7.01.2010

Defending Cristiano Ronaldo

Okay, I don't even know how to begin this post.

Here's the thing.

Portugal lost to Spain 0-1 in the round of 16 of FIFA World Cup 2010, and everyone (especially, MEDIA) is blaming and insulting Cristiano Ronaldo.

I mean, HELLOOOOO?????

Just because he is the world's most expensive player???
Just because everybody's looking at Portugal team as nothing but him???

Okay, he missed that chance to score a goal at the nearly end of the match. But, so what?!!
Why is it taken like a stupid blunder that Robert Green did when slipped the Jabulani ball and let United States tied England??
Why is it taken like he gave in the win for Spain??
Why is it taken like it was the end of the world??

And many stupid people keep saying that he didn't play his best...or he played terrible...or he doesn't deserve to be the captain of Portugal
And they start comparing him to David Villa or Lionel Messi
COME ON!!!!!!!!!!

First,
Portugal was the underdog against Spain.
We all know that Spain is the favorite, not only for the match, but even to win the tournament.
Yes, Spain lost surprisingly to Swiss on their first match, but they managed to won the other matches and keep their reputation as favorite.
(And so you all know, that Spain is one my favorites too, but all this shit makes me a little bit "dislike" them as their win is becoming overrated)
And Portugal played so well facing the European champion.
They defended very good on the first half, let Spain's 60-something percent ball possession didn't convert into a goal at all.
And their counter-attack threatened Iker Casillas many times.
And then on the second half, Vicente del Bosque replaced Fernando Torres, so David Villa could have more space and didn't act as the "second striker" again.
The next thing, Portugal defenders lost their pressing a bit and there was why that goal happened.
I have to remind you that Eduardo - Portugal goalkeeper - has blocked it, but the rebound ball didn't missed by the Spaniard.
And after that, Portugal kept playing good. As the "left behind" team, they defended well to not let Spain score more goals, while their counter-attack was resulting many big chances to tie the score.

So, Ronaldo served pretty well as the captain. And I have to mention "Vuvuzela factor" that those vuvuzelas were keep making noisy sounds the entire match - and tournament - so the coach and the players, and the player to another player, couldn't communicate well.
So, as the captain, and as he said himself, that the "Vuvuzela factor" played something so he - and any other captain - couldn't lead their teammates well.
What about Spain? Well...I have to say that they don't really need a captain, since their squad are stars and very good players, technically and tactically. And, anyway, their captain is Iker Casillas, who spends most of the times pretty far away below the crossbar.
Portugal is a team of stars, too. But, we all need to be honest, that their players are not as big as Spaniards, and they a bit focused to their leader, Ronaldo.

And I know I sound like making excuse about that. But, I have to say that to adding more arguments against those bullshits around us now, insulting Ronaldo.

Second, and this is the point,
THEY ARE TREATING RONALDO TOO HARD AT THE WORLD CUP!!!!!!!
Since Day 1, they're keeping their eyes on him. I'm sure we - including me - are normally set our expectations so high for him.
We want so much from him. We want him to make many beautiful goals. We want him to turn those free kick chances into goals. We want him to shine. We want him to prove that he deserves to be world's most expensive player. We keep reminding ourselves that he named "FIFA World's Best Player" two years ago.
UNFORTUNATELY, we start to forget that he is a human being. That he is a normal football player - that highly possible to make a mistake or two.

About the "world's most expensive player" thing. I do believe that he doesn't need to prove that he deserves it. He just did!
He has proved that Real Madrid has PAID FUCKING OFF to spent huge bucks on him as he has scored 26 GOALS on 29 GAMES!

And the different "quality" between his game on club and on the national team. It is really really normal and explain-able. He is simply more comfortable play on the club since he spends mooore time training with his teammates on the club, making the strategy, lead by nobody but a coach like Jose Mourinho, and his teammates are BETTER. Come on, they are "Los Galacticos"!
So it is very very understandable that he hasn't yet to achieve his level when he's playing for his club on the national team.
Even Lionel Messi is getting the very same situation! And many other really talented players.
But...Ronaldo isn't bad at all on the national team. He led Portugal to semi-final in 2006 World Cup. And that wasn't easy, won over Netherlands and England en route to the semi-final.

And even more understandable, you can see HOW HARD for him to even keep standing the second he got the ball, as two or three or even more opponent players suddenly surrounding him and ready to cut his legs!
Every opponents are freaking out everytime he got the ball!!! And they call it DIVING!!! OH MY GOD!!!!!
Sooo....it just proves how talented he is to keep making great chances to make goals, and actually scored a goal against North Korea - I knoowww, Portugal destroyed them (Ha! Brazil didn't even able to do that!) but Ronaldo's goal wasn't an easy one if you are really watch it - and assisted some goals, with the circumstances that I mentioned before!

So is Portugal's journey this year.
They are in the toughest group of all, Group G contains five-time champion, Brazil ; Ivory Coast ; and North Korea.
So, made it into knock-out round is a good result, for sure.
And they kicked out by no other than aforementioned, the favorite, Spain.

And right after Portugal lost to Spain, the media started to finding Ronaldo's mistakes again!
After the match, Ronaldo is seen spitting - WHEN THE CAMERA FOLLOWED HIM!
And they're starting to make a BIG BIG DEAL of it!!!
WHAT - A - BULLSHIT !!!!!!!!!

I watched the match, I watched when he was spitting, and I didn't even think about it.
I MEAN, H-E-L-L-O-OOOOOOO, that's a fucking normal thing!
Everybody spits ALL THE TIME on the entire game!
ALL THE TIIIIMEEEEEEEEE......!!!
OH - MY - GOD!!!
WHAT THE HELL THEY'RE MAKING OUT OF IT???!!!!!

You do not even have to be a football expert to tell that spitting is a kind of footballers' usuality!
Every single match, upon the entire game, we can see three or four players spit in between.
And it's MORE normal SIIINCE his team just kicked out of the most important, prestigious, biggest sport even in the world.

THEY JUST WANT TO FIND HIS MISTAKE
AND KEEP INSULTING HIM
AND ADD MORE BAD STUPID NEWS ABOUT HIM
AND MAKE MORE MONEY OUT OF IT!!!!!!

WHHAAAT A LOSSSEEERRRR!!!!!

For those stupid people, critics, commentators, or what-so-ever...
You really have to realize it!
YOU ARE ABOUT TO KILL YOUR (WORLD'S) ONE OF THE MOST TALENTED MEN EVER!!!

He's young, and he has to take many responsibilites.
And to get those STUPID - HARSH - BRUTAL CRITICISMS???????
It hurts him.

"I feel a broken man, completely disconsolate, frustrated and an unimaginable sadness. ... I am a human being and like any human being I suffer and I have the right to suffer alone."

WAKE UP, PEOPLE!!!
LEAVE HIM ALONE!!!