Cristiano Ronaldo struggles against Germany for a long time. It looks like he is now missing the quality. But then he is in the right place.
Benjamin Zurmühl reports from Munich
A speedster tried his luck around 30 minutes before the kick -off. When he warmed up on the grass of the Allianz Arena, he sprinted on the thunderstorm, pulled out his smartphone on the way halfway and gave way to a Portuguese assistant coach. But he did not achieve his goal Cristiano Ronaldo. This Wednesday evening should not find a selfie with “CR7” on his smartphone.
There should still be reason for joy for the speedster and Ronaldo fan. Because the world star shot Portugal’s winning goal in this North League semi-final. In the 68th minute, he pushed the ball over the line of the German goal after the presentation of Nuno Mendes. For a long time it didn’t look like Cristiano Ronaldo was going to score a goal in Munich that evening.
In the 7th minute, his degree with the weaker left foot was not a big challenge for Marc-André Ter Stegen in the German goal. After a quarter of an hour, the now 40 -year -old striker was noticeable. If the pace was still one of his greatest strengths, Ronaldo lost a few important meters to the German central defenders after a nice steep pass from teammate Joao Neves. He only had a conclusion from an acute angle that remained harmless.
Even shortly after the restart, he lacked the pace of younger days. He only missed a sharp cross from Pedro Neto by centimeters (47th). And in a header test, he didn’t jump high enough to press the ball (60th). Many degrees, little yield. Until the 68th minute, in which he then stood. A surprising turn.
He nevertheless gave his iconic jubilation, he still got chants and standing ovation from his own fans. The “old man” still has it, at least in the opposing penalty area. This also stated world champion Christoph Kramer at the ZDF microphone: “You have been defensive for ten years for ten years. He is not present. He has made a game offensive that I would not have believed.”
Before the kick -off, it was also skeptical about Mertesacker whether Ronaldo’s quality. As sound as the name is in view of a variety of individual awards and titles, its value for the Portuguese national team has now been controversial. Already at the World Cup in Qatar two and a half years ago, a discussion had flared up in Portugal whether the team would be better off with him or without him. At the European Championships in Germany last year, the debate cooked again. This is not a question for Ronaldo himself. Of course she is better with him.
And at least in the recent past, he delivers some arguments for this. He had scored six goals in seven National League games, so that national coach Roberto Martínez also relied on him in Munich. He shouldn’t regret it.
“If you have won something as a person, you are less hungry the next day. It doesn’t apply to Cristiano,” said Martínez at the press conference after the game.
The goal against Germany will not end the discussion about Cristiano Ronaldo. His achievements were too pale in the big past tournaments. Nevertheless, his current hit shows that even at the age of 40 you should not yet write it down.