2014 World Cup: Football's biggest stage up for Portugal's 'go-to' guy Ronaldo

Tuesday, November 19, 2013. Sweden vs. Portugal in the World Cup play-offs. Zlatan vs. Cristiano. Winner takes all.

It was the night that Portugal’s favourite son was so good that FIFA were forced to re-open the Ballon D’Or voting.

Say what you like about the criteria for the award, but there wasn’t much doubt after such a masterclass that Ronaldo was a worthy winner.

Fast forward seven months and, after a stellar season, the Portuguese is racing headlong toward a second successive personal triumph, but how much can he affect his country’s hopes in Brazil?

If the warm-up games are anything to go by, it’s blindingly obvious that he still remains the go-to man.

A lack of creativity and incisive interplay from Os Navegadores throughout the games against Greece and Mexico was tangible, with only a very late Bruno Alves goal (a cracker too) toppling El Tri in the second of the two matches.

The goalless draw against the Galanolefki wouldn’t have given Germany, Ghana or even an ageing United States team too much cause for concern either, Paulo Bento’s men making very heavy weather of the 90 minutes against Fernando Santos’ side.

But what a difference a surprise Ronaldo cameo made against the Republic of Ireland in New York. An industrious hours work well and truly lit up proceedings.

He might not have scored in the 5-1 rout but he did enough to announce that he is more than ready for the demands that World Cup 2014 will place upon him.

Just 52 seconds was all he needed to get his first goal-bound shot on target. An assist, crashing a shot against the post and two more that went close outlined his threat throughout.

With no obvious sign of the niggling injuries that have plagued Ronaldo over the last couple of months, Bento can take his team into the tournament with confidence. The manager noted immediately after the game:

"Yes, it was important that he played and we would not hide it. A player like Ronaldo is important for any team, and that's the case for us. It's good that he is back."

Bento might be call upon such talents as Fabio Coentrao, Raul Meireles, Joao Moutinho, Pepe et al, but all are left in the slipstream of their colleague, the luminary of this Portuguese vintage. Their hopes of progression in the tournament lie squarely on his shoulders.

Real Madrid’s finest will spearhead the assault that can take the Portuguese right up to the quarter-finals without too many problems. And with Ronaldo on his game, who would bet against them going further?

In terms of what we can expect from Bento, it would be highly unlikely to see a switch from his favoured, attacking 4-3-3. Ronaldo will be joined up top by Hugo Almeida and Nani, linking the pace of the two wide men with the robust and physical game that Almeida brings to the party.

The Manchester United man replaced Ronaldo against the Republic and shone brightly in the 24 minutes he had on the pitch. Two assists and a disallowed back-heel strike that would’ve gone down as one of the great team goals were it not adjudged offside, gave us a glimpse of the trickery we can expect down the channels.

In Almeida, Portugal have a proper old school centre-forward who is the perfect accompaniment. A real threat from set pieces, with excellent aerial ability and awareness, Bento has the luxury of knowing that if “route one” becomes necessary, he’s got just the man for the job. As he proved with his two well-taken goals against the Republic.

Joao Moutinho will also be crucial to any Portuguese success and he’s already piqued the interest of Louis Van Gaal, who is keen to take him to Old Trafford at the conclusion of proceedings.

It’s easy to see why. The midfielder’s passing range is bordering on genius. “Xavi-esque” you might say.

Cast your mind back to that November night and study the passes for Ronaldo’s goals. Stunning in their execution. If you see Ronaldo on his bike again in Brazil, it’s because the ball is at Moutinho’s feet.

Twin warriors Raul Meireles and rising-star William Carvalho will shore up the midfield and with Pepe, Fabio Coentrao, Alves and Ricardo Costa at the back, the Portuguese are well set throughout the side.

But it’s Ronaldo who will carry their hopes of victory.

Only Lionel Messi has found the net more times in 2014 and if Ronaldo is on-song and scoring goals then Bento’s tactical nous will ensure that Portugal will be incredibly hard to beat.

As he showed en route to Real’s successful pursuit of La Decima, responsibility sits well on Cristiano Ronaldo’s shoulders.

Cometh the hour….

*Jason Pettigrove is a freelance FC Barcelona, Real Madrid and La Liga correspondent for @YahooSportsME as well as a number of other print/digital media. Follow him @jasonpettigrove