Portugal staged an incredible recovery during a shoot-out to eliminate Argentina and reach the semi-finals of the FIFA U-20 World Cup. After 120 goalless minutes, the Iberians trailed 3-1 on penalties, meaning they needed convert their last two attempts and hope the South Americans missed theirs just to take it to sudden death. And that is exactly what happened thanks to the reflexes of Mika, who went on to save his third penalty and clinch a 5-4 victory for Portugal.

It was a breathtaking conclusion to what had been a dull evening in Cartagena. It began with Nelson Oliveira having two half-chances with which he failed to please the pro-Portugal crowd in the opening ten minutes. First, he shot two yards wide after racing on to a long ball, and then he turned swiftly inside the box but failed to keep his low drive on target.

Ilidio Vale's side had a much better opportunity on 16 minutes. A long ball split the Argentina defence, and Caetano outsprinted his markers to reach it. The No11 carried it into the area and unleashed a powerful shot, which was heading into the roof of the net until Esteban Andrada acrobatically pushed it over.

Argentina threatened moments later. From a free-kick just outside the box, Erik Lamela curled the ball narrowly over the bar, much to the relief of goalkeeper Mika.

Portugal had the better of the player during the remainder of the period, but Sergio Oliveira, Luis Martins, Danilo and Caetano were all let down by their finishing.

Soon after the restart, Facundo Ferreyra, sliding it at the back post, was just inches away from connecting with a Lamela free-kick. It was to be the No9's last involvement, with Juan Iturbe coming on in his place on the hour.

Almost instantly, the diminutive playmaker had contributed to Mika having two dodgy moments.

Iturbe skipped past an opponent and though his shot from the edge of the box went straight towards the Portugal No1, he fumbled it before it dropped wide for a corner. Mika then flapped at a cross from the Porto player, but got away with conceding a corner.

Andrada was then twice responsible for keeping the deadlock intact, saving superbly from a Sergio Oliveira free-kick before repelling a Nelson Oliveira piledriver.

There was very little action thereafter, with Argentina having the better of the possession but failing to get enough men in their opponents' box. In injury time, though, Nicolas Tagliafico tricked his way past three adversaries and into the Portugal area, but his shot from a mightily tight angle was easily gathered by Mika.

Extra time was largely void of action, with both sides evidently exhausted. And when Danilo and Roderick misses gave Argentina a two-goal cushion in the shoot-out, it appeared the six-time champions were on their away into the last four. Mika nevertheless denied Gonzalez Pires and Ruiz to help take it into sudden death, and after Sergio scored, the Portugal No1 flung himself to his right to repel Tagliafico's effort.

Argentina's quest for a seventh FIFA U-20 World Cup title was over. Portugal's mission for a third will continue on Wednesday against the France-Nigeria victors in Medellin.

U-20 SOCCER WORLD CUP COLOMBIA 2011: Argentina edge spot-kick spectacle

In a game in which all three goals were penalties, Walter Perazzo's team beat Egypt 2-1 to secure a quarter-final against Portugal.

ARGENTINA 2:1 EGYPT (1:0)

Erik LAMELA (42' PEN 64' PEN)

MOHAMED SALAH (70' PEN)

Match 40 - Group Medellin

Atanasio GirardotReferee: Markus STROMBERGSSON (SWE)

Three goals were scored in Medellin. All were penalties. Two came courtesy of Argentinian feet, consequently sending Walter Perazzo's team into the quarter-finals and Egypt home.

Erik Lamela's spot-kicks, either side of the interval, had the South Americans at a two-goal cushion. It was not plain sailing for them thereafter, however, as Mohamed Salah halved the deficit from 12 yards before . Ultimately, though, Argentina held on to book a quarter-final against Portugal, conquerors of Guatemala.

The game flowed from end to end in the first 20 minutes, before Lamela sent a free-kick, which he won himself, just over the crossbar. The No10's inviting corner almost provided the opener on 26 minutes, but the unmarked Facundo Ferreyra's headed came back off the post.

Egypt's Mohamed El Neny, from the edge of the box, unleashed a shot which Esteban Andrada did well to hold on 34 minutes, before Argentina broke the deadlock. Carlos Luque was tripped in the box, and Lamela's firm, low strike made the bottom corner of the net, despite Ahmed Elshenawi getting a firm hand to it.

After a slow start to the second half, Luque and Lamela combined in exact fashion to put Argentina 2-0 up. The former won the penalty; the latter dispatched it.

Egypt appeared done, but on 70 minutes they got one back. Adrian Martinez felled Saled Gomaa in the penalty area, and Salah sent Andrada to wrong way from 12 yards.

Andrada pulled off a superb save to deny a powerful Mohamed Hamdy headed on 80 minutes, before substitute Juan Iturbe broke into the box put fired wide.

