We must copy Euro 2004 spirit: Ronaldo

Cristiano Ronaldo once again failed to transfer his club form to the international stage as his side lost the opener against Germany 1-0. PHOTO: AFP

Portugal captain Cristiano Ronaldo has insisted his team must turn back the clock if they want to go on to reach the final of Euro 2012 despite losing their opening Euro 2012 game to Germany 1-0.

A second-half header from German striker Mario Gomez was enough to give Joachim Loew’s team the three points in Group B at the Lviv Arena.

Portugal are now under pressure to win their next game against the Danes back in Lviv on Wednesday. But Ronaldo, who once again failed to transfer his club form onto the international stage, is calling for his team to emulate the spirit of the Euro 2004 team which lost their opening game 2-1 to eventual-winners Greece, but still went onto reach the final, where they lost 1-0 to the Greeks in Lisbon.

“We were better than Germany,” said Real Madrid star Ronaldo. “Now we have to pick ourselves up and continue. We have to take as an example the team of 2004, when we also started with a defeat, but then reached the final.

“In the second half, the Germans had virtually one chance, while we hit the bar twice and had some big opportunities. There was a lot of bad luck and frustration because we knew we deserved more. Anyone who watched the match will have seen that we were better than Germany.”

Portugal will face Denmark in their second Group B match on June 13.

Pin-drop silence in Dutch dressing room

Dutch midfielder Rafael van der Vaart admitted that the dressing room atmosphere after his side’s 1-0 loss to Denmark was dreadful.

“You could have heard a fly flying in the changing room,” said the midfielder. “Now we have to win our next two games” Arjen Robben, who was guilty of missing goal-scoring opportunities, explained that it happened because of the criticism he receives in the Dutch media. “I had some good chances, particularly two in the first half,” said Robben. “For the first one, instead of shooting myself, I tried to find a teammate. I should’ve taken the chance on my own. But people in the Netherlands say I’m selfish that it must have had a subconscious impact. I wanted to be too collective. It was a mistake.”