Brazil 2002: Redemption for Ronaldo

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[00:00:21] Hello football fans and welcome to Football Bedtime Stories. I'm Damien, bringing you Matchday Mindfulness to help you unwind and relax with some of the greatest moments in football. If you like the podcast, don't forget to follow and subscribe for more episodes.

[00:00:44] This is our first Brazilian Football Bedtime Story, with three names starring in it. Ronaldo, Rivaldo and Ronaldinho. Three players with different kinds of magic. Ronaldo was the finisher, powerful, quick, calm in front of goal. A striker who could look quiet for a few minutes, then suddenly turn the whole match towards him.

[00:01:10] Rivaldo was the left-footed genius. Tall, clever, graceful, dangerous from distance and always able to appear in the right place at the right time. While Ronaldinho was the spark, the smile and the surprise. Together, they became one of the greatest attacking trios in World Cup history. But this story begins with Brazil carrying something heavy.

[00:01:34] Having already won the World Cup four times in 1958, 1962, 1970 and 1994, they were undoubtedly football royalty. So when Brazil arrived at a World Cup, people didn't just expect them to play. They expected them to glow. In 1998, Brazil lost 3-0 to France in the World Cup final.

[00:02:01] Ronaldo had been the great star of that team. But before the final, he suffered a medical episode, then played in a match where he didn't look like himself. The night stayed with him and Brazil. So when the 2002 World Cup began in South Korea and Japan, Brazil were trying to win a World Cup whilst putting an old hurt to bed.

[00:02:23] Their start against Turkey wasn't easy. Turkey scored first just before half-time. And for a team with all that history and all that expectation, it could have become tense. But Ronaldo scored a proper striker's goal. A cross came in and he moved towards it with that quick, sharp instinct that great forwards have. He finished and Brazil were level. Later, Rivaldo scored a penalty. Brazil won 2-1.

[00:02:56] Next came China. This time, Brazil looked more like themselves. Roberto Carlos, of course, scored with a free kick. And then the trifecta of Rivaldo, Ronaldinho and Ronaldo scored, with Brazil winning 4-0. The yellow shirts were starting to move more smoothly now. The ball was beginning to travel with rhythm. And Brazil were finding their groove.

[00:03:22] In a game against Costa Rica, Brazil scored 5, with Ronaldo scoring twice. Three wins put them through to the knockout rounds, where they first faced Belgium in the round of 16. Belgium had a goal ruled out in the first half, which gave Brazil a scare. And for a while, the match was tight. Brazil had the bigger names, but Belgium were organised and stubborn.

[00:03:47] Then, Rivaldo found a breakthrough. He controlled the ball, shaped his body and struck it beautifully to give Brazil the lead. Ronaldo doubled the score, with Brazil winning 2-0 over Belgium. Next up, England in the quarter-finals.

[00:04:09] England against Brazil is a pretty big game. And in 2002, it felt enormous for both countries. England had David Beckham, Michael Owen, Rio Ferdinand, Sol Campbell, Ashley Cole, Paul Scholes, David Seaman in goal and loads of belief. Between them, a place in the World Cup semi-final at stake. And England scored first.

[00:04:36] Michael Owen pounced on a mistake, raced through and lifted the ball past Marcos. England led 1-0 under Svenjorn Eriksson. And Brazil were behind again. Could they come back? Or could England hold on? Just before half-time, Ronaldinho collected the ball and started running. This was one of the key moments of the whole tournament. He moved through the midfield with the ball at his feet, gliding past challenges,

[00:05:04] carrying Brazil forward when they needed someone to make the pitch open up. Then he slipped a pass to Rivaldo. He arrived and finished low to draw Brazil level. Early in the second half came the moment everyone still talks about. Brazil won a free kick on the right. It was far out wide. More like a crossing position than a shooting position. Ronaldinho stood over the ball, while David Seaman waited in the England goal.

[00:05:34] Then Ronaldinho struck it. The ball rose high. It floated, curled and dropped over Seaman into the far corner. Goal for Brazil, who led 2-1. Even today, people debate whether it was a shot or a cross or just a bit of luck. But either way, England were behind. They pushed and pushed, but Brazil held firm and booked their place in the World Cup semi-finals

[00:06:01] against Turkey, the same team that had tested them in the opening game. This time, the match was tight in a different way. Fewer goals and less space, with more waiting, until Ronaldo found the moment. He picked up the ball near the edge of the box and moved between defenders to finish with a toe-poked shot that rolled low into the net.

[00:06:24] It was the only goal of the game, and it sent Brazil back to another World Cup final, and a chance to lay some old ghosts to rest. June 30th 2002. Brazil against Germany in Yokohama, the World Cup final. For Brazil, it was a chance to become world champions for a fifth time, while Germany were looking for their fourth, having won it in 1954, 1974 and 1990.

[00:06:55] Oliver Kahn, in the German goal, had been outstanding all tournament. He was a huge figure in the final, and one of the best goalkeepers in the world. The game began with respect on both sides. Brazil had the flair, but Germany had the structure. The first half was goalless. Then, in the 67th minute, it happened. Rivaldo struck a low shot from outside the box.

[00:07:24] Kahn moved to save it, but he couldn't hold it. The ball spilled forward, and Ronaldo was there. A striker's instinct to pounce on a loose ball. And with a swing of his left foot, he gave Brazil the lead. Brazil 1, Germany 0. This forced the Germans to come forward, giving Brazil more space. 12 minutes later, a second goal arrived.

[00:07:53] Cleberson drove forward and played the ball towards Rivaldo. Rivaldo let it run. Not a mistake. An intelligent decision. Because waiting on the other end was Ronaldo. And on the edge of the box, he steadied once, then passed the ball low into the corner. Brazil 2, Germany 0. It looked like the completion of Ronaldo's redemption story.

[00:08:22] The final minutes ticked away, and Brazil were almost there. Germany needed a miracle. But not today. The final whistle went, and Brazil were world champions. Seven wins from seven games. A perfect World Cup record. Ronaldo dropped to the ground, then rose in celebration.

[00:08:50] Cafu lifted the trophy, and the yellow shirts danced long into the night. Brazil had earned their fifth star in the best way possible. Thanks, in part, to their three stars of Rivaldo, Ronaldo, and Ronaldinho. And that's the full-time whistle on this episode of Football Bedtime Stories.

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