Ronaldo was injuried during Al Nassr’s 1-3 loss against Steven Gerrard’s Al Ettifaq in the Saudi Pro League opener last week.
Despite this, the Portuguese star was able to return in the second match, which took place at daybreak on August 19 (Vietnam time) against opponent Al Taawoun. In addition to Ronaldo, Al Nassr signed a slew of promising young players this summer, including Sadio Mane, Marcelo Brozovic, Anderson Talisca, and Seko Fofana.
However, Al Taawoun scored surprisingly before Cameroon striker Leandre Tawamba finished with a dangerous head after a corner kick in the 20th minute.
When Ronaldo had a wonderful opportunity to score his team’s equalizer after halftime, he handled the ball awkwardly, making the crowd watching the game chuckle.
In the 63rd minute, Ronaldo slipped from his teammates’ slit in the middle of the field to receive the ball, and in a one-on-one situation with the goalie, the 38-year-old striker sought to guide the ball past the goalkeeper’s goal instead of completing. Taawoun’s side was quickly retreated by the visitors’ defenders, who broke the ball in the foot.
Many fans chastised Ronaldo’s performance, resulting in the home team missing out on a 1-1 tie. “Really sad to see him handling the ball so confusingly,” one Twitter user said. “Honestly, it was a very sad tackle,” said another.
After squandering this exquisite opportunity, Ronaldo sadly struck the post, and Al Nassr paid the price as Ahmed Bahusayn clinched the victory for Taawoun in injury time, capping off Al Nassr’s 0-2 loss in the Saudi Pro League.
Last season, Al Nassr finished second in the Saudi Pro League and now confronts the arduous task of winning the championship this year.
