Portugal, Wales and Poland advance to European Championship quarterfinals
Substitute Ricardo Quaresma scored in the 117th minute to help Portugal beat Croatia 1-0 on Saturday and advance to the European Championship quarterfinals.
Portugal settled a poor game with its only serious attack, when Cristiano Ronaldo’s one shot all match was parried by goalkeeper Danijel Subasic across the goalmouth in the second half of extra time. Quaresma stooped to head the ball into an unguarded net from close range.
Portugal had broken away in a rare fast attack after Croatia forward Ivan Perisic struck the post with a shot.
Portugal will play Poland in the quarterfinals on Thursday in Marseille. It is clearly in the weaker half of the bracket, avoiding Spain, Italy, Germany and France until the final on July 10.
Somehow, Portugal and 31-year-old Ronaldo have a chance to win an elusive first title after three draws in the group stage and looking incapable of scoring in a cautious, mistake-filled match in the last 16.
Neither side aimed a shot or header on target until extra time, and the match only sparked into life in the closing minutes.
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Wales defeats Northern Ireland, 1-0, on an own goal
Wearing a red shirt and white shorts just like daddy, Alba Violet Bale danced around the Parc de Princes field in celebration with her father.
The 3-year-old girl hasn’t been seeing much of Gareth Bale lately, and the Welsh nation will be hoping they’ll have to wait a bit longer before being able to spend any quality time together.
After all, there’s a European Championship journey to continue.
It’s largely thanks to Bale that the first tournament appearance by Wales in 58 years is going to last at least another week after a cagey 1-0 win over British rival Northern Ireland on Saturday put the Welsh in the quarterfinals.
There was no fourth goal of Euro 2016 for Bale, but his contribution for the game’s only score — a Northern Ireland own-goal — was invaluable.
The forward whipped in a cross in the 75th minute that was aimed at teammate Hal Robson-Kanu, but it was inadvertently turned into the net by Northern Ireland defender Gareth McAuley.
Poland beats Switzerland, 1-1, after penalty kicks
Poland spent time preparing for a penalty shootout — and it showed.
Pinned back in its own half for long spells by Switzerland as fatigue appeared to take its toll in extra time, Poland focused on the defensive virtues that have served it so well at the European Championship.
The strategy paid off, and Poland reached the quarterfinals of the European Championship for the first time, after it converted all its kicks from the penalty spot to beat Switzerland 5-4 in the shootout.
Following a 1-1 draw Saturday that Switzerland had dominated for long periods, Grzegorz Krychowiak stepped up to slot home the winning penalty into the top left corner of the Swiss net.
Krychowiak’s winning penalty at the Stade Geoffroy-Guichard in the southern French city of Saint-Etienne capped an impressive display by Poland’s players during the shootout. The only player to miss was Switzerland midfielder Granit Xhaka — Arsenal’s new signing — who misfired his shot past the left post.
