At 35, Cristiano Ronaldo is struggling to regain his famous explosiveness following the three-month break for the coronavirus pandemic.
The Juventus striker failed to make an impact in his first two matches back, making his run of 19 goals in 14 consecutive matches before the break seem like a distant memory.
“Right now his (physical condition) numbers are not bad, maybe the best of the season, which means he trained a lot (during the lockdown),” Juventus coach Maurizio Sarri said after his team lost to Napoli in a penalty shootout in the Italian Cup final following a 0-0 draw yesterday [Macau time].
“In terms of his acceleration and top speed, his numbers are not what he’s accustomed to. But that’s normal for someone who hasn’t been playing games.”
In last week’s semifinal match against AC Milan, Ronaldo virtually disappeared after failing to convert a first-half penalty.
Against Napoli, the five-time Ballon d’Or winner’s impact lasted all of five minutes.
Ronaldo earned a corner kick with a series of his trademark step-over moves and then had his only chance of the match batted away by Napoli goalkeeper Alex Meret.
Making matters worse, Ronaldo could only watch helplessly when Napoli sealed the 4-2 shootout victory before he was slated to take Juventus’ last spot kick.
During the awards ceremony, Ronaldo appeared on the verge of tears.
The game coincided with his son Cristiano Jr.’s 10th birthday and a title would have given Ronaldo the 30th trophy of his career for club and country.
This was supposed to be the month when Ronaldo was leading Portugal in the defense of its European Championship title. Instead, he’s going to have to play himself back into shape with Serie A resuming next.
Juve’s other key forwards are also racing to get back into shape.
Paulo Dybala has shown only flashes of brilliance after testing positive for COVID-19 for 50 days. His failure to convert the opening penalty of the shootout set the tone for the loss.
Gonzalo Higuain missed the two cup matches after injuring his right thigh upon the return to training, and Douglas Costa had a series of injuries before the break.
“These are all players who are used to resolving situations individually,” Sarri said. “Right now we can’t expect more considering our condition.”
With little time for training, though, Ronaldo and Juventus will have to play their way back into shape with Serie A about to restart with games every three or four days.
On the bright side, Juventus’ defense appears in top shape after keeping consecutive clean sheets with 42-year-old goalkeeper Gianluigi Buffon putting on a performance for the ages in the final. ANDREW DAMPF, ROME, AP
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