They came to see Cristiano Ronaldo, perhaps expecting feats to rival Lionel Messi’s remarkable display the night before. Ronaldo’s many followers in Houston did their best to summon a meaningful contribution from their idol but ultimately there were 16 players infinitely more deserving of acclaim. The Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) could have folded after falling behind to João Neves’s early goal but recovered brilliantly to salvage a historic draw on their return to the World Cup, Yoane Wissa’s leveller followed by a triumph of defensive discipline and resolve.
Roberto Martínez kept Ronaldo on the pitch for all 95 minutes but, beyond two half-chances midway through the second period, his contribution was minimal and did little to assuage concerns that his presence is a potentially crippling millstone.
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