Cristiano Ronaldo: On his way to footballing immortality

Ronaldo clasping his hands and praying to the Gods above

When Francesc Fabregas went up to take the 5^th and penultimate spot kick in the semis of the EURO 2012, there was a particular Portuguese player on the pitch who was praying fervently against the Spaniard. Fabregas placed the ball on the spot, traced his steps, and calmly slotted the ball home. All hell broke loose as the entire Spanish team went over to Fabregas and started to celebrate.

But one’s eyes were clearly drawn to that Portuguese player who looked up to the skies with a grimace on his face, pleading his case and questioning the God above. He was to take the next spot-kick for Portugal and would have thought that it was his chance to score the winning penalty, and lead his nation to the finals. The sad smile on his face said it all. The player was the best footballer in Europe, someone who had won everything at Club level, but yet to make his mark with Portugal. Another chapter of international football had closed for him and his tryst with destiny continued. The player is none other than Christiano Ronaldo.

Ronaldo is a product of Sporting Lisbon’s youth academy and had progressed through the ranks to represent Sporting Lisbon’s first team in the year 2001. Ronaldo’s proper introduction to the football world happened when Manchester United signed him for 12.2 million pounds in 2003. Manchester United had parted ways with David Beckham in the same year, and there were a lot of rumors and hype created as to who would dawn the iconic no 7 shirt for United. Sir Alex was expected to replace Beckham with a superstar, but he shocked the football world by handing the iconic shirt to Ronaldo; a kid whose talent and temperament was yet to be tested.

Ronaldo’s desire and fearlessness, coupled with his great self-belief and talent were evident, as he showcased his talents and bamboozled seasoned defenders with his mesmerizing runs and dribbling ability. Ronaldo’s repertoire of step-overs was fast becoming a trademark and was giving nightmares to defenders all over the world. Ronaldo’s trickery and audacity, coupled with his charismatic game-play, made him a global footballing superstar.

Ronaldo, in his time with Manchester United, won the premier league title three times, and several other domestic success stories were written. Ronaldo’s greatest achievement with United came in the year 2008 when he helped United win the Champions league, plundering an unprecedented 42 goals in the campaign. He was awarded the Ballon d’Or for his exploits and won several other domestic honours.

Ronaldo at his best playing for Los Blancos

Ronaldo then signed for Real Madrid in the year 2009, for a world record fee of 80 million pounds. The stage was set for Ronaldo to prove his worth and showcase his talents under the brightest spotlight in Club football. Ronaldo’s signing was done with an aim to resurrect a flagging Real Madrid squad, and with Mourinho being signed in the year 2010, it was time for Ronaldo to script another success story.

Ronaldo was expected to succeed at Madrid, but his performances far exceeded the expectations that the club would have ever envisaged when they signed this enterprising talent. Ronaldo’s performances in the legendary white jersey catapulted him to a global phenomenon and people started to compare him with footballing legends like De Stefano and Puskas. Ronaldo, since joining the Los Blancos, has amassed a total of 112 goals in 101 matches, breaking numerous scoring records. Real Madrid won the league in the year 2012, overpowering a star-studded Barcelona team and Ronaldo was on his way to becoming a legend at the club.

However, one of the major criticisms that Ronaldo has been subjected to, is his failure to deliver in big-game situations. Ronaldo’s desire and motivation to win can’t be questioned. But it takes a sound temperament as well as nerves of steel to perform at the biggest stage. Ronaldo definitely hasn’t shown enough of such qualities, consistently failing in big-game situations.

Ronaldo being consoled by Coach Paulo Bento after the penalty loss to spain

Ronaldo, in his exuberance and with a strong desire to succeed, generally tries to do too much, and as a result, suffers. Ronaldo’s performance for Portugal clearly exposes his inability to deliver in big-game and high-pressure matches. In all the tournaments that Ronaldo represented Portugal, the team fared very well in the group stages but was knocked out in the later stages of the tournament. In EURO 2004, Portugal lost to Greece in the finals at Lisbon. In the World Cup 2006, Portugal lost to France in the semi-finals. In EURO 2008, Portugal were knocked out by Germany in the Quarter-Finals. In the world cup 2010, Portugal were knocked out by Spain in the Group of 16 stage and in EURO 2012, Portugal were knocked out by Spain in the semi-finals. But for the game against France in the 2006 World Cup, Ronaldo’s performance in all these matches was ordinary.

