U.S. men's soccer team struts into World Cup match against wounded Portugal with chance to eliminate Ronaldo from the tournament
- Portugal has four starters out of the match including their best defender and star goalkeeper
- U.S. striker Jozy Altidore is also out of the match
- Cristiano Ronaldo is injured but expected to play
The U.S. men’s soccer team regained its swagger against Ghana just in time to face a Portugal team limping into Sunday’s match with stars missing from injury or suspension.
Portugal’s two best defenders, a striker and their starting goalkeeper will not play. Another defender will be a game time decision and best player in the world Cristiano Ronaldo is expected to play despite reportedly suffering a career-threatening knee injury.
The U.S. side has lost striker Jozy Altidore to injury and team captain Clint Dempsey has a broken nose but will play. Both teams are licking their wounds after only one match, but the Portuguese are a lot more vulnerable.
Man down: Portugal star Cristiano Ronaldo has ice put on his left knee after a Wednesday training session
The U.S. lost its best player: Striker Jozy Altidore (at right) screams while grabbing his left leg as Ghana's John Boye jogs past - Altidore is not expected to recover until after the World Cup
Broken nose: Clint Dempsey of the U.S. lies on the pitch injured after being kicked in the face by Boye (not pictured) during their 2014 World Cup Group G soccer match earlier this week
Reports out of Brazil earlier this week painted a dire picture for Portugal as it was revealed a team doctor told Ronaldo to pull out of the World Cup over fears a knee injury he has been suffering from for months could ruin the rest of his career.
The Ballon d’or winner as world player of the year has been battling tendinitis in his left knee and thigh injuries, and doctors have warned continuing to sprint up and down the pitch could result in him tearing the patellar tendon, according to a Spanish newspaper.
Ronaldo was then seen limping away from a practice field Thursday while icing his ailing knee, but several teammates have since insisted that he is fit and ready to go.
‘Cristiano is 100 percent fit to play,’ backup Portugal goalkeeper Beto said Friday. ‘Every match, if he starts to play, it is because he is fit to play.’
Midfielder Raul Meireles said he expects Ronaldo by his side when the whistle blows.
‘Cristiano played the last game,’ Meireles said during a Saturday news conference. ‘He trains every day with all of us. Cristiano is fit to play, that's all I can say.’
Injured: Portugal defender Fabio Coentrao, pictured playing against Germany, will miss Sunday's game
Out: Portugal forward Hugo Almeida (R) will also miss Sunday's match after suffering an injury versus Germany
Huge loss: Portuguese goalkeeper Rui Patricio will not play, Beto will take his place
The U.S. is taking no chances and expects Ronaldo to be at full strength.
‘We have to be ready for him,’ United States defender Fabian Johnson said. ‘If he's going to play or not, we have to be ready for him.’
Other starting players out with injuries include defender Fabio Coentrao, forward Hugo Almeida and goalkeeper Rui Patricio.
‘At the moment, we have four players who will not be playing [on Sunday],’ Portugal manager Paulo Bento said, according to ESPN. ‘Secondly there is a possibility of having another absence, and I'm talking about Bruno [Alves] who will not train today. We will only decide today if he will play.’
Defender Pepe, widely considered the team’s best, is missing the game due to suspension. He was sent off with a red card during the match against Germany.
Another defender, Bruno Alves, is working his way back from a serious thigh injury, it is not known if he will be in the starting 11.
Escaping the ‘group of death’ the U.S. was slotted looks much more likely despite the Americans’ best striker, Altidore, possibly being out for the duration of the tournament with a strained right hamstring.
On the fence: Defender Bruno Alves, of Portugal, may or may not play, according to the team's manager
Banned: Portugal's defender Pepe gestures during a training session at the team's base camp in Campinas, he will miss the match versus the U.S. after being sent off with a red card against Germany
In the middle of a rainforest: The US Men's National Team stretches Saturday prior to training at Arena Amazonia
Looking for more of this: John Brooks (center bottom face down) of USA is celebrated by his teammates after scoring the winning goal during the FIFA World Cup 2014 group G preliminary round match between Ghana - keeping the ball away from Ronaldo could lead to more celebrations for the U.S. like this one
Another challenge facing both teams is the game’s venue – a city in the middle of the Amazon Rainforest.
Manaus is considered one of the hottest cities in the world, but Arena del Amazonia is expected to be inundated with torrential rains for the majority of the match.
Portugal is desperate for a win – losing to the U.S. would eliminate the team from advancing to the knockout stage of the tournament – but faces a tough challenge with many players out and their biggest star limping to the finish.
A win means the U.S. would advance to the knockout stage for second World Cup in a row, something it has never done.
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The U.S. beat Portugal during the 2002 World Cup and hopes to repeat the feat Sunday, but it will need to improve upon its ghastly passing during the match against Ghana. The
‘That was a problem against Ghana, but I think it was the first game so you’re going to be a little bit nervous,’ midfielder Jermaine Jones said. ‘We have a win, so we can go win the next game with more trust in ourselves… take the ball and try to hold the ball better.’
Star midfielder Michael Bradley, perhaps the best player on the team with Altidore out, agreed, but also said the best teams win games in different ways.
Keeping the ball away from Ronaldo is the only way the U.S. can hope to win this match and make it to the next round.
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