Bento: Ronaldo "inefficient" at key moments
Reuters - Wednesday 13 June 2012, 19:27
Cristiano Ronaldo is a great
player who was "inefficient" at key moments, Portugal coach
Paulo Bento said in defence of his below-par display in their
3-2 win against Denmark at Euro 2012.
Bento, who said his side could have won the Group B game
with less suffering, denied that Ronaldo was frustrated with his
display and rejected suggestions the forward was under pressure.
"He is a player of enormous ability who was not efficient in
a couple of situations he found himself in," Bento told
reporters.
"He has played two good games. There is not a single player
among the 23 in the squad who feel any sense of frustration,
they all have feelings of happiness and satisfaction and a sense
of responsibility for the game in four days' time."
"He's not under pressure from us, he's here to help us
resolve our problems."
Defender Pepe also stood up for his captain.
"Cristiano Ronaldo is the best player in the world but even
the best make mistakes, so we're here to support him," he said.
"He's just one more player in the team, he can't carry
Portugal on his back, it was his turn to make a mistake today
but he helped make it possible for us to be here in the first
place."
Portugal needed an 87th-minute goal from substitute
Silvestre Varela to win, having just conceded an equaliser.
"Their equaliser was unfair at that stage of the match. We
could have won the game more comfortably and with less
suffering," said Bento.