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Portugal coach Roberto Martínez did not say whether Cristiano Ronaldo would start Tuesday’s World Cup match against Uzbekistan after the superstar’s forgettable performance in the team’s first game.
“I can’t inform you about the starting lineup because I haven’t informed my players,” Martinez said Monday when asked if Ronaldo would remain in the lineup.
Ronaldo, 41, failed to score in Portugal’s 1-1 draw against Congo.
Television commentators and social media users criticized Ronaldo after he missed a couple of good scoring opportunities in the second half. Some wondered why Martínez didn’t replace him in the second half when the team was struggling offensively.
Martínez said that the criticism does not impact his team and said that type of talk is part of being at an event of this magnitude.
“We’re playing in a World Cup, so of course there’s a lot of noise and tension, but it’s part of the game,” he said. “The focus is on the team and we want to show a positive attitude… to be ready for the game. We are very focused. We are strong. The team is even more united than before.”
Although not referring specifically to Ronaldo, Martínez added that some of the criticism is “unfair, unfair.”
Ronaldo did not speak to reporters after the match, but has posted twice on social media since the draw. In the first post he wrote: “It wasn’t the start we wanted, but this is far from over. Cheer up and focus on the next game.”
On Sunday he posted four photos from a team workout and wrote: “Focused on the mission.”
Ronaldo and Argentine Lionel Messi became the only men to play in six World Cups with their participation this year. Ronaldo will try again on Tuesday to become the first player to score in six World Cups after falling short in the first match.
He currently shares the record with Messi, who has five goals in Argentina’s two games this year to give him a record of 18 goals in five tournaments. Messi failed to score in 2010.
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Despite Ronaldo’s struggles in the first match, when he only had 25 touches, Martínez remains confident in his ability to help the team take advantage of opportunities in the final third.
“Cristiano is the best to do that,” he said. “The numbers support this from this iconic player that is Cristiano Ronaldo. If you look at the last 32 games, he is the player who has extra movement opening spaces and finding pockets.”
Uzbekistan coach Fabio Cannavaro knows not to underestimate Ronaldo despite the results of Portugal’s first match. As his team prepares for the team’s many stars, it is Ronaldo who he said his players must pay special attention to.
“We have to be careful when we are in the area because we cannot leave these types of players alone,” he said. “We need to be very focused on him because Cristiano can score in any situation, free kicks, even in the corner. So we have to be very careful.”
Information from The Associated Press.
