Spain 1-0 Portugal: Merino breaks Portuguese hearts in stoppage time and Ronaldo's World Cup ends

[Rachel]

The tie the bracket robbed us of as a final delivered anyway, and Spain are through with the cruellest possible timing. For ninety minutes Portugal held the European champions, then seconds into second half stoppage time Rodri slipped Mikel Merino into the left of the box and he beat Diogo Costa to win it 1-0 in Dallas. Heartbreak does not begin to cover it for Portugal

This was the game Spain have been threatening to produce, controlled, patient, and ruthless at the death, and it extends a remarkable run of five straight games without conceding a goal all tournament. Their defence and Unai Simon have been the quiet backbone of a side that now looks every bit a favourite, even when the goals will not come until the last kick

The story that will dominate is Ronaldo, whose World Cup career is now over. He became the first player to score in six different World Cups this tournament, but at 41 he bows out having never recaptured the heights of 2006, and Portugal have not gone beyond the quarterfinals in twenty years. Bernardo Silva nearly rescued it with a header that flew over, and Fernandes volleyed the wrong side of the post, the margins were tiny

There is a bittersweet note around the Portugal camp too, playing in the shadow of the anniversary of Diogo Jota's death and talking about an extra man with them, which made the late defeat land even harder. Yamal and Ronaldo embracing at the final whistle was the image of the night, one era greeting the next

So the debate. Are Spain now the clear team to beat given they have not conceded in five games, was this the right way for Ronaldo's international career to close or a whimper, and Spain get the winner of Belgium and the USA in the quarterfinal, is anyone stopping them?

U.S. eliminated from World Cup in lopsided 4-1 defeat to Belgiumwww.nbcnews.com

[NealBinnom-Williams]

Five games, zero goals conceded, and now they win the tight ones late too, Spain are the most complete side left and the Merino goal was pure champion timing, they do not panic