Cristiano Ronaldo fired Portugal into the final of the 2016 UEFA European Championship on Wednesday night, as his team beat Wales, 2-0, atthe Parc Olympique Lyonnais.A largely forgettable first period yielded no clear chances, but a towering header from Ronaldo and an opportunist finish from Nani, set up by the Real Madrid man, gave Portugal a significant advantage. Wales tried to fight back late on, but their remarkable run at this competition came to an end at the hands of the Selecao.Portugal will find out their opponents for Sundays showdown Thursday, as host nation France tackle world champions Germany at the Stade Velodrome in Marseille.Before the game kicked off,Bleacher Report UKconfirmed the historical significance of this night for Ronaldo, noting he is the first player ever to feature in the semis of this competition three times.As is so often the case when theres so much at stake, the opening 30 minutes of the contest was a pretty cagey affair. It was Wales who offered the greater attacking threat, though, with Gareth Bales driving runs proving tough for the Portuguese defenders to stem.Agence France-Presses Tom Williams noted the simplicity of the tactic and how well it was working in the initial exchanges:Aside from those flashes of brilliance from the Wales talisman, neither side seemed willing to take too many risks. Portugal were struggling to get Ronaldo involved, with the burly James Collins relishing the physical battle against the Madrid superstar.The first sight of goal Ronaldo had came on the cusp of half-time, as he skewed a header over the bar at the back post. Nevertheless, both sides had to have been happy with their defensive effort as the referee called time on the opening 45 minutes.Speaking on ITV's broadcast, former Wales international Craig Bellamy wanted to see his team show more bravery in attack, per BBC Sports Juliette Ferrington:It was Portugal that grabbed the initiative after the break, though, and Ronaldo who stood up, or leapt up, on the big occasion.Raphael Guerreiro ripped a devilish cross into the box from a short corner routine in the 50th minute, and the Selecao skipper hung in the air superbly, thudding a powerful header pastWayne Hennessey to grab his third goal of the tournament.Sports journalist Liam Canning paid tribute to the aerial ability of Ronaldo in netting the opener:Wales were a little stunned after conceding in such fashion, and Portugalsomething they've not done for much of this tournamentsuddenly looked as if they were carrying a major attacking threat. Chris Coleman's side will be disappointed by the manner in which they conceded the second, though.Ronaldo was involved again, as he darted along the edge of the penalty area and fired off a weak shot toward goal. The scuffed strike fell perfectly into the path of Nani, who reacted well to prod Portugal into a 2-0 lead.As ESPN Stats & Info noted, Portugal had done superbly to strike twice in such rapid succession:Suddenly, a Wales team not used to being behind at this tournament had to chase the game for the final 30 minutes. Coleman used all three of his substitutions quickly, with Sam Vokes, Simon Church and Jonny Williams all introduced into the contest.But it freed up more space for Fernando Santos' side on the counter-attack as chances came more frequently for the side in green, with Hennessey on hand to keep out Jose Fonte and then Danilo Pereira. At the other end, Wales were unable to fracture an unbending Portugal defence.It was a pattern that persisted until the end, and although Ronaldo went close on a couple more occasions, the Selecao eventually progressed with a two-goal win.Portugal will be the underdogs in Sundays final when they take on either France or Germany. Yet therell be confidence bristling from the players when they stride out at the Stade de France in front of around 80,000, knowing just how much determination theyve showcased to make it this far.Ronaldo has received a lot of criticism for his performances at this tournament, with a penalty missed and many chances squandered. But here, he delivered for his country when it really mattered with some vital attacking contributions. Few will be ridiculing the three-time Ballon d'Or winner should he produce similar heroics Sunday.Post-Match ReactionRonaldo hailed the spirit of his team after the win, per the tournament's official Twitter feed:Here's what Wales' star Bale had to say in the aftermath about his team and his Real team-mate, per Squawka News:He also posted the following on Twitter after the defeat:Afterward, Nani revealed he got caught up in the emotion of scoring in the game. "I wasn't even able to prepare my celebration, it was mainly instinct," he said, per BBC Sport."We cannot pick and choose our opponent. We have to believe in ourselves and play our best."Read more World Football news on BleacherReport.com
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