Samba and Soccer Ronaldinho Style

The vast crowd grows quiet as Ronaldinho stands over the ball. It is 21 June 2002 in the Shizuoka Stadium, Japan, Brazil versus England in the quarter-finals of the World Cup, and the score stands all square at 1-1 with 50 minutes played. Brazil have a free kick way out 30 yards on their right. The England penalty area is packed with players, including Ronaldo and Rivaldo who, with Ronaldinho, form the dreaded three R's of Brazilian football. The crowd suddenly roars as Ronaldinho runs up and plays the ball high into the air, floating it towards the jostling players. Just for a moment, the ball appears to be stationary, suspended overhead...

Playing in the World Cup was just a daydream for Ronaldinho when he was a kid in the slums of Porto Alegre in Southern Brazil. He developed his close ball control skills on the rock strewn streets outside the wooden shack where he was born in 1980. He was part of a family of footballing fanatics. His father was an amateur player, while his brother, Roberto, had been one of that club's up and coming stars before a knee injury ended his career.

Like many another of soccer crazy Brazil's superstars, Ronaldinho quickly made his mark both at club and national level, helping Brazil win the 1999 Copa America with six goals to his credit.

He was soon to make the important move to Europe, the home of soccer. In 2001 Ronaldinho joined the French club Paris Saint Germain (PSG), before £21,000,000 (approx $30 million US) enticed the Brazilian superstar to move to Barcelona, one of the top clubs in Spain, where he was voted World Footballer of the Year in 2004.

What makes Ronaldinho worth this amount of money? First, he is an exciting player; an attacking mid-fielder who sambas his way through the opposition. He can split the defence with an inch-perfect pass, or bend the ball up, over and around a defensive wall. And he does it all with a big grin on his face, which only serves to endear him even more to his adoring fans.

Although a great star on the soccer pitch, like most geniuses Ronaldinho has a flawed personality. He has had disagreements with most of the clubs he has played for and is said to be currently unhappy with Barcelona. Accusations of late night parties and wild romances may seem unlikely for this superstar who once claimed that he was only in love with a football. But, if he is to leave Barcelona, who can afford to pay the vast amount of money he is said to be
worth? Front runner may be British club Chelsea with their billionaire Russian owner, Roman Abramovich. who, in 2005, had a bid of £60 million turned down for the Brazilian star.

Wherever Ronaldinho moves next he is sure to light up the game as he sambas his way through the opposition's defence on his way to scoring another of his fabulous goals before giving his fans a flash of his dazzling smile.

But back to Japan, 2002 where we left Ronaldinho's free kick hanging in the air.

...the ball suddenly seems to take on a life of its own. Instead of dipping in accordance with the laws of physics, it suddenly seems to accelerate, floating on over the desperately clutching fingers of England goalkeeper, David Seaman, and into the back of the net. Brazil lead 2-1, and go on to lift the trophy in the final against Germany, which they won 2-0.

Was Ronaldinho's free kick the result of perhaps the greatest player ever's skill, or was the shot really intended as simply a pass into the penalty area. When asked Ronaldinho simply shrugged and gave his toothy grin. He wasn't telling.

Sources
http://www.biogs.com/famous/ronaldinho.html
http://ezinearticles.com/?Ronaldinhos-Biography&id=427330
http://www.1ronaldinho.com/Biography.htm
http://www.askmen.com/men/sports_60/71c_ronaldinho.html
http://www.ronaldinho.co.uk/