As certain because the solar rises within the east and units within the west, Cristiano Ronaldo’s title appeared on Portugal’s crew sheet on Friday night time. Possibly for the final time. However there was no romanticism in his alternative, Roberto Martinez wished him there.
Solely goalkeeper Diego Costa performed extra minutes for Portugal this summer season when their match was halted after a 5-3 penalty shootout loss to France. It appeared like a sudden finish for one of many world’s biggest footballing skills, who shed extra tears at these championships than the rest.
Nonetheless, this time the tears weren’t Ronaldo’s. As a substitute, the Portugal captain’s position was to consolation a tearful Pepe as one other painful quarter-final exit took heart stage.
Cristiano Ronaldo was consoled by Pepe after Portugal’s penalty shootout defeat by France
Portugal have an xG of 9.41 within the 5 video games they’ve performed, however have solely scored 3 times (5 should you rely the personal objectives from the Czech Republic’s Robin Granatz and Turkey’s Samet Akaydin). Ronaldo’s private rating was zero.
Why, then, was the 39-year-old chosen to steer the crew in opposition to France, given the sheer quantity of expertise lined up on Portugal’s exceptionally gifted bench? Neither Diogo Hota nor Gonzalo Ramos even got here on regardless of the sport going the complete distance – Martinez continued together with his hard-working frontman for the complete 120 minutes. Bruno Fernandes was substituted with quarter-hour remaining, however not Ronaldo.
Ronaldo is comforted by his teammates after seeing a penalty in further time in opposition to Slovakia
Much more alarming is that Portugal haven’t scored in any respect of their final three matches. A 2-0 defeat to Georgia (with a severely depleted crew that also included Ronaldo) was adopted by goalless attracts in opposition to Slovenia after which, sadly, France. Certainly Martinez was feeling the warmth? Or maybe the Portuguese and the press additionally worry what a Ronaldo backlash would do to the perceived stability of the crew so usually saved by their well-known quantity 7.
As a result of, let’s face it, Ronaldo’s alternative was not made on advantage, it was dictated by the brutality of repute. Martinez was afraid to depart him. Ronaldo’s unwavering perception in himself, regardless of mounting proof on the contrary, permeated everybody within the Portugal camp – there have been few arguments. Definitely none of them are thought of weighty sufficient to derail the nice man.
And so Hotta, Ramos and others watched Ronaldo take pleasure in six fewer touches of the ball than goalkeeper Costa – and fewer than every other Portuguese participant. They struggled as Portugal created, backed by superior xG figures (1.84 vs France’s 1.14), the extra presentable possibilities of both facet with out discovering the again of the web. And at last they got here to despair when France’s Theo Hernandez kicked the decisive penalty.
After knocking out Portugal, France will play Spain within the semi-finals of Euro 2024
Neither Hota, nor Ramos, nor every other prudent substitute – avoid wasting sympathy and Pedro Neto – had an opportunity to make an affect on the sport. So the fascination, or slightly the frustration, with Ronaldo’s continued presence – he did understand his spot-kick in the course of the collection – is barely rising. Of the 2 photographs he took in open play, just one hit the goal, though, in a spirit of steadiness, he was merciful sufficient to permit Fernandez to take one among his prized free-kicks.
Nonetheless, the truth that neither he nor his nation can transfer on from their glory days stays symptomatic of a wider stubbornness on his half, in addition to on Portugal’s half.
Ronaldo represented Portugal at six European Championships and 4 World Cups. He holds the all-time document for many worldwide objectives (130) and is probably the most capped participant for his nation (212). His total tally of 14 objectives is probably the most in a Euro finals – for context, France’s Michel Platini is second with 9.
And maybe these details are as compelling a rationale as to why the Portugal coach stood by his talisman till the final. However this, Ronaldo’s final Euro hurray, ended with no objective within the recreation and, in fact, the inevitable realization that it was time to maneuver on to the following era.
