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SAINT-DENIS, France -- Portugals players frantically tended to Cristiano Ronaldos left knee but their tearful captain couldnt withstand the pain any longer.The Portuguese had to win their first major trophy the hard way, stunning host France in the European Championship final after playing without Ronaldo from the 25th minute through extra time on Sunday.Two hours after being carried off injured with the 1-0 victory secured by his battling teammates, the three-time world player of the year returned a champion for the first time with his country.I had bad luck because I had a small injury in the beginning of the game, but my colleagues did their part -- they run, they fight, said Ronaldo, who has already won every major club honor. Nobody believed in Portugal but we won.An unlikely scorer secured the pre-tournament outsiders a title at last.It could be an uncomfortable few months ahead for Eder, the unheralded striker who will return shortly to French club Lille after breaking French hearts with his 109th-minute goal.The ugly duckling became beautiful, Portugal coach Fernando Santos said.A second-half substitute, Eder scored only his fourth goal in 29 appearances for Portugal with a low shot from 25 meters (yards) past goalkeeper Hugo Lloris.Cristiano told me I would be scoring the winning goal, Eder said. He gave me strength and positive energy.In doing so, Portugal denied the French a third final victory on home soil to add to Euro 84 and the 1998 World Cup.Football can be very cruel, said Lloris, Frances captain. The overriding emotion is a lot of sadness.Twelve years after losing to Greece on home soil in their last appearance in the final, it was Portugals turn to spoil the host nations party. And they achieved it after winning only one of their seven games at Euro 2016 inside 90 minutes, and after losing the inspirational Ronaldo midway through the first half.It was tough because we lost our main man and we had all our hopes pinned on him because hes a player who can score a goal at any minute, Portugal defender Pepe said. When he said he couldnt go on, I tried to tell my teammates that we have to win it for him. That we were going to fight for him.It was a mostly dull and stodgy final but the record books will only show that Portugal went from third-place in its group to champion, and with little help from Ronaldo in its last match.The championships first 24-team tournament became a reality over the last month, but the quality of football deteriorated. Such a sterile showpiece -- the first European Championship final to be scoreless after 90 minutes -- seemed a fitting climax.We werent clinical enough, said France coach Didier Deschamps who lifted the World Cup in the stadium as a player in 1998. We werent cool-headed enough.Even France forward Antoine Griezmann, the tournaments leading scorer, couldnt rise to the big occasion. There was no seventh goal of Euro 2016 from the Atletico Madrid forward, who also lost out in the Champions League final six weeks ago to Ronaldos Real Madrid.Griezmann was the first player to find the target, but his header was tipped over by Rui Patricio, who was formidable in the Portugal goal. When an inviting cross from Kingsley Coman was delivered in the 66th, Griezmann missed with a free header.Only once was Patricio beaten, when Andre-Pierre Gignacs shot hit the inside of the post but it came back out.Luck was on Portugals side, and Eder was able to strike the decisive blow.It didnt seem to be going Portugals way in the ninth minute when Dimitri Payets right knee clattered into Ronaldos standing left leg.Ronaldo went down in agony -- writhing, grimacing and screaming. He was able to return, but this was one injury he could not run off.Ronaldo fell to the turf again in the 17th. One of the moths infesting the national stadium fluttered over Ronaldos tearful right eye. Teammates tried to help in vain to help, with Nani tending to the knee.Ronaldo watched the game forlornly on the touchline as strapping was attached before dragging himself back onto the field.But Ronaldos mobility was restricted. Battling through the pain, regularly reaching down to check on the injury, Ronaldo realized there would be no miracle recovery.The clock hit 23 minutes and Ronaldo ripped off his captains armband and tossed it on the turf. Slumping to the ground again, Ronaldo was consoled by Nani, who embraced his former Manchester United teammate as the armband was transferred.The stretcher came on and in the 25th minute Ronaldo became a spectator. But thanks to Patricios array of saves and dogged defending, Ronaldo left a champion.Unlike his great rival Lionel Messi, the Argentina and Barcelona forward, the 31-year-old Ronaldo has now filled the medal void on the major international stage. Its a rapid turnaround for a national team that exited the 2014 World Cup in the group stage.Its something unbelievable in my career, Ronaldo said. Something I deserve.