Portugal 1 - Czech Republic 0: Will The Media Ever Criticize Ronaldo's Attitude?

With the world watching, Cristiano Ronaldo did not disappoint.  In the 78^th minute, he broke the deadlock with a fabulous header to send Portugal into the Euro 2012 semifinals.  In a game that was relatively even in the opening half, Portugal completely dominated the Czech Republic in the second.  However, Ronaldo was the story throughout.

Although his talent is unquestionable, an argument can be made that perhaps Portugal would play better as a unit without Ronaldo.  His demeanor on the field is embarrassing.  Surely, the entire team is sick of watching him wave his arms in disgust.  Apparently, he is the only one who can make a mistake.  I wonder how his teammates felt in the first two games when he wasted one opportunity after another.  Now, they are forced to put up with him due to his stature.

The Portuguese were always the favorites against the Czechs.  While the Czechs are a solid team, they lack the offensive flair and creativity of Portugal.  While Ronaldo’s header saved them, a similar performance will not be enough in the semi-final.  Their next opponent will surely bring more fight and talent to the game. 

The Portuguese team needs to get on the same page, and someone needs to inform Ronaldo what that is.  Ronaldo’s attitude is not like this at Real Madrid.  Perhaps it is the influence of the special one, Jose Mourinho.  In terms of talent, Portugal is a scary team and Ronaldo should be one of many threats. It seems like his teammates cannot get out of his shadow.  While he may not be intentionally doing it, he does not seem to mind taking all of the attention..  If Portugal continues being Ronaldo plus ten, the semi-final will be the last game they play in this competition.

The consistent praise of Ronaldo by the announcers and analysts is nauseating.  They barely lament his utter contempt for teammates.  After his goal today, he went from being the guy who could not deliver to the unstoppable player.  He is a great player, but his attitude is abysmal.  Even Ronaldo’s response to a question comparing him to Lionel Messi after the second game was a joke.  Ronaldo deflected criticism and blame for his performances by bringing up Messi’s lack of success for Argentina.  It is time for Ronaldo to answer for himself.  I doubt Messi would ever mention Ronaldo when questioned about his own performance. 

By Lorenzo Zignago