Portugal — Spain

I-AT&T Stadium, e-Arlington — umzuliswano we-16, nombuzo obuhlungu obulenga emoyeni kusukela kumkhwelo wokuqala wawuwu lo: ingabe i-Portugal ingasinda imizuzu engamashumi ayisishiyagalolunye yokuminyaniswa yi-Spain bese intshontsha okuthile ngokuhlasela okusheshayo? Impendulo yafika ngomzuzu ononya kakhulu, futhi yaphendula yonke into. I-Spain yayilawula umdlalo ngokunemba okungavamile — 55% yokulawula ibhola, 88% yokunemba kwephasi, amashothi angu-15, i-xG 1.77. Izikhathi ezintathu ezinkulu. Lokhu akuyona into eyenzeka ngengozi, lokhu kuyinto ehlelekile. U-Rodri — umshini wokulinganisa phakathi nenkundla, ongazange avumele i-Portugal ukuthi iqale ukuhlasela ngokuthula. U-Lamine Yamal — umdlali ongcono kakhulu enkundleni ngokwesilinganiso (7.41) — waphinda futhi waphinda wavula uhlangothi lwesokunxele lokuvikela kwe-Portugal ngokungena kwakhe okujwayelekile ngaphakathi, okuphoqa abavikeli ukuthi benze izinqumo ezingenzeki. Kodwa naphezu kwakho konke lokhu — izikhathi ezimbili ezinkulu kwezintathu zalahleka. I-Spain yavumela umdlalo ukuthi ufinyelele kumzuzu wama-90 ngaphandle kwegoli. Lesi yisignali esikhathazayo ku-Spain: ukulawula — akusho ukubulala umdlalo. I-Portugal yazivikela ngokuhlelekile nangokuzinikela — ukonga okuhlanu komgcini-goli kukhuluma ngakho ngokwakho. Kodwa ukuhlasela? I-xG engu-0.6 kuphela, isikhathi esisodwa esikhulu — naso salahleka. Amashothi angu-10, amabili aqondise egolini. Ngokulawula ibhola okungu-45%, i-Portugal ayizange ithole isivinini, noma ubukhali ezigabeni zokushintsha. Ukushintshwa kwabadlali — u-Rafael Leão ngomzuzu wama-71, u-Francisco Conceição ngomzuzu wama-83 — kwakufanele kunyakazise ukuhlasela, kodwa isakhiwo asizange sibavumele ukuthi bakhule. Ngomzuzu wama-89 ikhadi eliphuzi ku-Bernardo Silva — izinzwa zisezingeni eliphezulu. Ngomzuzu wama-90 — ikhadi eliphuzi ku-Renato Veiga. Iqembu lahlukana ngesikhathi esifanele lapho kwakufanele libambelele. Futhi nansi — umzuzu wama-90. U-Mikel Merino ungena enkundleni emizuzwini embalwa edlule bese efaka ibhola enetheni. Umphumela 0:1. I-Spain yayifanele ukunqoba — i-xG isho okufanayo. Kodwa ukuthi lokhu kwenzeka ngomzuzu wokugcina womdlalo, lapho ama-Spanish ayenezikhathi ezintathu ezinkulu — lokhu akuyona into yokunqoba kwamasu, lokhu kuyisigwebo sokusebenzisa amathuba. Enkundleni umphumela ungathathwa ngomzuzu wokugcina — ku-FootLegion amagoli ezwe lakho akekho oyowathatha. Manje kumazwana: ingabe i-Portugal yakhetha isu elifanele — noma ingabe ukuvikela okuphansi ngaphandle kokuhlasela okusheshayo kuyisu elizohlulwa yi-Spain? Futhi umbuzo wesibili: uma i-Spain iphinda ilahlekelwe izikhathi ezimbili ezinkulu kwezintathu emzuliswaneni olandelayo — ingabe inhlanhla yabo izobasiza ukuthi bafinyelele kowamanqamu?