http://www.youtube.com/user/5HosamRonaldo?feature=CAQQwRs%3D (5HosamRonaldo)
http://www.youtube.com/user/ronaldogodmagic?feature=CAQQwRs%3D (ronaldogodmagic)
http://www.youtube.com/user/beeko99 (Beeko 99)
1. Level of Technique
“Ronaldo is
a better and upgraded Pelé”
“Ronaldo is
a great dribbler, finisher and a genius with assists. Its said his only failing
is with headers, which is a half-truth:
it is not that he does not knows head the ball with strength and
precision, the matter is that his game favors the chest control and dribble in
the defender”.
These
statements are adapted from the book “Os Melhores Jogadores de Futebol do
Brasil”, which means “The Best Brazilian Footballers”, written by Luciano
Ubirajara Nassar. I read this book some months ago and don’t remember the
original text.
Nassar is
very fortunate in his statement, cause Ronaldo is brilliant in everything a
striker needs to be good. After this quick introduction, let’s see Ronaldo’s
level of technique with many images.
Here we see Ronaldo passing, and we find out his level of pass is much better than almost every midfielder ever.
Ronaldo shooting
Great dribbling plays, without goals
Great dribbling plays, with goals
Some header goals by Ronaldo
Of course there is
more footage showing Ronaldo’s skills, but these plays show that in terms of
technique Ronaldo was one of the best players of all time, or maybe the best.
2. Career
1993. World Cup Legend Jairzinho see playing for the small club São Cristóvão a young called Ronaldo. After the boy good display at the U-17 South American Championship, in which he was the top scorer, Jairzinho forwards him to the youth squad of Cruzeiro. Thanks to his great performances, such as in the “Copa BH Júnior” and in Supertaça Minas Gerais Júnior”, contests in which he was the top scorer in both with 8 and 9 goals respectively, the boy is promoted to the first squad of Cruzeiro yet in 1993, aged 16.
1993. World Cup Legend Jairzinho see playing for the small club São Cristóvão a young called Ronaldo. After the boy good display at the U-17 South American Championship, in which he was the top scorer, Jairzinho forwards him to the youth squad of Cruzeiro. Thanks to his great performances, such as in the “Copa BH Júnior” and in Supertaça Minas Gerais Júnior”, contests in which he was the top scorer in both with 8 and 9 goals respectively, the boy is promoted to the first squad of Cruzeiro yet in 1993, aged 16.
Rare report with a few Ronaldo's very rare goals and plays for São Cristóvão and in Futsal.
Some goals scored by Ronaldo with Brazil U-17 team and in the Youth Squad of Cruzeiro
Ronaldo don’t manage
to score in his first two games, but when Cruzeiro makes a excursion in Europe,
he scores with a header against “Belenenses”,
his first goal. Still in this excursion, he participates of C.F Porto
Centennial Tournament, scoring, in the semifinals, a goal that his coach in
that time said was the best Ronaldo’s goal he had ever seen (I've never seen it).
When Cruzeiro returns
to Brazil, Ronaldo becomes a starter at Cruzeiro team. Then he scores 12 goals
in 14 games in the Brazilian Championship, being second place in top scorers
list (despite Cruzeiro was eliminated in the first phase of the tournament). In
the Supercopa Libertadores, Ronaldo was the top scorer, with 8 goals in only 4
games. Then Ronaldo receives his first caps for Brazil national team.
In 1994, Ronaldo is
the top scorer of Campeonato Mineiro, with 22 goals in 18 games, leading
Cruzeiro to win the competition. He also does great displays in Copa
Libertadores, scoring one of his best goals against Boca Juniors. In this year,
he makes his debut with national team, in the 2-0 victory against Argentina. In
the game against Iceland, he gets the chance of be a starter and then scores
his first international goal and takes part on the other 2 goals scored by
Brazil in that game.
Ronaldo is called to
the FIFA World Cup of 1994, but he do not play. After this he moves to PSV
Eindhoven.
Ronaldo, some rare plays and goals in Cruzeiro.
