There are usually a few nerves when a team goes into a big game missing their — and the league’s — top goalscorer. These, however, are not normal times in the Rohsn Saudi League, or for Al-Nassr.
Anderson Talisca may have been suspended, but up stepped Cristiano Ronaldo to give a virtuoso performance and announce he has well and truly arrived in Saudi football.
The five-time Ballon d’Or winner scored all four goals on Thursday night in the win over Al-Wehda that did more than just put Al-Nassr back on top of the standings.
With two goals in each half, the forward, 38, reminded a sell-out crowd and those watching around Saudi Arabia and the rest of the world that he is not just a legend of the game — a big name to lift the profile of the club and league. The reason that he is all those things is because he is, first and foremost, a world-class talent.
There were no spectacular volleys or overhead kicks, though such strikes will surely come sooner or later, but the goals were expertly taken from a striker who knows perhaps better than anyone else how to put the ball in the net. At this rate, with five goals in three games, the former Real Madrid, Juventus and Manchester United star may end up catching Talisca and his current 13 goals.
Although Ronaldo now has over 500 league goals in his career, his hunger for more goals was striking. Whether his last goal was scored two games ago or two minutes, the desire remains. The frustration last weekend when he missed chances in a 2-2 draw at Al-Fateh was clear for all to see and it took a last-minute penalty to get him off the mark in Saudi Arabia.
The fact that the spot-kick was his only goal for the five-time UEFA Champions League winner in the first two league games in Saudi Arabia makes this four-goal haul even better. Ronaldo knows, as does anyone who has watched football in the country for years or just a few weeks, that goals are not easy to come by. It does not matter who you are, what record you have or where you are from, only those with dedication and determination to go with talent end up successful.
Had four goals come in the first game from those famous boots, there would have been international comments that the league was too easy even though this was a meeting between a title challenger and a newly-promoted team. In the past few weeks, it has become clear that there is a lot more to this league.
If that is not proof enough, there is more to be found in Morocco as Al-Nassr’s bitter Riyadh rivals, Al-Hilal, are 90 minutes away from being crowned world champions. After defeating African champions Wydad AC and South American champions Flamengo, the Blues take on Real Madrid on Saturday. Whatever happens in Rabat, Al-Hilal have shown quality, composure and determination at the FIFA Club World Cup and deserve to be in the final. The reputation of the league is going from strength to strength.
On Sunday Al-Hilal will return home to resume domestic battles but will know that Al-Nassr are looking very dangerous indeed. Ronaldo has his eye in. His relief and then delight was there for all to see as he collected the match-ball from the referee and they then posed for a photograph together. Nobody has scored four goals in Saudi Arabia just three games after making their debut.
“I am pleased with my goals in today’s match,” Ronaldo said, “but my greatest happiness lies in helping my colleagues achieve victory. We are happy with the great victory, collecting points, and returning again to the top of the Saudi League.”
That is now where Al-Nassr plan to stay. It was an important win as Al-Shabab had won 4-2 earlier in the day to go top. If Al-Ittihad and Al-Hilal win their games in hand then there will be just one point separating the top four. With the margins fine and the pressure high, that is when Cristiano Ronaldo and his goals, experience and mentality can make a difference.
Now he looks to be fully settled, fully firing and happy with his lot. Talisca is going to come back rested and hungry, Luiz Gustavo in midfield is going from strength to strength and the team is starting to play more fluently. There is still a long way to go but even if Al-Hilal return to Saudi Arabia as newly-crowned world champions to go straight into action against Al-Feiha, they will know that Al-Nassr are going to take some stopping.
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