The hopes of a nation rest almost entirely on the shoulders of the man known as CR7

Football Writer

Saturday 9 June 2012

NOT since Roy Race was leading the line for Melchester Rovers has one man loomed large over a team the way Cristiano Ronaldo does with Portugal.

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Graeme Macpherson

Paulo Bento, the coach, has put together a strong squad, one filled with talented individuals playing at many of Europe's top clubs, but the focus ahead of their opening Euro 2012 match against Germany this evening has centred almost entirely on the man known as CR7.

Goodness only knows what Raul Meireles, a Champions League winner with Chelsea (albeit he missed the final due to suspension), Manchester United's Nani, and the rest of the group feel about living very much in Ronaldo's shadow. That's simply how it is, however. In the build-up to tonight's game most of the questions put yesterday to Hans-Dieter Flick, the Germany assistant manager, were on how to stop the forward, while the German tabloid Bild even managed to track down his sister for her big-match verdict. "We will beat Germany 2-0," boomed Elma, 37. "Whether my brother scores or not doesn't matter," she added, showing the sort of unselfish attitude that might earn her a few frosty looks over the dinner table at the next family gathering. Ronaldo has just come off a stellar season with Madrid, one that returned 60 goals from 55 appearances. Like with arch-nemesis Lionel Messi, however, there will be those who refuse to acknowledge the 27-year-old as deserving of a place among the true elite until he dazzles for his country in international competition. On that front, Ronaldo has very much been found wanting. He scored only once in the last World Cup, in the 7-0 thrashing of North Korea, as Portugal were eventually eliminated by neighbours Spain in the last 16. He was similarly impotent in the last European Championships, again registering just once as Portugual were turfed out by Germany in the quarter-finals, while his most memorable contribution to the 2006 World Cup was the infamous wink that followed Wayne Rooney's red card. His best showing, in fact, came on home soil in 2004 when Portugal arguably blew their biggest chance to win a major tournament. Ronaldo scored twice but could not lead his team to victory in the final against Greece. Since then, there have been precious few pictures of a happy, celebrating Ronaldo in international competitions, and plenty of him pouting, complaining, and generally going in the huff. His frustration at himself, at his team-mates, at the match officials, at the crowd or at anyone else that crosses his path has never been particularly well hidden. His time in a Portugal shirt has not been an entirely happy one, then.Ronaldo is not the first player to find the weight of expectation at international level sitting heavily on their shoulders. Players like George Best, Eidur Gudjohnsen, and Ryan Giggs have been the shining lights in otherwise mediocre national teams and saw their ambitions thwarted as a result. Ronaldo, though, is supported by the likes of Meireles and Nani, and others such as Fabio Coentrao, Pepe and Joao Moutinho.Everything Portugal do, though, will go through him. Stationed, ostensibly, on the left of a 4-2-3-1, behind either Helder Postiga or Hugo Almeida, and supported by Moutinho and Nani, he will be allowed to roam freely throughout the team. The rest will shuffle around to accommodate him, knowing that an in-form Ronaldo will be key to their progress.

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The hopes of a nation rest almost entirely on the shoulders of the man known as CR7

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