Ronaldo's plays against Iceland
Ronaldo in his last train in Cruzeiro, scoring a great goal. "I said Romário that I am going to break his records"
In PSV, Ronaldo arrives with 17 years old. In his first season, he was the Top Scorer of Eredivisie with 30 goals (12 of advantage over second place). In the following season, Ronaldo has his first knee problem and his first surgery is done. Despite of this fact, Ronaldo scored 19 goals in 21 games with PSV that season.
Almost all of Ronaldo's goals in PSV
Ronaldo's highlights in probably his best game with PSV, 4 goals 2 assists and many skills.
Getting recovered of
the surgery, Ronaldo is called to play the Olympic Games of 1996, having a very
good performance with five goals (one less than the tornament Top Scorer).
Brazil team receives the Bronze Medal. Then Ronaldo moves to Barcelona.
Ronaldo's plays in the 1996 Olympics Games
At Barca, the level of Ronaldo’s performances grows hugely, and with only 19 years, Ronaldo contests the awards “FIFA Player of The Year” and “Golden Ball”. In the end of 1996, with 20 years, Ronaldo receives the FIFA Player of The Year and ranks second for only one vote in Golden Ball.
Ronaldo many rare plays in Barca, from less than a hal of his games in 96/97 season.
The best goals of Ronaldo in Barcelona
In this moment,
Ronaldo’s career goal ratio is around one goal per game. With Barca, Ronaldo was champion and top
scorer of the old competition “Winner’s Cup” and of Spanish Cup and broke the
club record of goals in a single season, scoring 47 times in 49 games. In the
last rounds of Spanish Championship, Ronaldo left Barca to play the Copa
América. Without its best player, Barcelona lost the league title, surpassed by
Real Madrid with a difference of two points.
Ronaldo's plays in Copa America of 1997
Then Ronaldo moves to Italian team Internazionale. As Luís Figo said, Ronaldo had everybody wondering wheter he was human or not. He made a season incredible, so incredible that despite of it be his only complete season in Italy, and players like Zidane and Maldini play in Italy during this time, in 2007 Ronaldo was awarded Best Player of the Decade in Italy (1997-2007).
For the 97/98 Ronaldo,
it doesn’t matter if the defender to confront is Maldini, Nesta, Thuram,
Cannavaro, Costacurta or any other defender: Ronaldo could dribble everything.
In addition, his passing abilities, which were already very good, grow to a
fantastic level. Finishing, his ration in goal: shot is even better than in
Barca. Even his marking abilities are great, prove of it is that in UEFA Cup
Final he had stolen the ball five times.
With a so incredible
technique, Ronaldo don’t had even a position in field. Despite he was listed as
a striker, we see Ronaldo doing side plays as a winger, marking as defensive
midfielder, making through passes as a playmaker and, of course, scoring as a
striker. Also Ronaldo started to take and score in freekicks and to take
corners and side freekicks.
The 1997/98 season saw Inter win a tilte after many years of drought, winning the UEFA Cup, but the Italian League title is won by Juventus in very controversial circunstances, with a clear penalty suffered by him denied in the Inter-Juve second game. Still talking about this season, Ronaldo set a record number of goals for a newcomer, still not surpassed, with 25 league goals.
At the same time, Ronaldo played in Tournoi de France (in which Thuram describes him as a “true genius”) and Confederations Cup with his national team. Brazil wins the Confederations Cup with a great performance by Ronaldo (3 goals, 1 assist and suffered a penalty) in the finals. Still in 1997, year in which he scored 67 times, Ronaldo plays in the game between Europe All-Star Team and “Rest of the world” All-Star team, scoring 2 goals and making 3 assists.
It was clear that
Ronaldo was the best player in the world, and this time aged 21 he wins his
second FIFA Player of The Year and the Golden Ball.
Ronaldo in Inter Footage, part 1.
The 1997/98 season saw Inter win a tilte after many years of drought, winning the UEFA Cup, but the Italian League title is won by Juventus in very controversial circunstances, with a clear penalty suffered by him denied in the Inter-Juve second game. Still talking about this season, Ronaldo set a record number of goals for a newcomer, still not surpassed, with 25 league goals.
Ronaldo in Inter Footage, part 2.
