“I’ve never tried to hide the fact that it is my intention to be the best” was what Ronaldo said quite some time ago when he was being touted as one of the best in the business at that time. While endless debates about the better player between Diego Maradona and Pele seemed to dragging for generations, Ronaldo's emergence looked to be the perfect answer to those never-ending debates.
Nevertheless, Ronaldo's talent and capabilities obviously emerged at the wrong time when there was another rising master class in the form of Lionel Messi. Fantastic was the right word to describe Ronaldo but unlucky is probably the theme of his life when it comes to his aim of being the best in the business.
Slowly and slowly, Messi began to reach wider fanatics and gained much deserved attention for his Maradona-like eccentrics on the ball for the Catalans. Ever since then, Cristiano Ronaldo has lived in the shadows of the popular Argentinean even after leaving United in search of glory with Real Madrid.
Having already fallen behind Lionel Messi in the battle to become the best of the best, Ronaldo's odd antics on the field combining with his failure to make the cut on the biggest stage and when it all matters virtually placed him in a delicate situation at the Bernabeu. And to think that Messi brought wonders into Barcelona's 5-0 demolition of Los Blancos last November while Cristiano Ronaldo continued his zero-scoring form against the Blaugranas just justifies the massive edge that Messi has over Ronaldo.
To cut things short though, the fact that Ronaldo broke his goal scoring duct against Guardiola's men last weekend has re-ignited the dusty battle between Messi and him. With the second edition of four Clasico's in 18 days set to take place this Wednesday, Live Soccer TV explains why Cristiano Ronaldo is our No. 1 Man To Watch in the Copa del Rey final.
Cristiano Ronaldo Breaking His Goalscoring Invisibility Against Barcelona
Already down behind Messi in the battle to find the answer to the never-ending debates about the best ever in the business, the fact that Ronaldo never managed to score against Barcelona just adds more and more dust to the battle after all.
However, last Saturday's events have now changed the dimension and complexion of the Clasico and Messi-Ronaldo rivalry completely. Cristiano Ronaldo scored his first ever goal against the Catalans- something that proved to be absolutely invaluable as Madrid secured a point despite being one-man down.
That simple occurrence has now made Ronaldo our man to watch in this Wednesday's Copa del Rey final. We all speak about how that first and solitary goal is crucial in building a players' confidence. For a player of Ronaldo's stature, confidence has never been a problem but the penalty he scored now acts as a perfect explanation to all his wild critics out there. This aspects are good enough for Guardiola to be worried about him.
Prove Yourself Man! Ronaldo And His Failures When It All Mattered
The Portuguese International has always been blamed for being overrated as he keeps on disappointing when the team needs him the most. Ronaldo has a terrific record of scoring goals for both Manchester United and Real Madrid currently but a detailed inspection can precisely reveal his inability to shine against bigger opposition. 2007/2008 was probably his best season of football with United but his penalty miss in the Champions League final at Moscow NEARLY came back to haunt the whole squad.
Another notable 'absence' is the following year's Champions league final against no one else but Barcelona. The 'magician' was totally undone by rock-solid defending from Carles Puyol and Gerrard Pique. As Lionel Messi wrapped up the winner for the sublime Catalans, Ronaldo just stood with a devastated look on his face, thus vindicating his failure on the biggest stage yet again. Not a real sign of a player aiming to be the best ever to have graced the field.
Now, Wednesday's Copa del Rey final provides him with the perfect platform to raise back high hopes placed on him all over again. It's a cup final and more importantly it's a Clasico cup final- where more than just pride is on the line. Having already answered the first segment of his critics last Saturday, if Ronaldo inspires Madrid to a Clasico cup final victory over the Blaugranas, believe us when we say that the Ronaldo-Mel ssi race is definitely back on fire!
The 2011 Copa del Rey final will be covered LIVE on Live Soccer TV. Check the Barcelona vs Real Madrid match page for live streaming TV info, live commentary, video highlights and more. Catch All The Live Updates And News Regarding El Clasico With Live Soccer TV Here
