Late goal rescues Portugal against USA and Belgium against Russia, While Algeria upsets South Korea with 4 goals!

A superb header by Silvestre Varela deep into 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 Portugal 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 led at the 2006 finals.

Ghana and Portugal both have one point and play also on Thursday.

Klinsmann, who was also within seconds of being the first coach to guide the USA to two successive wins at a finals since 1930, was phlegmatic about the dramatic dashing of their hopes.

“Obviously the last second is unfortunate but my guys were magnificent,” said Klinsmann, who won the 1990 World Cup as a player.

“We just have to get a result against Germany. Obviously the Germans have a day more to recover and we have had further to travel for our game but then the big guys are the ones that get the favourite treatment.

“My guys went to the limit but now they have to pick themselves up and despite this result we will go into the game with a lot of confidence.”

The Portuguese got just the start they needed to settle their nerves as a terrible defensive error by Stoke City’s Geoff Cameron – the ball flying off his boot to Nani — saw the Manchester United winger wait for Howard to commit himself before rifling the ball into the net.

It had been preempted by an outrageous piece of skill by Ronaldo down the left side, completely bewitching three American players as they tried to corral him out on the touchline, only for a series of step overs and a backheel to see him squirm through the three of them.

Conditions even in the evening were so draining that five minutes from the break, when Jermaine Jones received some treatment, the referee allowed both sides to rehydrate with a drinks break.

Howard, who was earning his 102nd cap, kept his side in the game on the stroke of half-time as he somehow managed to stick a hand out as he dived the wrong way to tip a pointblank shot by Eder over the bar.

There was an even finer block the other end 10 minutes into the second-half as Bradley’s goalbound effort from only 10 yards out saw defender Ricardo Costa spread himself deflect the ball off his knee for a corner, earning a well deserved kiss on the head from goalkeeper Beto.

The Americans, though, deservedly levelled in the 64th minute as Jones produced a pearler of a right-footed shot from outside the area, leaving Beto rooted to the spot.

Ronaldo and the Portuguese appeared shellshocked and it was the Americans who grabbed a second as Bradley’s shot rebounded to Graham Zusi off a defender and his cross was put into the net by Dempsey’s stomach for his fourth goal at a World Cup finals.

That looked to be that until, like Lionel Messi with his late goal against Iran on Saturday, Ronaldo summoned up one piece of class with his pinpoint cross, which was enough to break American hearts.

 

Belgium beat Russia with late goal

Teenage substitute Divock Origi slammed a last-gasp goal Sunday to secure Belgium a 1-0 victory over Russia and a place in the World Cup’s last 16.

The win was a new step in Belgium’s emergence as a European power, 12 years after their last appearance at the World Cup finals. Russia, who are to host the 2018 finals, have a growing qualification mountain in front of them.

The 19-year-old Origi who plays with Lille in France came on for Romelu Lukaku as the frustrating Group H game seemed destined to end in stalemate until the 88th minute goal.

Seconds after fellow substitute Kevin Mirallas had hit Igor Akinfeev’s post with a free kick, Eden Hazard burst down the left past two defenders and pulled the ball back for Origi to hit into the net from close range.

The win left Belgium as clear Group H leaders with a maximum six points from two games after their 2-1 win over Algeria.

Russia are in danger of going out having started with a draw against South Korea following a huge blunder by keeper Igor Akinfeev.

Now coach Fabio Capello must rally the troops for a do or die contest against Algeria in the last game of the first round group on Thursday.

Belgium and Russia made a bright start and the opening minutes saw chances at both ends.

Victor Fayzulin, a Zenit St Petersburg midfielder full of running, swept into the the box and fired in a low effort that Belgian keeper Thibaut Courtois smartly stopped low to his right

The Belgians, coached by Marc Wilmots, who scored in a 3-2 win for his country in a 2002 group meeting against Russia, responded as Dries Mertens pulled the midfield strings.

Mertens accelerated into the danger zone only to thump an effort wide of the right hand post of Akinfeev, retained despite his butterfingers mistake against the Koreans in Cuiaba.