Ronaldo's plays in the UEFA Cup final
At the same time, Ronaldo played in Tournoi de France (in which Thuram describes him as a “true genius”) and Confederations Cup with his national team. Brazil wins the Confederations Cup with a great performance by Ronaldo (3 goals, 1 assist and suffered a penalty) in the finals. Still in 1997, year in which he scored 67 times, Ronaldo plays in the game between Europe All-Star Team and “Rest of the world” All-Star team, scoring 2 goals and making 3 assists.
A quic video about Ronaldo's performance in Tournoi de France
Ronaldo's plays in the Confederations Cup Final
Ronaldo against Europe All Star team
And then, with 21
year, two FIFA player of the year and one Golden Ball Awards and over 250 goals
scored, Ronaldo arrives at 1998 FIFA World Cup with every requirement to be the
big star of the tournament. And, despite the fact that he arrived with a minor
injury, which was aggravated against Morocco, it seemed as if the expectations
were right: in the first five games, Ronaldo suffered a penalty, scored three
goals and made 3 assists.
Ronaldo's plays against Netherlands
In the semifinals
against Netherlands, Ronaldo made a historic performance. Overall, the opponent
team was better than Brazil, but Brazilian team had a monster in its squad:
Ronaldo. During the whole game it was him getting the ball and going ahead
through the defense of Netherlands. In this game, the phenomenon scored the
only goal of Brazil with a shot between the legs of Van Der Sar.
However, few hours before final, Ronaldo had a seizure and was taken to hospital, being announced that he was not going to play. But Ronaldo arrived few time before game in the cloakroom of Brazil and entered in the starting eleven. Brazil lost the game with a bad display of Ronaldo, who ended injured in a collision with French goalkeeper Barthez and saw Zidane score two goals. Despite this, Ronaldo received the award “Best Player of the World Cup”.
Ronaldo plays in the 98 World Cup
However, few hours before final, Ronaldo had a seizure and was taken to hospital, being announced that he was not going to play. But Ronaldo arrived few time before game in the cloakroom of Brazil and entered in the starting eleven. Brazil lost the game with a bad display of Ronaldo, who ended injured in a collision with French goalkeeper Barthez and saw Zidane score two goals. Despite this, Ronaldo received the award “Best Player of the World Cup”.
Ronaldo was surely the
best player in the world, but the traditionalism of the voters made don’t let
they give FIFA Player of the Year or Golden Ball to a player who lost the World
Cup and Zidane won both awards in 1998.
After the World Cup,
Ronaldo starts to live getting injured many times and cause of it he plays in
only 25 games for Inter in the 1998/99 season. In the same time, Ronaldo plays
the Copa América, being champion and Top Scorer with five goals. In November of
1999, Ronaldo has a knee contusion which menaces make him retire.
Ronaldo in Inter Footage, part 3. There are still some 97/98 plays, but it's most Ronaldo in his other seasons with Inter.
However, in April
2000, in Coppa Italia final, Ronaldo is as reserve in Inter team. In the second
half, he enters in the game, but a few minutes later, Ronaldo tries a dribble
and falls in the ground, with hands in the knee, screaming and crying. The
issue lets sad players in both teams and Ronaldo has to leave the field. Inter
ended losing the game.
This time the injury
was more serious, and according to doctors, aged only 22, Ronaldo will never
play professional football again. Ronaldo, however, refused to give up of his
career, and kept fighting to play football and in December 2001, he was
celebrating one more goal. However, his recovery was not so fast, and he could
play only 16 times for Inter in the 2001/02 season, and some of them just for a
few minutes.
However, in the call
for the 2002 World Cup, Luís Felipe Scolari surprises everybody calling a
Ronaldo who was not playing with regularity. The lack of confidence, in both
Ronaldo and in the Brazilian national team (which qualified to the WC in the
last round) was very huge.
It may look as a movie
history, but it happened: playing in the most important competition that there
is, Ronaldo scored five goals in the five first games and made good displays.
“Only this” was enough to say the phenomenon was back, but there was more to
come.
In the tensest game of
the entire competition, against Turkey in semifinals, Ronaldo receives a ball
in the intermediate part of the attacking field, advances through the defense
of Turkey and shots. Shots in the simplest way he could do, giving a wek touch
with the beak of his boot, a shot that, in terms of strength can be done even
by a kid. But the ball goes slowly to the corner of the goal defended by Rustu,
who expected evey kind of shot unless this one. And Brazil was once more in the
Final of the World Cup.
