World Cup winner Thierry Henry perfectly broke down Cristiano Ronaldo’s selfish decision-making in Portugal’s draw with DR Congo, insisting: “The team needs to score… not you.”
Portugal captain Ronaldo was left frustrated up front as the Group K favourites were held to a 1-1 draw with the African minnows in Houston on Wednesday.
Portugal boss Roberto Martinez was labelled “embarrassing” for not substituting star man Ronaldo in the second-half by BBC’s Chris Sutton, with the 41-year-old a static bystander up front on his own for the vast majority of the game.
Arsenal legend Henry, who won the 1998 World Cup with France, summed up Ronaldo’s day with a piece of analysis for FOX Sports, in which his movement stopped Bruno Fernandes having an easier strike on goal.
“One thing that’s important: the team needs to score, not you need to score,” Henry said.
“Cristiano Ronaldo has been in this situation multiple times. If you make that run here, you make the defender take a decision to go to the six-yard box.
“But because he wants to score, he goes into the path of Bruno Fernandes.
“If he goes into the six-yard box, the defender would have had to follow him, a tap-in for Bruno Fernandes. But because he wants to score, he goes into the path of the back pass – you see both players and it’s easier for you to defend.
“That’s my thing: the team needs to score, not you. The reaction of Bruno Fernandes behind… let it roll. Make a run, create space so I can tap it in… it didn’t happen.”
Commentating on the match for BBC Radio 5 Live, ex-England striker Sutton criticised Martinez, insisting he is “scared” to take Ronaldo off the pitch.
“That is embarrassing,” said Sutton, when striker Goncalo Ramos was brought on in the 83rd minute for midfielder Vitinha instead of Ronaldo. “That is embarrassing for Roberto Martinez.
“Are we all watching a different game to Martinez? He is scared to take him off. He is not the manager. He might score the winner, but the game has passed him by.
“He is a brilliant player. He was once the playmaker, but now he is the poacher. He is not only the poacher, but he runs the estate.
“I don’t understand some of his management. Cristiano Ronaldo was on the periphery and the game passed him by.
“Martinez has to be brave enough to be the manager. He is not the manager of the Portugal team and that is their issue.”
Ronaldo, with 229 caps and 143 goals to his name, is looking to become the first player to score in six World Cups this summer. Portugal next face Uzbekistan, who lost to Colombia late on Wednesday night, on Tuesday.
