Cristiano Ronaldo is not going to begin the final 16 match towards Switzerland on Tuesday. This comes on the heels of current reviews that Portugal coach Fernando Santos was not pleased with Ronaldo’s gestures after being subbed off towards South Korea of their final group match. Pepe will captain the aspect tonight.
The 37-year-old striker opened the match with a objective towards Ghana to turn into the primary participant to attain in 5 totally different World Cups. However he was ineffective in Portugal’s closing two video games of group play and was pulled halfway via the second half of a 2-1 loss to South Korea.
Within the defeat to Korea, Ronaldo was withdrawn halfway via the second half. Whereas going out, he had put an index finger to his lips as and later stated he was irked by the opposition striker Cho Gue-sung for asking him to hurry up his exit.
“What occurred was earlier than my substitution, the South Korea participant instructed me to get off shortly. I instructed him to close up as he doesn’t have that authority. There was no disagreement (with the coach),” Ronaldo was quoted as saying by Portuguese reporters.
“Sure, I didn’t prefer it, in no way. I actually didn’t prefer it and from that second on that challenge is completed,” Santos had stated when requested about his feedback on the state of affairs throughout a pre-match press convention on Monday.
The coach had additionally refused to touch upon hypothesis again residence about whether or not Ronaldo would characteristic in his lineup towards the Swiss on Tuesday, would begin on the bench or if he would skipper the aspect.
“I solely resolve who’s going to be captain after I attain the stadium,” Santos stated. “I nonetheless don’t know what the lineup might be. That’s what I’ve all the time executed and that’s what I’m all the time going to do and it’s going to be the identical tomorrow. The opposite matter is solved. We’ve got mounted that in-house and that’s it.”
With Ronaldo, Portugal has superior to the spherical of 16 of the World Cup in 4 of his 5 tournaments, however he’s by no means performed in a World Cup closing. Portugal in 2006 misplaced to France within the semifinals — the deepest Ronaldo has ever reached on the World Cup.
Though he’s scored in 5 tournaments, he has solely eight complete targets in 20 World Cup matches. His 118 targets in worldwide play is a world report for males, however Ronaldo has by no means scored within the knockout stage of the World Cup.
Cristiano Ronaldo benched towards Switzerland in Spherical of 16 conflict
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