Mertens drilled another effort wide as the Belgians, semi-finalists in 1986 when they were finally undone by Diego Maradona, turned the screw.

With the runners-up in the group likely to face Germany, assuming the three-time champions top their group, there was every incentive for both sides to chase the win.

Russia enjoyed a purple patch as the opening half came to an end, Fayzulin smacking a volley just over following a corner.

Denis Glushakov, booked for clattering Merhrtens, then crossed for Alexander Kokorin, who avoided being the meat in a Vertonghen-Vincent Kompany sandwich but sent a free header off target.

 Algeria upset South Korea in six-goal thriller

Algeria ended their win-less World Cup run in style as they hammered South Korea 4-2 to keep their dream of a place in the knockout stages very much alive.

The Desert Warriors attacked from the kick off and should have had a penalty inside 10 minutes whenSofiane Feghouli was felled in the area.

But they didn’t have too long to wait to celebrate as Slimani rampaged onto Carl Medjani’s ball over the top, held off two defenders and clipped a neat finish beyond Jung Sung-ryong.

It was a moment of pure ecstasy for the Algerians and just two minutes later they were propelled into dreamland as Fulham reject Rafik Halliche rose highest to thump home a header from a left-wing corner.

The South Koreans had no answer to the vibrant play of Vahid Halilhodzic’s side and it was three just seven minutes before the break when Slimani made the most of a long ball and coolly rolled it to Abdelmoumen Djabou to steer past the keeper.

The Taeguk Warriors responded after the break and pulled one back through Son-Heung Min’s superb turn and shot before Yacine Brahimi restored the three-goal advantage with a low finish after exchanging a wonderful one-two.

South Korea kept going and Koo Ja-cheol diverted home with 18 minutes left but Algeria held on to claim their first World Cup win since 1982 and become the first ever African side to score four goals in a finals match.

Germany vs. Portugal: 4-0 Müller nets hat-trick as Die Mannschaft cruise to victory and John Brooks Leads United States Past Ghana 2-1!

Germany started their World Cup campaign with a dominant 4-0 win over 10-man Portugal in Salvador. Thomas Müller netted a hat-trick en route to their massive victory, with Die Mannschaftputting their opponents to the sword after the Selecção had defender Pepe sent off in the first half.

Despite Germany’s eventual dominance, the game actually started quite evenly. Cristiano Ronaldo was denied by the shins of Manuel Neuer, seconds before Sami Khedira missed an open goal from distance after Portugal goalkeeper Rui Patrício made a sloppy giveaway from his own box. Both sides looked rather unconvincing defensively, and given the top class attacking talent on show, an opening goal felt imminent.

So it proved, with Germany’s Thomas Müller breaking the deadlock from the penalty spot in the 11th minute after João Pereira ended a swift German counter-attack by tugging Mario Götze down in the box. There was still no sign of a Portugal collapse, even when they went two down after the half-hour. A corner fromToni Kroos was powered into the back of the net by Mats Hummels, doubling Die Mannschaft‘s advantage with another set-piece goal.

Fábio Coentrão had Portugal’s best chance within three minutes of Germany’s second, though caught in two minds as to whether to cross or shoot from a tight angle, his tame effort was poked behind for a corner. Things only really started getting ugly a couple of minutes later, when notoriously temperamental defender Pepe raised his arm to the face of Müller and earned a red card for headbutting him once he theatrically hit the deck.

With their numerical superiority, Germany suddenly looked in total control. They all but sealed the points in stoppage time at the end of the first half, when a deep cross from Toni Kroos was chested down in the penalty area and promptly dispatched by Müller.

Germany should have netted a fourth within minutes of the restart, when Mesut Özil found himself clean through on Patrício’s penalty area. However, he delayed his shot, giving the Portugal keeper enough time to get down and deny him in the one-on-one. Unfortunately that only proved to be a brief break in Portugal’s misery, which continued when left-back Coentrão was stretchered off just past the hour.

