Crisis averted! Former World Cup winner Thierry Henry is singing from the same hymn sheet as Cristiano Ronaldo after all, and what a glorious tune it is. Just last week, Henry was at it again, questioning Ronaldo's selfish play in Portugal's opening draw against DR Congo, but the Manchester United legend's masterclass in Houston has seemingly silenced his critics – including the Frenchman himself.
Ronaldo's double and assist in the 5-0 thrashing of Uzbekistan has won over even the toughest of critics, with Henry now praising the forward for adopting a more selfless approach. The ex-France international was visibly impressed by Ronaldo's decision to step aside at a free-kick, allowing Nuno Mendes to take the set-piece and score – a moment that showcased his growing team spirit.
Henry waxed lyrical about Ronaldo's willingness to put the ball in the box for others, rather than taking matters into his own hands. "It's so important, an offside position," he pointed out on Fox Sports. "If you cross to him, it can be a tap-in." The former striker drew parallels with Manchester United great Ruud van Nistelrooy, who used to expertly position himself to score from crosses – a tactic that Henry believes Ronaldo has now mastered.
For the first time in this World Cup, we've seen Ronaldo put team before self, and the results are telling. As Henry noted, "If one thing I wanted to mention, it's what he did at the free-kick – yes, he surprised everybody! It's a team spirit guy, it's how you lead your team and you share." We're loving this newfound maturity from Ronaldo, who's finally putting Portugal's collective success ahead of his own individual ambitions.
Source: Fox Sports