The last chance of the game fell to Egypt, and how they will rue missing it. Andrada hesitated as a long ball entered his box and took a high bounce, and Ahmed Hegazi headed the ball up and over the Argentina keeper. It appeared headed over the line, but Leonel Galeano's outstretched leg hooked the ball just wide of the post and out for a corner, which came to nothing.

The No6 had denied Egypt extra time. Argentina will now head to Cartagena.






Erik Lamela's spot-kicks, either side of the interval, had the South Americans at a two-goal cushion. It was not plain sailing for them thereafter, however, as Mohamed Salah halved the deficit from 12 yards before . Ultimately, though, Argentina held on to book a quarter-final against Portugal, conquerors of Guatemala.



The game flowed from end to end in the first 20 minutes, before Lamela sent a free-kick, which he won himself, just over the crossbar. The No10's inviting corner almost provided the opener on 26 minutes, but the unmarked Facundo Ferreyra's headed came back off the post.



Egypt's Mohamed El Neny, from the edge of the box, unleashed a shot which Esteban Andrada did well to hold on 34 minutes, before Argentina broke the deadlock. Carlos Luque was tripped in the box, and Lamela's firm, low strike made the bottom corner of the net, despite Ahmed Elshenawi getting a firm hand to it.



After a slow start to the second half, Luque and Lamela combined in exact fashion to put Argentina 2-0 up. The former won the penalty; the latter dispatched it.



Egypt appeared done, but on 70 minutes they got one back. Adrian Martinez felled Saled Gomaa in the penalty area, and Salah sent Andrada to wrong way from 12 yards.



Andrada pulled off a superb save to deny a powerful Mohamed Hamdy headed on 80 minutes, before substitute Juan Iturbe broke into the box put fired wide.



The last chance of the game fell to Egypt, and how they will rue missing it. Andrada hesitated as a long ball entered his box and took a high bounce, and Ahmed Hegazi headed the ball up and over the Argentina keeper. It appeared headed over the line, but Leonel Galeano's outstretched leg hooked the ball just wide of the post and out for a corner, which came to nothing.

The No6 had denied Egypt extra time. Argentina will now head to Cartagena.

Round of 16


Argentina - Egypt2:1 (1:0)Match Date Time Venue / Stadium Attendance

40 09 August 2011 17:00 Medellin / Atanasio Girardot 38105



Match Officials

Referee

Markus STROMBERGSSON (SWE) Assistant Referee 1

Fredrik NILSSON (SWE)

Fourth Official

Robert SCHOERGENHOFER (AUT) Assistant Referee 2

Magnus SJOBLOM (SWE)

Match Commissioner

Geir THORSTEINSSON (ISL)



Goals scored

Erik LAMELA (ARG) 42' Penalty goal, Erik LAMELA (ARG) 64' Penalty goal, MOHAMED SALAH (EGY) 70' Penalty goal

Argentina

Line-up

[1] Esteban ANDRADA (GK)

[3] Nicolas TAGLIAFICO

[4] Hugo NERVO (C)

[6] Leonel GALEANO

[7] Matias LABA [Y]

[9] Facundo FERREYRA (-60')

[10] Erik LAMELA (-83')

[14] Adrian MARTINEZ [Y]

[17] Rodrigo BATTAGLIA (-75')

[18] Leandro GONZALEZ PIREZ

[20] Carlos LUQUE

Substitute(s)

[12] Rodrigo REY (GK)

[21] Damian MARTINEZ (GK)

[2] German PEZZELLA

[5] Adrian CIRIGLIANO (+75')

[8] Roberto PEREYRA [N]

[11] Juan ITURBE [Y] (+60')

[13] Lucas KRUSPZKY

[15] Alan RUIZ [Y] (+83')

[16] Lucas VILLAFANEZ

[19] Agustin VULETICH [Y]

Coach

Walter PERAZZO (ARG)Egypt

Line-up

[1] Ahmed ELSHENAWI (GK)(C)

[4] Mohamed ABDEL FATAH

[6] Ahmed HEGAZI [Y]

[8] Ahmed SOBHY

[9] Mohamed HAMDY [Y]

[11] ALY FATHY

[12] MOHAMED SALAH

[13] Ahmed TAWFIK [Y] (-59')

[14] MOHAMED IBRAHIM (-65')

[17] Mohamed EL NENY [Y]

[18] OMAR GABER [Y]

Substitute(s)

[16] MOHAMED AWWAD (GK)

[21] Ahmed BEHIRY (GK)

[2] Mahmoud ALAA ELDIN

[3] Ayman ASHRAF (+78')

[5] SALEH GOMAA (+65')(-78')

[7] HUSSEIN SAYED

[10] AHMED NABIL

[15] Mahmoud EZZAT

[19] Ahmed HASSAN (+59')

