Portugal coach, Roberto Martinez, has emphasized the need for his team to enhance their performance following their draw in the FIFA World Cup, particularly as legendary forward, Cristiano Ronaldo, was unable to find the net.
Martinez maintained his composure even though his highly talented squad dropped points against a debutants DR Congo.
The Spaniard acknowledged that his players must take responsibility, yet he refrained from panicking after just one match.
He said after the match as reported by Tribal Football, “We do have to improve. We have to be very self-critical. Our responsibility here, I think is to assess this match, be self-critical and that’s the bottom line … the World Cup is like that. We continue our work.”
Joao Neves provided Portugal with an early lead in the sixth minute, but Yoane Wissa equalized with DR Congo’s inaugural FIFA World Cup goal.
Despite the draw, Martinez can draw inspiration from teams that stumbled early but ultimately secured the trophy, such as Argentina and Spain in past tournaments.
Looking ahead, Cristiano Ronaldo will captain Portugal in their upcoming match against Uzbekistan in Houston on June 23, eager to quell the rising skepticism.