WARSAW: Cristiano Ronaldo proved against the Netherlands why many regard him as the best current European footballer. The Real Madrid forward’s two goals gave Portugal a 2-1 victory over the Dutch to set-up a quarter-final clash against Czech Republic. But Ronaldo’s contribution to Portugal was much more than his two strikes. The 27-year-old hit the woodwork twice, had the most shots on goal of all the players in the match and drove his team forward with blistering pace. Ronaldo has grown in confidence during the tournament and now appears to be showing the sort of potency he showed for the Spanish champions this season, when he scored 60 goals. Although Paulo Bento’s unit are cast to a degree in the mould befitting a former defensive midfielder, the 2004 finalists can call on a peerless and prodigious talent in Ronaldo whose mercurial skills can, on his day, take them past any opponent. Ronaldo has certainly been on fire with Real, even if his exploits were not quite enough to see off Bayern Munich in the Champions League semi-final, in which he missed a penalty, taking the gloss off two goals earlier in the contest. At international level, the 27-year-old remains an unfinished product who flatters to deceive in a way very much reminiscent of England, which he lit up during his time at Manchester United. The Portuguese star made his international debut in August 2003, allowing him to take a place in the team which hosted the 2004 Euros. He scored twice in the tournament, including the semi-final winner over the Netherlands, but neither he nor his teammates could find a way past Greece, who stunned the hosts in the
final. — Agencies