Cristiano Ronaldo was shown a straight red card for an elbow on Dara O’Shea during Portugal’s 2-0 defeat to Ireland on Thursday, with the veteran now facing a ban
Cristiano Ronaldo is in danger of missing the opening stages of the World Cup with Portugal because of a suspension following his red card in Thursday’s match against Ireland. The seasoned player was sent off for elbowing Dara O’Shea, a decision confirmed after a VAR review.
Ronaldo’s side couldn’t rally back from being a man down at Aviva Stadium. Troy Parrott’s two goals in the first half gave Ireland the upper hand, and no further goals were scored after Ronaldo’s dismissal just shy of the 60-minute mark.
The red card came about as Ronaldo was trying to break free of O’Shea but the Ipswich Town centre-back had hold off his shirt. Rather than just attempting to shrug off the infringement, Ronaldo swung his elbow into the back of O’Shea which left him on the floor in pain.
Just five minutes earlier, Ronaldo committed a foul on Nathan Collins and subsequently made a crying gesture, but it was certainly the Brentford man and Ireland that had the last laugh.
Despite the setback, Portugal remain in a strong position to qualify from Group F, although the path has become slightly more challenging.
A win against Armenia at home would secure their spot, but any slip-ups could give Hungary or Ireland – who face each other in Sunday’s match – an opportunity.
The length of Ronaldo’s ban and Portugal’s qualification journey will determine his fate. If he receives a ban longer than one game, it could extend into the World Cup’s group stage.
For instance, if Portugal qualifies directly and Ronaldo gets a two-game ban, he would miss both the Armenia qualifier and the World Cup’s first match. If he receives a two-game ban and Portugal stumbles against Armenia, he would be absent from the first leg of a play-off.
“He complimented me for putting pressure on the referee,” revealed Ireland’s manager Heimir Hallgrimsson, when quizzed about Ronaldo’s words post his red card. “But listen, it had nothing to do with me, it was his action on the pitch that cost him a red card. It had nothing to do with me, unless I got into his head.”
The Icelandic boss also believed his squad could have secured an even larger victory. “We should have scored more than two. I cannot stop praising the supporters we have, amazing and they have a lot to say in this win, they gave us energy at crucial times and I give them credit,” he expressed.
Ireland might regret losing points earlier in the qualifiers, particularly the 2-1 loss against Armenia in September but they have given themselves a chance of reaching next summer’s tournament.
A win against Hungary on Sunday would secure a play-off spot and they could even top the group if Portugal unexpectedly lose their final match.
Hallgrimsson’s team managed to claw back from a 2-0 deficit to draw in their previous game against Hungary, thanks to Adam Idah’s last-minute equaliser. Marco Rossi’s Hungarian side narrowly won 1-0 against Armenia on Thursday, keeping their faint hopes of leading the group alive, courtesy of Barnabas Varga’s first-half goal.