Cristiano outshines Bale on big stage

It must be written in our genetic code. When you're at the point of wining something, the fear of losing overcomes the ambition to win. With that inescapable principle, Wales abandoned what had brought them to the semi-finals and confused tactics with terror. Nobody dared to dribble, to take the game to Portugal, to press higher up the field out of fear of losing the ball or being beaten. Only Bale, who had to drop too deep to get on the ball and become playmaker, creator and finisher. He was the only one to offer any threat with individual efforts that at times spanned almost the entire field and ended in either crosses or shots from outside the area. What was happening (from the anxious stall to the definitive error) couldn't have been stopped or solved, not even by Aaron Ramsey. The terror took hold, and for Portugal it was enough to hold their shape, deny Bale any space, and sling the ball into the box hoping that Cristiano was feeling inspired. Or just force corners, where the first goal came from.

The game had suddenly become very interesting. Bale had to go up another gear, it was him or nothing, but then Cristiano's shot was deflected in by Nani. It's too easy to forget just how much Portugal's star has had to do to get here, and not just in a semi-final. The game was billed as a battle of two stars, but served as a reminder of the value of having someone like Cristiano in your team, even in his current slightly reduced version. Perhaps no-one was as good as Bale was this tournament, but it was Cristiano who shone on the big stage.