---Rob Harris can be followed at www.twitter.com/RobHarris and www.facebook.com/RobHarrisReports Joe Harris Nets Jersey . 4 Villanova with a 96-68 drubbing on Monday. Wragge hit 9-of-14 from behind the arc, matching Kyle Korvers school record for 3-pointers in a game set in 2003, as Creighton (16-3, 6-1 Big East broke a conference record with 21 treys in the rout. Spencer Dinwiddie Jersey . "Hes going to have hip surgery on Jan. 7, and hell be expected to rehabilitate for four to six months beyond that," Canucks general manager Mike Gillis said Friday in an interview. https://www.netsrookiesshop.com/Jarrett-Allen-City-Edition-Jersey/ .Y. -- Paul Byron and Matt Stajan scored as the Calgary Flames started a five-game road trip with a 2-1 overtime win over the Buffalo Sabres on Saturday afternoon. Dzanan Musa Jersey . Aaron Harrison scored a 22 points for Kentucky (6-1), which has won four in a row following a Nov. 12 loss to current No. 1 Michigan State. Julius Randle overcame a scoreless first half and added his sixth double-double in as many games with 14 points and 10 rebounds. Rodions Kurucs Jersey .ca! Hi Kerry, Its another day and here we are looking at another dubious hit to the head. In this case Blue Jackets forward Brandon Dubinsky elbowed Saku Koivu in the head about a second after he dished off the puck to a teammate, knocking him unconscious. A miserable loss in Miami might be the least of the problems facing the Pittsburgh Steelers.Quarterback Ben Roethlisberger limped through the locker room after the 30-15 setback with his left knee aching following an awkward step in the second quarter.Though he returned to finish 19 of 34 for 189 yards with a touchdown and two interceptions, Roethlisberger planned to undergo an MRI.I dont know how it happened, Roethlisberger said. I just felt something funny in my knee. Yeah, thats about it.Roethlisberger was scrambling to his right to escape pressure in the second quarter when he stepped out of a potential sack. He wound up throwing an interception on the play and left briefly in favor of backup Landry Jones.Hopefully well pray its just not too serious, Roethlisberger said.Roethlisberger missed four starts last season for various injuries, including a sprained left knee. Jones went 1-1 while filling in for Roethlisberger, though the Steelers face a significant test next weekend when Tom Brady and the New England Patriots visit Heinz Field.Baltimores injury-riddled and beleaguered secondary was dealt another blow when veteran Jimmy Smith left Sundays game against the New York Giants with a concussion.With Smith off the field in the second half, New York wide receiver Odell Beckham Jr. went off against Baltimores Shareece Wright, Will Davis and Tavon Young, scoring two long touchdowns as the Giants held on for a 27-23 win.Thee most frightening injury of the day happened in Tennessee.dddddddddddd Cleveland defensive back Jordan Poyer went to the hospital with a lacerated kidney following a vicious blindside hit in the second quarter of the Browns 28-26 loss to the Titans.Poyer was hurt chasing down Titans returner Marc Mariani when Antonio Andrews hit him, knocking Poyer to the ground with 6:33 left in the second quarter. Andrews was flagged and penalized for unsportsmanlike conduct on the blindside hit.The hit left Poyer bent over on the grass for a few minutes before he was able to walk to the Browns sideline. He was evaluated, then put on a cart that took him to the locker room before Poyer was transported to a local hospital. He was evaluated at the hospital for a concussion and an abdomen injury, revealing the damage to his kidney.Asked about the hit, Browns coach Hue Jackson called it just football and doubted Andrews was doing anything more than just trying to block Poyer.Sometimes you aim at a spot and hit some other things, Jackson said.The Rams defense took another hit in a second straight loss, this time at Detroit. Defensive tackle Michael Brockers aggravated his hip injury and defensive back Lamarcus Joyner left with a forearm injury.---AP NFL website: http://www.pro32.ap.org and http://twitter.com/AP-NFL ' ' '