Meanwhile, Germany looked like they were participating in a training ground possession exercise. They appeared capable of breaking through the Portuguese ranks at will, and they did so with about 20 minutes remaining, only for Götze to hesitate and allow the defence to recover position. Nevertheless, Germany did eventually add a fourth with 10 minutes remaining; Patricío allowing an André Schürrle cross to squirm out for Müller to poke home.

Cristiano Ronaldo almost produced a spectacular consolation with a powerful free-kick in stoppage time, though Neuer parried his stinging effort.

Germany: Neuer; Höwedes, Hummels (Mustafi 73′), Mertesacker, Boateng; Khedira, Lahm, Kroos; Götze, Özil (Schürrle 63′), Müller (Podolski 82′).

Goals: Müller (pen. 12′, 45+1′, 78′) (Hummels 32′).

Portugal: Patrício; Coentrão (A. Almeida 65′), Alves, Pepe, Pereira; Meireles, Veloso (Costa 46′), Moutinho; Ronaldo, H. Almeida (Éder 28′), Nani.

USA 2-1 Ghana

It began with the magical. It ended with the miraculous.

John Brooks, a 21-year-old German-American making his competitive debut for the United States, who was on the field only because a starting fullback was hurt, powered a fierce header into the net in the 86th minute Monday to give the United States a 2-1 victory over Ghana in its first match of the World Cup.

Afterward, Brooks said that he had dreamed nearly the exact situation two nights ago, the only difference being that in his imagination, he scored in the 80th minute. He did not seem particularly bothered by reality’s six-minute delay.

“It was my first dream,” he said softly, “hopefully not my last.”

Brooks’s header was the dramatic coda to an evening that was a jackhammer of emotions. It opened with exuberance from the Americans after Clint Dempsey scored inside 30 seconds. That was followed by about 80 minutes of nervy, anxious nail-biting as two key players were lost to injury and Ghana pounded at the United States goal. Then came a few moments of disappointment after Ghana tied the game. And finally, there was Brooks, rising to meet Graham Zusi’s corner kick and covering the United States with the warm glow of an upset victory.

The Americans still have a considerable road to navigate to reach the knockout rounds with group games yet to play against Portugal (on Sunday) and Germany (on June 26). Any hope of advancement, though, was predicated on a positive result here. And the United States got one.

“The response after they scored was really good,”midfielder Michael Bradley said. “You looked around and still felt like there was more in it.”

At the final whistle, Coach Jürgen Klinsmann, who had not hesitated to liken this game to a final in terms of importance, ran onto the field, a smile wide across his face. The Ghana players, aware of how critical 3 points here were, sank to the ground in anguish.

“The feelings are just incredible,” the American defender Matt Besler said.

It was that way from the start. Just moments after the game kicked off, Dempsey, the United States captain, saw a pass come his way and let it run, stepping over the ball with his foot before tapping it forward with the inside of his right heel. It was a stylish move, dripping with confidence. The ball now in front of him, Dempsey bore in on goal.

One Ghana player ran across him. Then another. Dempsey cut to the inside and, with a quick finish, suddenly stroked the ball past the goalkeeper and in off the post. Klinsmann and the entire United States bench erupted. In their first game of the World Cup, in a group of sharks, the Americans were leading in roughly the time it takes to mix a caipirinha. Twenty-nine seconds was all that ticked off the clock, the fifth-fastest goal in World Cup history.

“I saw that there was space,” Dempsey said, “and I just tried to hit it as hard as I could.”

As the ball settled into the back of the net, Dempsey took off running. Klinsmann threw his hands in the air. The American fans, who looked to make up half of the crowd of 39,760 at Arena das Dunas, danced in the aisles as the United States was suddenly in the lead.

But the Americans could not maintain their pace. In truth, most of the rest of the game was maddening for the United States as Ghana bossed the ball around the field. Frustration turned to sadness, too, when Jozy Altidore, one of Klinsmann’s top strikers, looked to sustain a serious leg injury. Altidore reached down and grabbed the back of his leg as he sprinted for a ball down the sideline in the 21st minute, a telltale sign of real pain. Klinsmann cradled Altidore’s head in his fingers just before Altidore was taken off on a stretcher, his World Cup participation now murky because of a strained hamstring.

