Then, looking up, he saw the linesman waving his yellow and orange checkered flag.
Offside.
Ronaldo looked like he might cry.
With three world player of year awards, there is no doubt that Real Madrid's goal-scoring record holder is a great footballer, the second-best of his generation. But the reason he will never be mentioned with any seriousness in the same breath as Pele, Diego Maradona or Lionel Messi at the very pinnacle of his sport is because of too many nights where Portugal's now most-capped player has failed to deliver for his country.
At the European Championship, there have been two such nights- first in a 1-1 draw against Iceland and, on Saturday in Paris, in a goal-less draw against Austria. Both are teams one would reasonably expect to be easy-ish quarry for a predator like Ronaldo. But this hunter in France has no fangs. At least not so far.
As with all teams that have a superstar among mere mortal teammates, there is always going to be the debate about why Ronaldo isn't the same goal-machine with Portugal that he is Real Madrid, where each of the last six seasons have seen him score at least 51 times for his club. Is the supporting cast or the lead actor to blame?
Ronaldo cannot complain that his failure to score at Euro 2016 is because opportunities haven't been delivered on a platter. Simple fact is that Ronaldo is fluffing his lines.
After his lack of grace against Iceland, where he uncharitably poo-pooed its tactics as too defensive, Austria represented a chance for Ronaldo to redeem himself by letting his feet do the talking. But his feet, and Austrian goalkeeper Robert Almer, didn't get the memo.
Coming up against a goalkeeper having an impeccable night can happen to the best players. Diving to his left, Almer got a hand to Ronaldo's fizzing left-foot shot 10 minutes into the second half that, had it gone in, would have seen Portugal's captain become the first player to score in four European Championships and added lasting meaning to his record 128th appearance for his country.
A minute later, Almer saved a goal-bound header from Ronaldo. He expressed his mounting frustration in the same way he sometimes celebrates his goals - by thrusting his hips forward like a matador.
Two free-kicks from Ronaldo in the second half proved sterile, too. The first he slammed straight into the Austrian wall. The second, in Gareth Bale territory 25 meters out, cleared the wall ... and Almer's cross-bar.
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EUFA Euro 2016:
Switzerland - France
X-10min@ 1.16
Romania - Albania
X-10min@ 1.15
Slovakia - England
X-10min@ 1.17
Russia - Wales
X-10min@ 1.15
Ukraine - Poland
X-10min@ 1.15
Northern Ireland - Germany
X-10min@ 1.22
Croatia - Spain
X-10min@ 1.16
Czech Republic - Turkey
X-10min@ 1.16
Hungary - Portugal
X-10min@ 1.17
Iceland - Austria
X-10min@ 1.15
Italy - Republic of Ireland
X-10min@ 1.15
Sweden - Belgium
X-10min@ 1.16
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