The Real Madrid forward failed to sparkle in Portugal's two previous matches but he was devastating against the Dutch. He produced an equalizer with his first goal of the tournament in the 28th minute and scored the winner in the 74th.
"Once again we showed how united we are as a team," Portugal midfielder Miguel Veloso said. "It wasn't easy to start with a defeat. The secret was our defending, our humility."
Needing a win to have a chance at staying in the tournament, the disappointing Dutch fielded an impressive attacking lineup featuring Klaas-Jan Huntelaar and Robin van Persie up front, but it wasn't enough to keep them at Euro 2012.
The Dutch lost in the World Cup final to Spain two years ago and, with stars like Van Persie, Arjen Robben and Wesley Sneijder, had anticipated a strong run at Euro 2012.
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