Quote (zarkadon @ 7 Dec 2022 12:46)
Messi vs Cristiano is the final the world deserves. The last dance of the two reatest players of the century in the greatest possible stage... it is a dream... and unfortunately, it will very likely stay as such.
Cristiano could very well play at a very high level in that game, his motivation would be off the charts.
not just his motivation, his individual class is still there ofc. he's still reasonably fast, his shot and header are insane, and he can still out-skill the odd defender.
there is a point to be made about the team playing more free without him though, making portugal significantly less predictable, allowing everyone to play their best pass, their best idea (something so far only bruno fernandes dared to do on a regular basis), rather than having to force it to the legend and hope he delivers.
i actually think santos is in a pretty comfortable situation, as cronaldo can't really afford to throw a massive tantrum over being benched. his club situation and the general condemnation (outside his considerable base of fanboys and portugal supporters) he received for it means he doesn't have too much credit left for a big fall-out with the one guy who has the power to determine if cronaldo will be considered a key part of portugal's potential success at his last world cup, or the guy who had to be benched in order for the team to play to its full potential.
so far, both is still very much possible. even if he only gets 20 minutes per game, his finishing prowess can easily decide a tie.
This post was edited by fender on Dec 7 2022 02:45pm