Really Good to See

[Snookie]

Great to see Ronaldo back and scoring again. OK, the Brazilian league may not be up to much but he is/was such a wonderful player. Really like the sly but affectionate line highlighted in this article from the Guardian.

 

Cuddly comeback king Ronaldo eating balls again

 

 

Exactly a year ago one of Brazil's greatest footballers sat despondent in a Rio de Janeiro police station. It was the crack of dawn and after a late night on the tiles and an alleged argument with a transvestite called Andre inside a Rio sex motel, public humiliation beckoned for Ronaldo, the leading World Cup goalscorer of all time.

 

The coming weeks saw Ronaldo dragged across Brazil's front pages for his late-night antics; the one-time Brazilian hero became the subject of vicious criticism, television satire and sarcastic speculation. He was too fat. He was too rich. He was too lazy. And what on earth had he been getting up to with three transvestites inside that love hotel?

 

Twelve months on, however, and all has been forgiven. The man Brazilians call the Phenomenon is back. Since making his debut for Sao Paulo side Corinthians in March, Ronaldo has scored eight goals in nine matches, leading the club's director to suggest making a film about his Hollywood-esque comeback, Brazil's most famous rapper to release a homage to the striker and fans (among them the country's president) to call for Ronaldo's immediate return to the national team.

 

When Brazil's president, Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, commented this week that Ronaldo was "eating balls" it was a reference to the number of goals he has been scoring rather than to any off-field escapades with Rio's tranvestite community.

 

"I think that if he came back to the national side it would be extraordinary," said Lula, referring to Ronaldo as "fofão" or cuddly, the name of a chubby doll who presented Brazilian kids TV in the 1980s. "I admire people who never give up."

 

Those who, just a few months ago, wrote of Ronaldo's comeback as a cynical marketing ploy have been silenced by his dramatic return. Even Juca Kfouri, one of Brazil's best known and most skeptical football writers, has joined the chorus of praise, describing Ronaldo as the best player in the Sao Paulo championship this year.

 

The latest demonstration that, at 32, Ronaldo is still one of the world's top strikers came on Sunday, when Corinthians took on local rivals Santos in the first leg of the state championship final. With Pele, the Santos idol and Brazil's king of football, looking on from the stands Ronaldo scored twice in Corinthians' 3-1 victory, putting his side a whisker away from the state title.

 

On 25 minutes Ronaldo powered home his first goal with his left foot after killing the ball with a superb piece of control. The second goal, an immaculate chip over the Santos goalkeeper, came on 75 minutes after a nifty back-heel and sent hysteria crashing through the away fans.

 

They were, as Brazilian football fans say, golaços, or 'great goals'. And the unwritten rule in Brazilian football is that, 'He who scores golaços, could end up in the police station with 1,000 transvestites and it wouldn't make any difference.' "It was a goal worthy of Pele," Pele said after the game, with trademark modesty. Ronaldo was equally pleased with himself. "Each goal I score, I lose a kilo," he told reporters.

 

The controversy is not completely behind Ronaldo. The Brazilian version of Playboy recently published a colourful account of Ronaldo's allegedly drunken attempts to sneak into the team hotel earlier this year with a high-class call girl. Smutty jokes about his extra-curricular activities still bring glee to bar tables across the country. But for now at least public opinion is firmly behind the Phenomenon.

 

This week nearly 2,000 readers weighed in on a poll published by the Globo newspaper website, asking whether Ronaldo should be reinstated to the Brazil side. Nearly 70% said Ronaldo deserved the chance to lead his country's attack again.

 

The Brazilian press is now reporting that several European clubs are considering bringing Ronaldo back to the Old World, while president Lula has even suggested that "cuddly" Ronaldo might represent a solution to the world financial crisis.

 

Even that might be beyond Brazil's comeback king. But if Ronaldo keeps eating balls the 2010 World Cup in South Africa suddenly looks like a distinct possibility.

[Silencio]

Just checked out his goals against Santos on youtube. The second one is absolutely sublime.

[Snookie]

Just checked out his goals against Santos on youtube. The second one is absolutely sublime.

 

There is a case to be made for him being second only to Van Basten as the best striker in the world over the last thirty years.

[carrafan]

Just checked out his goals against Santos on youtube. The second one is absolutely sublime.

 

Did you see the colour of the ball?

 

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Ronaldo's the greatest footballer i've ever seen.

Edited April 30, 2009 by carrafan

[Snookie]

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Ronaldo's the greatest footballer i've ever seen.

