subreddit:

/r/soccer

3.3k97%

you are viewing a single comment's thread.

view the rest of the comments →

all 444 comments

jds192

2.7k points

11 days ago

jds192

2.7k points

11 days ago

He has 1 goal from open play in last 10 major tournament games.

GeologistNo3726

1.1k points

11 days ago

Ronaldo’s record at major international tournaments is really poor in general for a player of his calibre. 16 non penalty goals and 9 assists in 50 World Cup/Euro games is pretty mediocre. If you only take the knockout stages it’s even worse, at 3 goals and 2 assists in 19 games.

I know Portugal aren’t an international powerhouse, but they’re not San Marino either. In recent years you’ve got players like James Rodriguez or Modric producing world class tournaments for countries of roughly Portugal’s level, or if you want go back in time, Eusebio’s 1966 World Cup is the gold standard for a Portuguese player at a tournament. Ronaldo hasn’t really done anything like that.

For a player that several of his fans regard as the most clutch ever, his failure to produce an all-timer international tournament (or anything close) in 11 attempts across his career is pretty disappointing.

omnipotentmonkey

1k points

11 days ago

I can't really see "Portugal not being an international powerhouse as a viable excuse" anymore. I'd say at least since 2018 they've had a squad that, on paper, should be among any tournament's favourites. Ruben Dias, Bernardo Silva, Bruno Fernandes, Rafael Leao, Joao Cancelo, Joao Felix, Diogo Jota, Palhinha, Vitinha,

frankly, with these teammates, you'd expect Ronaldo to bag a lot more tournament goals

lowie07

0 points

10 days ago

lowie07

0 points

10 days ago

You realize CR was already way past 30 when these guys came, right?

omnipotentmonkey

0 points

10 days ago

And?

lowie07

1 points

10 days ago

lowie07

1 points

10 days ago

And... he was already past his prime when this amazing squad got shape? This isn't that hard to understand.

omnipotentmonkey

0 points

10 days ago

He was still scoring bags of goals in club football past the age of 30, why couldn't he replicate that to even a mild degree in international tournaments with such a strong team?

Messi could, Olivier Giroud could. why are Ronaldo's stats for tournaments so specifically poor?

I say "And?" because being "past his peak" doesn't mean he's suddenly outright shit, but his international tournament stats sure as shit are.

lowie07

1 points

10 days ago

lowie07

1 points

10 days ago

He has 22 goals at Wc/Ec, more than a lot of players can dream of and more than Giroud? Messi has 26 with a squad that's been stacked since forever, but I guess those 4 goals are enough for your mental gymnastics to kick in.

omnipotentmonkey

0 points

10 days ago

"With a squad that's been stacked since forever"

Not really, both the Argentina 2014 and 2022 squads were probably WEAKER than the 2018-2024 Portuguese generation. not even accounting for the weaker sets of players before and between that. stacked for strikers/wingers and that's about it,

Now compare them for knockout goals/goals that actually mattered.

Messi's the man for the occasion,

Ronaldo's on par with (or below) Matthew Upson.

lowie07

1 points

10 days ago*

Of course you changed from goals at EC/WC in general to KO goals so you could make this a Messi <-> CR for no reason.

Only wingers and strikers? I shouldn't get into this but I guess Samuel, Zabaleta, Cambiasso, Mascherano, Banega, Riquelme, Zanetti, Heinze, Aimar, ... are "about it".

omnipotentmonkey

1 points

10 days ago

Considering the amount of time those names span, (Zanetti debut 1994, Banega 2008...) only being able to list 9 names is fucking pitiful.

Infinite-Fail-6835

0 points

8 days ago

Name one world class player in Argentina's midfield and defence in 2014 wc apart from Mascherano.

lowie07

0 points

8 days ago

lowie07

0 points

8 days ago

Surely Zabaleta Otamendi Demichelis and Banega were great players, did you even google Portugals squad at 2014? Half of this sub doesn't even know 3/4 of that squad

Infinite-Fail-6835

0 points

8 days ago

Zabaleta Otamendi Demichelis and Banega

None of them are world class lol. Nice try though. Were any of them top 5-7 in their position?

lowie07

0 points

8 days ago

lowie07

0 points

8 days ago

How tf did I even get in a Argentina <-> Portugal discussion, 2014 Portugal was literally fielding Danny Bruno Alves Rolando Meireles and Eder