Football
#Anticipation Tuesday: Luxembourg beats Cristiano Ronaldo’s Portugal!
The editorial staff of Mental, endowed with powers of prediction of the future, now offer every Tuesday the result of a Luxembourg sporting feat in the future. For our first, summary of the victory of Luxembourg against Portugal in the League of Nations, on March 31, 2021.
Historical. Divine. Extraordinary. Unforgettable. After a superb draw in Ireland four days ago, on March 31, 2021, Luxembourg may have accomplished the greatest feat in the history of the country’s collective sport. Pushed by a white-hot public, in a state of surpassing oneself along these 93 grandiose minutes, the Red Lions will have been looking for a 2-0 victory in which they were the only ones to believe against the Portuguese giant. Mental looks back on this extraordinary evening.
First victory: a packed stadium.
Before knowing how to win this meeting, the real question was to know in what context it was going to take place. While the choice to move forward in terms of major sports competitions was made across Europe, the fear of playing this gala match in an empty stadium for its inauguration was great, in view of the absence repeat matches with the public until March 1. With the return of spectators to most of the major championships, and a stable and concrete drop in the number of residents positive for the coronavirus, hope was returning. But, with the appearance of the new strain of COVID 19 originating in Nicaragua and having a contagion rate 225% higher than the previous Turkish version, the public presence was again subject to speculation until a week before the meet. Fortunately, the latest battery of tests showing a near zero rate of new patients had enabled Sports Minister Dan Kersch, in agreement with the rest of the government, to open the doors of the new stadium to the whole population (through a test PCR negative less than 24 hours). If Portugal’s travel ban to come and watch the match could have dampened the atmosphere, Luxembourg’s formidable Portuguese-speaking community was enough on its own to heat up the temperature and offer an intense preamble worthy of the importance of this event. second qualifying day for the European Nations Cup. In an exceptional and friendly atmosphere, the 22 players could make their appearance on the field.
A departure from the ground up
Organized in a 4-3-3 hybrid with two defensive midfielders to contain the Portuguese assaults, the Luxembourg players enter the field with the best intentions. If from the kick-off Portugal confiscates the ball and builds to patiently break the defensive line led by Gerson, the selection remains in place. And even allows himself a few offensive forays when the opportunity seems to present itself. Under a fairly lazy pace, the Portuguese seem safe – too sure? – of their strength and do not try to violently accelerate the pace to afford the first goal of the match. Only a free kick from Cristiano Ronaldo, following a poorly mastered tackle from Carlson – which earned him a yellow card with terrible consequences – will send a thrill to players and spectators. But on the whole, the observation is clear: Luxembourg holds the dragee high to their opponent of one evening in this first quarter of an hour. And we haven’t seen anything yet …
We now play the 16th minute when the improbable exploit takes place. On one of their rare forays into the opposing camp, the Luxembourgers scratched a corner following a cross against Thill. Pulled tight by the latter, this corner kick ends up on the head of an angry Barreiro who catapults the ball into the net of a helpless Rui Patricio. CR7 may well re-motivate its troops with angry slaps, history with a capital H is on the move.
Surprisingly, this goal does not change the dynamics of the meeting. Continuing at a rather leisurely pace, the match continued with a sullen domination of uneasy Lusitanians. A look that perfectly suits the residents of the New Stadium, who are content to defend with solidarity and vigilance. A situation that has the gift of greatly irritating Fernando Santos, bubbling on his bench from the lack of reactions from his players. Despite an uncertain confusion that Pepe can not resume (39th) and a strike from afar from a rather discreet CR7, the referee whistles the end of this first part under the exclamations of an audience who really begins to believe that this evening could to be IN the evening.
A heroic defense …
On the return from half-time, a total change of pace with a Seleçâo determined to return the score as quickly as possible. Bernardo Silva, well muzzled in the first period begins to find his rhythm and directs the game through one touch passes or other devastating wing changes. The first ten minutes of the second half augur the worst as the Portuguese waves follow one another, fortunately not rewarded due to small technical errors at the time of concretization. While in the first half, the Roud Léiwen managed to mix defensive rigor and incursions into the opposing camp, the situation changed: unable to project forward, the eleven on the field suffered without a real control of the facts of However, after the lightning first ten minutes and two beautiful strikes from Silva and Joao Felix (49th, 53rd), the intensity decreases a little and allows the host team to breathe and regain relative control of the game. Less overwhelmed, more aggressive (four yellow cards in the second period), and giving blow for blow to the cheers of an audience playing more than ever its role of twelfth man, Holtz’s men seem to gain confidence as the minutes advance. The Portuguese strikes and rapid attacks gradually turn again into sterile domination with an inability to find the hole in the defense. All this until the 66th minute and this second yellow card justified for Gerson, author of an anti-play fault on a Bruno Fernandes starting alone on goal following one of the rare good openings. An exclusion that galvanizes the players of both teams, more motivated than ever on the one hand to reverse the situation and on the other, to maintain the score. For twenty minutes, the defense attack is raging and the defense of the Grand Duchy can be happy to see the attempts of CR7 (68th, 79th) and Danilo Pereiro (76th) fail narrowly. A success at the same level as the XXL performance of Anthony Moris, who on two horizontal lines as spectacular as they are effective will allow again and always to keep the clean sheet.
… before the coup de grace
While the offensives and hot actions are repeated with increasing intensity and threat, and the goalkeeper multiplies the high-class parries, especially on an angry header from Cristiano Ronaldo in the 82nd, the climax of this fairy tale arrives at the ‘starts additional time. With a recovery all in confidence following a heroic tackle, Jans launches on the left side Florian Bohnert. The latter, still fresh despite an incessant defensive pressing, took advantage of the many spaces left by an ultra offensive Seleçâo to afford a 40-meter run before sumptuously shifting Vincent Thil. While the whole stadium and the opposing defense expect a strike from the midfield, Thil surprises everyone by slipping a perfect ball into the feet of Sinani who, without control, takes the ball back and scores the goal of deliverance. in an exploding stadium. 2-0 in the 91st, mass is said, and the referee will whistle the end of the game 120 seconds later. The eleven already anchored in the history of the country as well as the bench exult in a Dantesque hubbub. If some celebrate by running sprints that could overshadow Usain Bolt, others remain in disbelief, as if this feat of theirs, created by their sweat and determination was not real. Finally, a last group is already beginning the long communion with the public who will not leave the stands until forty minutes after the end of the match … With four points in two games and the head of the standings, our red lions can certainly start dreaming of a very, very good qualifying campaign.
The dab of His Royal Highness Grand Duke Henri:
If this meeting will have provided its share of magical images that will remain in the collective memory of the population, none will certainly be stronger than that of His Royal Highness performing a “dab” in the collective frenzy. While Sinani marked the goal of deliverance and capsized a whole country in madness, the Grand Duke stood up, a big smile on his lips and split a mythical “dab”. Undoubtedly the image of this meeting which, in itself, sums up the collective euphoria that has reigned since yesterday in Luxembourg. 2021 finally seems ready to make us forget the nightmare of 2020. It was about time.
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