Ronaldo's redemption

Every time Cristiano Ronaldo fails to score, the same criticism surfaces. He is finished. He should retire. At 41, the man who once scored screamers from impossible ranges was being measured against his own myth, and coming up short, constantly.

The criticism was not new regarding Ronaldo. But after his goalless display against the Democratic Republic of Congo last week, where he cut a dejected figure as Portugal laboured to a 1-1 draw, it seemed like the floodgates opened.

It felt like this time, he was done for good.

But this is Cristiano Ronaldo, and his redemption was coming.

Within six minutes of kick-off against Uzbekistan in Houston on Tuesday, Ronaldo arrived at the near post, and a right-footed one-touch finish buried the ball past the goalkeeper. He created history by becoming the first man to score in six different World Cup tournaments, at 41.

But there was more.

Thirty-nine minutes in, Bruno Fernandes split the Uzbekistan defence with a perfectly weighted through ball, and Ronaldo, timing his run with the precision reminiscent of his peak, placed a right-footed finish into the opposite corner. The brace broke his tie with Eusebio and made him Portugal's outright leading scorer at the World Cup with ten goals.

Portugal were complete and total in their domination. Roberto Martínez's 4-3-3 allowed the players to operate with fluidity and pace. Vitinha and Joao Neves bossed midfield with real authority, controlling possession while Fernandes was the creative lynchpin.

Joao Felix and Pedro Neto stretched Uzbekistan wide open repeatedly, and when the gaps appeared, Ronaldo was invariably in position to punish. The final scoreline was 5-0,  a commanding bounce-back after Portugal's disappointing draw in the opener.

Ronaldo, for his part, came within inches of a hat-trick, a stoppage-time chip cleared off the goal line by a desperate Uzbekistan defender.

As one of the biggest Ronaldo fans who has seen him play as an unknown teenage sensation at Manchester United 23 years ago to his glory days with Real Madrid and Portugal in the 2010s, I have no reservation in admitting that Lionel Messi is the greatest of all time. Just the day before, he broke the all-time World Cup scoring record.

But if there is anyone who closely followed on Messi's heels, by the barest of margins, it has always been Ronaldo. And at 41, when most players hang up their boots, Ronaldo keeps on going.

Ronaldo no longer covers every blade of grass, and there’s no need to anyway. He has grown into a penalty-box predator with the same singular dedication that defined every phase of his career. His role in this Portugal side is different,  more conservative, more positional, but vital nevertheless.

Portugal advance in Group K with renewed momentum with their main man back on the scoresheet. In the knockout rounds, that combination could make them very dangerous indeed. As for Ronaldo, expect more of the same, patient, predatory, and invariably clinical when it matters.

It felt like Ronaldo’s time had come to ride off into the sunset, but turns out, he still has enough left in the tank.