Houston / Tuesday, 23 June / 18:00
I’m covering this match for Radio 5 Live as well, and I’ll be watching Cristiano Ronaldo very closely.
Portugal fascinate me. I worked on their draw with DR Congo; they have the tournament’s best midfielders, yet they also have Ronaldo leading the line.
That used to be a massive advantage, but now it’s an issue.
At his peak, Ronaldo sat alongside the all-time greats, but he’s not that player anymore.
He hampered Portugal against DR Congo, and it felt like they were a man down.
What stunned me is that coach Roberto Martinez must have seen it — everyone did — yet he didn’t take him off.
Ronaldo used to be world-class and one of the game’s elite scorers, but he can hardly run or even move now.
To be clear, I’m not criticising the player he once was, but I don’t think he should still be playing for Portugal.
I still doubt Martinez will drop him for this game — his influence is too strong.
I nevertheless expect Portugal to beat Uzbekistan, who were very open against Colombia, because their quality is superior — but if they win, it will be despite Ronaldo, not because of him.
Sutton’s prediction: 3-0
AI’s prediction: 3-0