GENEVA, Switzerland :A last-gasp equaliser by Portugal’s Diana Gomes against Italy in a thrilling 1-1 draw kept alive her country’s Women’s Euro campaign when her strike cancelled out a stunning second-half goal by Cristiana Girelli on Monday.
Le Azzurre thought they were through to the quarter-finals after Girelli scored in the 70th minute, shifting the ball to her right foot at the edge of the box before unleashing a curling shot into the top right corner that goalkeeper Patricia Morais had little chance of stopping.
The 35-year-old Girelli fought back tears after the goal.
But Gomes brought Portugal level in the 89th when a corner hit the bar and the team worked the ball back into the box for her to fire into the roof of the net, sending their raucous fans, who chanted and banged drums throughout the night, into utter delirium.
“We were solid, we were brave,” proud Portugal coach Francesco Neto said. “We played high, pressed our opponents, and played like a team in the European Championship. We’re a team with personality and ambition.”
The draw spoiled Italy’s chance of clinching a berth in the knockout round on Monday, with Spain the only Group B team to have so far guaranteed a quarter-final spot with their 6-2 win over Belgium in the earlier match. Belgium are eliminated.
Italy defender Cecilia Salvai said the night was a mix of emotions.
“On one hand there’s a lot of regret because we could have won the match, but we also risked losing it,” she said.
“Portugal kept a very high pace throughout the match; we’ll take this draw. We had chances, and sometimes it’s a matter of centimetres.”
Italy take on world champions Spain in their final group-stage game, while Portugal play Belgium.
The Portuguese were considerably better at the back than they were in their 5-0 thrashing by world champions Spain in their opening game, digging deep to withstand a barrage of Italian attacks in a breathless back and forth affair in pouring rain at Stade de Geneve.
Italy, who defeated Belgium 1-0 in their opener, celebrated what they thought was their opening goal late in the first half when Morais mishandled Girelli’s header and Emma Severini bundled in the ball, but elation turned to dejection when the offside flag went up.
Portugal experienced a similar roller-coaster of emotions when Diana Silva thought she had scored in the 80th minute but the goal was chalked off for offside after a VAR check.
“It’s not easy when you’re losing, then you score but it’s disallowed, and then score again. I’m very proud,” Neto said.
One negative on the night was Ana Borges’s sending-off in the 96th minute after her tackle sent Barbara Bonansea clattering into the advertising boards.
The Portugal women warmed up in “Diogo J” shirts, in memory of Portugal and Liverpool forward Diogo Jota who died with his brother in a car crash on Thursday.
