Two last-gasp objectives noticed Portugal ebook their place within the Uefa beneath 17 championship remaining, turning a 2-1 deficit right into a dramatic 3-2 victory over Serbia, having beforehand been 2-0 down on the AEK Enviornment in Larnaca on Sunday night.
It was Serbia who had the higher hand within the opening exchanges, virtually taking the lead within the first minute when an errant backpass discovered the feat of Aleksa Vasilic. Vasilic’s shot was tame, however an indication of issues to return.
Djorde Rankovic then tried a speculative shot from 25 yards out which was tipped over the crossbar by Portuguese goalkeeper Diogo Ferreira.
Nonetheless, Portugal carried a menace on the counterattack, and Serbia’s excessive line of defense allowed Cardoso Varela to be performed clear by on purpose by Rodrigo Mora after a Serbian nook, however finally seeing the prospect snuffed out as Vasilije Kostov managed to get again in time to cowl.
Andrija Maksimovic then had two quickfire efforts saved by Diogo Ferreira from the sting of the penalty space, earlier than Geovany Quenda’s thundered effort skimmed off the highest of the crossbar on the different finish.
Portugal missed a gilt-edged probability simply shy of the 20-minute mark, when a drilled kick from Rodrigo Ferreira’s fingers was deftly flicked on by Rodrigo Mora to place Cardoso Varela clear by on purpose. Varela’s shot was dragged huge of the put up, and his exasperated response confirmed he knew he ought to have scored.
Then, as certain as night time follows day, a missed probability at one finish was preceded by a purpose on the different. Mihajlo Cvetkovic was the scorer, taking part in a neat one-two with Dusan Makevic earlier than curling the ball simply contained in the right-hand put up.
Serbia have been practically two objectives to the great earlier than half an hour had been performed, with Cvetkovic’s by ball being deflected into the trail of Andrija Maksimovic, whose shot whizzed previous the put up.
Portugal then virtually discovered an equaliser, with Rodrigo Mora having a shot cleared off the road by Vasilije Kostov after a intelligent piece of footwork from Gabriel Silva to create the prospect.
Nonetheless, it was Serbia who scored the sport’s second purpose and doubled the lead.
Cvetkovic was as soon as once more concerned, taking part in a lobbed cross to Djorde Rankovic. Rankovic’s low shot was saved by Diogo Ferreira, however the ball then ricocheted off Portuguese defender Eduardo Felicissimo and into the web.
Serbia then virtually had a 3rd simply earlier than half time, with a punted clearance from Viktor Stojanovic discovering its means into the trail of Aleksa Vasilic through a botched clearance from Afonso Sousa.
Vasilic bore down on purpose, and his eventual toe-punted shot was deflected off Rui Silva, trickling previous a wrongfooted Diogo Ferreira and being dropped at a cease by the left-hand goalpost, the place it was then collected by a grateful Ferreira.
An end-to-end begin to the second half as soon as once more noticed Serbia creating the higher possibilities, the clearest of which created by a Mihajlo Cvetkovic cross which put Djorde Rankovic clear by on purpose.
Diogo Ferreira scarpered out to satisfy him, with Rankovic then taking the ball past the onrushing Portuguese goalkeeper earlier than trying to chip the ball over the defenders who had bought again to cowl, his shot bouncing off the underside of the crossbar and finally being cleared.
Portugal had one other gilt-edged probability minutes later, an arrowed lengthy ball from Eduardo Felicissimo placing Geovany Quenda one-on-one with Serbian goalkeeper Vukasin Jokanovic.
Nonetheless, as an alternative of choosing his spot and taking pictures, Quenda tried to put the ball off to Gabriel Silva, however his cross was lengthy, and the hazard handed. Portugal finally recycled the ball for Joao Simoes to have a shot from vary, nevertheless it was comfortably over the crossbar.
Portugal then discovered their means again into the tie on the hour mark when Geovany Quenda drove a free kick right into a harmful space and Gabriel Silva beat Vukasin Jokanovic to the ball to move it in.
With the deficit lowered to a single purpose, Portugal turned the screw searching for an equaliser.
A primary time volleyed by ball from Duarte Soares discovered Afonso Patrao, who tried to take the ball round Jokanovic, being postpone sufficient to be unable to get a clear shot away, with Serbia in a position to clear from the following scramble.
A minute later, a Soares cross met the pinnacle of Geovany Quanda, with the ball then cannoning off the pinnacle of Viktor Stojanovic earlier than one other scramble within the field and one other panicked Serbian clearance.
From that second onwards, Serbia’s consideration turned to trying to see the sport out, with a number of defensive substitutions and a change of form.
Nonetheless, with a bit of over ten minutes remaining, they virtually restored their two-goal benefit when a well-worked attacking transfer ended with Aleksa Vasilic taking the ball spherical Diogo Ferreira and getting a shot away, however Rui Silva cleared the ball off the road to maintain Portugal within the sport.
Serbia’s resolute defence finally did break with only a minute remaining, a low cross from Eduardo Fernandes glancing in off the left boot of Rodrigo Mora, the match’s star participant who had hitherto had an uncharacteristically quiet sport however turned up when his nation wanted him most.
With the tie degree, Serbia have been there for the taking and begging for the total time whistle, having considered little however defending for a lot of the second half.
Mora virtually gained it for Portugal, twisting and turning and seeing his shot flash the mistaken aspect of the close to put up, earlier than a volley from Joao Trovisco flashed over the crossbar.
Trovisco was the one to see his identify up in lights within the ninety fifth minute, nevertheless, when a cross from Edgar Mota was arrowed into the centre of the penalty space. He fired his header into the roof of the web to cue pandemonium among the many travelling Portuguese contingent within the stands, the Portuguese bench, and the 11 gamers on the pitch.
The Serbs have been left dejected on the bottom pondering of what may need been, whereas Portugal, having certified for it in essentially the most dramatic circumstances attainable, now have the ultimate on Wednesday to plan for.
Talking to the Cyprus Mail after the sport, Rodrigo Mora stated, “there have been robust moments within the sport, however we by no means gave up and we bought the place we needed to be ultimately.”
Requested the way it feels to make the ultimate, he stated, “it feels implausible, however we’ve got to win.”
Portugal’s opponents in Wednesday’s remaining will probably be Italy, who beat Denmark 1-0 of their semi remaining on the Antonis Papadopoulos Stadium in Larnaca because of a Federico Coletta purpose.
The ultimate will probably be performed at Limassol’s Alphamega Stadium on Wednesday.
