In Ron we trust

When a superstar player heads into the twilight of his career itrsquos very important for his teammates to rally around him and even step in to perform in case he fails with the common goal of winning the ultimate prize It happened in the case of Sachin Tendulkar and Team India at the 2011 ICC World Cup and it seems to be happening to Cristiano Ronaldo and Portugal at this ongoing FIFA World Cup hereSkipper Cristiano Ronaldo during Portugalrsquos match against Ghana on Thursday PicGetty ImagesInterestingly Sachin Tendulkar was 37 then the same age as Cristiano Ronaldo now Tendulkar had a talented bunch of younger players around him just like Ronaldo has currently and which is why it didnrsquot really matter that he kicked off his World Cup here against Ghana on Thursday night in lackluster fashion Tendulkar continued to be supported and praised by his players throughout the tournament and Ronaldorsquos colleagues are doing the sameAlso ReadCristiano Ronaldo to leave Manchester United with immediate effectA dreamcometrue momentMoments after Portugalrsquos 32 win over a gritty Ghana at Stadium 974 Ronaldorsquos striker partner Joao Felix 23 said he was grateful for being able to simply share a dressing room with the sixtime Ballon drsquoOr winner ldquoItrsquos a dreamcometrue to just be able to play with Cristiano We players of the Portugal team have been watching him since we were kids and always dreamed of playing with him And to represent the national team at the World Cup with him is the most special thing for us He is our herordquo said Felix who doubled Portugalrsquos lead from close range 78th minute after Ronaldo scored following a questionable penalty 65th min when he went down after coming in close contact with Ghanarsquos Mohammed Salisu This is not the first time Felix has hailed his senior strike partner Two month before the World Cup when asked about Ronaldorsquos behaviour with fellow players Felix had said ldquoCristiano always greets all the players He is always willing to offer tips and help players with whatever they need not only on the pitch but also off it He is a role model to all of us in the national team and always gives us good advice and we like to listenrdquoJoao Felix and Rafael LeaolsquoI gave him a very special hugrsquoSubstitute forward Rafael Leao 23 who scored the third goal for Portugal 80th min also spoke of his love for Ronaldo ldquoI gave him a very special hug after Ronaldo scored off the penalty spot It was the warmest hug Itrsquos a bonding thing that we sharerdquo he said Portugal coach Fernando Santos also hailed his star skipper ldquoHe is one of the best players in the world and one of the finest goal scorers of all time Fifty years from now we will still be talking about him just like we do about Pele and Maradonardquo Santos said at the postmatch presserRonaldo began the night with a poor first touch even as the 42663strong crowd yelled in anticipation He continued to be unimpressive and did not just fail while trying to dodge a few Ghana players now and then with his trademark stepovers but also saw his passes easily intercepted by the opposition His fear however among the Ghana defenders was constant with deep defenders Daniel Amartey and Alexander Djiku constantly reminding each other of his presence inside the box during Portugalrsquos cornersAlso Read Neymarrsquos ankle wrangleFinally to sum up a nonetooimpressive night Ronaldo even missed a oneonone against Ghana custodian Lawrence AtiZigi The athletic forward tried to chip the ball over an onrushing AtiZigi but failed to get enough elevation on the ball and it was palmed away followed by a collective ldquooooooohrdquo from the crowd Despite everything however the talking point among Ronaldo fans is the new record he set on the night becoming the first player in history to score in his fifth consecutive World Cup1Cristiano Ronaldo becomes first man to score in five World Cups