The dramatic duel in Toronto offered everything that football at the highest level can generate – turnaround, historical records, canceled goals and unprecedented tension in the last seconds.
The match ended with a victory for the Iberians with 2:1, after Ivan Perisic opened for Croatia in the 53rd minute, Cristiano Ronaldo equalized from the penalty spot in the 68th, and the golden reserve Gonzalo Ramos brought the victory in added time. However, the most discussed moment came in the 113th minute (90+23' from extra time), when an equalizer by Josko Guardiola was canceled after the high-tech chip interfered with the ball.
Croatia headquarters: Anger against VAR and the “killed emotion“
Croatia coach, Zlatko Dalic, did not hide his huge disappointment with the technological decision that threw his team out of the World Cup, and made an extremely sharp statement to the world media:
„All these decisions take the joy out of football. I'm not saying that VAR sometimes doesn't help, but it kills the emotion of the game. It kills everything inside you, it kills what you feel in the moment. Football should be fair, but we've gone too far with this VAR.“
The midfielder Martin Baturinha revealed details of his conversation with the referees on the pitch regarding Guardiola's goal being disallowed for Mario Pasalic's offside:
„I asked the referee and he told me that he himself didn't see anything, but the ball had sensors in it and it signaled a touch (by Igor Matanovic)“.
The frustration was also shared by Petar Suchic, whose goal was also disallowed earlier in the match:
„They said that in difficult situations they should check longer, and he made a decision in one second. Today luck was simply on Portugal's side.“
The fury of Croatian fans led to dozens of plastic bottles being thrown onto the pitch in Toronto after the final whistle. The match also became a sad farewell for 40-year-old legend Luka Modric, who left the pitch crushed.
Portugal's headquarters: Fair technology and the "true beginning" of the World Cup
At the opposite pole was Portugal's coach Roberto Martinez, who defended the referees' decision and stressed that objective technology is not subject to comment:
„The message is very clear: modern balls have a chip and that's why VAR intervened. There is no subjective opinion here - the chip in the ball shows that there was a touch from Matanovic and at that moment Pasalic was offside. It's a shame that one of the two teams should have lost today, but there was no wrong decision or bad luck. It was crystal clear and the technology helped. For us, the World Cup started today. We played with pride and showed character, after we fell behind.“
The hero of the evening Gonzalo Ramos, who came off the bench and headed the decisive goal, expressed immense confidence:
„When the team needs a late goal, you can always call on Gonzalo Ramos. We showed the strength of our team. Portugal never gives up.“
Cristiano Ronaldo: Thoughts on the future and tears for Diogo Jota
The 41-year-old superstar Cristiano Ronaldo set a series of records (he now has 25 goals in major international forums) and felt a huge relief that his “last dance“ at world finals continues. Asked about his sister Katia Aveiro's comments that this was his farewell, the veteran kept his cool:
„Cristiano's future is not important at the moment. I will talk to my family and then I will decide, I don't make hasty decisions anymore. It was a crazy match, but this is the World Cup. We suffered, but to win this tournament you have to go through moments like this.“
However, the most emotional moment for the Portuguese came after the match. Since the match coincided with the exact date of one year since the tragic death of their former teammate Diogo Jota (who died in a car accident), Ronaldo put on his team number 21 and pointed to the sky with tears in his eyes.
„We knew it before the match, it was such a special moment. Today in the dressing room we talked about the coincidences of life, it's incredible. I was amazed because today's situation means a lot to us – not only because we won, but also because of the way we did it“, shared an excited Cristiano.
In the next round, Portugal faces European champions Spain in a colossal Iberian derby in the 1/8 finals.
Sources of information: The New York Times / The Athletic, Fox Sports Australia, USA Today, Sportal.bg