What Cristiano Ronaldo wouldn’t give to rewind to the start of the season, and do things all over again. It was only 12 months ago that flags bearing Ronaldo’s name were being unfurled from the rafters by adoring fans at the Santiago Bernabeu Stadium after Real Madrid paid a transfer fee, $132 million to exact, that justified his numero uno status.
On Tuesday it was a different story. Anonymous in the match against Spain, he left his indelible mark on the tournament with a spit and a spat.
This was a script made for him, a clash against the Iberian neighbours and a chance to make a difference on the biggest stage. And yet, it all went horribly wrong for the chiselled winger who was left pouting with frustration writ large on his face.
Heading straight to the dressing room after an insipid performance, he spat at the lens of the camerman who was following him off the field and seemingly into the abyss his career has most certainly reached now.
Even worse was his reply to the question what went wrong. “How do I explain Portugal’s elimination? Talk to Carlos Queiroz.”
Well, so much for the team’s captain taking responsibility. Ronaldo would in fact later issue a statement clarifying his actions, but it reeked of a public relations exercise more than anything else.
“When I said put the question to the coach, it is just because Carlos Queiroz was holding a press conference. I was not in a position to explain what was what. I am a human being, and like any human being I suffer and I have the right to suffer alone. I know that I am the captain, and I have always assumed and will assume my responsibilities,” read Ronaldo’s official version of the event.
But, his action only reiterated the one facet that sets him apart from the man who took his throne as the world’s greatest footballer. Lionel Messi, as dignified is defeat as he is jubilant in victory, does not whine. No, he wins.
Ronaldo may have skills to match and even outshine Messi, but for a man who’s a couple of years older than the Argentine wizard, it’s his petulance that infuriates fans.
A perfect example of which was last night. Ronaldo huddled off the ground and into the dressing room without so much as exchanging jerseys with his Spanish counterparts.
Truth be told Ronaldo’s Portugal are hardly blessed with the kind of attacking talent that the Albiceleste have at their disposal. Opposition defenders have plenty to worry about when facing Argentina, against Portugal it’s simple – stop Ronaldo, and the rest shall fall.
The treatment handed out to the Magician from Maderia is not really in the spirit of football, and Ronaldo has himself made many sacrifices for the betterment of the team. Against Brazil he cut an isolated figure leading the line by himself with no service from the midfield. The one time the ball broke for him he sprinted 40-yards beat a couple of defenders and rolled a pass between the legs of Lucio to Raul Meireles, who failed to even get a shot on target from 10 yards out.
Against Spain, Queiroz’s defensive tactics were working like a charm, till David Vill scored. There was very little Portugal did to get back. No change of plan, no gamble, no framework to unleash something special from their captain.
Still only 25, Ronaldo will get another shot at World Cup glory in Portuguese-speaking Brazil in 2014. However, for all his trickery and dazzling dribbling, his game is still all about the raw pace that leaves most defenders for dead. At 29, one wonders how well-oiled his engine would be, no matter how many Castrol advertisements he does.