Ronaldo's last WC

Ronaldo will be approaching 34 in 2018.

Is the WC in 2014 the last opportunity for Ronaldo to have a major impact at a WC and possibly win it? Ronaldo's game is built around his speed and athleticism and no way at 33/34 will he have that explosive speed he has now.

Yeah agree.

Although his speed and athleticism is probably his strongest attributes he is probably the most all round footballer in the world.  He is a good passer, has a terrific shot with either foot and is also good in the air.  He won't be as good when he is 33 in 2018 but he will certainly still have a lot to offer.
But yes this is probably his best chance at making a huge impact.  If they even get there.  Would be a shame not to have him there.

i see little differences between us and portugal. portugal have and have had some amazing players but what do they have to show in the last 20 years?

weve both hosted euro championships. we made the semis and lost on pens, they lost the final.

when we face each other, it goes to penalties every time it seems. they beat us in a close match at euro 2000, winning by the odd goal in 5. didnt we draw in a friendly about 5 years ago?

the only difference is they have a proven world class player. although id say rooney isnt a million miles behind him. 200 career goals is it? at 27/28.

any impact ronaldo might have, wouldnt be big enough in an underachieving portugease side. but he is the difference between the 2 nations when it comes to winning a quarter final tie

anyway, i expect him to be at the 2018 world cup if portugal qualify

JamesLincs wrote:i see little differences between us and portugal. portugal have and have had some amazing players but what do they have to show in the last 20 years?

weve both hosted euro championships. we made the semis and lost on pens, they lost the final.

when we face each other, it goes to penalties every time it seems. they beat us in a close match at euro 2000, winning by the odd goal in 5. didnt we draw in a friendly about 5 years ago?

Squad wise and ability wise I think England and Portugal are fairly even. However, Portugal have definitely been more successful then England in recent years.
England's best position from 2000 has been four QF finishes. Portugal have made three semi's and one final in this time. Only in one out of the seven major tournaments from 2000 did England progress further than Portugal.

Just a thought but, Sweden are no mugs.

Ronaldo might already have played in his last world cup finals.

That would be a pity... But it shows the flaw in the "needs to have succeeded in a world cup" argument. Without Ronaldo, Portugal couldn't even beat Gabon!! Can actually see Sweden taking this.

Watched the Madrid game last night and whilst they won 7-3, if Ronaldo continues to be a greedy selfish ***stain, he'll win nothing and deservedly so.

His arrogance is almost off the charts and there's nothing I'd like more than watching Sweden beat Portugal in the WC play-off.

I love wathing Ibrahimovic but I think the WC would be poorer without Portugal, especially as it is in Brazil a country which has a rivalry with Portugal due to historical reasons.

Possibly the most ridiculous thing I've ever read on a forum, which is impressive when there's been D4 and Az around.

Lead striker gets a hatrick, takes his strike record to BETTER THAN a goal a game and you want to be catty and say he should pass it around more.

Not his fault he's lightyears ahead of any other player on the planet bar one. At only 28 he's closing in on 350 career goals and has already nailed Top10 GOAT and by the time he, and Messi, retire they'll both be pushing Top5.

Champagne_Socialist wrote:I love wathing Ibrahimovic but I think the WC would be poorer without Portugal, especially as it is in Brazil a country which has a rivalry with Portugal due to historical reasons.

FYI my comment was re Dave, not you.

TopHat24/7 wrote:

Champagne_Socialist wrote:I love wathing Ibrahimovic but I think the WC would be poorer without Portugal, especially as it is in Brazil a country which has a rivalry with Portugal due to historical reasons.

FYI my comment was re Dave, not you.

No worries I guessed that.

Think Dave is just upset Bale didn't get his hattrick. But Bale accepted there is one kahuna in Madrid, so he shouldn't have expected any different.Especially since it came out that Bale actually cost €3 million less than Ronnie (and that without adjusting for regular Inflation and football inflation, which seems to be the square odd regular inflation)

Hopefully Portugal won't even get to Brazil.

