TORONTO, July 2 (Reuters) - When push came to shove with Portugal mired in a 1-1 draw against Croatia in their World Cup round of 32 match on Thursday, coach Roberto Martinez finally did what many had clamoured for all tournament - he took off Cristiano Ronaldo.
The country's all-time leading World Cup scorer had pulled Portugal level with a penalty but could not hide his disappointment when he was hauled off with less than 10 minutes left and his side's tournament hopes hanging by a thread.
Ronaldo,
41, became the oldest player to score in a World Cup knockout match when he fired home from the spot to bring Portugal level in the 68th minute of a pulsating game before substitute Goncalo Ramos headed the winner in stoppage time.
It was Ronaldo's first-ever World Cup knockout stage goal but Martinez decided to add some punch to his side's struggling midfield by withdrawing their talisman in a move that threatened to make the coach a hero or villain depending on the outcome.
The penalty was Ronaldo's only touch inside the opposition box in his 81 minutes on the pitch.
“I think the team did the substitutions, we entered to press to score, and that's what we knew, and at the end ... the coach did very well,” Ramos said,
Throughout the tournament, Ronaldo's tepid performances had been the subject of intense debate.
Aside from the 5-0 drubbing of Uzbekistan when he notched two goals to eclipse Eusebio as Portugal’s record World Cup scorer, Ronaldo failed to pose much threat in the final third.
A goalless draw against Colombia that left Portugal second in the group reignited criticism over Ronaldo's lack of contribution during matches, particularly his limited defensive work when the rest of the team tracks back.
But with Thursday's game on the line and Ronaldo failing to provide much danger, Martinez substituted his captain for Ruben Neves to shore up a midfield that had been overrun for parts of the second half -- putting pressure on the team, Ramos said.
"It's difficult because it's a game if you don't win, you go home," Ramos added. "But, for me, especially, I love those type of moments, I love that type of game, I want to play every game like that, I want to be in the big moment.”
What happens next time Portugal need some inspiration remains to be seen, but Ronaldo will have at least one more game as he chases his first World Cup title and potentially leave Spaniard Martinez with another big decision.
Next up are Spain in the last 16 on Monday.
(Reporting by Michael Kahn, Editing by Ken Ferris)
