Michael Owen has leapt to the defence of Cristiano Ronaldo after the 41-year-old's subdued performance in Portugal's 1-1 draw with DR Congo, insisting criticism of the five-time Ballon d'Or winner is 'too easy' – and predicting a hat-trick against World Cup debutants Uzbekistan on Tuesday evening.
Owen, speaking to the Daily Mail, acknowledged that Lionel Messi's hat-trick for Argentina 24 hours earlier – a 3-0 win over Algeria – had turned the spotlight on Ronaldo's failure to score. 'It did not help Cristiano Ronaldo that Lionel Messi scored a hat-trick the night before Portugal played, but I’m not having the criticism of him,' Owen said.
“Michael Owen defends Ronaldo after Portugal's 1-1 draw, predicts hat-trick against Uzbekistan debutants.”
Portugal were far from their best in the Group K opener. Paris Saint-Germain midfielder Joao Neves put them ahead before Newcastle striker Yoane Wissa equalised before half-time. Ronaldo played the full 90 minutes but rarely threatened, sparking questions over whether the 41-year-old Al Nassr star remains his country's focal point.
Owen, however, dismissed the notion that Ronaldo is a problem. 'Portugal weren’t great in their 1-1 draw with DR Congo and a lot of the fallout has been around Ronaldo and him being a problem for them. But hasn’t he always played like this, to a degree? He has never been a player, especially in recent years, who involves himself in the game. He will be there for the big moments, though. If he’s not scoring, it’s too easy to blame Ronaldo. At 41, he is going to be questioned. But how many times has this happened and he’s shut everyone up in the next game? If you’re picking Ronaldo then you have to accept what he is there for – and I wouldn’t be surprised if he responds with a hat-trick of his own against Uzbekistan.'
Ronaldo himself sent a defiant message to fans on Instagram after the draw. 'Not the start we wanted, but this is far from over,' he wrote. 'Head up and focus on the next game.'
Portugal now face Uzbekistan – making their World Cup debut – on Tuesday evening, with the pressure to secure a first win of the tournament. A victory would put them in strong position to progress from Group K before a final group fixture against Colombia on Saturday night.