Ronaldo’s hat-trick excites football fans
“Messi and Neymar haffi come good now,” shouted Mari as he watched the post-match activities at Annie’s Place in Seaview Gardens, Kingston, yesterday afternoon. This declaration came after Portuguese superstar Cristiano Ronaldo smashed in three goals in his team’s exciting 3-3 draw with Spain.
It was the first hat-trick of World Cup 2018, and the gauntlet has certainly been thrown down by the Real Madrid player.
For Mari, even though he feels Germany is the team to beat, he had nothing but respect for the player nicknamed ‘CR7’.
“Him show say him come fi play. Him come fi do sup’m inna da World Cup yah,” added Mari.
Patrons gathered on the terrace of the popular drink spot, which was shielded from the warm afternoon sun by a combination of umbrellas and tarpaulin.
And though the wind played havoc with the covering, that did not deter the enthusiastic crowd from enjoying the most pulsating game so far.
“Da World Cup yah hot!” shouts another man, after the pandemonium that came with Ronaldo’s late equaliser had died down.
When the final whistle went, Ronaldo’s fabulous free kick not only made sure the points were shared, it meant that 13 goals had been scored in the tournament to that point.
But depending on who you ask, the game’s outcome was less about Ronaldo’s brilliance and more about the incompetence of Spanish keeper David de Gea. Ronaldo gave Portugal the lead with an early penalty, but Diego Costa equalised with a great solo effort.
TAME EFFORT
The Manchester United keeper, considered by some to be the world’s best, then allowed a tame effort from Ronaldo to get past him, giving Portugal a 2-1 lead at halftime. “A him a di best keeper inna di world?” asked one man. Mari jumps in, saying that Manuel Neuer, Germany’s number one, wouldn’t have made that error. But Spain, playing with an interim coach after Julen Lopetegui was fired on Wednesday, fought back, with Costa getting his second, and then Nacho adding a screamer to give ‘La Roja’ the lead. “Me tell yuh say a 3-2 it a done,” said an enthusiastic fan as the clock ticked down. But when Gerard Pique gave away a free kick close to the Spanish penalty area, Mari and other Portuguese/Ronaldo fans predicted the outcome even before the ball left his foot. De Gea still didn’t escape scrutiny as some felt he didn’t position the wall, or himself, properly. “Mi a nuh keeper, and dat couldn’t pass me,” one man fumed. Interim Spain coach and former national player Fernando Hierro will also come in for criticism after he subbed his two most experienced midfielders when they were leading. Despite the outcome, both teams, which actually border each other on the European mainland, are still expected to advance to the knockout phase.