1. Cristiano Ronaldo arrives at the Euros to save Portugal
Rumours of Cristiano Ronaldo's demise were premature. Heavily criticised around the world for his petulant comments after drawing 1-1 with Iceland, taunted and jeered when ineffectual against Austria, Portugal's captain issued a devastating response. With two goals, one assist and an increasingly inspirational performance, he rallied his nation against a relentless Hungarian side and dragged them to the next stage of the competition.
His double to save his country from the brink of elimination was outstanding -- and record breaking. He's the first player to score at four European Championships.
Earlier in the day, Ronaldo had tossed a reporters' microphone into a lake, a forthright way to signal that he was in no mood for distractions. Other Portuguese reporters, careful to keep their equipment safe, had noted that he looked despondent in training this week and when he started the game slowly, their worst fears appeared to have been realised.
Marked tightly by Adam Lang, he found it hard to break free and when he did, he encountered heavy treatment. He was chopped to the ground as early as the fifth minute by Roland Juhasz and it wasn't the last time. His frustrations were exposed just moments later when Nani broke on the right, but failed to get a cross away before the ball went out for a corner. Ronaldo was furious, spinning on the spot and roaring with rage.
Free kicks were, once again, a sore point. His first was driven into the shin pads of the Hungarian wall. The second was better, but well saved by Gabor Kiraly. The third was simply high and wide. But then came the lightbulb moment. Instead of trying to do everything on his own, Ronaldo slipped a perfectly weighted ball through to Nani, who redeemed himself by driving it past Kiraly at the near post. In that instant, Ronaldo seemed to be renewed. And how his country needed him.
Trailing 2-1 in the early stage of the second half, Joao Mario burst down the right flank and curled in a low cross. The ball fizzed in at pace, but at a less-than-helpful angle. No matter. Ronaldo flicked it behind his standing leg into the bottom corner. It was an astonishing goal.
Hungary, pugnacious and unwilling to accept a role as supporting actors, responded and regained the lead. But Ronaldo wasn't giving up either. When Ricardo Quaresma joined the fray, it didn't take him long to make an impression.
His cross from the left was perfect. Ronaldo's leap was supernatural. His deft header drew the scores level. Ronaldo is back.
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