It might be slightly unfair to compare Ronaldo’s success with Portugal to his club success. This is because, at club level, he always had the luxury of playing with playmakers like Ozil at Real Madrid or Scholes and Giggs at United. He always had a striker that he could pick out and who could compliment his game, as Benzema does in Madrid and Rooney did at United. Portugal, on the other hand, played with Almeida or Postiga as a striker, and Moutinho as the trequartista. The wide bridge in terms of footballing talent and quality is evident, but a player of the class of Ronaldo is expected to overcome such barriers and find ways for his team to succeed.

If one analyzes his performance against Spain, one can easily see that whenever Ronaldo was given the ball on the wings, he tried to single-handedly take on the entire Spanish defense. He never waited for his team-mates to make the supporting run or tried to hold up the ball and feed an overlapping full-back in Coentrao. This lack of confidence and faith in his team-mates drives a sense of frustration into the entire team and hurts their morale. Ronaldo’s first instinct is always was to cut in and shoot. However, such shots from distance weren’t ever supposed to bother custodians of the class of Casillas, and it was evident in the match against Spain. Ronaldo’s reputation of having the deadliest right-foot in World football and his special technique with free-kicks also deserted him in that match. Ronaldo, in his four attempts from free-kicks, failed to hit the target even once. Ronaldo, as a leader of men, didn’t inspire much confidence in his team, and as a result the entire team suffered.

Ronaldo should have tried to modify his game to ensure that he brings all his team-mates into the game and allow them to express themselves better. He, with his speed and skill, could draw the opposing defenders out of position and try to carve out opportunities for his team-mates. He could take on the role of playmaker and let Nani and other members of the squad make runs and play around him. This way the entire team would play better and Ronaldo would have a greater impact on the game. This is what the team expects from its best player and something that Ronaldo has failed to do.

Ronaldo: A piscture of frustration and disappointment

Ronaldo is seen as a player who gets disgruntled pretty easily, moaning and crying out on every missed opportunity. Ronaldo sets very high standards for himself, and gets very disappointed whenever he misses an opportunity or the team doesn’t perform to his expectations. Ronaldo isn’t a quitter, but such emotions put him in a undesirable state of mind. He gets stuck in a maze of such emotions, and the harder he fights the deeper he sinks. This is one of the reasons why it is important for him to start games on a high note, and get as many touches on the ball. This helps him build confidence and allows him to express himself better. This is one major flaw in his temperament that teams look to exploit. Teams are aware of the fact that if Ronaldo doesn’t get the ball much in the early exchanges, there is a possibility that he may fade-out as the match goes on.

Ronaldo has also been labeled as a selfish and a headline seeking player. Ronaldo’s talents and exploits are such that he mostly overrides the achievements of his other teammates and his team is generally identified with his talents. Whenever Real or Portugal won, the media attention would be on Ronaldo’s role in the victory, and when these teams lost people would be scrutinizing Ronaldo’s game. For example, the semi-final against Spain was being billed as a match-up of Ronaldo vs Spain. This would be heavily frustrating for a Portuguese squad that boasted of some of the World’s finest players in Nani and Coentrao. This would definitely have negative effects on the mindset of players in the squad who would not want all the attention to be drawn to a single player.

One can’t hold Ronaldo at fault, for most of the hype surrounding him is media driven and not entirely his choice. However, Ronaldo has often displayed a penchant for glory and fame, and his choice to take the 5^th penalty in the shoot-out against Spain just adds fuel to the fire. It is common knowledge that the best players in the team should take the initial spot-kicks so that one can wrestle the advantage from the other team. However, Ronaldo chose to seek glory and decided to take the final spot-kick and hoped to be the player that shot his team through to the finals of EURO 2012. The folly of this decision was evident as Portugal was knocked out and Ronaldo never got a chance to take a penalty.

However, even though Ronaldo might be at fault in the match against Spain, one can’t question his desire to win. Ronaldo’s passion and hunger are sure to drive him and Portugal to greater heights. Ronaldo is aware that the only thing standing between him and his ambition of becoming the greatest footballer to have played the game, is winning a major trophy on the international stage. Only then can questions about his big-game temperament be put to rest. One can only hope that he removes all such doubts and puts up a strong performance for Portugal in the World Cup to be held in 2014. Till then, the whole footballing fraternity can sit back and enjoy his future exploits for Los Blancos.