The match headed into extra time after a 1-1 deadlock between the two sides at the end of full time in Marseille on Thursday.
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Having previously scored an extra-time victor in the Round of 16 against Croatia, Quaresma’s penalty sent Portugal into the semifinals for the fourth time in the last five European Championships.
Portugal have become the first team to reach a European Championship semifinals without winning a game in 90 minutes.
“A new round of games is near in the next two, three months and we will again have to give the maximum”. “We are in the semis and go on from here”. I worked hard for the team, although I did not score.
Portugal goalkeeper Rui Patricio (middle) makes a save on a penalty kick by Poland’s Jakub Blaszczykowski during Thursday’s U.
Then Quaresma stepped up and hammered his kick at the back of the net and sent Portugal into the Semi-finals of Euro Cup.
Portugal continued to move forward and with 12 minutes of the first half remaining it found an equalizer courtesy of the excellent Sanches.
Poland’s lead lasted until the 33rd minute, when Sanches tied it. “We’re on the right track and we’re going to continue”.
“We haven’t lost a match at the tournament – we were knocked out on penalties”.
The Portugal skipper had big shouts for a penalty turned down on the half-hour mark but his side were soon celebrating an equaliser as Nani’s clever backheel picked out Sanches, who flashed a deflected drive past Fabianski. He got the ball on the right, played a one-two with Nani and hit a powerful shot past Fabianski from 20 yards with the aid of a slight deflection. The goal was good but the team had been playing well.
Portugal have now made it through to the semi-finals without winning a match in the regulation 90 minutes at the finals, after they drew all three of their group matches, before defeating Croatia in the round of 16 thanks to an extra-time victor from Ricardo Quaresma.
It was heartache for Poland when Quaresma sent Portugal through after Blaszczykowski had his penalty saved.
Captain Ronaldo could also equal Michel Platini’s record of nine goals at European championships if he scores in Marseille. However, Ronaldo did score with Portugal’s opening penalty of the shootout. We proved that we are good enough and played interesting football.
Renato Sanches had earlier shown Manchester United what they missed out on when he scored a great goal to force extra-time.
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With both sets of players having gone through extra-time in their previous rounds, Portugal in defeating Croatia, and Poland in overcoming Switzerland, there was a threat of the second half becoming a slow and turgid affair.
