DORTMUND, Germany (AP) -- Ronaldo broke free early, flashed past Ghana's
flailing goalkeeper and poked the ball into the net.
Brazil's Ronaldo
celebrates his goal against Ghana with team mate Kaka (8) during their
second round World Cup 2006 soccer match in Dortmund June 27, 2006.
[Reuters] |
With one swift move in the fifth minute Tuesday, the superstar striker
overtook German Gerd Mueller as the greatest scorer in World Cup history,
spoiled Ghana's scrappy debut and put defending champion Brazil into its fourth
straight quarterfinals.
"I want to continue to increase the record," Ronaldo said, "but without
forgetting that the main goal in the World Cup is winning the title."
Brazil had to work for its 3-0 win over the Black Stars, who pressured enough
to create chances but kept shooting either just off the mark or well within
reach of goalkeeper Dida.
"Today's game was as we expected," Brazil coach Carlos Alberto Parreira said.
"It wasn't easy and we knew it wasn't going to be easy, 3-0 seems easy, but it
wasn't."
The Brazilians used long, penetrating passes to build each of its goals, but
Ronaldo's tournament-record 15th was the only one it would need. With its 11th
straight tournament win, Brazil took another step toward a fourth straight World
Cup finals, and next faces France in a rematch of the 1998 final.
"The big guys are coming to the quarterfinals," Parreira said. "It is getting
closer and closer. It's getting tougher and tougher."
On the counterattack, Kaka sent a second long pass up the heart of the field
to an unmarked Ronaldo, who touched the ball once toward Richard Kingson, then
sent the goalkeeper flailing with a brilliant stepover move. Ronaldo cut left,
and with a defender closing, popped the ball into the net.
Ronaldo said he never intended to break the World Cup scoring record -- it
came to him.
"It was never my goal, it just happened match after match," he said. "This is
the result of lots of work, lots of sacrifice."
Mueller scored his 14 goals over 13 games in the 1970 and 1974 World Cups;
Ronaldo has played 18 games in the past three tournaments.
Ronaldo performed poorly in Brazil's first two matches against Croatia and
Australia, when the Real Madrid striker was held scoreless and substituted for
twice. He was also bothered by a weight controversy and a string of minor health
problems.
One minute into first-half injury time, Adriano added to Brazil's lead in a
breakaway set up by a through ball, using his left thigh to nudge a waist-high
cross from Cafu into the net. Replays showed Adriano appeared to be offside when
he touched the ball in, and fans booed the replay.
The third goal also came when a long pass sprang a Brazilian one-on-one
against Kingson. Midfielder Ze Roberto received the ball and flicked it over the
keeper, who left his box and tried to make a save with his head. Safely past, Ze
Roberto jogged the ball in alone.
Ghana coach Ratomir Dujkovic said he was thrown out of the game at halftime
for complaining to the referee as they walked in the tunnel, and did not coach
the second half. When asked about what happened, Dujkovic said he told the
referee "that it would be better for us if he put a yellow jersey on."
After the game, Dujkovic said he believed the Black Stars of Ghana would be
back.
"They (Ghanaians) faced a great team, the world champions, they are the best
in competition, defending champions," Dujkovic said. "It is not a shame to lose
to Brazil."
Ghana bounced back quickly from the early goal, pushing forward and
pressuring Brazil. Though the Ghanaians had more scoring chances and outshot the
Brazilians 25-21, Dida shut them out with a solid performance.
