If Benjamin Seschko had saved the decisive opportunity once, he would have really cried Cristiano Ronaldo.
Slovenia lost 0-3 in the penalty shootout after drawing 0-0 against Portugal in the round of 16 of Euro 2024 at Frankfurt Arena in Frankfurt, Germany, on the 2nd.
In a game that was expected to be a complete victory for Portugal, Slovenia held out without losing a point with captain Jan Oblak's good defense. Slovenia aimed to score through set-pieces or counterattacks. It wasn't that Slovenia didn't have a chance to catch the big fish Portugal.
A decisive opportunity came to Ace, but he couldn't respond. Seschko, Slovenia's ace, had a perfect scoring chance in the 16th minute of the second half. In the process of going out to Slovenia's counterattack, Seschko accelerated and began to break through. Pepe, 41, was no match for Seschko in speed. Although Pepe interfered to the end, it was a chance that the team's ace should have at least made an effective shot.
However, Seshuko's shot went vainly to the side of the net. It was a shot that rolled around. It wasn't his preferred right foot shot, but Seschuko is a striker who uses both feet well in shooting. It was a scene where there was no ability to catch both feet at all.
This scene could have even made an excuse that Pepe interfered to the end. The second chance was inexcusable. In the 10th minute of the second half of extra time, the ball that the Slovenian defender cleared far away went to Pepe. Pepe panicked when pressed by the Slovenian, and Seschko intercepted the ball. It was a perfect one-on-one opportunity. There was enough room to try to shoot past the goalkeeper.
But Seschko tried to shoot rather quickly, which caught Diogo Costa's feet. It is consequential, but if Seschko scored, Slovenia could have won without going to the penalty shootout because there were only five minutes left in overtime. Seschuko showed disappointing goal-scoring ability to the point where the nickname of the second Elling Holan was overshadowed.
Seschko performed well in the Euro qualifiers, bringing Slovenia to the Euro finals. In fact, he lost his pride by failing to score a single goal in four games. I am still a prospect who can improve further to be born in 2003, but my performance at this tournament was definitely disappointing. In this summer's transfer market, numerous big clubs, including Arsenal and Chelsea, have overshadowed their interest.
rlaeotlr2024@sportschosun.com
