Cristiano Ronaldo played down his own record-breaking performance and insisted it was about the collective as Portugal thrashed Uzbekistan 5-0 at the World Cup this afternoon.
Having come in for criticism for a quiet display against DR Congo last week which again prompted many to question his ability to cut it the highest level aged 41, Ronaldo answered in the best way possible with two brilliant finishes.
The first goal saw him become the first man to score in six World Cup finals and his second meant he overtook Eusebio as Portugal’s leading scorer at the tournament with 10.
The landmarks added to a superb afternoon for Roberto Martinez and his players. Nuno Mendes was also on target with Uzbekistan goalkeeper Abdouvakhid Nematov credited with an own goal before Rafa Leao came off the bench to add a clinical fifth late on.
Having tweeted “we are here” as if to emphasise Portugal had finally arrived at the World Cup, Ronaldo was eager to talk about a fine all-round display that puts his side on the brink of advancing to the knockout stages.
“I’m very happy. But for me, the most important thing is our work and the confidence we showed,” said the former Real Madrid and Manchester United striker on FIFA.com. “The team performed really well and improved a lot. As the saying goes, every cloud has a silver lining. Obviously, speaking personally, records are always nice, but my goal is always to help the national team achieve its objectives.”
Martinez lifts pressure with big win
Like Ronaldo, Martinez had also been under pressure and he looked a relieved man afterwards.
He said: ”This was the response we had in the dressing room. There are times when you need a game like the first one in order to grow in the tournament. Today we saw a team with the same attitude and commitment, but with greater maturity because it was no longer the opening match. I’m very pleased with the result.”
