Just stop this man: Spain sense glory if they can close out Ronaldo threat
Balancing act: Ronaldo shows off his skills before the Spain game
The main man: Cristiano Ronaldo and Portugal train at the Donbass Arena ahead of the first semi-final of Euro 2012
The first semi-final of Euro 2012 is being billed as the best team in the world versus the best player in the tournament.
But can Cristiano Ronaldo really beat Vicente del Bosque’s gifted Spain team all on his own? Del Bosque did little to play down the threat.
‘We need to deactivate Ronaldo,’ said the coach. ‘This is going to be one of the most important matches of our lives. It can take us to the final. It’s logical that there is so much talk about Ronaldo and he is not only a great player but he plays in Spain. He is obviously going to be a factor.’
Here in the far east of Ukraine, the temperatures were once more pushing into the high 90s. Quite appropriate, perhaps, for a meeting of the best players Iberia has to offer.
Portugal certainly have scores to settle. They have never beaten Spain outside Portugal and their neighbours also knocked them out of the last World Cup in Cape Town.
‘We have to try to go further than before,’ said coach Paulo Bento.
As for Spain, they are hearing peculiar noises about their style of play.
The football that was lauded so enthusiastically as Del Bosque’s players conquered first Europe in 2008 and then the world two years later is now being derided in some quarters as boring.
Having encouraged so much discussion by starting two of their games without a centre forward — and Cesc Fabregas is expected to start in the ‘false striker’ role — the World Cup holders have subsequently been criticised for playing too much football too far from goal.
‘We don’t want to stagnate,’ said Del Bosque. ‘I want us to move forward. But winning two trophies does show our quality. We have found the style that suits us, it is our style. People may not like it but it’s the style that brought us success.’
Relaxed: Spain's winning formula is not troubling Vicente del Bosque, who appeared relaxed in his press conference (below)
Barcelona midfielder Andres Iniesta, so fundamental to Spain’s creative football, suggested that the current team has changed the history of his country’s football. It is hard to disagree.
‘We’ve won two trophies with this style,’ he said. ‘Once you have a team who always attack and you attack against the closed defence of your opponents who don’t leave spaces, of course it’s not as attractive as if it’s an open match between two teams that want to win.
‘It’s hard to entertain if only one team are playing.’
The fact that so much is at stake may encourage cautious football. Nevertheless, it is debatable whether defending and counter- attacking comes naturally to this Portuguese team.
This is not the most talented group of players Portugal have had in recent years and against a limited Czech Republic team in last week’s quarter-final they did look like a side who would struggle to win without their captain and talisman Ronaldo.
Nevertheless, they are also a team who are happiest when in possession and that may bode well for an unusually open contest at the Donbass Arena.
Portugal coach Bento added: ‘Of course there are going to be moments in the game where we can combine and pass a lot. I have absolutely no doubt. And we want possession of the ball.
‘We have ambition. We know what we have to do. We have to impose pressure. Our aim is not to defend all the time. We know we can cause lots of problems.’
Ronaldo himself — scorer of three goals so far — was not present at the press conference. His name was never far away from the surface of discussion, though.
Told by a Ukrainian journalist that 95 per cent of the local women would be cheering for Ronaldo, Bento’s reply was prompt. ‘If it was 95 per cent until now then I think in this game Cristiano could win over that last five per cent,’ he said.
As Del Bosque said of his opponents’ greatest threat: ‘He rarely goes unnoticed.’
