Roberto Martinez addressed mounting criticism of Cristiano Ronaldo before Portugal's second group-stage fixture, reaffirming his tactical importance. After a 1-1 draw with DR Congo in which Ronaldo failed to register a shot on target, Martinez explained the veteran's role: "He is an icon, a great example for us."
"When we have the ball, we need lots of individuality and clarity on how to reach the opponent's penalty area. We need a player who opens up space. Cristiano does that best—the numbers confirm it," Martinez said.
The coach emphasized Ronaldo's function is creating space for teammates through positioning and movement patterns, not direct goalscoring. He highlighted the forward's experience in major tournaments as crucial for team morale and tactical execution.
Martinez's emphatic reaffirmation of Ronaldo's starting role against Uzbekistan may affect Portugal match odds. Betting on Ronaldo to score should account for his space-creation role over direct goalscoring, while Portugal's overall attacking output may stabilize despite recent goal drought.
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