Title: Ronaldo tribute thread
Description: (fat ronaldo)
Description: (fat ronaldo)
Jens' Face - February 14, 2008 01:28 AM (GMT)
We call him Fat Ronaldo, but at his best he was as good as any player I've ever seen -- including Pele and Maradona.
Now, he's suffered a severe injury that will almost certainly have ended his career.
FIFA World Player of the Year: 1996 (youngest winner), 1997, 2002
World Soccer Player of the Year: 1996 (youngest winner), 1997, 2002
European Footballer of the Year (Ballon d'Or): 1997 (youngest winner), 2002
Onze d'Or: 1997, 2002
UEFA Most Valuable Player - 1998
UEFA Club Football Awards: Best Forward - 1998
FIFA World Cup All-Star Team: 1998, 2002
European Golden Boot: 1997
Copa América 1999: Top Scorer
Spanish League Top Scorer: 1996-1997, 2003-2004
Dutch League Top Scorer: 1994-1995
Intercontinental Cup MVP: 2002
GoldenFoot Award: 2006
FIFA World Cup:
All-Time World Cup Goalscorer - 15 Goals in 19 games in 3 World Cups
2006 Bronze Boot - Third highest scorer (tied) - 3 goals and 1 assist
2002 Golden Boot - Top scorer - 8 goals
2002 Silver Ball - Second best player
2002 Winner
1998 Golden Ball - Best player
1998 Bronze Boot - Third highest scorer - 4 goals 4 assists
1998 Runner-up
1994 Winner
Now, he's suffered a severe injury that will almost certainly have ended his career.
FIFA World Player of the Year: 1996 (youngest winner), 1997, 2002
World Soccer Player of the Year: 1996 (youngest winner), 1997, 2002
European Footballer of the Year (Ballon d'Or): 1997 (youngest winner), 2002
Onze d'Or: 1997, 2002
UEFA Most Valuable Player - 1998
UEFA Club Football Awards: Best Forward - 1998
FIFA World Cup All-Star Team: 1998, 2002
European Golden Boot: 1997
Copa América 1999: Top Scorer
Spanish League Top Scorer: 1996-1997, 2003-2004
Dutch League Top Scorer: 1994-1995
Intercontinental Cup MVP: 2002
GoldenFoot Award: 2006
FIFA World Cup:
All-Time World Cup Goalscorer - 15 Goals in 19 games in 3 World Cups
2006 Bronze Boot - Third highest scorer (tied) - 3 goals and 1 assist
2002 Golden Boot - Top scorer - 8 goals
2002 Silver Ball - Second best player
2002 Winner
1998 Golden Ball - Best player
1998 Bronze Boot - Third highest scorer - 4 goals 4 assists
1998 Runner-up
1994 Winner
Cripps - February 14, 2008 01:30 AM (GMT)
One of the all time greats.
Only player imo that can be ranked alongside Pele and the Druggie.
Never won the CL though i notice and that might well be what costs him a place alongside the 2 mentioned
Only player imo that can be ranked alongside Pele and the Druggie.
Never won the CL though i notice and that might well be what costs him a place alongside the 2 mentioned
Coca Kolo - February 14, 2008 03:53 PM (GMT)
The best striker I've seen for sure.
Great, great player.
Great, great player.
Marc Overmars - February 14, 2008 03:57 PM (GMT)
Great player.
Just think how good he could of been had he not suffered such horrible luck with injuries throughout his career.
Just think how good he could of been had he not suffered such horrible luck with injuries throughout his career.
It's Up For Grabs Now - February 14, 2008 04:06 PM (GMT)
:respect:
Shame about his terrible luck with injuries..
Shame about his terrible luck with injuries..
Jens' Face - February 14, 2008 04:29 PM (GMT)
| QUOTE (Cripps @ Feb 13 2008, 08:30 PM) |
| One of the all time greats. Only player imo that can be ranked alongside Pele and the Druggie. Never won the CL though i notice and that might well be what costs him a place alongside the 2 mentioned |
why would that cost him? neither did Pele (for obvious reasons; he won two Copa Lib's) or Maradona, who did have the opportunity (for a European Cup anyways).
obviously he won't be rated with them because his period of brilliance didn't extend as long. But I don't see what failing to win the CL has to do with it.
Cripps - February 14, 2008 04:44 PM (GMT)
Cos whenever someone will talk about these players, that will be brought up.
I dont necessarily agree with it.
I think hes as good as Pele and better than Maradona
I dont necessarily agree with it.
I think hes as good as Pele and better than Maradona
Professor Zim - February 14, 2008 05:43 PM (GMT)
At his best was an amazing talent, great skill, great finishing, but too many problems have take their toll.
