WORLD CUP - RONALDO OVERCOMES ADVERSITY - LEADS BRAZIL TO TITLE

James Loving - National Radio Text Service

Monday July 1, 2002

How fitting it was to have Ronaldo overcome his injury adversity and lead Brazil to another World Cup title. He capped his personal comeback with two goals in Brazils 2-0 title win over Germany before 60, 029 fans in Yokohama Japan. After a scoreless first half, Ronaldo connected in the 67th and 79th minutes.

It was the perfect ending for a tournament that showed how the strong survived and underdogs achieved.

In the 1998 World Cup Ronaldo suffered embarrassment and defeat when Brazil lost 3-0 to France in the final though they were favored to win. The 25-year-old striker suffered a seizure prior to the 1998 final match. He was scratched from the roster but showed up for the contest and played. His performance was below par and one to forget.

Fans and media alike ridiculed the then 21-year-old super star. He was blamed for Brazil losing the tournament. Two knee operations followed and unsuccessful comebacks. Those experiences made his winning goals in this final special.

"The goals crowned my work of the whole team," CNNSI reported him as saying. I worked for two years trying to recover from that injury and today God reserved this for me and the Brazilian team. I am very happy."

Brazil won a record setting fifth World Cup title (1958, 1962, 1970, 1994, 2002). Germany and Italy have won three. They are the first team since 1970 (when they last did it) to win all of their matches in World Cup finals. Uruguay (1930) and Italy (1938) are the only other squads to accomplish that feat.

The game was the first time the two sides ever met in a World Cup. Brazil and Germany are two of the World Cups most successful squads. Each has played in seven finals of the seventeen events since the inaugural in 1930.

Ronaldo walked away with the tournaments Golden Boot Award after registering eight goals in seven matches. With his four goals in the 1998 competition he jumped to third place in the all-time scores list with 12 drawing him level with soccer legend and fellow Brazilian Pele.

Being as young as he is, baring injuries, Ronaldo has possibly two more World Cup competitions to top all-time scoring leader, Germany's Gerd Muller's 14 goals. His eight goals in the tourney is two less than Muller's record 10 that he set in 1970.

From his rags to riches experiences, Ronaldo doesn't think that he owed anything to anyone for the bad showing from the nightmare 1998 World Cup experience. "I don't feel in debt to anyone, but a weight has been lifted from my conscience," he said. "I'm free."

Diego Maradona stated that this Brazilian squad wasn't that good and were a bunch of individuals.

True enough, Brazil has a squad of great individual talent but they played unselfishly as a team. On the second goal Rivaldo stepped over and dummied a ball that eventually went to Ronaldo for the conversion. A selfish player would have tried to score for himself.

Coach Luiz Felipe Sclorai did an excellent job molding this squad together to function as a unit. They performed and he earned their respect. In the past conflicts with coaches has been an issue.

This Brazilian side is pretty much the same squad that played Thailand in a friendly in February 2000 in Bangkok. They blasted the Thais 7-1 without Ronaldo but it was obvious that they had internal problems. One of those problems was their then coach Wanderly Luxemburgo who was later sacked.

What Scolari got out of basically the same squad shows his ability to coach, handle, gain respect and get the most out of his men. He molded a solid unit out of young and experienced players. Ronaldinho's maturity blossomed in his spectacular play and goal in the quarterfinal 2-1 victory over England.

Scolari's apparently had the ability to have great talent leave their egos at the door, work together and accomplish. Brazil again is # 1 in soccer and Ronaldo is again at the top of his game.

This World Cup was indicative of what sports are all about, the will to win and overcome adversity. The David's of the world, South Korea, Japan, Senegal and the USA upsetting the Goliath's, France, Portugal, Spain and Italy. Turkey's showing was magnificent. This World Cup provided over 100 hours of mostly on the edge of your seat matches.

This World Cup was a joy to watch, though Maradona's public statements indicates that he doesn't think so. Pele thinks it was excellent and from reports around the World soccer fans agree.

DID YOU KNOW? BRAZIL'S win kept in tact the success of South American teams winning the title every other competition since 1962. Argentina won in 1978 and 1986. Brazil (1958, 1962, 1970, 1994, 2002).

HATS OFF: To Turkey, South Korea, Japan, China (for making it for the first time) Senegal USA, Denmark and Germany with what many would feel were over the top performances. Germany gets a bonus award for being such good sportsman in defeat.

GO FIGURE: Who won the battle of haircuts? When the World Cup began the trend among Asian youths was to get a David Beckham spiked haircut. When the World Cup ended the trend changed to a Ronaldo's frontal hair-patch style (or whatever that is).

Its safe to say the Beckham cut won out since the trend to copy his style started before the matches and England didn't win. Ronaldo's cut may have never happened if Brazil hadn't won the title. Agree or not?

Comments: nationalradio@yahoo.com