go with former Liverpool marksman Milan Baros as the lone striker.

And Hamburg midfielder David Jarolim, who had started against Switzerland, also found himself on the bench.

In contrast, Portugal coach Luiz Felipe Scolari kept the same side which tormented Turkey.

The game had an electric start at the Stade de Geneve when Ronaldo darted into the area and played a cute one-two with Benfica striker Nuno Gomes in the game’s opening moments.

The Real Madrid target drew Czech goalkeeper Petr Cech before centre-forward Deco flicked the ball into the empty net on eight minutes.

But despite their early setback, the Czechs hit back as defender Jaroslav Plasil swung in a cross and Sionko powered his header past Portugal ’keeper Ricardo in the 17th minute.

First booking

The first booking of the game came shortly after when Anderlecht midfielder Jan Polak tackled Pepe from behind, but Chelsea-bound Jose Bosingwa followed into the referee’s book with a heavy foul in the 31st minute.

Ronaldo tested Cech when he unleashed a powerful shot just before half-time which forced the Chelsea goalkeeper into a diving save.

After a slow start to the second half from both sides, Portugal started to exert some authority. The threatened breakthrough came in the 63rd minute when Deco laid the ball across the penalty area for Ronaldo to drill his shot under Cech.

With time running out, Bruckner sent Koller into the action at the expense of his Nuremberg teammate Tomas Galasek, while Jarolim also entered the fray, but it was too late for the Czechs’ chances.

And it was all over in the 91st minute as Ronaldo saw off the Czech threat drawing Cech out and slipping in a pass for Quaresma to hammer the ball into an empty net.

Portugal will face co-host Switzerland in Basel on Sunday in its final group stage game.

The result: Portugal 3 (Deco 8, Cristiano Ronaldo 63, Quaresma 90+1) bt Czech Republic 1 (Sionko 17). — Agencies