Ronaldo. I can distinctly remember people lambasting me for referring to Cristiano Ronaldo simply by his last name back in the mid-to-late '90s. The main reason I was served with such vitriol was because there was "no way" Cristiano Ronaldo would overshadow Brazil's Ronaldo. In fairness, the man has won the FIFA Player of the Year award three times. That said, after his very own stellar performance in the '98 World Cup, we saw the young CR emerge as a global force for football. Now the question that has hung like a blade over Cristiano Ronaldo's neck for the duration of his career is as such - Is he good enough?
Good enough?
The very question seems like a slap in Cristiano's face. He is a prolific goal scorer, to be sure. He is a magnificent winger and an incredible talent. But let us not forget that he is beset by 10 other men on the pitch. In 3 1/2 years at Real Madrid, CR has scored an incredible 1.09 goals per appearance. Compare that to Ronaldo's career - in which his goals never outnumbered his appearances - and we see the reason for this article: Ronaldo does not get to keep his name - rather it has been co-opted by his Portuguese name-sake; and for good reason. If CR were gifted the national team that Ronaldo had in Brazil, the point would be moot because CR would already have won a World Cup. Therefore, the question is how comfortable the Portuguese will find their prior colony. Will it be something of a homecoming for the only other team besides Brazil that speaks Portuguese?
You bet.
Without a doubt, the Portugal side will be firing on all cylinders come the Summer. Don't be surprised if, for at least a month, Brazil forgets about its own Ronaldo.
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