Portugal 1-1 DR Congo: Cristiano Ronaldo and co failed to get off to a winning start to their Group K campaign in Houston despite taking the lead after just six minutes
Cristiano Ronaldo and Portugal were held off by the Democratic Republic of Congo in their opening World Cup match (Image: Julian Finney/FIFA)
If this was perhaps Cristiano Ronaldo’s last dance at the World Cup, it was far from the fairytale start he had imagined.
The Portuguese kingpin arrived in Houston without a goal in his last nine games in the majors. In addition, his position within the team has come under intense scrutiny, with some arguing that his presence as the spearhead of the attack may actually do more harm than good to Portugal’s chances of winning their first World Cup.
Try saying that to someone in the stands. During Portugal’s drab draw with the Democratic Republic of the Congo, he received a rock-star reception, and his first touch of the ball caused an explosion of noise inside Houston Stadium.
But there’s no denying that the Midas touch that Ronaldo has been blessed with during his legendary career is fading. Even the most immortal players in the world of football cannot surpass Father Time. In the end, everyone discovers it.
Most of his involvement here was due to him getting involved dropping deep from the penalty area. However, he was largely ineffective and had no intention of ending his difficult wait for the next goal in a major tournament. Ronaldo 2.0 is all about goals. If he doesn’t give it to us, question marks will start to arise. responsibility? That feels harsh. But effectively, here he was not.
Ironically, Portugal’s goal was like Ronaldo’s. The diminutive Joao Neves rose gracefully and fired a textbook header into the far corner from Pedro Neto’s cross. The Congo keeper didn’t move an inch.
But that was good for Portugal in the first half. In fact, it was their only shot on target as they entered the second half with an xG of just 0.07. Congo’s shot wasn’t as good (0.11), but another header that prime Ronaldo would have been proud of stopped Roberto Martinez’s side from taking a half-time lead. This time it was Newcastle’s Yoan Ouissa. They deserved it too, showing more attacking intent than Portugal despite their opponent’s abundance of possession.
Joao Neves put Portugal ahead with a header to take an early lead (Image: Joe Buvid/ISI Photos)
Buoyed by Wissa’s goal, they looked as likely to leave Houston with all three points as their fancier opponents. Joao Cancelo’s bicycle kick was disallowed, but Cedric Bakumbu reacted quickly and smashed it against the post.
The moment Ronaldo had been waiting for finally arrived just before the second half’s water break. However, the moment he realized he was free in the center of the penalty area, a pass went behind him and the chance was missed.
In the end, they shared the points in a match that didn’t match the excitement that the other matches brought. Portugal were too passive and, like No. 7, did not quite match the standards he had proven himself to in the past.
The debate over Ronaldo is likely to intensify throughout the tournament. Maybe he’ll win big in the end? Should he start? It was chalk and cheese given the impact cartoon nemesis Lionel Messi had on Argentina last night, scoring a World Cup hat-trick at the age of 39.
Ronaldo continues to wait for another goal in a major international competition (Image: David Buono/Icon Sportswire)
In fact, he could hardly have asked for a better supporting role as he aims to conquer the world with Portugal in his final challenge. What will the strikers in this tournament do to get the likes of Bruno Fernandes and Vicinha behind them?
Portugal won’t be the first heavyweight in this tournament to be underwhelming. And the tournament’s expanded format means a series of catastrophic events would be required for Ronaldo and Co to be unable to line up in the knockout phase.
They may even still win, and Ronaldo still has the potential to deliver the glorious golden ending to the magical international career he craves, even if he continues to play a more peripheral role than he would have liked.
But this statement will do little to persuade opponents.
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