Soccer fans looking for potential upsets will be left
disappointed as the first stage of knockout process in UEFA Euro 2012 saw all
the favorites move on.
The first game of the knockout stage saw Portugal take on
the Czech Republic in a tightly contested affair. So close in fact, that the
first and only goal of the game came from Cristiano Ronaldo’s header in the 79th
minute. The Czechs put in a very respectable effort, fighting for possession in
the middle of the pitch, and even double sometimes triple teaming Ronaldo. In
the end though, Portugal earned the victory, a deserved one at that. The Portuguese
looked more lively early on and took the game to the Czechs. While it seemed
the deadlock would continue, the star man stepped up in the crucial
moment. Joao Moutinho the creator for Ronaldo’s diving
header that sends Portugal through to the next round.