“I was crushed,” Altidore said. “I knew right away I couldn’t continue. It was the worst feeling.”

Things did not improve for the Americans as the minutes passed. Ghana, which eliminated the United States in each of the past two World Cups, hammered on the Americans. Kyle Beckerman was floored by a brutal elbow to the head from Mohammed Rabiu (who was cautioned). Dempsey went down, blood pouring from his nose, after taking a shin to the face from John Boye (who got away undisciplined).

Dempsey played the rest of the game despite struggling to breathe through his nose, saying afterward that he was “coughing up blood a little bit.”

John Brooks (6), playing in his first World Cup game, after his header into the net lifted the U.S. over Ghana, 2-1.CreditStefano Rellandini/Reuters

Alejandro Bedoya also looked bothered by a leg injury and so, too, did Besler, one of the two starting central defenders. With Ghana controlling possession and pushing, Klinsmann did not want to risk a gimpy defense, so he pulled Besler at halftime as a precaution. Brooks was the replacement.

The American back line held off Ghana until the 82nd minute. That was when André Ayew beat Tim Howard at the near post from close range.

Deflated as the Americans may have been, they also knew that a tie would still be a good result. Yet Brooks wanted more. And when Zusi’s penetrating corner swung in, the 6-foot-4 Brooks met the ball ferociously, blasting it down and bouncing it past Adam Kwarasey in Ghana’s goal.

Brooks sprinted toward the corner flag and collapsed, as if in a daze. Then he pounded his hands into the ground.

“If you score after just one minute,” Klinsmann said, “you think there can’t be anything better than that.”

But there was. It was something from a dream.

How to Watch the 2014 World Cup: TV, Online & Social Media

Hey World Cup fans, kick back and watch the world’s biggest single-sport competition from the comfort of your laptop. Held in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, the first of 64 matches will kick off on June 12.

This year’s championship is more digitally interactive than ever before. With apps and beefed-up streaming services, here’s how to keep up with the game’s hectic schedule.

The Beira Rio stadium in Porto Alegre, Brazil will host matches during the 2014 FIFA World Cup.

 

To watch the games live on TV, here are the channels you should tune into:

• USA: ESPN, ABC and Univision
• UK: BBC and ITV
• Australia: SBS
• Brazil: Globo
• Middle East [Lebanon]: beIN Sports

For a full list of countries and their corresponding networks that have licensing rights to broadcast the games, check out this resource provided by FIFA. For a full schedule of all of the games, check out this detailed list on ESPN. Sports Interaction also has a beautiful interactive schedule.

After you’ve familiarized yourself with players’ backstories and learned how to pronounce their difficult names, follow this guide for the worldwide web of the World Cup. It’s important to note that mega TV networks mainly hold all the rights to streaming the games online. (Though there are plenty of other sites that might stream the matches, they’re not always legal.)

Online

USA: ESPN, the all-sports-all-the-time network, is all over the event. The channel will not only present all of the games live on TV via ESPN (43 matches), ESPN2 (11 matches) and ABC (10 matches), it will livestream all 64 games online. Every game will be available via the WatchESPNsite and app, which is available for iOS, Android, Kindle Fire, Chromecast and more.

The 10 games that air on ABC will be available via WatchABC. However, these online services are only available for those who already have cable and pay for access to the network.

Another site making the games available is Univision. The Spanish language network will air 56 games on Univision Deportes, its sports channel, as well as via its UD app. Like ESPN, the service is only available to subscribed viewers.

The UK: Across the pond, the BBC iPlayer and ITV will also be streaming the games for viewers in the United Kingdom, starting with the first match England plays against Italy on June 14. Both services have apps and sites that will stream the matches live.

Canada: Canadian viewers can check out CBC, which will stream all of the games live on its site, in addition to replays which will be available on demand. Unlike ESPN, it’s a free service.

