June 18th 2024.
During the recent Euro 2024 match between Portugal and Czechia, Cristiano Ronaldo was unable to add to his goal tally. According to Stuart Pearce, a former player for England and current commentator for talkSPORT, this may be due to a lack of trust from his teammates. Despite Portugal's 2-1 victory, there were moments where Ronaldo's teammates seemed hesitant to pass him the ball.
Led by manager Roberto Martinez, Portugal started their Euros campaign with a tense comeback win on Tuesday night. After dominating the game, the Czechs stunned the crowd with a goal from Lukas Provod. However, Portugal quickly equalized thanks to an own goal by Robin Hranac. The underdogs were determined to hold off Portugal and secure a draw, but Francisco Conceicao had other plans. Just 111 seconds after coming off the bench, Conceicao scored the winning goal in the 92nd minute.
There was much discussion leading up to the tournament about Ronaldo's impact on the team. At 39 years old and having spent 18 months playing in the Saudi Pro League, some questioned whether he would be a help or a hindrance to the team. In the first half of the match, Ronaldo had several opportunities to score, but was unable to convert them. As the game progressed, his chances became more scarce.
During the talkSPORT commentary, Pearce suggested that Ronaldo's teammates may not have full confidence in their captain and star player. He noted instances where Ronaldo made runs and his teammates did not pass him the ball, opting for safer plays instead. Pearce even recalled a specific moment where Bernardo Silva denied a pass to Ronaldo, which he found unusual.
While Portugal ultimately emerged victorious, it is clear that there may be some underlying issues within the team dynamic. As the tournament progresses, it will be interesting to see how Ronaldo's relationship with his teammates and his performance on the field develop.
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