There was an air of weariness about Michal Bilek last night as he contemplated a question about the performance of Theodor Gebre Selassie.
The right-back had been arguably the Czech Republic’s outstanding player in Euro 2012 but against Portugal in the quarter-final he was helpless against the increasingly irresistible force that is Cristiano Ronaldo.
“Ronaldo is a very good player,” Bilek said. “He doesn’t have any problems when he penetrates the defence. Ronaldo knows how to play with his head and both feet.”
He also knows how to play left-wing, centre-forward and No10, often in the space of a few minutes. There are those who dismiss Portugal as a one-man team but Ronaldo isn’t even a one-man player. In theory, his habit of drifting inside should have opened up the flank for Gebre Selassie to attack but the full-back seemed inhibited, as though Ronaldo’s reputation itself were enough to pin him back.
Portugal’s domination of possession, similarly kept him back, making this effectively a game of attack against defence. It is in such games, when defensive responibility is minimised, that Ronaldo is at his best.
He scored one and hit the post twice more — that’s four times in total in the tournament; more than any other country, never mind any other player. “I remember in the last game I hit the post twice, too,” Ronaldo said. “But the most important thing is I managed to score this time, we won and are in the semi-finals. Now it is big smiles and good music.”
Ronaldo’s goal, headed in from a cross from the excellent Joao Moutinho after Nani had created space with a smart pass in from the wing, didn’t arrive until 11 minutes from time.
“We played well and created lots of chances, but the priority was to go into the semi-final and we did that,” Ronaldo added. “The team are mature and we are ready for the next game. We have great unity and that is what got us through.”
The big question is how Ronaldo will fare defensively against better opposition, such as France or Spain will prove in the semi-final. All four goals conceded by Portugal in the finals have come from the left, proof of the problems caused by Ronaldo’s reluctance to track. But such concerns are for later. “Everyone is happy,” said Nani. “The team are feeling confident.”