Australia: The network SBS has secured the rights to stream all 64 games online for Australian viewers, in addition to providing accompanying apps and radio broadcast.

Middle East [Lebanon]: beIN has secured the rights to stream all 64 games! Click Here

Social media

Twitter: If you’re truly addicted to the social site, you can’t watch a major telecast without constantly checking your feed. So keep up with the sport via Twitter by following certain hashtags. The site Fanbrandz has put together a fun, handy guide to tags you should expect, like #GoSocceroos (for Australian fans), #EmBuscaDoHexa (for Brazilian fans) and #Bleus (for French fans).

It’s also worth checking out the official FIFA World Cup account, which keeps up a pretty active flow of tweets.

Plenty of players also use Twitter themselves. Here’s our guide to the most-followed World Cup players currently using the social site.

Follow Elie Chahine’s Twitter account: @ElieChahine

Facebook: Make sure to “like” ESPN FC, the network’s channel dedicated to the beautiful game. The World Cup also has an official page of its own, full of behind-the-scenes photos and interviews with soccer stars.

Follow Elie Chahine’s Facebook Account: Elie M. Chahine

Instagram:
Finally, the FIFA World Cup has an official Instagram page where it posts all kinds of fun photos of players and fans.

Blogs:

Elie Chahine’s Blog got u covered!

Brazil World Cup 2014: Fixtures / Schedules

 

Brazil World Cup 2014: Fixtures / Schedules

 

THURSDAY, JUNE 12, 2014
Time				Stage	Venue
20:00 GMT	Brazil	v	Croatia	Group A	Arena Corinthians

FRIDAY, JUNE 13, 2014
Time				Stage	Venue
16:00 GMT	Mexico	v	Cameroon	Group A	Estadio das Dunas
19:00 GMT	Spain	v	Netherlands	Group B	Arena Fonte Nova
22:00 GMT	Chile	v	Australia	Group B	Arena Pantanal

SATURDAY, JUNE 14, 2014
Time				Stage	Venue
16:00 GMT	Colombia	v	Greece	Group C	Estadio Mineirão
19:00 GMT	Uruguay	v	Costa Rica	Group D	Estadio Castelão
22:00 GMT	England	v	Italy	Group D	Arena Amazonia
01:00 GMT	Ivory Coast	v	Japan	Group C	Arena Pernambuco

SUNDAY, JUNE 15, 2014
Time				Stage	Venue
16:00 GMT	Switzerland	v	Ecuador	Group E	Nacional
19:00 GMT	France	v	Honduras	Group E	Estadio Beira-Rio
22:00 GMT	Argentina	v	Bosnia-Herzegovina	Group F	Estadio do Maracanã

MONDAY, JUNE 16, 2014
Time				Stage	Venue
16:00 GMT	Germany	v	Portugal	Group G	Arena Fonte Nova
19:00 GMT	Iran	v	Nigeria	Group F	Arena da Baixada
22:00 GMT	Ghana	v	United States	Group G	Estadio das Dunas

TUESDAY, JUNE 17, 2014
Time				Stage	Venue
16:00 GMT	Belgium	v	Algeria	Group H	Estadio Mineirão
19:00 GMT	Brazil	v	Mexico	Group A	Estadio Castelão
22:00 GMT	Russia	v	South Korea	Group H	Arena Pantanal

WEDNESDAY, JUNE 18, 2014
Time				Stage	Venue
16:00 GMT	Australia	v	Netherlands	Group B	Estadio Beira-Rio
19:00 GMT	Spain	v	Chile	Group B	Estadio do Maracanã
22:00 GMT	Cameroon	v	Croatia	Group A	Arena Amazonia

THURSDAY, JUNE 19, 2014
Time				Stage	Venue
16:00 GMT	Colombia	v	Ivory Coast	Group C	Nacional
19:00 GMT	Uruguay	v	England	Group D	Arena Corinthians
22:00 GMT	Japan	v	Greece	Group C	Estadio das Dunas

