Ronaldo lights up Nani gloom: Cristiano-mania hits town
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Ronaldo lights up Nani gloom: Cristiano-mania hits town as dream ends for ex-United pal
Happy wanderer: Cristiano Ronaldo savours the atmosphere before kick-off as he sparked an outbreak of hysteria akin to Beatlemania.
Bearing in mind that Cristiano Ronaldo can be seen posing, six-pack out, in red Armani underpants on the front cover of Vanity Fair magazine, it is perhaps provocative to say that he has had a quiet build-up to the World Cup. But if that had been the case, it changed on Tuesday.
In the unlikely setting of the Wanderers cricket ground in Johannesburg, Ronaldo sparked an outbreak of hysteria akin to Beatlemania.
The former Manchester United star appeared just past the hour mark in Portugal's 3-0 victory over Mozambique and the noise, already relentless due to South Africa's vuvuzela phenomenon, increased markedly.
The two countries, linked from colonial days, and in football via Eusebio, played for the Goodwill Cup in an atmosphere raucous with goodwill. At full-time Ronaldo, Portugal's captain now, lifted the cup, waved to the crowd and was then submerged in a scrum of photographers.
These were the sort of images that FIFA, the tournament organizers - not forgetting Portugal - will have been relieved and delighted to see.
Extra satisfaction will have been derived as this came hours after the World Cup lost another of its potential stars, and another Manchester United player, when Nani withdrew from the Portugal squad with a damaged collar bone.
Sign of things to come? Ronaldo lifts the Goodwill CupThat news broke early in the afternoon, and was a depressing addition to Rio Ferdinand, Michael Essien, Michael Ballack, and possibly Didier Drogba and Arjen Robben. In those circumstances, the tournament needs all the stardust it can get.
Thankfully at this magnificent tree-lined ground, some appeared. Like the arrival of Diego Maradona at Argentina's training session in Pretoria on Sunday, this acted as another wave of the anticipation now breaking on the shores of this World Cup.
In one way it was unforeseen. Over the past few weeks Ronaldo has not received the acres of coverage devoted globally to Lionel Messi, Wayne Rooney, Drogba or even the Jabulani ball.
But when six minutes after replacing Simao to participate in a convincing second-half Portuguese performance, Ronaldo lined up a 35-yard free-kick, the Jabulani had lift-off and so did the Wanderers stadium.
Nani was here to witness his colleagues' effort but it was a bleak scene. Nani remained in his tracksuit. He has, of course, blossomed at Old Trafford last season in the wake of Ronaldo's departure to Real Madrid.
The injury represents a serious blow to manager Carlos Queiroz, another Portuguese football man born in Mozambique. Portugal, after all, are in the same group as Brazil and Ivory Coast. Losing Nani was not part of the gameplan.
But for Nani, read Danny. That is Danny Miguel, a 26-year-old attacking midfielder who opened the scoring from a typical pass by Deco. Danny's finish, beating the hitherto rock-solid Mozambique goalkeeper Otshudi Lama, revealed composure.