Bosnia and Herzegovina vs. Portugal: Grading Cristiano Ronaldo and Teammates

One-on-one, Vedad Ibišević's guilt-edged miss summed up the game between Bosnia & Herzegovina and Portugal—no end product from either nation.

Why was the pitch was so abysmal?

The cynic in me believes it was planned move from Bosnia & Herzegovina to limit the attacking potency of Portugal. 

If so, it worked. 

Like Lionel Messi against Bolivia, Cristiano Ronaldo left his Superman cape in Spain. What will his grade be? 

This article will grade his performance along with his teammates. 

Goalkeeper: Rui Patrício

Grade: B

Rui Patrício flapped a few crosses early on but was mainly a spectator. 

He prayed a Hail Mary as Vedad Ibišević charged through on goal, and Patrício's prayers were answered as Ibišević made what could be a costly mistake. 

Right-Back: João Pereira

Grade: B-

João Pereira is a player prone to losing his head every now and then.

Against Bosnia & Herzegovina, not only did he not pick up a yellow card, but he was clean in the tackle—he didn't commit a single foul. 

I expected Senad Lulić to cause Pereira a few problems, but Lulić was missing in action. 

Yet, when you factor in Pereira forgetting about playing the off-side trap (which gave Vedad Ibišević that chance), offering not much in attack—the grade drops from a B to a B-.  

Centre-Back: Bruno Alves

Grade: B+

What I love about the Bruno Alves-Pepe centre-back pairing is the no-nonsense approach and solid defending. 

Alves is a beast when it comes to winning headers, using his physique to his advantage and positioning himself against situations where he can be caught flat-footed against quicker forwards. 

Mind you, Edin Džeko's pace isn't going to give Alves nightmares anytime soon. 

Centre-Back: Pepe

Grade: A

Pepe harassed Edin Džeko and subjugated the Manchester City forward to the point where his first shot came 30 minutes into the second half. 

An outstanding performance that demonstrated Pepe's man-marking prowess.

Remember, Džeko had scored 12 goals in 13 games this season. 

Left-Back: Fábio Coentrão

Grade: B-

Where was the energy from Fábio Coentrão? 

For a player known for running himself into the ground as if he has three lungs, Coentrão looked tired—either that or he just didn't put in 100 percent.

Certainly with Miralem Pjanić drifting wide into the centre, there would have been enough space for Coentrão to go on his signature forays down the left flank. 

Defensive Midfielder: Miguel Veloso

Grade: B

Injuries meant Miguel Veloso was not an active member of Portugal's qualifying squad.

His return to the starting lineup went alright. 

You know what you get from Veloso—efficient distribution and effort. 

Centre Midfielder: João Moutinho

Grade: C-

Maybe João Moutinho has an adverse reaction to bad pitches, because he was average at best. 

From time to time, we got the flash of genius most people have come to expect from Moutinho, but it wasn't enough. 

Though with the likelihood that the pitch at the Estádio da Luz will be in mint condition, maybe Moutinho will be more inspiring. 

Centre Midfielder: Raul Meireles

Grade: B

Raul Meireles was all over the place exerting defensive pressure, yet not giving away cheap free kicks, and he did what was asked of him. 

If not for a great save from Asmir Begović, Meireles could have scored. 

Right Forward: Cristiano Ronaldo

Grade: D

Blame the pitch? 

Let's see what Cristiano Ronaldo thought of the pitch:

"

"The condition of the pitch was catastrophic, which caused this result and we are not satisfied."

"

Ronaldo looked good when he dribbled or took the ball past Sejad Salihović, but the Real Madrid forward's tendency to be greedy was exemplified. 

An absurd free kick from way out... we're talking about at least 40 yards out. Wouldn't the more logical option be to send the ball in? After all, what's the point of having Bruno Alves and Pepe up there?

It's judgment day in four days time to see if Ronaldo can push Portugal into qualifying for Euro 2012. 

Centre Forward: Hélder Postiga

Grade: F

A forward is meant to score goals, right? 

Hélder Postiga had two chances to score goals but displayed the type of finishing he exhibited at White Hart Lane. 

What's the point in playing Postiga if he cannot consistently put the ball in the back of the net? 

He has never scored 20 goals in his career. Yet... he is leading the line for the Portuguese national team? 

As soon as Hugo Almeida came on, he provided an excellent ball to Nani, and that one contribution stumped Postiga's useless 65 minutes. 

Left Forward: Nani

Grade: B-

Nani was lively but inefficient with possession, but I guess one can say it was the state of pitch that contributed to the Manchester United winger's wastefulness. 

Did anyone see his back-heel to set up Cristiano Ronaldo? That was great. 

Please also read Euro 2012: Power Ranking Germany, Spain, England and the 12 Qualified Nations.