Why Portugal’s reliance on Cristiano Ronaldo cost them

HAMBURG, Germany — Cristiano Ronaldo stood amongst his teammates, palms on hips, lips pursed, eyes searching into the Portuguese crowd behind the aim.

Rúben Dias and Nuno Mendes, the soldiers who had blunted France star Kylian Mbappé, co-led the applause. Ronaldo joined in after which turned to embrace Pepe, his sidekick in so many battles, the older brother dealing with his curtain name at 41 years of age. Pepe sobbed, Ronaldo whispered in his ear.

At that second, Ronaldo appeared identical to every other of his Portugal teammates, united in disappointment. He didn’t appear like Cristiano Ronaldo, GOAT candidate. And possibly, if Portugal boss Roberto Martinez had picked up on this sooner, we might be telling a special story.

It appeared as if Martinez — by taking part in Ronaldo in each minute of each recreation of this event (bar the ultimate 25 minutes in opposition to Georgia) — was extra involved with giving him alternative after alternative to write down one other wonderful chapter in his stellar profession than he was with really giving Portugal the very best probability of successful.

The numbers are chilly and cruel. Ronaldo took 23 photographs on this event, the second most by any participant failing to attain within the Euros because the group stage format was launched in 1980. His anticipated targets of three.51 with out discovering the online are probably the most ever at a significant males’s event since 1980.

Perhaps Martinez checked out this, remembered that Ronaldo had scored in each main event he had performed in (5 World Cups and 5 Euros) and instructed himself: “Hey, he is clearly due.” If that is what occurred, he is just like the man who bets on the Washington Generals to beat the Harlem Globetrotters as a result of “they’re due.”

Sure, Ronaldo was coming off a prolific season within the Saudi Professional League and sure, regression to a imply is a factor and it is fully doable that, over time, he would have caught up together with his xG. However that is the important thing: time. It is a knockout event, stumble and there’s no tomorrow. And even the GOATs have dry spells.

And it is not simply the numbers, it is what Martinez’s eyes and mind had been telling him (or ought to have been telling him).

Sure, he had constructed a framework round Ronaldo that maximized his strengths and masked his weaknesses as greatest he might. Rafael Leão, out on the left wing, stayed excessive when Portugal defended, so there would all the time be a speedster for the “out ball” if wanted. Bruno Fernandes was given licence to shadow into the field, virtually like a second striker. Bernardo Silva and João Cancelo would supply crosses from the precise. Even the nook kicks, with Pepe and Ronaldo tying up the opposing centre-backs, appeared designed for him.

It labored in qualifying; heck, it labored in opposition to France for a lot of the sport (although this may need had rather a lot to do with Didier Deschamps’ conservatism) as Portugal generated the higher probabilities. However in some unspecified time in the future, absolutely it should have dawned on Martinez simply how a lot of a pressure Ronaldo’s lack of mobility out of possession was placing on his midfield and what number of alternatives he was failing to transform.

It may need dawned on Ronaldo, too. Early within the first interval of additional time, Francisco Conceição tore previous an opponent and lower it again for him on the close to submit. A younger Ronaldo would have calmly met the ball and guided it into the highest nook. Outdated Ronaldo despatched it crusing over the bar.

Moments later, out of the blue, he went on a one-man urgent rampage, summoning vitality out of the ether and sprinting at Dayot Upamecano, who brushed him apart and booted the ball away. Within the previous days, Ronaldo would have gotten to the ball earlier than Upamecano, spun round him and buried it previous Mike Maignan. And within the unlikely occasion they obtained there on the similar time, it could have been Upamecano bouncing off him, not the opposite approach round.

However to cite Slim Charles from “The Wire”: “The factor concerning the previous days is… they the previous days.”

The odd factor right here is that that is one boil that had already been lanced. Ronaldo had been dropped for the knockout rounds by Martinez’s predecessor, Fernando Santos, on the Qatar World Cup simply 18 months in the past. If Santos, who had coached Portugal for eight years together with Ronaldo’s prime, who had stood alongside him after they gained their first (and solely) main event at Euro 2016 (with Ronaldo, who had come off injured within the last, standing subsequent to him like an assistant coach) might do it, why could not Martinez?

Particularly given Martinez’s personal background. He is not Portuguese and he did not develop up with the Ronaldo-as-saviour psychodrama. He is an clever coach who got here up the arduous approach as each a participant and a supervisor. He was the outsider introduced in to supply a recent perspective.

As a substitute, he got here throughout as a man who had guzzled the Kool-Support. On an evening when Portugal had been the higher aspect — and credit score for that has to go to Martinez too, as a result of he was outcoaching Deschamps and his typical counterattacking schtick — it appeared as if Martinez was intent on not simply advancing previous France, however doing it with Ronaldo in a starring position.

Did he not belief Gonçalo Ramos or Diogo Jota to spell him off the bench, even for a short time? Did he really feel like he needed Ronaldo to redeem himself for the missed penalty and missed late probability in opposition to Slovenia? In that case, that solely makes it worse.

Partly as a result of that Slovenia recreation (and the 120 minutes Ronaldo performed) ought to have been an indication of what fatigue can do at 39 years of age. And largely as a result of, Ronaldo would not want anybody to offer him something (not to mention a shot at some form of redemption). With every part he has achieved, he is approach past that.

Was he anticipating Ronaldo to sign to the bench and say “Boss, I am exhausted, it is not occurring for me in the present day, let’s make a change?” That may be delusional. Elite athletes thrive on self-confidence and self-belief. Ronaldo spews it from each pore. Anticipating him to take himself out of the sport is simply foolish.

In distinction, Mbappé, who scored his first-ever European Championship aim vs. Poland through a penalty, requested to be substituted after feeling too drained to proceed in further time.

Portugal aren’t out of the Euros as a result of Ronaldo performed 120 minutes. Let’s be clear about this. They misplaced on penalties as a result of João Félix put his in opposition to the submit and all people else scored. And since they did not convert the assorted probabilities they created, from Leão within the first half, to Fernandes and Vitinha after the break to Mendes on the very finish of additional time.

However the best way they exit this Euros leaves a bitter style and the sturdy impression that Martinez obtained tunnel imaginative and prescient, believing that pushing Ronaldo entrance and heart would in some way protect his legacy.

Ronaldo’s legacy is safe. It would not must be preserved. Perhaps if Martinez had realized it earlier, possibly if he’d seen him as simply one other one in every of his gamers — like he was on the finish, applauding the followers and consoling his teammates — Portugal could be within the semifinals.