Martinez defends Ronaldo call as Portugal held to draw

HOUSTON: Portugal coach Roberto Martinez dismissed questions about Cristiano Ronaldo’s role after a frustrating World Cup opener, defending his decision to keep the captain on for the full 90 minutes in Wednesday’s 1-1 draw with the Democratic Republic of the Congo.

Ronaldo went without a shot on target in Houston, extending his scoreless streak to five straight World Cup matches and 10 consecutive games at major tournaments.

The 41-year-old forward hasn’t scored a non-penalty goal at a World Cup or European Championship since June 2021, but Martinez said removing him was never a serious consideration while Portugal chased a winner.

“It makes no sense to get the best goal scorer in world football out in a game that you need goals,” Martinez said.

Ronaldo, Portugal’s all-time leading scorer with 143 international goals, became only the second player to appear in six World Cups, following Lionel Messi. But unlike Messi, who scored a hattrick Tuesday, Ronaldo’s bid to become the first player to score in six different World Cups will have to wait.

Portugal started strong, with Joao Neves scoring in the sixth minute, but the early advantage didn’t lead to sustained pressure. Martinez said the goal had the opposite effect, with Portugal becoming too cautious in possession and allowing DR Congo to reset defensively.

“We started very, very well,” Martinez said. “Scoring the goal – which is normally a moment when the emotion of scoring helps you keep control of the match and try to score a second goal – had the opposite effect.”

Portugal continues Group K play on Tuesday against Uzbekistan in Houston.