Portugal’s Cristiano Ronaldo confessed to being a broken man yesterday after his side’s defeat by Spain.
The Portuguese captain said he felt a deep sadness at their exit at the hands of the European champions.
“I feel a broken man, completely disconsolate, frustrated and an unimaginable sadness,” he said in a statement.
Ronaldo was roundly blamed by the Portuguese media for the defeat.
“Ronaldo played one of his worst matches ever for the national side,” commented Correio da Manha.
Publico took the same dim point of view of the superstar’s displays.
“Ronaldo missed out completely on this World Cup. [Jose] Mourinho [the new Real Madrid coach] said that Portugal would not win this World Cup even if Ronaldo was going at 1000kph,” it said in an editorial. “But he [Ronaldo)] did not even get near the speed of a cruise ship.”
His first involvement against Spain saw him horribly mis-control a kick-out from Portugal goalkeeper Eduardo and his first dribble down the flank ended with a foul by Carles Puyol that went unpunished, much to the Real Madrid star’s displeasure.
Ronaldo registered Portugal’s first shot on target with an ambitious long-range free-kick and his next dead-ball effort, from all of 40m, forced a save from Iker Casillas.
But Ronaldo cut a subdued figure in the second half as Spain tightened their grip on the match and appeared to be confused by Queiroz constantly changing tactics.
To make matters worse, he was forced to deny that he insulted his coach.
Ronaldo stalked off refusing to answer questions after the match save to remark to a TV crew:
“How can I explain it [the defeat]. Ask the question of Carlos Queiroz.”
“When I said put the question to the coach, it is just because Carlos Queiroz was holding a press conference,” Ronaldo said.
“I was not in a position to explain what was what. I am a human being, and like any human being I suffer and I have the right to suffer alone,” he said. “I know that I am the captain, and I have always assumed and will assume my responsibilities.”
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