Portugal escaped World Cup elimination by the slightest margin after a drama-packed match with Croatia. If you are a Portuguese fan, you will certainly feel that luck was on your side, as for much of the game, their World Cup hopes hung by a thread. However, if you are a Croatian fan, you will feel as if the match escaped your grip in the cruelest way possible, with the tightest decisions going against the Balkan side.
Portugal, without a doubt, got away with this one, but as the tournament progresses, they will not be able to afford to let opponents run in behind their defense and get into such dangerous positions. For large chunks of the games, Portugal’s shape was disorganized and left gaps which Croatia happily exploited. Not to mention Croatia had three goals ruled offside, and on another day, this game could have easily gone against Portugal. Cristiano Ronaldo was poised to score his first-ever World Cup knockout stage goal as he brought Portugal back level after having his earlier effort on goal chalked off.
This was not the way Croatia and Luka Modric would have wanted to exit the stage. The 2018 World Cup finalists will leave with their heads held high for future international tournaments. They will have to look to the future without their main midfield maestro, Luka Modric, whose journey has reached the end of its horizon with the 40-year-old Croatian talisman expected to have made his final international appearance in North America this summer. Croatia had plenty of chances, especially throughout the second half, but fate determined that they would leave this tournament early.
For Portugal, their next battle is against Spain on Monday, July 6th.