FRIDAY, JUNE 20, 2014
Time				Stage	Venue
16:00 GMT	Italy	v	Costa Rica	Group D	Arena Pernambuco
19:00 GMT	Switzerland	v	France	Group E	Arena Fonte Nova
22:00 GMT	Honduras	v	Ecuador	Group E	Arena da Baixada

SATURDAY, JUNE 21, 2014
Time				Stage	Venue
16:00 GMT	Argentina	v	Iran	Group F	Estadio Mineirão
19:00 GMT	Germany	v	Ghana	Group G	Estadio Castelão
22:00 GMT	Nigeria	v	Bosnia-Herzegovina	Group F	Arena Pantanal

SUNDAY, JUNE 22, 2014
Time				Stage	Venue
16:00 GMT	Belgium	v	Russia	Group H	Estadio do Maracanã
19:00 GMT	South Korea	v	Algeria	Group H	Estadio Beira-Rio
22:00 GMT	United States	v	Portugal	Group G	Arena Amazonia

MONDAY, JUNE 23, 2014
Time				Stage	Venue
16:00 GMT	Australia	v	Spain	Group B	Arena da Baixada
16:00 GMT	Netherlands	v	Chile	Group B	Arena Corinthians
20:00 GMT	Croatia	v	Mexico	Group A	Arena Pernambuco
20:00 GMT	Cameroon	v	Brazil	Group A	Nacional

TUESDAY, JUNE 24, 2014
Time				Stage	Venue
16:00 GMT	Italy	v	Uruguay	Group D	Estadio das Dunas
16:00 GMT	Costa Rica	v	England	Group D	Estadio Mineirão
20:00 GMT	Japan	v	Colombia	Group C	Arena Pantanal
20:00 GMT	Greece	v	Ivory Coast	Group C	Estadio Castelão

WEDNESDAY, JUNE 25, 2014
Time				Stage	Venue
16:00 GMT	Nigeria	v	Argentina	Group F	Estadio Beira-Rio
16:00 GMT	Bosnia-Herzegovina	v	Iran	Group F	Arena Fonte Nova
20:00 GMT	Honduras	v	Switzerland	Group E	Arena Amazonia
20:00 GMT	Ecuador	v	France	Group E	Estadio do Maracanã

THURSDAY, JUNE 26, 2014
Time				Stage	Venue
16:00 GMT	United States	v	Germany	Group G	Arena Pernambuco
16:00 GMT	Portugal	v	Ghana	Group G	Nacional
20:00 GMT	South Korea	v	Belgium	Group H	Arena Corinthians
20:00 GMT	Algeria	v	Russia	Group H	Arena da Baixada

SATURDAY, JUNE 28, 2014
Time				Stage	Venue
16:00 GMT	1A	v	2B	Second Round	Estadio Mineirão
20:00 GMT	1C	v	2D	Second Round	Estadio do Maracanã

SUNDAY, JUNE 29, 2014
Time				Stage	Venue
16:00 GMT	1B	v	2A	Second Round	Estadio Castelão
20:00 GMT	1D	v	2C	Second Round	Arena Pernambuco

MONDAY, JUNE 30, 2014
Time				Stage	Venue
16:00 GMT	1E	v	2F	Second Round	Nacional
20:00 GMT	1G	v	2H	Second Round	Estadio Beira-Rio

TUESDAY, JULY 1, 2014
Time				Stage	Venue
16:00 GMT	1F	v	2E	Second Round	Arena Corinthians
20:00 GMT	1H	v	2G	Second Round	Arena Fonte Nova

FRIDAY, JULY 4, 2014
Time				Stage	Venue
16:00 GMT	Winner Match 53	v	Winner Match 54	Quarterfinals	Estadio do Maracanã
20:00 GMT	Winner Match 49	v	Winner Match 50	Quarterfinals	Estadio Castelão

SATURDAY, JULY 5, 2014
Time				Stage	Venue
16:00 GMT	Winner Match 55	v	Winner Match 56	Quarterfinals	Nacional
20:00 GMT	Winner Match 51	v	Winner Match 52	Quarterfinals	Arena Fonte Nova

