Ronaldo's redemption

Whenever Cristiano Ronaldo fails to score, the familiar criticisms resurface. He's past his prime. He should retire. At 41, the man who once scored spectacular goals from improbable angles is now constantly compared to the legend he himself created, and is often deemed to no longer live up to those expectations.

Ronaldo's redemption

Criticism of Ronaldo is nothing new. But after his goalless performance against the Democratic Republic of Congo last week, when he looked disappointed and Portugal struggled to secure a 1-1 draw, the wave of doubt seems to have intensified more than ever.

The feeling at that moment was: this time, perhaps Ronaldo's time is truly over.

But this is Cristiano Ronaldo. And his response has come.

Just six minutes after the opening whistle in Tuesday's match against Uzbekistan in Houston, Ronaldo appeared at the near post and unleashed a one-touch finish with his right foot, neatly slotting the ball into the net. That goal cemented his place in history as the first player to score in six different World Cups at the age of 41.

But that's just the beginning.

In the 39th minute, Bruno Fernandes delivered a perfectly accurate through ball that pierced the Uzbekistan defense. Ronaldo made a clever run, showcasing his positioning reminiscent of his prime, before finishing with his right foot into the far corner of the net.

This brace helped him surpass the legendary Eusébio to become Portugal's top scorer in World Cup history with 10 goals.

Portugal completely dominated their opponents. Coach Roberto Martínez's 4-3-3 formation allowed the players to operate with high speed and flexibility. Vitinha and João Neves controlled the midfield with authority, maintaining possession and control of the ball, while Bruno Fernandes played the role of creative playmaker.

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João Félix and Pedro Neto constantly stretched the Uzbekistan defense. And whenever a gap appeared, Ronaldo was almost always in the right place at the right time to punish the opposition.

The final score of 5-0 was a convincing comeback after a disappointing draw on the opening day.

For his part, Ronaldo even came close to completing a hat-trick. In injury time, his exquisite lob was only cleared off the line by a Uzbekistan defender at the last moment.

As a huge fan of Ronaldo, having witnessed his rise from an unknown teenage talent at Manchester United 23 years ago to his glorious years with Real Madrid and the Portuguese national team in the 2010s, I have no hesitation in admitting that Lionel Messi is the greatest player of all time. Just one day earlier, Messi had broken the all-time World Cup goalscoring record.

But if anyone is keeping the closest possible distance from Messi, it's always Ronaldo.

And at the age of 41, when most players have long since retired, Ronaldo continues to move forward.

He no longer covers every inch of the pitch, and in fact, he doesn't need to. Ronaldo has transformed into a "penalty box killer," with unwavering dedication and hunger throughout his illustrious career.

His role in the Portuguese national team is different now than before: more cautious, more positional, but still incredibly important.

Portugal are progressing in Group K with renewed momentum as their star player has rediscovered his goal-scoring form. If they can maintain this combination in the knockout rounds, Roberto Martínez's team could become an extremely dangerous opponent.

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As for Ronaldo, fans will likely continue to witness his familiar image: patient, sharp as a predator, and always knowing how to deliver the decisive blow at the most crucial moments.

There was a time when people thought the moment had arrived for Ronaldo to ride into the sunset.

But it turned out that there was still enough fuel in the machine to continue the journey.

Source: https://danviet.vn/su-chuoc-loi-cua-ronaldo-d1437695.html