[20] Mohamed SOBHI

Coach

El Sayed Diaa (EGY)Cautions

Carlos LUQUE (ARG) 10', Rodrigo BATTAGLIA (ARG) 45', Ahmed HEGAZI (EGY) 55', OMAR GABER (EGY) 63', MOHAMED IBRAHIM (EGY) 63', Nicolas TAGLIAFICO (ARG) 66', Mohamed EL NENY (EGY) 77', Hugo NERVO (ARG) 82', Adrian MARTINEZ (ARG) 86', Mohamed ABDEL FATAH (EGY) 86'

Expulsions

Additional time

First Half: 1' Second Half: 5'

Argentina (ARG) Statistics Egypt (EGY)

10 Shots 12

3 Shots on goal 6

18 Fouls Committed 16

4 Corner kicks 12

1 Direct Free Kicks to Goal 1

0 Indirect Free Kicks to Goal 0

2 / 2 Penalty Kicks 1 / 1

6 Offsides 5

0 Own Goals 0

5 Cautions 5

0 Expulsions due to Second Caution 0

0 Direct Expulsions 0

51% Possession (%) 49%

26 Actual playing time 24



a.e.t.: After extra time (C): Captain PSO: Penalty Shoot-out

GK: Goalkeeper N: Not eligible to play I: Injured

Y: Yellow cards Pos: Positions A: Absent

FIFA U-20 World Cup 2011: Only Argentina won in the opening day

Duo shine on opening day. Though it would have taken a veritable deluge to douse Colombia’s ardour for the FIFA U-20 World Cup 2011, it still came as a relief to everyone involved when the heavy rain eased off enough to allow the competition’s first four games to be played. In the event, goals were at a premium on a matchday featuring three draws and eye-catching opening performances from Erik Lamela and Luis Mejia.

Results

Group E

Brazil 1-1 Egypt

Austria 0-0 Panama

Group F

England 0-0 Korea DPR

Argentina 1-0 Mexico

Goal of the day

Argentina-Mexico, Erik Lamela 70’

Showing elegance and persistence in equal measure, the gifted Argentinian controlled the ball in midfield, shook off the attentions of the Mexican backline and struck the tournament’s first goal with a crisp, low shot across the keeper. The classy strike was enough to give La Albiceleste their 50th victory at the FIFA U-20 World Cup and extend their unbeaten record at the competition to 14 matches, just four short of Brazil’s 18-game record set between 1989 and 1995.

Memorable moments

Party atmosphere in the stands

In the absence of goals, arguably the biggest highlight of England-Korea DPR was the action in the stands in Medellin. With the fiesta vibe having well and truly kicked in thanks to the start of another eagerly anticipated city-wide event, la Feria de las Flores (the Flower Fair), supporters attended the match en masse and showed their enthusiasm with a string of Mexican waves. And when the sun finally put in an appearance after the interval, it seemed a fitting reward for the fans’ admirable fervour.

Mejia wins double duel

Without taking anything away from Panama keeper Luis Mejia’s heroics between the sticks, Austria’s Robert Zulj will surely feel he should have done better with two golden opportunities that came his way in the first half. Unmarked just outside the six-yard box and with much of the goal at his mercy, the striker first struck the ball low into the keeper’s body before failing to connect properly with the rebound and allowing the custodian to block for a second time with his feet. Playing his fourth FIFA U-20 World Cup game, Mejia certainly made his experience count.

¿Déjà-vu for La Albiceleste?

Though the fact that FC Porto starlet Juan Iturbe, dubbed by many as ‘The New Messi’, started on the bench for Argentina’s opener came as a shock to observers, it is not without precedent. Indeed, at Netherlands 2005 Lionel Messi himself was only a substitute in La Albiceleste’s first game against USA but, like Iturbe did against Mexico here at Colombia 2011, he showed flashes of his huge talent after coming on in the second period. Argentinian fans will be hoping the parallels continue for the remainder of the competition, given La Pulga went on to win the adidas Golden Ball and Golden Boot in his country’s triumph on Dutch soil six years ago.

Yellow fever in Barranquilla

Brazil and Egypt served up the day’s most exciting encounter, which came on the back of a colourful opening ceremony in front of a largely yellow-bedecked crowd. And the theme did not stop there. Not only were A Seleção wearing their famous yellow jerseys, but there were six yellow cards in a game which swung from end-to-end and featured a total of 34 fouls - an average of one every 2.5 minutes.

The stat

11 – The number of games England have gone since tasting victory at the finals of a FIFA U-20 World Cup. Their last success came on 23 June 1997 in Malaysia, when beating Mexico courtesy of a Michael Owen strike.

Up next

Hosts Colombia kick off their campaign on Saturday 30 July when they meet fellow Group A outfit France in Bogota, while in the same section Mali take on Korea Republic. Over in Group B in Cali, Cameroon play New Zealand prior to Portugal’s clash with Uruguay.