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Portugal head coach, Roberto Martinez has defended his decision not to substitute Cristiano Ronaldo in the 1-1 draw with DR Congo at the ongoing World Cup on Wednesday.
Portugal had gone ahead courtesy of Joao Neves in the 6th minute of the Group K encounter.
A spirited DR Congo drew level shortly before the halftime whistle was blown and held on for a vital draw in the second half.
Martínez faced criticism for not replacing Ronaldo, 41, despite limited impact.
The Al Nassr forward’s performance has reignited debate over his role in the starting XI, particularly given Portugal’s wealth of attacking options
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BBC‘s Chris Sutton called it “embarrassing” when the Portuguese tactician subbed Vitinha for Gonçalo Ramos in the 83rd minute instead of Ronaldo, insinuating that the coach was “scared” to bench his captain.
Reacting to the criticism, Martinez said it would not make sense to remove the five-time Ballon d’Or winner.
He said, “It made no sense at all to take off Cristiano Ronaldo, who is the best goalscorer in history, off the field when we were looking for goals.”
The coach argued that his side failed to win the game because they shifted away from the aggressive approach that had brought them early success.
He maintained that his players became too focused on retaining possession, allowing DR Congo to gain confidence, get back into the game and execute their gameplan more effectively.
