Portugal sticks with Ronaldo against Uzbekistan after a shaky World Cup opener

Audio By Carbonatix

HOUSTON (AP) — Cristiano Ronaldo was in the starting lineup for Portugal’s World Cup game against Uzbekistan on Tuesday despite his forgettable performance in the team's opening match.

The 41-year-old Ronaldo failed to score in Portugal’s first game as the team played to a surprising 1-1 draw with Congo.

Television pundits criticized Ronaldo’s play against Congo after he missed a couple of good scoring chances in the second half. Some also wondered why coach Roberto Martínez didn’t substitute him in the second half with the team struggling offensively.

But Martínez went with Ronaldo again in a pivotal game where Portugal needs a win to improve its chances of advancing to the knockout round.

Martínez did make two changes to the lineup, benching midfielder Bernardo Silva for João Félix and starting defender Rúben Dias over Tomas Araújo.

Ronaldo and Argentina captain Lionel Messi became the only men to play in six World Cups with their participation this year. Ronaldo will try again Tuesday to become the first player to score in six World Cup tournaments.

He currently shares the record with Messi, who has five goals in Argentina’s two matches this year to give him a record 18 goals across five tournaments. Messi failed to score at the 2010 World Cup in South Africa.

___

AP soccer: https://apnews.com/hub/soccer