Varela Selamatkan Portugal dengan Peluang Selisih Poin di Grup G
Varela as Portugal Side Keep Their World Cup Hopes Alive with Battling Point
Editor : Ismail Gani
Translator : Novita Cahyadi
Manaus (B2B) - Silvestre Varela menghindarkan Portugal dari kekalahan setelah sundulannya dari kiri depan gawang menyamakan kedudukan menjadi 2-2 pada pertandingan kedua tim di Grup G Piala Dunia 2014, Senin pagi WIB.
Gol pada akhir pertandingan itu tercipta setelah umpan menyilang Cristiano Ronaldo disundul masuk oleh Varela, seperti dilansir Yahoo Sports.
Sebelumnya, kapten tim Amerika Serikat Clint Dempsey mencegak gol dan membuka peluang bagi AS untuk memenangi laga dengan memimpin 2-1 atas Portugal.
Dempsey menerima umpan dari Graham Zusi untuk mencetak gol dengan dorongan dadanya dari jarak dekat pada menit ke-81.
Gol Dempsey membawa AS berbaik memimpin setelah sebelumnya Jermaine Jones berhasil menyamakan kedudukan 1-1 dengan tendangan kaki kanannya dari luar kotak penalti dan bola masuk ke sudut kanan gawang pada menit ke-64.
Sementara Portugal lebih dulu memimpin lewat gol Nani pada menit kelima. Gol tersebut membawa Portugal unggul 1-0 hingga babak pertama berakhir.
Manaus - A superb header by Silvestre Varela in the final minute of time added on saved world player of the year Cristiano Ronaldo and Portugal from crashing out of the World Cup finals on Sunday as it secured a 2-2 draw with the United States.
The Americans had looked to be safely into the last 16 after second-half goals by Jermaine Jones and Clint Dempsey saw them come back from 1-0 down -- a goal by Nani -- to lead.
However, with only seconds remaining one sublime cross from a pretty anonymous Ronaldo was met by Varela and it soared past Tim Howard to give them a lifeline as a further defeat after the 4-0 hammering by Germany in the opening game would have seen them out.
The United States -- who reached the last 16 in 2010 only to lose to Ghana -- are on four points along with Germany, who they play in their final group game, and who their coach Jurgen Klinsmann coached at the 2006 finals.
Ghana and Portugal both have one point and play also on Thursday.
