Sam Wasson / EPA
“I am back!”. Cristiano Ronaldo scored twice, became the first player to score in six World Cups, surpassed Eusébio in the number of goals scored, and silenced his critics. In the second game, Portugal’s first victory, which defeated Uzbekistan.
After a “black week” marked by the exhibition in the game against Congo, Cristiano Ronaldo scored twice in the 5-0 rout of Uzbekistan — an impressive victory that left Portugal on the brink of the knockout stage, and a resounding response from CR7 that silenced those who doubted the 41-year-old player.
O Ronaldo’s goal in the sixth minute made historysurpassing Lionel Messi, score in six World Cupsin a series that began in 2006. The former Manchester United, Real Madrid and Juventus striker made his signature celebration, the “Siu“, and let out a guttural scream in front of 68,777 fans.
After Nuno Mendes makes it 2-0Ronaldo scored his second with a cool finish six minutes before half-time. The encore took the Portuguese captain to 10 goals in World Cupsmore than any other Portuguese player, including the great Eusebius.
Ronaldo, who was seen saying “I’m back, I’m back“, he declared to television channels: “It’s always good to break records, but my objective is to help the national team achieve its objectives”.
“It was a difficult week, a dark week. It felt like I had already retired from football,” Ronaldo added. “But I held on, as alwaysbecause I believe more in work than anything else. It was tough, I have to admit, but we are back“.
Ronaldo arrived at the group match against Uzbekistan, a World Cup debutant, with 143 goals, the record for men’s international football. But, after long being seen as Messi’s rival for the unofficial title of best player in the world, his performance is at the highest level.
In the match against the Democratic Republic of Congo, at the beginning of the Portuguese bid for the world title, he had little use. Even so, in the two opportunities he had, missed the targetreigniting requests for selector Roberto Martínez to leave him on the bench.
Ronaldo’s difficulties in front of goal contrasted clearly with the brilliant starts of players like Erling Haaland and Harry Kane in this World Cup.
But Martínez stood firm alongside his captainwho received a standing ovation when he entered to warm up at Houston Stadium and whenever he appeared on the big screen.
Ronaldo’s day
Ronaldo came close to scoring after just three minutesbut narrowly lost contact with the ball at the far post, following a cross from Mendes. Frustrated, he hit his hand on the lawn.
Didn’t have to wait long for the goal: turned in the small area to respond first to a cross from João Cancelo and threw the ball past goalkeeper Abduvohid Nematov.
The Uzbeks, clearly inferior and guided by the Italian Fabio Cannavaro, world champion in 2006, were the perfect opponent for Ronaldo to rediscover his eye for goal.
O 2-0 arrived after 17 minuteswhen Mendes scored with a direct free kick. The Uzbeks thought they had pulled one back, after a great shot from Azizjon Ganiev, but the goal was disallowed after VAR intervention for a foul on Cancelo.
It was Ronaldo’s day, who scored the third from Portugal with an intelligent and controlled finish, after only having the goalkeeper ahead. He could have reached the hat-trick following a combination created from a free kick, but Nemat grass-ohitting the veteran forward in the move.
The resulting corner made it 4-0, with Ronaldo again at the center of the actionbefore the ball was deflected in by Nematov, who scored an own goal. Entered a few minutes earlier, Rafael Leao scored the fifth, categorically, in the 87th minute.
Before this game, in which he received the Best of the Fieldthe evidence against Ronaldo began to accumulate.
In the 10 previous games in major competitions — World and European — before the meeting with Uzbekistan, it had . Still, it came from a successful time at Al Nassrin Saudi Arabia, with 28 goals in 30 league games.
O Portugal’s last game in the group is on Saturdayagainst Colombia, who beat Uzbekistan 3-1. Colombia faces the Democratic Republic of Congo this Tuesday, in Group K, knowing that a victory will place them in the round of 32.