 

Better than Maradona?

[carrafan]

Better than Maradona?

 

I havent seen Maradona play.

 

 

But Ronaldo's pace, control, two footedness, flair and pure dribbling and goal scoring ability has to put him amongst the best ever? If the new Ronaldo's all about pseudo dribbles and fancy stepovers without beating them, the older fella beat his markers all the time. Its a shame that injuries took so much away from his career. After he turned 25, he couldnt play for a stretch of games without getting injured..still his goal tally didnt lessen.

Edited April 30, 2009 by carrafan

[Duncan Disorderly]

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Ronaldo's the greatest footballer i've ever seen.

Zidane?

[Snookie]

I havent seen Maradona play.

 

I was lucky enough to see him a few times. The first was in 1980 playing for Argentina against Ireland, the second in 82 for Barcalona and the last time for Sevilla in 92. You could see in 80 he was head and shoulders above everyone around him even though he was only 18/19 and that team included people like Ardilles and Kempes. In 82 he was going through a really rough time at Barca (to think that Terry Venables sold and replaced him with Steve Archibald) but he still seemed to be playing a different game in a completely different way than his team mates. In 92 he was in a terrible Sevilla team. He was lethargic and overweight but there were glimmers of magic and you could still see his love of the game.

 

Besides being the greatest player in the world he also plainly loved it in ways that was somehow life affirming. The only other player i can think of is Dalglish. That image of him turning away after scoring the winner at Chelsea to secure the league is one of my favourite ever. Maradona lifting the World Cup in 86 has that same quality.

[John am Rhein]

The image of Maradona charging off towards the corner flag after sinking England is another great one.

 

"he won't need any of them..."

[lfc003]

Favourite player of all time, His second goal is sublime.

[Snookie]

But Ronaldo's pace, control, two footedness, flair and pure dribbling and goal scoring ability has to put him amongst the best ever? If the new Ronaldo's all about pseudo dribbles and fancy stepovers without beating them, the older fella beat his markers all the time. Its a shame that injuries took so much away from his career. After he turned 25, he couldnt play for a stretch of games without getting injured..still his goal tally didnt lessen.

 

Absolutely agree. He was magnificent. His goal in

of great Barca goals is as beautiful as anything you will ever see.

[Hassony]

There is a case to be made for him being second only to Van Basten as the best striker in the world over the last thirty years.

 

He was better than Van Basten

[Gray - YPC]

There is a case to be made for him being second only to Van Basten as the best striker in the world over the last thirty years.

There's a case for him to be number 1, bar none!!

[Hassony]

Can't help thinking that Van Basten is over rated a bit by some due to the fact the he had to retire early, as great a player as he was

 

Ronaldo for me is the third best player of all time behind Maradonna and Pele, he probably would have over taken pele if he looked after him self better

[muleskinner]

Can't help thinking that Van Basten is over rated a bit by some due to the fact the he had to retire early, as great a player as he was

 

Ronaldo for me is the third best player of all time behind Maradonna and Pele, he probably would have over taken pele if he looked after him self better

 

Ronaldo was better than Van Basten but I'd put Zidane ahead of Ronaldo.

[floyd]

Ronaldo for me is the third best player of all time behind Maradonna and Pele, he probably would have over taken pele if he looked after him self better

Agree with that. But I believe Voronin will push Ronaldo close to the third spot, over the next couple of years

[Snookie]

For me Van Basten is the better striker and Ronaldo the better 'alround player'. Ronaldo is an instinctual player who creates goals that others can even begin to imagine. Van Basten is the most intelligent striker I have ever seen and he exploited every bit of skill he had. Hassony raises a fair point that some people overestimate his ability because he retired early. I think the reverse is true. If he had played on, I think he would be rated ever higher. Its almost as if he was a composite of Dalglish and Rush. He had the former's footballing intelligence and the latter's striking ability. A loss of pace would not have affected his abilities. Unfortunately serious injury did.

[muleskinner]

I'd put Zidane & Maradona above Pele too. Not sure where Johan Cruyff fits into all this. Or Kenny.

[Snookie]

I'd put Zidane & Maradona above Pele too. Not sure where Johan Cruyff fits into all this. Or Kenny.

I'd put Maradona and Cruyff above Pele with Zidane just below but I would love to know how they compare to players like de Stefano and Puskas who I have only ever seen on old black and white footage.

[Stevie H]

There's a case for him to be number 1, bar none!!

yep, there really is. great to see him back.

[owenthomas]

get him in Rafa????????