The next opponent was
the Germany, with their iconic goalkeeper Oliver Khan, who had conceded only
one goal during the whole tournament and had three awards of “Best Goalkeeper
of UEFA”. The game started, Ronaldo made
a good link with Ronaldinho, who gives the ball to Ronaldo in front of Khan
and…
Ronaldo shoots out of
the goal and misses a good opportunity of score. But R9 has not given up. New
link with Ronaldinho, again the phenomenon inside the area with the ball, and…
… Khan saves. It was
not time to give up. The ball is set inside area and falls in Ronaldo‘s feet. He turns making a beautiful
shot and…
… Khan saves. How hard
was to score against this guy.
Second half, Ronaldo
receives a ball, tries to dribble and gets tackled and falls. He quickly ups
and recovers the ball, touching to Rivaldo, who fires a powerful shot and…
Khan saves. But he lets
the ball scape. And then, there was the centre forward who had run before the
kick, despite the recommendations of his coach, to not run at the rebounds, to
preserve himself. And… Goal! Brazil was in advantage!!
A few minutes after
the first goal, Cafu passes the ball to Kléberson, who starts from the right
and passes to Rivaldo. Rivaldo listens to Ronaldo, who was screaming: “Open”,
and, masterfully, answers Ronaldo’s recommendation, letting the ball pass to
the Phenomenon, in the entry of the area, with some space. R9 adjusted and put
in the corner of the goal, letting no chances to Khan.
Ronaldo's highlights in the 2002 WC
Video showing Ronaldo screaming "Abre" which means, "Opens" to Rivaldo
Video which shows Ronaldo recovering the ball in the first goal.
It was the glory!
Brazil was “penta”! And Ronaldo, the competition’s striker, with 8 goals, score
that was reached in 1970’s cup at the last time, when the German Müller did 10.
Although the prize of the best player of the cup was given to Khan, Ronaldo had
completed the biggest comeback in the history of sport.
Despite of the fact
that he made a fantastic comeback, winning Laureus (the Oscar of sports) award
as “Best Comeback of the Year”, it was easy to notice that Ronaldo was not the
same. He was still strong and very fast, but much less than before. Everything
Ronaldo has made after his knee injury against Lazio, just shows how good he
really was and should have been. Because if it was not by injury, he surely was
not going to have his peak aged 21.
After the WC, Ronaldo
moved to Real Madrid. In his first season, he won the Spanish Championship,
scoring two goals in the decisive match against Athletic Bilbao. He was 2nd
in the scorer’s table of the league, despite only joining it in October.
Real Madrid disputed
the Intercontinental Cup that season, and won with Ronaldo being the best
player of the competition, scoring one goal.
With the greats
displays at FIFA World Cup and in the Intercontinental Cup the awards FIFA
Player of the Year and Golden Ball don’t escape in 2002.
In the Champions
League Ronaldo made a historical display against Manchester United in the Old
Trafford, scoring three times and eliminating the English team (which won the
game with 4x3, but had lost the first round).
In the semifinals
Ronaldo scored the opening goal of Real Madrid in the match, but got injured in
the second half. In the second round he entered in the second half, and in the
final moments suffered a penalty, which, if converted, would make Real advance
to finals. The penalty taker of Real team (I don’t know why) was Luís Figo, who
missed the penalty.
The following season
started with the contest of Spanish Supercup, which Real Madrid won with one
goal and one assist by Ronaldo. The assist was to David Beckham’s first goal
with Madrid. The signing of Beckham and departure of Makélélé let Real Madrid
with a weakness in the defensive side.
Despite this, Madrid
was well in the Spanish Championship, leading during many rounds, until their
leading scorer got injured again. After this, Real Madrid lost its five final
games and finished the league with only a fourth place. Ronaldo finished the
season with the Pichichi Trophy, scoring 24 goals.
In the Champions League, the Galacticos were eliminated in the quarter finals by Monaco, after being winning with 5-2 in the aggregate result (I wonder if this would have happened if they had not sold Makélélé).
Ronaldo in one of his best Real Madrid Games
In the Champions League, the Galacticos were eliminated in the quarter finals by Monaco, after being winning with 5-2 in the aggregate result (I wonder if this would have happened if they had not sold Makélélé).
