Young ones staking a claim to centrestage

Ronaldo scored but it was Portugal’s new generation, inspired solely by their hero’s exploits, that caught the eye

- Siddharth.Saxena

Doha: Cristiano Ronaldo landed and soon came the swipe, that good, old-fashioned snark, when a TV commentator described the star as “the unemployed footballer” as he was leading his team in the second half against Ghana. He was alluding, of course, to the termination of the star’s contract with Manchester United, expected but still sudden, thus it was a statement of fact.

The barb was telling of the enduring Cristiano Ronaldo predicament.

The star, the victim, the prima donna, the cynosure, once fearsome on-field presence now fading finishing skills, Portugal’s No 7 was fulfilling all the roles with trademark aplomb. In the end, there’s always the penalty spot when the script begins to flag a bit. The goal made Ronaldo the first male player to score in five World Cups, a record that’s unlikely to be broken in a long, long time. It also gave him a unique standing in the greatest debate, since his good friend Messi did not score even once at the 2010 World Cup in South Africa.