EURO 2016 – Cristiano Ronaldo misses all kinds of chances against Austria; Portugal have a final to play on 22nd

Portugal were held to a goalless draw at Parc des Princes on Saturday in their group stage fixture against Austria as Real Madrid ace Cristiano Ronaldo wasted a penalty in front of an audience of 44,291. Portugal having previously drawn with Iceland find themselves with a do or die match against group leaders Hungary.

In what was a game to forget for Portugal fans as their talisman Cristiano Ronaldo missed all kinds of chances: from set pieces, penalty spots, free kicks and open play. Portugal now face an uphill task to finish top of their group, needing all three points against Hungary in their final game.

Manager Reactions

Portugal coach Fernando Santos was visibly irritated when questioned about Ronaldo. When an English-speaking reporter asked him how Ronaldo was feeling, Santos interrupted and said: “I understand, but I don’t talk about Cristiano Ronaldo please. The Portuguese journalists know not to ask because I only talk about the team and not individual players.” (via ESPNFC)

Having had 22 shots on goal so far, Ronaldo has failed to score even once. Last night however, there were no boos or jeers reserved for him in the crowd. The reaction was actual laughter after Ronaldo scored an offside goal. The reverberating laughter resounded through to even television sets. Needless to say, it was one of the most embarrassing moments for the Portuguese star.

Santos instead went on to talk about the team – “We can’t wallow in our own misery. There is a final to play on the 22nd, our first final of these Euros,” Santos said.

“When we talk about the team, we can’t concentrate on how many missed chances we had — fair or unfair — this is football.

“It’s unfair, that’s true, but it’s useless to discuss it now because the next match is a final for us.”

Twitter Reactions

THT looks at some of the mixed twitter responses from all over the world following Portugal’s recent setback and Ronaldo’s series of faux pas. There were those who genuinely sympathised with Ronaldo’s plight.

There were inevitable ‘trolls’ and mockeries directed towards the Portugal star along with comparisons with Messi and Bale: