Cristiano Ronaldo must develop his best finishing game.
The 39-year-old Cristiano Ronaldo showed flashes of brilliance here and there, but he lacked the power, timing, and finishing bite that defined him as a phenomenon in his heyday.
Portugal barely defeated a brave Czech Republic team thanks to goals made possible by errors committed by their rivals: a center-back named Robin Hranac's own goal and a strike from 21-year-old center forward Chico Conceicao in the 92nd minute, who took advantage of a mistake made by the same defender.
One couldn't help but wonder whether the Porto kid might one day come for the keys to the kingdom as the camera panned in on a happy Cristiano Ronaldo hugging Conceicao. The once-lethal CR7 appeared to be having trouble adjusting to the tempo of the game on the night versus Czech, as evidenced by his inconsistent runs that would put him offside and his misplaced headers that would find the back of the net, where the goalie would save them. To put it succinctly,
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