Will Ronaldo's magic spark again in Uzbekistan clash?

PALM BEACH, United States, June 22 (Agencies): Portugal may have dominated possession in their World Cup opener, but the lack of attacking sharpness left Roberto Martinez's side frustrated after a 1-1 draw with the Democratic Republic of Congo. With just one shot on target from 783 passes, questions are growing over whether the balance of the team is working in the final third as they prepare to face Uzbekistan in Houston on Tuesday (11:00 pm as per BST).

Amid the scrutiny, Cristiano Ronaldo remains at the centre of Portugal's story at 41, still carrying the expectations of leadership and goals. But winger Francisco Conceição has dismissed the idea that teammates feel pressured to feed him the ball, insisting selections are based purely on attacking positions and not reputation. As Portugal look to respond, all eyes turn to whether Ronaldo can once again deliver when it matters most. For a team carrying high expectations around Ronaldo and an array of attacking options, the struggle came not in ?circulation of the ball but in the final third, where creativity, decision-making and finishing deserted them.

Portugal's shot count was among the lowest of the opening round, with only five of the 48 teams managing fewer, while Spain, despite being held 0-0 by Cape Verde, attempted 27 shots. Martinez will hope for a more ruthless display against an Uzbekistan side beaten 3-1 by Colombia in their first-ever World Cup match, a debut marked by nerves and caution. Uzbekistan coach Fabio Cannavaro said the occasion weighed heavily on his players.

"I told them they were too nervous. That's why, in the end, they focused so much ?on defending," he said.

The Italian, winner of the 2006 Ballon d'Or, believes the pressure of their World Cup bow has now passed and pointed to Uzbekistan's second-half chances against Colombia as evidence they can trouble Portugal.

"We have plenty of quality to be a top Asian team, but of course we have to grow," he added.

Portugal trained in Palm Beach on Sunday, with Benfica centre-back Tomas Araujo again working separately as he continues specific recovery work after starting against DR Congo. Ronaldo, who played the full match in the opener and came in for criticism, remains central to Portugal's story at 41. "Cristiano is an example because of his career, because of the hunger he still has at his age," winger Francisco Conceicao said. "For ?us and for the new generation, he's a role model."

For Portugal, though, inspiration alone will not be enough. Against Uzbekistan, Ronaldo must step up and do what is expected of him as the target man in his team's attack.

The issue becomes even more pronounced because Ronaldo is no longer compensating for those tactical compromises with goals in football's biggest tournaments.

Since converting a penalty against Ghana during the 2022 World Cup, he has now gone ten consecutive matches across World Cups and European Championships without finding the net.