Brazil’s Summer Olympics jinx remains to be broken. The nation’s U-23 team hasn’t managed to equal achievements set by the U-20 or the seniors. When will Brazil clinch gold medals at the Olympics?
Earlier this week, Ronaldinho was in London to help the Seleçao face Ghana in a friendly. The 31-year-old was making his return to the national team; it turned out to be quite positive. At a few occasions, Ronaldinho came close to scoring through free-kicks.
If it wasn’t for Kwarasey’s heroics, the former FIFA Player of the Year Award winner would have wowed the crowd even more. Ronaldinho’s promising performance against Ghana left Brazil coach Mano Menezes stating the following:
“Ronaldinho is now in better shape physically. And because of this improvement, he is making the most out of his obvious talent. He left a great impression at the end and that is what we expected of him.”
For Ronaldinho, featuring in London 2012 is part of his “objectives”. Three years ago, the midfielder joined Brazil’s U-23 squad at the Beijing Olympics. The ex-Barcelona playmaker didn’t impress during the tournament despite finding the net twice.
He eventually got taught a lesson by former pupil Lionel Messi as Argentina hammered Brazil 3-0 in the semi-finals. Sergio Agüero grabbed a brace and icon Riquelme rounded the score line through the penalty spot. But thanks to Belgium’s defeat in the third-place final, Ronaldinho left China with something to remember: a bronze medal around his neck.
Come next year, the current Flamengo star would love carry a gold medal at last. In the meantime, there’s still time for Brazil to warm up. On September 14, Mano Menezes will guide the Seleçao in a friendly against Argentina with a team built around locally based players. Ronaldinho has been named alongside Leandro Damiao and Neymar for that fixture.
If it wasn’t for Kwarasey’s heroics, the former FIFA Player of the Year Award winner would have wowed the crowd even more. Ronaldinho’s promising performance against Ghana left Brazil coach Mano Menezes stating the following:
“Ronaldinho is now in better shape physically. And because of this improvement, he is making the most out of his obvious talent. He left a great impression at the end and that is what we expected of him.”
For Ronaldinho, featuring in London 2012 is part of his “objectives”. Three years ago, the midfielder joined Brazil’s U-23 squad at the Beijing Olympics. The ex-Barcelona playmaker didn’t impress during the tournament despite finding the net twice.
He eventually got taught a lesson by former pupil Lionel Messi as Argentina hammered Brazil 3-0 in the semi-finals. Sergio Agüero grabbed a brace and icon Riquelme rounded the score line through the penalty spot. But thanks to Belgium’s defeat in the third-place final, Ronaldinho left China with something to remember: a bronze medal around his neck.
Come next year, the current Flamengo star would love carry a gold medal at last. In the meantime, there’s still time for Brazil to warm up. On September 14, Mano Menezes will guide the Seleçao in a friendly against Argentina with a team built around locally based players. Ronaldinho has been named alongside Leandro Damiao and Neymar for that fixture.