TUESDAY, JULY 8, 2014
Time				Stage	Venue
20:00 GMT	Winner Match 57	v	Winner Match 58	Semifinals	Estadio Mineirão

WEDNESDAY, JULY 9, 2014
Time				Stage	Venue
20:00 GMT	Winner Match 59	v	Winner Match 60	Semifinals	Arena Corinthians

SATURDAY, JULY 12, 2014
Time				Stage	Venue
20:00 GMT	Loser Match 61	v	Loser Match 62	Third Place	Nacional

SUNDAY, JULY 13, 2014
Time				Stage	Venue
19:00 GMT	Winner Match 61	v	Winner Match 62	Final	Estadio do Maracanã

Estadio do Maracanã

Euro 2012: Spain beat Portugal to enter Final! Germany Vs Italy Tonight!

Spain reached their third consecutive major tournament final after overcoming neighbours Portugal 4-2 on penalties in the first Euro 2012 semi-final in Donetsk on Wednesday.

After an attritional game finished 0-0 following extra time, Cesc Fabregas swept home the winning spot-kick to put Spain in the final.

Xabi Alonso and Joao Moutinho both saw their opening penalties saved, but Portugal blinked first when Zenit Saint-Petersburg centre-back Bruno Alves slammed his side’s fourth penalty against the crossbar.

Fabregas stepped up and, just as he had done in the penalty shootout win over Italy in the Euro 2008 quarter-finals, the Barcelona man held his nerve, steering the ball into the bottom-left corner to send Portugal home.

Reigning world and European champions Spain, who are bidding to become the first team in history to win three major competitions in a row, will face either Italy or Germany in Sunday’s final in Kiev.

It was a deeply disappointing end to the tournament for Portugal captain Cristiano Ronaldo, who had threatened to fire his side into only their second major final but who did not even get a chance to have his say in the shoot-out.

A surprise inclusion in Spain’s starting line-up, Alvaro Negredo was at the source of the game’s first chance, with Alvaro Arbeloa side-footing over after the Sevilla striker was crowded out in the Portuguese area.

Portugal’s match-winner against both the Netherlands and the Czech Republic, Ronaldo was a spectator in the first 10 minutes, but gradually his influence grew.

After fluffing a free-kick into the base of the wall from a tight angle on the left, he lashed a half-volley high over the crossbar from the edge of the area and then drilled a left-shot narrowly wide of the right-hand post.

As in the quarter-final win against France, Spain struggled to find holes in their opponent’s defence, and it was a surprise to see Alonso club a long ball forward in the 29th minute.

It produced a sight of goal, however, with Andres Iniesta bending a shot narrowly over the bar after Negredo had chased down Alonso’s pass, held off Fabio Coentrao, and worked the ball back to the edge of the area.

The snap in Portugal’s tackles was helping them establish a presence in the Spanish half and with Negredo failing to provide enough of an outlet for Spain, it was no surprise to see him replaced by Fabregas early in the second half.

Del Bosque introduced Jesus Navas in place of David Silva, before Xavi worked Rui Patricio for the first time in the match with a speculative effort that found the Portugal goalkeeper’s midriff.

Ronaldo had a fine opportunity to snatch a winner in the last minute of normal time but he could only shoot over from Raul Meireles’ pass, prompting mocking cries of ‘Messi! Messi!’ from the Spain fans.

A succession of late flare-ups gave the game added spice going into extra time, and after a watchful opening, Spain finally began to show.

Shortly before half-time in the extra period, Iniesta drew the first real save of note from Patricio after ghosting into the box to meet Jordi Alba’s cut-back.

Sergio Ramos then sent a free-kick whistling over the bar, while Navas tested Patricio early in the second half after wriggling down the inside-right channel in the Portuguese box.

Fabregas sent fellow substitute Pedro Rodriguez clear with seven minutes left but he delayed, allowing Coentrao to clear, and the time for penalties had arrived.

Germany Vs Italy Tonight @ 9:45 Pm ( Beirut Time )