Ronaldo let down by mediocre Portugal
A half-fit Ronaldo can't do it alone, much less with a team nowhere near his world-class standard
GROUP G
PORTUGAL 2
(John Boye 31-og, Cristiano Ronaldo 80)
GHANA 1
(Asamoah Gyan 57)
He couldn't do it himself and his efforts to do so damaged only what little chance Portugal had.
Cristiano Ronaldo's World Cup is over, his team are deservedly eliminated at the first hurdle and arguably his last chance to immortalise himself in the one competition yet to feel the full force of his talent has passed.
He will be 33 by the time the 2018 World Cup begins in Russia, surely past his best, if he is playing for Portugal at all.
After this summer, you certainly wouldn't blame him if he decides to focus on his club career.
There were times during the ungainly 2-1 victory over Ghana this morning (Singapore time), as there were times throughout the tournament, when it felt like Portugal had won a competition where the prize was the presence of Ronaldo in your school team.
The gulf in class was worrying sometimes, less so with the midfielders whose quality has been proven, but obvious with his fellow forwards who failed to either provide him with the support he needed, or take advantage of the support he offered them in a vain exchange.
Eder, Helder Postiga and, in his present form, Luis Nani, are all players fit for the Europa League, not the World Cup.
But then Ronaldo has never enjoyed much success in this competition.
His 80th-minute goal this morning, blasted home from close range, was only his third in the competition, the previous two coming against Iran and North Korea.
In truth, he never had much chance of changing that record.
Still carrying a troublesome injury left over from his long season with Real Madrid, he was less mobile and less agile than fans of La Liga would have expected.
The injury frustrated him and, in his frustration, he made poor decisions on the pitch.
The high point of this tournament was not the meaningless goal against Ghana, it was the incredible cross that led to the equaliser against the United States.
For a man in clear discomfort to still be charging down the flanks and looking for options in the 95th minute is no small feat.
To deliver a ball of such quality and create the last-gasp goal was the stuff of legends.
But this was only a fleeting glimpse of what he can do.
INEFFECTUAL
For the rest of the game, with the exception of some fancy footwork in the opening exchanges, he was ineffectual and, again, frustrated both with himself and the inability of his teammates.
Too often, he took the ball himself to try and make amends. Too often, it ended with a wayward shot or the loss of possession.
It will not have escaped Ronaldo's notice that his old nemesis Lionel Messi is experiencing a far more enjoyable tournament.
Two more goals against Nigeria yesterday morning took his competition tally to four, one more World Cup goal than Ronaldo has scored in his entire career.
Messi has been poor in patches too, most notably against Bosnia and Herzegovina in the opening game, but he has begun to find his groove.
And, while Ronaldo sits at home and wonders what went wrong, Neymar's rise to prominence continues.
Careers are short in football and there's always someone new, young and exciting waiting to take your place.
The World Cup was supposed to be a battle between three great players from three great nations.
But one of those players is now packing his bags.
He wasn't fit, he tried too hard and his country's players were not as good as his club's.
Ronaldo has had a miserable World Cup.
The start of next season, the chance to redeem himself at club level, cannot come quickly enough.
Luis Nani’s cross from the left is headed high into the air by Ghanaian defender Jonathan Mensah. Instead of claiming it easily, the goalkeeper Fatau Dauda slaps the ball towards Cristiano Ronaldo, who is lurking near the penalty spot, and the forward slams the ball into the bottom-right corner. TNP GRAPHICS: BILLY KER
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