Sports Desk; Dhaka,
Sept-12,
This was always going to be Ronaldo's day.
Two goals, two chances
to stage his trademark celebration in a 4-1 victory over Newcastle, ensured the
performance matched the club hype that fans young and old embraced with their
"Viva Ronaldo" chants and willingness to hand over cash for new
jerseys.
Less than five months
ago the fans were storming the stadium in a rage against the owners. Now the
green-and-gold anti-Glazer protest scarves were hanging over the No. 7 Ronaldo
shirts the megastore is struggling to match the demand for in the two weeks since
he joined from Juventus.
The only "Get out
of our club" chants were aimed by the Newcastle supporters at their owner,
not Avram Glazer in the home directors' seats.
For Old Trafford's
second capacity crowd since the start of the pandemic 18 months ago, the
"Welcome home" announcements left no doubt they were for the
superstar on the field.
He left United a year
after winning his first Ballon D'Or accolade in 2008. The Portugal captain
returns a five-time winner, with the chiselled, lean body ensuring not just
playing longevity at 36 but a status that transcends not just United but the
sport.
Ronaldo even laughed at
himself. Like after the early miss when he swung at the ball from a tight angle
right in front of the Newcastle fans.
He had to wait until
the second minute of stoppage time at the end of the first half to restart the
goal count left at 118 in 2009.
Few goals will be
easier, tapping into an empty net after goalkeeper Freddie Woodman fumbled
Mason Greenwood.
It was a goal United
fans had not seen in 12 years and feared would never happen, especially when he
came close to signing for Manchester City when he unexpectedly came on the
market in the final days of the summer transfer window.
Yet it was a goal only
the crowd of around 74,000 could legally watch in the UK.
The rest of the world –
apart from Afghanistan, Cuba, North Korea and Turkmenistan – could view it live
on television.
The peculiarity of
broadcasting rules meant this game was blacked out from television and digital
platforms in the UK until after the game. Yet, illicit Twitter clips of it were
showing more than a million views within half an hour of it being scored.
There was a moment of
unease when United's need for a new defensive midfielder was highlighted by the
failings that led to Newcastle's Javier Manquillo being able to equalise in the
second half.
But Ronaldo had the
lead restored in the 62nd. All the running in the buildup was from Luke Shaw
before slipping the ball through for Ronaldo to effortlessly put the ball
between Woodman's legs.
And there it was again,
the signature celebration finessed during his time at Real Madrid, this time in
front of the Stretford End, where Ronaldo shouted "Siuuu."
The win was secure. It
just needed compatriot Bruno Fernandes with a fine rising, curling shot and
Jesse Lingard's stoppage-time strike to add to the party atmosphere.
Tougher assignments
will come for Ronaldo and United. The celebrations on Saturday were around
Ronaldo's return. But the homecoming will be deemed a success only if he brings
the Premier League trophy back to United for the first time since the final
days of Alex Ferguson's reign in 2013.
End/Dct/Spd/Sma/
