This really isn’t a half bad strategy though. This is likely his last cup. He’s not the same. He was subbed with 25 + stoppage v Korea and for a few minutes + stoppage the other two matches. He can come in at half, which could extend to extra time. They have a decent path to a semi v SUI and MAR. If the goal is to get into a semi where anything can happen in a one off, they need to manage his minutes.
In 2016, CRonaldo he got lifted with an injury early in the Euro championship match. I expected him to sulk and pout, but he was really into the match from the sideline, and no one was celebrating more when they won the title without him. Kinda surprised me. It will be interesting to see how he behaves in this one. You know the camaras are going to be on him.
2 out of the last 3 games went to OT and PKs I would start Ronaldo on the bench too and sub him in late Make sure he’s still mobile for the OT/PKs, if it gets to that
Christ Almighty, just kick PKs into the air. Keepers dive to the right or left. They have a chance at stopping ground balls. They don't stop fly balls.
Imagine the story lines if semis come down to ARG v BRA on one side and POR v either ENG or FRA on the other.
And if they win without him, you have a rested Ronaldo for the quarterfinal. The more I think about it, the more I think Ronaldo will be okay with this.
And sometimes guys score 3 point baskets on bank shots. But that isn't the way to go. Every shot in the Japan-Croatia and Spain-Morocco shootouts that went more than 1 foot in the air scored. Easily. Without even a play by the keeper. At any rate, this isn't just hindsight analysis. I am saying right now that every shootout PK that occurs later in this tournament will score if it is at least one foot off the ground, and only 50% to 70% of shots that are hit in the ground will score.
Well...Spain got boinked so now I need just 2 more to go belly up to get my trifecta. Brazil and France would be perfect. Ps...it must be said.."I'm not enjoying this cup very much"!
I've come across a few critiques of CR7/Portugal/Santos that if Ronaldo were not used, they would be able to play a more fluid game. But CR7 has such a hold on the team and Santos goes along with it that it is stifling.
This dude Ramos plays 18 minutes, and now he has more goals in the knock-out phase of the world cup than the guy he replaced
Also not a member of the Pepe fan club? I think you have that in common with over 8 billion people and counting.
It was started by Riquelme at Boca Juniors. He was having an issue with club president Mauricio Macri (who later became president of Argentina), and when he scored in a superclasico against River Plate he told his teammates not to hug him and he ran straight to face Macri's luxury box with a gesture of opening his ears, like telling Macri to listen to the fans cheering for him. When the media asked him to explain his celebration, he said that it was for his daughter, who was a fan of Topo Gigio. That celebration has been copied many times as a gesture of defiance towards management by goal scorers all over the world.