Will the real Ronaldo please show up?

PICTURE: AFP

The compliments pile up as a major tournament nears. This is nothing new. Once more, Cristiano Ronaldo braces himself for a one-man demolition job.

If only performance is delivered on promise.

At United and Real Madrid, he blossomed beyond conventional belief, turning into perhaps the finest specimen of an all-round footballer. The speed merchant can dribble, shoot with either foot, head the ball, make the killer pass and finish with unerring accuracy.

For Portugal, it's quite another story. Disappointment after disappointment best describes his international career. It's as if the hopes of an entire nation bearing down on his shoulders make his knees wobbly.