Ronaldo revels in semis spot

Portugal winger Cristiano Ronaldo said that Euro 2004 was going better than he had expected after the host nation eliminated England in a quarter finals penalty shoot-out.

The Manchester United player, talking to Rtp1 television station just after the last penalty, said: “The players were magnificent. We played really hard and we still hope to go further in this tournament.

“We showed great grit, great determination and great confidence and I think over the 120 minutes people could see we were determined to win this game. We worked hard and made it very difficult for England to play.

“It’s extraordinary, it’s gone better than I ever expected and let’s hope it’s not over for us yet.

“I hope I continue to enjoy the confidence of Mr Scolari.”