Portugal vs. Spain: Cristiano Ronaldo Must Be Spectacular for Navigators to Win

Portugal has the ability to upset Spain on Wednesday, but they must have an incredible performance from Cristiano Ronaldo to pull it off. We all know Ronaldo is capable of such a match, but will he be able to deliver?

The Ronaldo that was kept quiet during the early matches of Euro 2012 need not show his face. The Navigators need the Ronaldo that scored two goals against Holland, and the Ronaldo that nailed the clutch header past Czech Republic's Petr Cech.

That goal was clutch, and it landed Portugal one win away from playing for the championship.

Make no mistake, Spain is not Holland, and they are an even tougher bunch than the Czech Republic. Ronaldo and Portugal will be facing off against arguably the best team in the tournament.

Ronaldo is familiar with members of the opposition. Alvaro Albeloa and Sergio Ramos are his Real Madrid teammates, and they can see firsthand what Ronaldo is capable of. They may also be able to give sound advice on how to slow him.

Spain's defense is already formidable, even without the insider information.

They have surrendered only one goal in Euro 2012. That came to Italy in their only blemish of the tournament, a one-all draw in the early stages.

Since then, they have out-scored three opponents seven to zero. This is why Ronaldo's performance must be among the best of his career. This is his biggest stage, and he must make this his biggest moment.

If he finds the back of the net and leads Portugal to the Euro 2012 finals, it will cement his legacy, and solidify his place alongside Lionel Messi as one of the games' best players.

We will see if he is up to the challenge.

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