Why Portugal must bench Cristiano Ronaldo after shocking World Cup draw with DR Congo

DR Congo, stand up! Cristiano Ronaldo and Portugal blew a massive chance at three points on Wednesday after a 1-1 draw went in the favor of the Democratic Republic of Congo. Both teams earn one point, but just like Cape Verde against Spain, Congo is the real winner of this match.

Portugal supporters are furious right now. What did they just watch? They watched a lackluster, poorly executed game plan against the 46th-ranked team in the world. Roberto Martinez is as much to blame as the players for a game plan that did not work. The Portuguese did not execute on crosses or on anything near the net outside of their first opportunity in the 7th minute. Ronaldo was standing around and waiting for the perfect pass all game long, and it never came.

The few times Ronaldo had a chance to score, he completely wiffed, but he was never open enough for a great look. The Congo defenders did an incredible job of shutting him down and taking him out of the equation. This brings up the question … does Martinez dare bench Ronaldo for a chance at a more offensive opportunity?

4 reasons why Ronaldo SHOULD be benched for the next match against Uzbekistan

First and foremost, Ronaldo is nowhere near the player he once was. He can’t move at the rate he once did, does not have the stamina to be agile, and simply cannot get himself open near the net.

Ronaldo’s teammates are being forced to try to set him up with a perfect cross near the net, too. Instead, Ronaldo needs to be the one with possession, setting his teammates up for success. We saw Lionel Messi score three goals against Algeria because he was getting involved all over the pitch, not just staying near the net, waiting for the perfect ball.

Martinez also needs to move Bruno Fernandes up as the primary striker alongside Pedro Neto, Bernardo Silva, and Rafael Leao. Portugal has too much speed and talent on the wings for them to be coming in late in the game. Vitinha is very good with possession; he can handle that early in the game to allow opportunities to Fernandes, Neto, Silva, Leao, and even Francisco Conceicao. This squad is way too talented to score only one goal because you are trying to force Ronaldo to score.

Finally, Ronaldo can be used as a secret weapon late in matches. He will have a lot more energy trying to score a goal in the final third.

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