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The history of Ricardo Quaresma and the trivela

By Devin Nguyen

ZURICH, SWITZERLAND - MARCH 23: #20 Ricardo Quaresma of Portugal in action during the International Friendly between Portugal and Egypt at the Letzigrund Stadium on March 23, 2018 in Zurich, Switzerland. (Photo by Robert Hradil/Getty Images)
ZURICH, SWITZERLAND - MARCH 23: #20 Ricardo Quaresma of Portugal in action during the International Friendly between Portugal and Egypt at the Letzigrund Stadium on March 23, 2018 in Zurich, Switzerland. (Photo by Robert Hradil/Getty Images) /
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KAZAN, RUSSIA – JUNE 28: Ricardo Quaresma of Portugal controls the ball while under pressure from Mauricio Isla of Chile and Charles Aranguiz of Chile during the FIFA Confederations Cup Russia 2017 Semi-Final between Portugal and Chile at Kazan Arena on June 28, 2017 in Kazan, Russia. (Photo by Laurence Griffiths/Getty Images)
KAZAN, RUSSIA – JUNE 28: Ricardo Quaresma of Portugal controls the ball while under pressure from Mauricio Isla of Chile and Charles Aranguiz of Chile during the FIFA Confederations Cup Russia 2017 Semi-Final between Portugal and Chile at Kazan Arena on June 28, 2017 in Kazan, Russia. (Photo by Laurence Griffiths/Getty Images) /

The Trivela Assist: Portugal vs Estonia (June 8, 2016)

Trivelas are sweet when they curl off the foot and into the back of the net. But, they can be just as sweet when they set up a teammate for a goal. In this case, Quaresma sets up his former Sporting teammate and fellow young Portuguese prodigy, Ronaldo, in a friendly against Estonia.

On home soil at the Estádio da Luz, Quaresma, playing in a front-two with Ronaldo, plays the trivela cross from the left that swerves viciously towards the goal and back out to where Ronaldo is perfectly positioned to head the ball into the net. That goal was the first of seven in a 7-0 win.

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The connection between the Quaresma and Ronaldo is special, both players full of potential starting at Sporting as teenagers, but since have lead very different careers. A couple years older than Ronaldo, Quaresma, like an older brother making the mistakes a younger brother can learn from, pathed the way for Ronaldo to succeed.

Ronaldo has fulfilled his potential and then some, while even though Quaresma’s career hasn’t been full of scoring titles, Ballon d’Ors, domestic titles and Champions League titles, it doesn’t feel as though he wishes he could do things differently. He only knows how to play one way.

Portugal’s Euro 2016 championship, Ronaldo’s international achievement that some believe places him above Messi, was arguably won due to the contributions of Quaresma and not Ronaldo. Ronaldo scored three times, but Quaresma scored the winner in extra-time against Croatia in the round of 16 and the winning penalty in the shootout against Poland in the quarter-finals.

PARIS, FRANCE – JULY 10: Cristiano Ronaldo (R) and Ricardo Quaresma (L) and Portugal pose for photographs with the Henri Delaunay trophy to celebrate after their 1-0 win against France in the UEFA EURO 2016 Final match between Portugal and France at Stade de France on July 10, 2016 in Paris, France. (Photo by Lars Baron/Getty Images)
PARIS, FRANCE – JULY 10: Cristiano Ronaldo (R) and Ricardo Quaresma (L) and Portugal pose for photographs with the Henri Delaunay trophy to celebrate after their 1-0 win against France in the UEFA EURO 2016 Final match between Portugal and France at Stade de France on July 10, 2016 in Paris, France. (Photo by Lars Baron/Getty Images) /

And, in a bit of poetic justice, Quaresma replaced Ronaldo, the player he could have been, after twenty-five minutes in the final that Portugal would go on to win.

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