João Neves watched Cristiano Ronaldo leave the pitch without the milestone he wanted, but Portugal’s Paris Saint-Germain midfielder insisted the captain had still delivered in Thursday’s 1-0 Nations League win over Wales.
Ronaldo’s difficult night against Wales
- Portugal began with Ronaldo, 41, as captain and centre-forward as he continued his pursuit of 1,000 career goals. He remains on 979.
- In the 49th minute, Neves supplied a cross which Ronaldo sent over the bar from close range, passing up a major opportunity to add to his total.
- Ten minutes later, Ronaldo did put the ball in the net, only for the effort to be ruled out for offside.
- Portugal coach Jorge Jesus replaced him with Gonçalo Ramos in the 68th minute as Portugal protected their narrow lead.
- Bruno Fernandes was also withdrawn late on, in the 87th minute, with Jesus citing fatigue.
Jesus explains the substitution
Jesus, who took charge of Portugal this summer after working with Ronaldo at Al-Nassr last season, said the tactical demands of the closing stages led to the decision.
With around 25 minutes left, the coach wanted a quicker player at the front of Portugal’s defensive shape, able to pressure Wales’ two central defenders and prevent easy build-up play.
Jesus said Ronaldo was no longer able to make the required pressing efforts and felt there was little more the veteran forward could offer in attack. Ramos was introduced specifically to lead that press.
The coach felt the replacement performed well, although Portugal struggled to get the ball to him. João Félix, identified as Ramos’s main supplier, increasingly found it difficult to locate the forward, while Fernandes was also tiring.
Neves backs Portugal captain
The display is unlikely to quiet the debate around Ronaldo’s international future. Although he remains hugely popular in Portugal, critics argue that his reduced impact can slow the national side and deny opportunities to younger, fresher attacking players.
The appointment of the 72-year-old Jesus has added to the tension because of his close relationship with Ronaldo from their time together in Saudi Arabia. Ronaldo also said this week that certain media outlets were trying to “kill” him.
Inside the squad, however, support remains public. Neves defended his captain after the Wales match, saying that Ronaldo’s outings are judged differently when he does not score.
“Cristiano is excellent,” the PSG midfielder said in substance. “When he does not score, people see it differently, but the goals will come.”
