As we prepare to see Cristiano Ronaldo on a very important stage I am thinking of what we as soccer fans should look for and on those things that us Real Madrid fans should focus.
More than anything else I am interested in seeing how C. Ronaldo operates in limited spaces. Does he press into double coverage and shoot from lesser angles or does he utilize Nuno Gomes, Deco, or Quaresma to wear down Germany's defenses?
On the counter-attacks from Germany, does C. Ronaldo try to jam up the midfield and slow down German progress? Does he get back deep to try and assist the midfield or does he maintain his forward position as best he can to try and keep German defenses honest?
C. Ronaldo has taken a bit of flak for his impetuous air at Old Trafford, particularly in the oft-reported speculations coming from Spanish dailies Marca and As. This, however, is knock-out play and all of that is going to look very unimportant should C. Ronaldo not perform today, against a very dangerous German squad.
As always, on-air commentary is going to focus on C. Ronaldo's ability to score, to move the ball, and to create opportunities but I would, if I were at a professional level of commentary or scouting, look for the little things from C. Ronaldo today. There will be moments when the nuances of his game are clear and if so, we are going to get a lot of answers as to why he is being considered the best player in the world.
Esti Ginzberg
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C.Ronaldo wasn't half as good as everybody tried to make us believe he is.
He played well against weak teams and he plays well with a first class team backing him up. This time he played against a good team and only had the Portugese to back him instead of some big money club. And what did we see? Some acting - and nothing else. He was completly neutralized.
no_trolling_please
Total Comments (276)
Very true - but I also think he would have taken a lot of grief for trying to do too much. I didn't like the way they continually fed him the ball with his back to the goal; against the Germans, no one scores that way.
I'm not too disapointed with his specific play but you do make a very valid argument. This guy is supposed to be the best player in the world and he seldom created opportunities for himself, he seldom had an impact outside of the box, and he allowed himself to get man-handled by the German players. I mean, CR plays in the EPL, he should have known what to expect.
Sadly, I think Real Madrid will still sell the ranch to bring him on but based on his performance today, I wouldn't give up Robinho AND 50 'kilos'.
Burgundy
Baltimore , MD
Total Comments (263)
IMHO Real should look elsewhere. Sure CR scores on freekicks and PKs, sure he is fast and when the defense is weak he is gone and sure, he plays well with a strong team backing him.
But this is true for a lot of players. Real could get a whole bunch of talented players for that money. Players who need to prove themselves, players hungry for success, players who play for the team and don't blow away sympathy with bad antics on and off the ground.
Real should concentrate on building a team - and someone like CR, hyped, expensive, flopping and talking too much, can kill the team spirit.
no_trolling_please
Total Comments (276)
But Calderon and Schuster are both morons... Sadly for Madrid and good thing for Barca.
Sure CR7 will sell plenty of jerseys but Calderon could be stupid enough to send Robinho and/or Ramos plus 50 mil for C. Ronaldo.
ctsubasa
Philadelphia , PA
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