When Sweden played England at the Euros, it was a good game played in the right spirit, with a great atmosphere from both sets of fans.

Won't get that with Portugal.

Come on Sweden!

kingraf wrote:Think Dave is just upset Bale didn't get his hattrick. But Bale accepted there is one kahuna in Madrid, so he shouldn't have expected any different.Especially since it came out that Bale actually cost €3 million less than Ronnie (and that without adjusting for regular Inflation and football inflation, which seems to be the square odd regular inflation)

Don't care about that monkey faced diver either...I just can't abide Ronaldo. This is not the same as saying I think he's rubbish, I thik he's an exceptional talent but his ego is his downfall. Look at the time Potugal went out of that tournament where he wanted to take the last and possibly winning penalty but didn't even get to step up to the 12 yd spot...oh how we laughed as the tears flowed. As captain I'd have thought he would ensured his team were in with a shout by securing a penalty but no, he wanted the glory.

He's definitely not a team player and as a role model for the younger kids, I do feel that side of his game is something that shouldn't be overlooked in favour of his actual ability.

He's a talented noob but a noob nonetheless

The Euro issue is much ado about nothing, imo. Only using the gift of hindsight can anyone say, "he should have taken the third penalty". Hardly uncommon for the best kicker to be at five, is it? I would assume most regulation spot-kickers kick at 1 or 5 in a shootout. So assuming he kicked at one, all things remaining equal... Portugal still lose. As for the role model issue, I suppose he isn't a "good role model", but the guy doesn't drink, is hardly seen going out in-season, and has donated a few million to various charities... Hardly the worst guy a kid can look up to.

Exactly. he's a better role model than anyone i can think of in the England team.

TopHat24/7 wrote:Exactly. he's a better role model than anyone i can think of in the England team.

Joe Hart? Leighton Baines? Glen Johnson? Frank Lampard? Theo Walcott? Gary Cahill? Roy Hodgson?

I wouldn't include Glen Johnson, he has been in a few public fights

But Duty always has rose tinted specs when talking about England.

Champagne_Socialist wrote:I wouldn't include Glen Johnson, he has been in a few public fights

He also got caught trying to steal a toilet seat from B&Q.

CFCNick wrote:

Champagne_Socialist wrote:I wouldn't include Glen Johnson, he has been in a few public fights

He also got caught trying to steal a toilet seat from B&Q.

haha if thatt is true that is amusing.

I know in 2010 he was all over the papers because him and his friends beat up a guy on the street in london.

http://uk.reuters.com/article/2007/01/19/uk-soccer-england-johnson-fapl-idUKL1947234520070119

Possible agenda from Dave, a Liverpool fan. Not sure why he hates Ronaldo so much, can't make that connection.

Probably because Ronaldo's "rich, talented, and handsome"

Just cos I'm not rich.....doesn't make me a bad person.

I'd just squander my money anyway on a lifesize effigy of Nell McAndrew...made out of flumps!

I was just teasing Dave. We are all allowed to irrationally hate athletes. I can't for the life of me figure out why I want to kick Rooney's head in.

Shock horror - Glen Johnson has been in a fight.

I guess anyone who's been in a fight is discounted as a rolemodel, so that's me, and 90% of the population out of the running. Damn and blast.

kingraf wrote:Probably because Ronaldo's "rich, talented, and handsome"

Good god no. I'd sooner have Gerrard, although the accent would be a killer on the relationship!

Duty281 wrote:Shock horror - Glen Johnson has been in a fight.

I guess anyone who's been in a fight is discounted as a rolemodel, so that's me, and 90% of the population out of the running. Damn and blast.

it was the manner of the fight, if I can remember Johnson was in his car with a few mates and he got into an argument somehow with a guy walking on the street. Johnson and his mates got out of the car and beat the guy up. It was not just a fight, him and his friends attacked someone.