Portugal, Ronaldo on verge of World Cup exile

2 years ago 286

After the last whistle, Cristiano Ronaldo sat connected the tract by himself, shaking his caput and looking desolate.

Some teammates came implicit to console him. A fewer opponents did arsenic well.

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Portugal had conscionable been stunned by Serbia astatine location successful World Cup qualifying. The 36-year-old Ronaldo was abruptly successful information of missing retired connected what could beryllium his past quality astatine the tournament.

Aleksandar Mitrovic scored successful the 90th infinitesimal arsenic Serbia came from down to bushed Portugal 2-1 this greeting (AEDT) to suffice for adjacent year's World Cup successful Qatar, sending Ronaldo's squad to the playoffs.

Mitrovic came disconnected the seat to people the victor with a header aft the Portugal defence failed to wide a transverse into the area.

Ronaldo looked upset and complained with his teammates aft the precocious extremity that could support him from making his 5th consecutive World Cup appearance.

Portugal volition person to look the playoffs with the different 9 radical runners-up and 2 radical winners from the UEFA Nations League. The 12 countries volition play adjacent March successful 3 four-team brackets, with the seeded teams getting a location crippled successful the bracket semifinals.

"It was a unspeakable lucifer for us," Portugal midfielder Bernardo Silva said. "It's hard to explain. We should person done a batch better. We person to apologise to our fans."

The nonaccomplishment ended Portugal's winning tally successful World Cup qualifiers astatine location dating backmost to 2013.

A gully would person been capable for the hosts, with Portugal trying to suffice for the World Cup for the sixth consecutive time.

Serbia, which had ne'er beaten Portugal, finished archetypal successful Group A with 20 points, 3 much than second-place Portugal.

"We were the amended squad contiguous successful each facet of the game," said Mitrovic, whose punishment shootout miss against Scotland a twelvemonth agone took Serbia retired of the playoffs for the 2020 European Championship. "I deliberation we deserved to triumph the crippled and to beryllium successful Qatar."

Renato Sanches enactment Portugal up with a right-footed changeable from adjacent scope lone 2 minutes into the lucifer astatine the Stadium of Light aft Silva stole possession from a defender extracurricular the area. Video reappraisal confirmed the extremity contempt Serbia claiming a foul by Silva.

Dusan Vlahovic astir equalised for Serbia 10 minutes aboriginal with a changeable that deed the post, and Dusan Tadic didn't miss successful the 33rd with a onslaught from extracurricular the country that took a deflection from a defender and fooled goalkeeper Rui Patrício.

Cristiano Ronaldo gives his garment to a young fan

It was a well-placed transverse by Tadic from the close broadside that allowed Mitrovic to people the victor with a header that bounced disconnected the crushed earlier going successful past Patrício by the adjacent post.

"It was a bully transverse from Tadic," Mitrovic said. "We cognize each different precise well. He knows wherever I americium going to be, I cognize wherever he'll enactment the ball."

Portugal and Serbia entered the last circular level connected points aft 7 matches, but Portugal had the vantage of being capable to suffice with a gully due to the fact that of a amended extremity difference.

Serbia had rallied from 2 goals down to gain a 2-2 gully with Portugal successful March.

Portugal has played successful each World Cup since 2002 aft failing to marque it to the tourney from 1990-1998. It was eliminated by Uruguay successful the circular of 16 of the World Cup successful Russia successful 2018.

Serbia didn't marque it past the radical signifier successful Russia and did not suffice for the tourney successful Brazil 4 years earlier.

Ireland won 3-0 astatine Luxembourg successful the different Group A game.

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