Michael Owen has defended Cristiano Ronaldo after the forward's performance in Portugal's World Cup opener, where the 41-year-old failed to score in a 1-1 draw with DR Congo. Owen argued that criticism of Ronaldo is unwarranted and predicted a strong response in Portugal's next match.
Portugal's Group K Opener
Paris Saint-Germain midfielder Joao Neves opened the scoring for Portugal last Wednesday, but Newcastle striker Yoane Wissa equalised before the interval. Ronaldo played the full 90 minutes of the Group K contest and will be hopeful of guiding his country to victory in their next fixture against Uzbekistan on Tuesday evening.
The Al Nassr star's performance has become a topic of debate, particularly after Lionel Messi scored a hat-trick for Argentina 24 hours earlier in their 3-0 win over Algeria. Owen, however, has leapt to Ronaldo's defence.
Owen's Defence of Ronaldo
“It did not help Cristiano Ronaldo that Lionel Messi scored a hat-trick the night before Portugal played, but I’m not having the criticism of him,” Owen said in an interview with the Daily Mail. “Portugal weren’t great in their 1-1 draw with DR Congo and a lot of the fallout has been around Ronaldo and him being a problem for them.”
Owen emphasised that Ronaldo's role is to deliver in key moments, not to be heavily involved in general play. “But how many times has this happened and he’s shut everyone up in the next game? If you’re picking Ronaldo then you have to accept what he is there for - and I wouldn’t be surprised if he responds with a hat-trick of his own against Uzbekistan,” he added.
Ronaldo's Response and Upcoming Fixtures
After the draw with DR Congo, Ronaldo took to social media to issue a clear message to Portugal fans. “Not the start we wanted, but this is far from over. Head up and focus on the next game,” he posted on Instagram earlier this week.
After facing Uzbekistan, Ronaldo and his Portugal teammates will face Colombia on Saturday night in their final World Cup group stage fixture. Owen believes that with the right support, Ronaldo can still be a decisive factor for Portugal.
