"Relying on Ronaldo? It's not dependence, it's assets."
Cristiano Ronaldo (39, Alnasr) led his country Portugal to a come-from-behind victory with his 901st career goal.
Ronaldo led Portugal to a 2-1 victory on the 9th (Korea time) by scoring a thrilling come-from-behind goal in the 43rd minute of the second half when McTominay's header was first scored in the 7th minute of the first half and Bruno Fernandes' equalizer in the 9th minute of the second half.
Ronaldo, who was replaced at half-time, overcame the bad luck of the net twice and calmly pushed Nuno Mendes' sensational cross in the 43rd minute of the second half to lead the team to victory.
Ronaldo, who is about to be called, scored again just three days after reaching the 900th goal against Croatia on the 6th, writing a new history of his 901st career goal and 132nd goal for the A team. With Ronaldo's performance, which washed away the Euro 2024 slump, Portugal took the lead in the group with two consecutive wins.
Ronaldo scored his first goal since June, extending his international goalscoring record to 131 goals, saying "Only me and those around me know how hard it is to work every day to be physically and mentally fit and to reach 900 goals.' "It was a number I wanted to achieve for a long time, and I thought I would be able to achieve it naturally if I kept playing. I've had this dream and I'm dreaming more of it."
Portugal coach Roberto Martinez said it was Ronaldo's choice that the Al-Nasr striker did not start" he said. "The question was whether Ronaldo would play in the first half or come in and finish the game in the second half." After Portugal's dramatic come-from-behind victory, Martinez explained that despite Ronaldo's outstanding skills, he is no longer able to play in consecutive games due to his old age. "Cristiano is in good form. He played three games for his team and scored a goal. We have to protect all the players, and we can't play 90 minutes in two consecutive games. He should be there until the end, not the start of the game. I like his commitment.'
Martinez also refuted criticism that the team's dependence on a player nearing retirement, who is nearing 40, is too high. Ronaldo's talent is an asset that should be utilized." "Relying on Ronaldo? He is an amazing player. It's not dependence, it's assets. Ronaldo plays a crucial role in front of the goal. His intelligence to open up space is important. It doesn't make sense to be dependent."
