Cristiano Ronaldo: A Tale of Football`s Fine Wine by Oheneba I

The day was June 27, 2012, and I had just returned home unusually early from spending time

with my friends, for Portugal was facing Spain in the semi-final of the euros.

In a game that the Portuguese saw Pique as the technical weak link, one could sense more

wind in the sails of the Portuguese players immediately he had the ball. They seemed to press

harder, run faster, react quicker jump higher and go about handling their business better whenever

their opponent`s so called weak link had the ball. But fate was on the side of this supposed weak link

because he held his own and did not spill the beans for the Portuguese to pounce.

The tightly contested game went into extra time; a time when Iniesta could have ended it all

and won it for Spain just like in South Africa 2 years earlier. He tried, but was beaten by the

phenomenal Rui Patricio in what was a glorious chance that one could argue he had squandered.

After 120 minutes the deadlock had still not been broken, and so per the Laws of the Game, the

deadlock would be settled in a penalty shootout.

The shootout saw both teams have their first shots saved by the respective opposition

goalkeepers. Then came Bruno Alves to take Portugal`s fourth penalty. He took some backward

strides and came in for the shot only to have it lick the outside of the crossbar on Casillas` left hand

side and out. Cristiano Ronaldo could be seen cursing his stars, and you couldn’t blame him. Could

Here was a player in his prime, at 27 years old, and about to miss out on a glorious

opportunity to cement his name in history. He was ambitiously dreaming of something that had

eluded even Portugal`s golden generations past: the nation’s first international trophy. His next

opportunities would be the less “winnable” World cup and then Euro 2016 where he would probably

be too old (31) to have such prolific impact. One could be forgiven for thinking that he would

probably never even make it this far in another international competition.

Cesc Fabregas stepped forward to take Spain’s final penalty with the scores at 3-2. A goal

would take Spain through to the final and CR7 with his Portuguese crew bags-a- packing on their way

home. It must have been a painful walk up to the ball for Fabregas. As I sat watching him approach

the penalty spot holding the ball muttering something under his breath, I couldn’t help but wonder

what motivational words he was repeating to himself or which supernatural being he was praying to.

He stepped up and took one of the closest penalties I had seen condemn someone to a possibly

eternal International damnation. The ball licked the inside of the post and ricocheted to the opposite

side`s net making it barely half a meter over the goal line to give Spain the win.