Cristiano Ronaldo: The Transition

Most of us saw Cristiano Ronaldo when he was a lean 18-year-old teenager arriving at United as a potential hot prospect from the ranks of Sporting Lisbon. A fair number also saw him break down after the loss to Greece at the Euro 2004 final at home in Portugal, and then saw him wink mischievously at the Portuguese bench after getting Wayne Rooney sent off in the 2006 World Cup. Not exactly a great image to carry around, but he made it up with his initial glimpses of absolute brilliance on the field. And as seasons went by at Old Trafford, Ronaldo rose from being an exceptional raw talent to a scintillating finished product. Take a look at the physique of the same player in his stints at United and Real Madrid. The picture to the right shows a marked improvement in the muscle mass, which has not only given him added strength, but also an improved centre of gravity and greater speed and explosive power.

Ronaldo at United (L) and Ronaldo at Madrid

I rubbed my eyes in disbelief as he struck a free kick which rose and then dipped into the top corner leaving David James rooted to his spot. I also woke my parents up with a lung bursting scream when he smashed a rocket from 40 meters past Helton in the Champions League against FC Porto at the Estadio de Dragao. When he rose about 2 and a half feet in the air past an array of AS Roma defenders, there was little doubt left as to how good he was not only as a footballer, but as an athlete. And if conventional footballing wisdom holds true, wingers peak at around the age of 27. But even a couple of years ago, the prospect of him getting better sounded almost ridiculous. But he did get better, and how.

There are minute changes that Cristiano Ronaldo has made to his game that have combined together to elevate him to a different platform altogether. Many will argue that Lionel Messi is the best footballer on earth, but in terms of being a complete player, no one, and I mean absolutely no one, is better than Cristiano Ronaldo. The transition from being an outstanding athlete to mind-boggling super athlete, makes him a terrifying opponent to come up against. Here are 3 major factors that in my opinion have helped him improve since his days at Manchester United-

Improved overall athleticism:

Not only are the results visible externally, but this increased physical prowess has helped him reach even more unbelievable peaks of sheer athletic brilliance. Take for example his goal attempt against Atletico Madrid where Ronaldo struck the post on a counter attack, 10 seconds after he was defending a corner in his own half. On analyzing the video again, it was found the Cristiano had covered 96 meters in 10 seconds, a time which would easily get him a spot on the Olympics sprint team. And considering that sprinters take time to recover after such a lung bursting feat, Ronaldo casually jogged back and resumed playing. This overall increase in fitness and explosive speed has made him a beast of a player on the field. And with the rumours circling around his workout regime consisting of 3000 sit ups every day, it’ll be a fair amount of time before another super athlete like him comes along.

Maturity:

I remember watching Ronaldo in a game against Newcastle where United broke out on a counter leaving Ronaldo and Rooney bearing towards Shay Given in the Newcastle goal. Ronaldo, who was in possession, was slightly to the left of the goal, and Wayne Rooney was in a better position centrally, unmarked and facing an open goal. But Ronaldo slotted the ball home, instead of picking out what was clearly the better option. Not to mention the numerous complaints against him which accused him of diving to win penalties during his United days that did little to reduce the amount of boos that rang out in the away games that he featured in.

But in Real Madrid, Ronaldo looks to have improved in those aspects. Ronaldo provided just 8 assists in the entire 2007/2008 season (48 games), and then 9 assists in 2008/2009 (68 games). After a slow start to his Madrid career, Ronaldo managed 7 assists in 37 games in his first season at the Bernebeu, and then provided 16 assists in each of his next 2 seasons.

The accusations of diving too have slowly withered away. Whether this is a result of his more powerful physique and better centre of gravity or just a better head on his shoulders would be difficult to comment on.

Improved technical sense and general technique:

It is common knowledge that every scout will jot down a player’s preferred moves in a bid to analyze him as a possible signing or as a possible opponent. Cristiano had them too – running down the left flank, step overs and jinks on to his stronger foot and an almost competitive urge to beat his man with pace. Analyze his technique in the goal against Everton in the 2007/2008 season, and you will notice a left foot that was not yet fully cultured, as he curled a beauty past Tim Howard.

But the Ronaldo of Madrid has completely shaken up his preferred move set. His little bag of tricks is more diverse, and he has eliminated any tricks that he is not fully confident of. The rabona especially is now nowhere to be seen as he has added equal power to his left foot. Ronaldo can now also cut inside from the opposite flank and smash shots with his previously weaker left foot, which makes him a devastating threat from both flanks. An important point to note would be his lack of showboating, which was in full display during his United days. Now, Ronaldo uses that skill set to beat his man regularly.

So that, in my opinion, is how Ronaldo has become an insane footballing phenomenon. The fastest player to reach a 100 goals for Real Madrid, the first player to score a goal against every side in the Spanish first division, 24 goals in 24 games this current season, most goals scored per minute in La Liga and most goals in a single La Liga season are just some of the feathers in his hat. More records for the taking you say? I believe so too.