TheJakartaPost

Please Update your browser

Your browser is out of date, and may not be compatible with our website. A list of the most popular web browsers can be found below.
Just click on the icons to get to the download page.

Jakarta Post

Cristiano Ronaldo answers critics with goals, records

Tales Azzoni (Associated Press)
Madrid
Thu, April 14, 2016

Share This Article

Change Size

Cristiano Ronaldo answers critics with goals, records Real Madrid's Sergio Ramos hugs Real Madrid's Cristiano Ronaldo after he scored his third goal during the Champions League 2nd leg quarterfinal soccer match between Real Madrid and VfL Wolfsburg at the Santiago Bernabeu stadium in Madrid, Spain, Tuesday April 12, 2016. (AP/Paul White)

Cristiano Ronaldo is letting the goals speak for themselves.

With yet another impressive performance when Real Madrid needed him the most, Ronaldo showed that his hard work and his records are the best response to critics.

Ronaldo's hat trick against Wolfsburg on Tuesday secured for Madrid a spot in the Champions League semifinals, and moved him closer to yet another scoring record. The Portugal striker reached 16 goals from 10 games in this season's tournament, and is one shy of the record he set in 2013-14, when Madrid won its 10th European title.

"Not bad for a poor season," Ronaldo said, filled with irony.

"I was criticized a lot, and I know that in the beginning I was not up to the standards that people are used to; I had my problems, my injuries. But it's not an excuse, I kept working, and I showed that I improved. Hopefully, I'll be even better at the end of the season."

The decisive goals on Tuesday — Madrid lost the first leg 2-0 — also improved his all-time scoring record in the Champions League to 93 goals, 10 more than Barcelona's Lionel Messi.

"Those who know me, who work with me, know that I always give my best," Ronaldo said. "The numbers don't lie. That's why I'm very happy, because I know that when you work hard, things come naturally, the goals, assists, victories. That's why I go to bed in peace every night, because I always work hard. I'm a great professional, and this just shows that God helps those who work hard."

Ronaldo had only three attempts on target against Wolfsburg, and it was all he needed.

He scored a pair two minutes apart in the first half, and finished off Wolfsburg with a remarkable free kick late in the game, sending a mid-height strike through the Wolfsburg wall and igniting the crowd of nearly 80,000 at Santiago Bernabeu Stadium.

Just before Ronaldo was going to take the free kick, goalkeeper Keylor Navas came all the way from his area to give some advice.

"He told me to run slowly to the ball," Ronaldo said. "We always practice together, he knows me. He said I would score if I ran slowly to the ball."

Despite the decisive goals, Ronaldo said it wasn't his best performance, and he has "produced better" in other important games. But he still took home the match ball, signed by some teammates.

"This is a leader," Alvaro Arbeloa wrote on the ball that Ronaldo said would be taken to a museum in Portugal. "You are the best," Dani Carvajal added.

It wasn't long ago that Ronaldo made headlines for publicly saying that if his teammates were at his level, the team would be doing much better. He was being blamed by some critics for the team's struggles at the time, and at one point was jeered by fans at the Bernabeu.

"He's a man who gives everything for this team and he's been showing for a long time that he is the No. 1," Real Madrid defender Sergio Ramos said. "When he's on form, the team notices it."

Ronaldo is the leading scorer in both the Champions League and the Spanish league, where he has 30 goals from 32 games. He will have at least two more matches in the Champions League semifinals to try to break his scoring mark from two seasons ago.

"The records come naturally. I'm not playing to break them, but obviously I would be delighted if I could break my own record this time," he said.

Real Madrid is also fighting for the league title against Barcelona and Atletico Madrid. Ronaldo scored eight goals in the last six league games to help put Madrid closer to the lead with six rounds to go.

"It's still possible," he said. "We were 12 points back and now we are only four. We have to keep fighting."

{

Your Opinion Matters

Share your experiences, suggestions, and any issues you've encountered on The Jakarta Post. We're here to listen.

Enter at least 30 characters
0 / 30

Thank You

Thank you for sharing your thoughts. We appreciate your feedback.