Between Merit and Miracle

Football is a fertile ground for post-hoc analysis. Success often hinges on volatile events, like the ball finding the back of the net.

Yesterday, the Croatian press scoffed at Gvardiol's disallowed goal, moments after Ramos soared in Toronto to seal Portugal's progression: "If Matanovic had been bald..." The goal was validated by technology, and Matanovic benefited from the irregular position to assist Gvardiol.

In a parallel universe, where luck had turned against us and that goal stood, we'd be dissecting a dismal tournament performance. We'd be lambasting Martínez's substitutions, the space the team conceded at various points in the second half, or the lack of a cohesive strategy to harness the undeniable quality of our players. How to explain the lethargy leading to the equalizer (reaction to the throw-in, defending the flank)? Perhaps we'd all forget the strong first half, the goal immediately following the four substitutions (perhaps a coincidence, but Martínez was bold), or even how Ronaldo delivered a competent performance.

However, victory almost always shifts the narrative, especially an epic one. That's the coach's job: an unvarnished assessment of what went right and what went wrong. Advancing guarantees the next game, but reveals little about collective progress. Portugal is better than Croatia, and progressing was an obligation.

After the equalizer, Portugal found themselves in a 4-4-2 formation that only highlighted familiar struggles. João Neves and Bernardo couldn't cope. The Croatian midfield gained superiority, and the game became stretched. Leão, Conceição, Ramos, and Ronaldo were isolated, with the opposition frequently facing our defensive line. Kovacic and Modric spearheaded Croatia's dominance, and Diogo Costa, as ever, was there to bail us out. Rúben Neves brought balance to the team and restored Ramos to his natural position, patching up the chaos.

It was surprising that Portugal didn't concede during those 15 minutes before Neves' introduction, but Martínez's bold move was ultimately rewarded by the technical brilliance of Leão and Ramos. We must cling to that and our belief, because training won't solve these issues. That time has run out.

Much could be said about Ramos's efficiency, scoring or assisting every 37 minutes in World Cups. Or about Martínez's statements, often caught in a limbo between subservience, misplaced patriotic fervor, or delusional numerological analyses involving Diogo Jota (!). But that's for another day... after all, we won!