As certain because the solar rising within the east and setting within the west, Cristiano Ronaldo’s identify appeared on Portugal’s team-sheet on Friday evening. Maybe for the final time. However there was no romanticism about his choice, Roberto Martinez needed him there.
Solely goalkeeper Diogo Costa performed extra minutes for Portugal this summer season, as their event ceased with a 5-3 penalty shoot-out defeat to France. It felt like an abrupt finish for one of many world’s biggest footballing skills, who shed extra tears at these championships than he did a lot else.
This time, although, the tears weren’t Ronaldo’s. As an alternative, the Portugal captain’s position was to console a weeping Pepe as one other painful quarter-final exit got here into full focus.
Portugal generated an xG of 9.41 over the 5 video games they performed, however solely scored thrice (5 in case you embody personal objectives scored by Czech Republic’s Robin Hranac and Turkey’s Samet Akaydin). Ronaldo’s private tally amounted to zero.
Why, then, was the 39-year-old chosen to guide the road in opposition to France over the abundance of expertise stationed on Portugal’s exceptionally-gifted bench? Neither Diogo Jota nor Goncalo Ramos even made it onto the pitch, regardless of the sport going the complete distance – Martinez endured along with his labouring frontman for all the 120 minutes. Bruno Fernandes was changed with quarter-hour to go, however not Ronaldo.
Ronaldo was comforted by team-mates after seeing an extra-time penalty saved in opposition to Slovakia
Extra alarming nonetheless, is that Portugal didn’t rating a single purpose throughout any of their last three fixtures. A 2-0 defeat to Georgia (with a severely-weakened facet, that also included Ronaldo), was adopted up by goalless stalemates in opposition to Slovenia after which fatefully France. Absolutely Martinez was feeling the strain? Or maybe the Portuguese following, and press, are additionally afraid of what a Ronaldo backlash would do to the perceived stability of a facet so usually saved by their famed No 7.
As a result of, let’s face it, Ronaldo’s choice was not made on benefit, it was dictated by the rigours of fame. Martinez was scared to go away him out. Ronaldo’s unwavering self-belief within the face of mounting proof on the contrary permeated all throughout the Portugal camp – there was little argument to be made. Definitely not one deemed legitimate sufficient to face the nice man down.
And so Jota, Ramos and co watched on as Ronaldo loved six fewer touches of the ball than goalkeeper Costa – and fewer than some other Portuguese participant. They agonised as Portugal created, backed up by superior xG information (1.84 to France’s 1.14), the extra presentable possibilities of the 2 sides with out discovering the online. And eventually, they despaired as France’s Theo Hernandez struck the decisive penalty.
Having dumped Portugal out, France will play Spain within the semi-finals of Euro 2024
Neither Jota, Ramos or certainly some other forward-minded substitute – reserve some sympathy for Pedro Neto too – was afforded the possibility to influence the sport. Thus the fascination, or relatively frustration, with Ronaldo’s ever-presence – he did convert his spot-kick throughout the shoot-out – solely grows. Of the 2 pictures he tried in open play, just one hit the goal, albeit, within the spirit of stability, he was charitable sufficient to permit Fernandes the possibility to strike one in all his prized free kicks.
Nonetheless, it stays a symptom of a wider stubbornness on each his and Portugal’s behalf that neither he nor his nation can transfer on from his glory days.
Ronaldo has represented Portugal at six European Championships and 4 World Cups. He holds the all-time document for many worldwide objectives with 130, and is his nation’s most-capped participant (212). His total whole of 14 objectives is essentially the most ever at Euros finals – for context, France nice Michel Platini is second with 9.
And possibly these information present as compelling a rationale as any as to why the Portugal supervisor stood by his talisman till the final. However this, Ronaldo’s last Euros hurrah, has ended with out an in-game purpose, and absolutely, an unavoidable realisation that it’s time to transfer on to the subsequent era.