Spain defender Gerard Pique was partially responsible for Spain losing a late lead and having to settle for a 3-3- draw against Portugal on Friday, and he’s trying to deflect some of the blame.
Cristiano Ronaldo scored a hat trick in the World Cup opener, and he opened the scoring a fourth minute penalty that some felt was the result of a dive. Pique certainly seemed to agree and said as much after the game.
Pique: "Ronaldo has a habit of throwing himself to the ground”
— Miguel Delaney (@MiguelDelaney) June 15, 2018
Translation: Ronaldo dove, presumably in the penalty incident early in the first half, in order to get the decision.
There was contact in the penalty area before Ronaldo went down, and the decision to award a penalty kick was upheld by video review. Pique’s complaints ring somewhat hollow. It probably doesn’t help that he was responsible for giving away the late free kick that resulted in Ronaldo’s exceptional equalizer.
