It started with humiliation, hit the heights of glory and ended in misery. Ronaldo’s World Cup, like his career, has been the worst and the best of times.
This was the tournament when Ronaldo confirmed himself in the pantheon of World Cup greats by beating Gerd Muller’s goalscoring record. It was also when, obviously overweight, he was booed off for an abysmal opening performance. He also argued with the Brazil president, got blisters on his feet and caught the flu.
Last night he came on the pitch with a new look. He had a little goatee under his chin and a big grin. For the first time in the tournament he seemed lighter in spirit, free from the taunts about his weight and from the doubters who thought his World Cup days numbered.
His pairing with Ronaldinho, moved up to the front line of attack in the absence of Adriano, was also something to put a spring in his step. The two Ronnies play to each other’s strengths much more effectively and within 10 minutes his head connected with a Ronaldinho free-kick and the ball bounced over the bar.
Ronaldo was the story the last time these two teams met, in the 1998 World Cup final. Then he was an apathetic, crestfallen figure who, it was revealed, had had a nervous fit hours before the game. His health and fitness has again been under scrutiny this year, having arrived two-thirds of a stone overweight for Brazil’s preparation in Switzerland. But with each game he has been getting sharper.
He has shed the pounds, but he still lacks pace and at times could have made better chances had he been marginally faster. He disappeared for large parts of the game, not because of any personal problem but because of France’s increased confidence and possession.
Ronaldo has already exorcised the demons of 1998, by recovering from injury just in time to take part in the World Cup four years later and win the title, scoring two goals in the final. It would have been especially sweet to have hit the net against France last night – less putting ghosts to rest than obliterating them to another dimension. Instead, the spirits came back to torment him.
Ronaldo’s funny turn eight years ago prompted two parliamentary enquiries in Brazil, even though what really happened has never entirely been explained. The official line was that after the fit he was taken to a clinic in Paris for tests, given the all-clear and then asked to play. Mario Zagallo, the coach, said that with a clean bill of health Ronaldo had to start.
Many Brazilians are sure something is being kept secret and grist was given to their mill this week when Zagallo, now coach Carlos Alberto Parreira’s number two, said: ‘In 1998 we played when Ronaldo was ill. Now he will be 100 per cent.’ If he was ill, they argued, then Zagallo was previously being economical with a verdade
Ronaldo arrived at Brazil’s training camp in Switzerland weighing almost 15 stone. When, after an invisible opening performance against Croatia, he was substituted the press were writing him off.
He improved against Australia, but his touch was lacking and when he started against Japan he was, according to the team fitness trainer, 9lb lighter than at the beginning of the preparation campaign. His second goal of that match equalled Muller’s record of 14 and his fifth-minute goal against Ghana put him clear.
Even though Ronaldo was never as hyped as Ronaldinho, Brazilians have tended to see him as more crucial to their retaining the trophy. But his grin turned to a snarl, part in surprise and part in anger, when shortly before half time Medina Cantalejo showed him a yellow card for what looked like an accidental hand ball. He never got his smile back all match.
Parreira defended his decision to use Ronaldo for 90 minutes: ‘The three best moves that threatened the French goal came from Ronaldo’s feet,’ he said. ‘I do not regret choosing the all-time World Cup top scorer at all.’ A day earlier Parreira had insisted Ronaldo would be able to carry on. ‘He is only 29 years old. He’ll be able to play for four or five years and maybe even go to another World Cup. If he is motivated, then he has what it takes.’
Whether he does after the disappointment last night remains to be seen.
Tags: Cannot, Demons, Exorcise, Recordbreaker, Ronaldo
