CR-ne7er

In an effort of full disclosure, I loathe Cristiano Ronaldo.  From the never-ending whining and pouting on the field to the incessant drama and selfishness off the field, I find his presence unbearable.

That being said, he is one of the most gifted players the game has ever seen.  His combination of size, speed, power, accuracy, leaping ability, and touch are unparalleled.  Yes, some may be better than him in certain aspects of the game, no one comes close to matching his full skillset. However, once again, Ronaldo finishes a season without winning a trophy.  In a shameful exhibition of cowardice, Ronaldo was shown a red card in extra time during the final of the Copa del Rey against Atlético Madrid on Real Madrid’s home pitch for purposefully kicking an opponent in the face.  The ejection came after at least two blatant cheap shots that went unnoticed by the official and a yellow card for arguing about a bad throw-in.  Instead of leading his team to victory against a notably weaker opponent whom Real Madrid had defeated in 10 straight games, the team’s best player acted like the crybaby everyone has come to expect and failed to deliver on the grandest stage.

This incident in one of the many times Ronaldo and his team have come up short, due in large part to his lack of poise and form to properly lead his team to victory.  Not surprisingly, Real Madrid once again bowed out in another semifinal of the UEFA Champions League.  This semifinal was supposed to be Ronaldo’s chance to end Real Madrid’s recent curse in Champions League semifinals, and many thought Borussia Dortmund would be the much weaker side.  However, Ronaldo was once again absent on the biggest stage and was outshined and outclassed by Dortmund striker Robert Lewandowski who almost single-handedly carried his team to the final, much the same way Ronaldo has always been expected to carry his teams.  The problem is the most consistent aspect of Ronaldo’s game during important matches is missing chances and disappearing from the flow of the match.  For long stretches, he will stand up top waiting for a counter attack or hugging the touch line as opposed to finding his touches.  It is almost as if there is a direct correlation between the importance of a game and Ronaldo’s impending fear of the spotlight, and the 2012-13 season has proven more of the same.

Yes, Ronaldo has taken Portugal on deep runs in the World Cup, but most recently, with a chance to lead his team during a shootout against eventual winners Spain in 2010, he decided to kick last and was never able to get his opportunity.  Many point to his Champions League victory in 2008 with Manchester United as his proudest moment, but of course his penalty kick was the lone miss for Manchester United in the shootout.

When Ronaldo left Manchester United for Real Madrid, many critics assumed that he was tired of sharing the glory with so many other superstars in the Premier League, and a large payday from Real Madrid ensured he would be the league’s biggest star for years to come.  Instead, the petulance that plagued him at Manchester United has followed him to Madrid.  Now, he is no longer the best player in the world.  He isn’t even the best player in Spain. Ronaldo will be remembered as a remarkable player with a great career, but he will never be considered as one of the greats because he is simply incapable of performing at a high level in his most important matches.