Perhaps, as one Twitter user pondered, those Icelandic gods are very real. Certainly, the Nordic nation will be feeling a sense of karma doing its thing in Paris, after Portugal again toiled to draw a game against Austria they should have won easily – and Cristiano Ronaldo in particular suffering worst.
On his record-breaking 128th cap, the Real Madrid hitman was wretched: for the second Euros games running he attempted 10 shots without fruition and, crucially, missed a late penalty that would have ended the agony for Fernando Santos's side.
A sorry night in front of goal for a pretty dominant #POR. Ronaldo clocks 10 shots for the second game running #AUTpic.twitter.com/QS2bwHz87X
— Stats Zone (@StatsZone) June 18, 2016
Ronaldo angered Europe with his comments about Iceland's "small mentality", so naturally there was much self-wetting on social media throughout this latest hour-and-a-half of torture for the 31-year-old.
He typified his side's struggles in Paris, supplementing his missed spot-kick with a chalked-off goal for offside, a close-range header saved by Robert Almer and another two free-kick attempts which added to an already-awkward statistic: he has now had 36 direct free-kick shots in major tournaments for Portugal (World Cup and European Championships)... and hasn’t scored with any of them.
20 – Cristiano Ronaldo (20 shots, 0 goals) has attempted more shots at #Euro2016 than nine other teams. Toil.
— OptaJoe (@OptaJoe) June 18, 2016
Ronaldo is rarely a creator for this Portugal side that revolves around him, and it showed here: check out his passes from the night, and how many went backwards.
As such, he didn't manage to create a single chance for his team-mates in open play, and didn't even try to dribble past an Austrian opponent.
GK Robert Almer (20) made more accurate passes than Ronaldo (15) in the first half (@StatsZone Images) #AUT#PORpic.twitter.com/FdrUAgziBL
— Euro 2016 Stat Man (@EPLStatman) June 18, 2016
He wasn't the only one, of course. Portugal had 23 shots and only managed six on target; Nani headed against the post after spurning a one-on-one earlier in the game. Ronaldo now, though, has attempted 97 shots at European Championships – 45 more than second-placed Thierry Henry.
1 - Cristiano Ronaldo has missed his first penalty at a major tournament in normal time (scored v Iran in 2006 World Cup). Woe.
— OptaJoe (@OptaJoe) June 18, 2016
But for Portugal, every cloud and that. A peculiar anomaly of their group is that finishing second is likely to give them an easier knockout game than topping it. Winning would hand them the runner-up of Italy's group (likely Belgium), while a second-place finish presents the equivalent from England's (likely Wales or Slovakia).
Should they finally deliver on their promise, though, a convincing win over Hungary in the final game should still see them head the pile.
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