Brazilian striker Ronaldo's return to action after a 13-month knee
injury layoff was marred by an ugly media scrum following
Wednesday's Copa Brasil game that left the 32-year-old nursing a
black eye.
RicardoRafael/AP
Ronaldo in action on his return from injury
Second-half substitute Ronaldo survived his 23 minutes intact in
Corinthians' 2-0 win at Itumbiara but was then injured by a
microphone as around two dozen reporters and cameramen surrounded
him on the pitch for interviews at the end of the game.
Pictures showed Ronaldo being struck as he was escorted off and
one showed him with a badly bruised and swollen right eye.
Following the incident, he left the stadium without talking to the
media.
"He had a good debut, moved well and tried a few dribbles,"
Corinthians coach Mano Menezes told reporters.
Last February, Ronaldo ruptured a tendon in his left knee in a
Serie A game playing for AC Milan against Livorno and later left
the Italian club.
He joined Corinthians in December in a surprise move and has
taken nearly three months to reach match fitness.
Ronaldo was involved in another off-field controversy last week
when he was fined by the club for arriving late at the team hotel
after a day off.
Corinthians were already 2-0 ahead when Ronaldo came on, Chicao
and Andre Santos having scored either side of halftime.
Wearing his favourite number nine shirt, Ronaldo had only a few
touches of the ball in an unspectacular debut. It was his first
game for a Brazilian club since leaving Cruzeiro in 1994.
The former Barcelona, Real Madrid, PSV Eindhoven and Inter Milan
player had previously suffered two serious injuries to his other
knee and many observers speculated that he would not recover from
the latest setback.
Even before the latest injury, he had been suffering from a loss
of form and weight problems and had not played for Brazil since his
much-criticised performance at the 2002 World Cup.
• Flamengo also advanced after trouncing Ivinhema 5-0 in
Campo Grande.
Ze Roberto netted twice and Leonardo Moura, Kleberson and Maxi
Biancucci scored a goal each to help the Rio de Janeiro side set up
a clash against either Barras-PI or Remo-PA.
Internacional went through after the Porto Alegre side claimed a
hard-fought 2-0 home win against Union Rondonopolis.
The home side had to wait until the 66th minute to take the lead
with an Indio goal and Alecsandro's strike five minutes later
ensured a meeting in the next stage with Guarani-SP.
Atletico Paranaense won 3-0 at Tocantins with goals by Marcinho,
Rafael Moura and Julio Cesar while Goias also advanced to the next
stage after beating Atletico-RR 3-1 with a brace by Amaral and a
header by Ramalho.
In other games on Wednesday, Coritiba hammered Holanda 3-0 while
Criciuma defeated Tupi and Fortaleza beat Desportivo by the same
score.
The champions of the tournament will earn a spot in the 2010
Copa Libertadores.
ref:
http://soccernet.espn.go.com/news/story?id=624806&sec=global&cc=4716