After the end of this
season, Ronaldo played some matches with Brazil, as he was normally doing. In
one of these matches, against Argentina, Ronaldo made the best display I ever
watched live, scoring three goals.
In this game, the
phenomenon almost played alone. Apart of its centre forward runs, Brazil’s team
didn’t show anything in the offensive side, while Argentina created many
chances. But as Ronaldo was in that night, it could have been any team in the
world, nothing would change. Argentina simply could not win that game. I know I’m
being a little repetitive, but in that game, Argentina’s defense only could
stop a Ronaldo pay with fouls. Were three penalties which Ronaldo suffered and
converted, and there was a fourth denied penalty.
The 2004-05 season Ronaldo started with a fantastic display, scoring two goals against Albacete. However, Real Madrid was still missing a defensive midfielder, and was eliminated in the round of 16 in Champions League, and had the 2nd place in Spanish Championship.
Ronaldo's highlights against Argentina, in 2004. I never watched a better performance live.
The 2004-05 season Ronaldo started with a fantastic display, scoring two goals against Albacete. However, Real Madrid was still missing a defensive midfielder, and was eliminated in the round of 16 in Champions League, and had the 2nd place in Spanish Championship.
Ronaldo in his fantastic display against Albacete
In the 2005-06 season,
Ronaldo had a started which pointed to a great season, but got injured against
Atletico de Madrid, passing by a surgery and missing most of Real games in the
season. There was still time to another injury.
All these injuries made Ronaldo get more and more overweight, arriving at the 2006 world Cup far of be the Ronaldo who top scored South American qualifiers to WC.
Some highlights of Ronaldo in Real Madrid
100 goals of Ronaldo in Real Madrid in 6 min.
All these injuries made Ronaldo get more and more overweight, arriving at the 2006 world Cup far of be the Ronaldo who top scored South American qualifiers to WC.
Despite this, Ronaldo
was the best player of Brazil’s offense, scoring three goals and making one
assist, including a great goal against Japan and an even better against Ghana.
Brazil ended eliminated by France in the quarter finals.
With his goal against
Ghana, Ronaldo became the all-time Top Scorer of FIFA World Cup, which means:
in the most important competition of the world, nobody scored more than Ronaldo,
who made it 15 times.
Some plays of Ronaldo in WC qualifiers and in WC.
In the 06/07 season
Milan won the Champions League, but Ronaldo could not play, because he
previously played in this competition for Real Madrid. This do not means that
he don’t helped his team to win, as said Paolo Maldini with his frase “We won
Champions League thanks to Ronaldo”. The defender cited the mental support
given by Ronaldo as many important to the conquest.
If he could not play
in Champions League, in the Italian league Ronaldo played, and very well. He
did 14 appearances which let everybody thinking that the old Ronaldo was going
to be back, but then Ronaldo got injured. The injury would be more serious than
it looked, and Ronaldo only played again in the following season. And then six
games and…
…A third major knee
injury. It was the end, again.
In fact, it would have been the end for any other player, but there was Ronaldo, the phenomenon. Ronaldo still got back to the fields, dressing the shirt of Corinthians Paulista from 2009 to 2011.For me, who supports Corinthians and have since my childhood days been a Ronaldo fan, was wonderfull see him with Corinthians Jersey.
Ronaldo's goals with Milan
In fact, it would have been the end for any other player, but there was Ronaldo, the phenomenon. Ronaldo still got back to the fields, dressing the shirt of Corinthians Paulista from 2009 to 2011.For me, who supports Corinthians and have since my childhood days been a Ronaldo fan, was wonderfull see him with Corinthians Jersey.
Ronaldo's skills in Corinthians
Every Ronaldo goal in Corinthians
But I must say that in
Corinthians Ronaldo was only the shadow of the player he had been before,
despite the fact that he was still a brilliant player. In Corinthians, Ronaldo
was the best player of the Paulista Championship, leading Corinthians to win
the tournament with his two great goals in the final. He also won the Brazilian
Cup, scoring again in the final.
In 2011, Ronaldo
retired from football, letting many goals, fans and beautiful images of his
career.
Is him the best ever player? I think so.
