Michael Owen backs Cristiano Ronaldo to silence critics and respond vs Uzbekistan

Former England striker Michael Owen defended Cristiano Ronaldo after Portugal’s 1-1 draw with DR Congo, pushing back against criticism that followed Lionel Messi’s hat-trick for Argentina the day before. Writing for the Daily Mail, Owen said: "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 argued Ronaldo has evolved into a penalty-box poacher and is not a player who involves himself heavily in general play, but stressed his value in decisive moments.

"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," Owen wrote. Despite a frustrating 10-game major tournament goal drought, Owen pointed to Ronaldo’s history of responding to scrutiny and suggested he could "shut everyone up in the next game" with a big performance against Uzbekistan.

Portugal

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