Portugal coach stays mum on Cristiano Ronaldo’s potential start after lackluster World Cup opener

HOUSTON: Portugal coach Roberto Martinez wouldn’t say if Cristiano Ronaldo would start Tuesday’s World Cup match against Uzbekistan after the superstar’s forgettable performance in the team’s opener.
“I can’t inform you about the starting 11 because I haven’t informed my players,” Martinez said Monday when asked if Ronaldo would remain in the lineup.
The 41-year-old Ronaldo failed to score in Portugal’s 1-1 draw with Congo.
Television pundits and social media users criticized Ronaldo after he missed on a couple of good scoring chances in the second half. Some wondered why Martinez didn’t substitute him in the second half with the team struggling offensively.
Martinez said criticism does not impact his team and said such talk is part of being in an event of this magnitude.
“We are playing a World Cup so of course we have a lot of noise and tension, but it’s part of the game,” he said.

“The focus is on the team and we want to show a positive attitude … to be ready for the match. We are very much focused.

We are strong. The team is even more united than before.”
While not specifically referring to Ronaldo, Martinez added that some of the criticism is “unfair, it’s unjust.”
Ronaldo did not speak to reporters after the game but has posted twice social media since the draw.

In the first post, he wrote: “It wasn’t the start we wanted, but this is far from over. Head up and focus on the next game.”
On Sunday, he posted four pictures from a team training session and wrote: “Focused on the mission.”
Ronaldo and Argentina’s Lionel Messi became the only men to play in six World Cups with their participation this year.