Marc Overmars - February 14, 2008 09:20 PM (GMT)
Rkane - February 14, 2008 09:30 PM (GMT)
| QUOTE (Marc Overmars @ Feb 14 2008, 09:20 PM) |
| http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5MIXfNhJ_8s&feature=related http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HJWp_1kVM7g&feature=related What a finisher. |
I tried watching both the clips, but the sodding music ruined it for me. <_<
Coca Kolo - February 15, 2008 01:17 AM (GMT)
| QUOTE |
| And then, just like that, he went down again. A sprint into space, his left foot seemingly crazy-glued to the San Siro pitch, his left knee buckling and his body collapsing in a heap. Ronaldo's latest injury, three minutes after coming on as a substitute in a Milan-Livorno fixture Wednesday, had plenty of déjà vu about it. This was the same man who, of course, famously broke down six minutes into his comeback game in 2000. Back then, the shock was universal. I remember going to interview Michael Schumacher the following day. Here was a guy whose own life is on the line at every Grand Prix and yet, when he spoke to Ronaldo, his eyes told the whole story: they nearly welled up at the cruelty of fate snuffing out talent. It was as if the whole world was a party to the damage done to the Brazilian's career. This time it's a bit different. For a start, Ronaldo is 31. If eight years ago there was still a belief that he could come back and elevate himself to the status of a Pele or a Diego Maradona, this time we know better. We know this is a player who has enjoyed just seven injury-free seasons out of 15. The illusion that he would take his place among the all-time greats was shattered a long time ago. And yet, we grieve. We mourn the misfortune that seems to follow this man at every turn. Or, rather, some of us grieve. Others think they know better. Others have turned into doctors overnight, blaming his injury on his weight, on his lack of serious training, on his propensity to party rather than lead the kind of ascetic life we expect from our professionals. Just why we feel the need to become self-appointed sports medicine experts, judgmental of Ronaldo and his behaviour off the pitch, remains an enduring mystery. But it's clear that, in recent seasons, he hasn't caught a break: He was by turns a scapegoat at Real Madrid, the souce of all ills for Brazil's underperformance at Germany 2006 and a problem child at Milan. Or so we're led to believe. I've met the guy a few times but I certainly can't pretend to know what makes him tick or where the truth lies. Does he have so little regard for his professional career that he's happy to jeopardize it for a few extra plates of pasta or a few more late nights clubbing? Is the man himself the source of all his problems? I don't know. And I don't think we should focus on the criticism or where precisely the blame should fall. There is a good chance we will never again see him play at the highest level. His contract at Milan expires in June and he won't be back training until October at the earliest, which would suggest it won't be renewed. What happens next is anyone's guess. He may return to Brazil, try to get fit again and then head off to Major League Soccer in 2009. Or he may stick around in Milan, signing one of those contracts where he gets paid per match. Or, perhaps, he may call it a day. If he does, I don't want to remember the last 10 years or so. I don't want to picture him crying in a Milan shirt or tumbling over in pain in an Inter jersey. Nor do I want to be reminded of his somewhat more successful time as one of Florentino Perez's Galacticos (when, lest we forget, he scored 69 league goals in his first three seasons) or the three World Cups he starred in for Brazil (winning it all in 2002). Those times offered glimpses of the great Ronaldo, but nothing more. I want to be able to close my eyes and think of the Ronaldo at Barcelona or the one in his first season at Inter. The man-child, grinning fiendishly as he overwhelmed defenders and thumped in goals, week in, week out, without pause. The Phenom, unplayable, undefendable, unexplainable. That's the Ronaldo I will remember. I'll leave the rest to those who need to find an explanation -- or a scapegoat -- for everything else. As far as I'm concerned, my Ronaldo retired in 1997 and the only thing that prevents him from ascending to the company of Pele and Maradona is a lack of longevity. As for the "other Ronaldo," he was just a pale imitation -- and a very, very unlucky footballer. Good luck, Ronnie. Whatever you choose to do, may you find the serenity which eluded you in the last 10 years. |
Cripps - February 15, 2008 01:25 AM (GMT)
Is it me or does anyone else think he was never the same again after the 1998 world cup final?
Dont get me wrong, after that game, he still had tremendous patches of form most notably at the next world cup and of crse for Real but thats all they were, patches.
Before that, he was well on his way to Pele level maybe even surpassing him.
He'll be remembered as a fabulous footballer but probably also sadly a what could have been
Dont get me wrong, after that game, he still had tremendous patches of form most notably at the next world cup and of crse for Real but thats all they were, patches.
Before that, he was well on his way to Pele level maybe even surpassing him.
He'll be remembered as a fabulous footballer but probably also sadly a what could have been
Marc Overmars - February 15, 2008 01:27 AM (GMT)
He had some sort of break down didn't he?, I remember all the fuss about whether he was going to make the team or not. In the end he did, but had a shocker.
| QUOTE |
| He'll be remembered as a fabulous footballer but probably also sadly a what could have been |
In a nutshell.
Grimandi's Perm - February 15, 2008 01:30 AM (GMT)
He should never have played in the 98 final.
Cripps - February 15, 2008 01:34 AM (GMT)
Yeah
Dont think anyone really knows what was going on apart from the people there.
Has Ronaldo written a book yet?
It'll be one worth reading just for that.
If he doesnt retire, i do think he'll end up in the yank league which is semi retirement anyway.
His International career is over though what with the profilic Vagner Love in the first team :lol:
Dont think anyone really knows what was going on apart from the people there.
Has Ronaldo written a book yet?
It'll be one worth reading just for that.
If he doesnt retire, i do think he'll end up in the yank league which is semi retirement anyway.
His International career is over though what with the profilic Vagner Love in the first team :lol:
Coca Kolo - February 15, 2008 01:34 AM (GMT)
| QUOTE (Cripps @ Feb 15 2008, 01:25 AM) |
| Is it me or does anyone else think he was never the same again after the 1998 world cup final? Dont get me wrong, after that game, he still had tremendous patches of form most notably at the next world cup and of crse for Real but thats all they were, patches. Before that, he was well on his way to Pele level maybe even surpassing him. He'll be remembered as a fabulous footballer but probably also sadly a what could have been |
Not just you.
Before the Final he was a phenomenon, and the quite possibly the best centre forward in the World since the days of Van Basten. Scoring goals out of this world and having a crazy goal scoring ratio.
Since that World Cup his career has been, like you've said, in patches. Its such a shame because he's possibly had half of his career wiped out through injuries. Think about what he's achieved in the game, and multiply it had he not been injured.
NY Mets - February 15, 2008 12:43 PM (GMT)
Sometimes a shame how a great players career ends. Like Zizou, when I went to India this year more people knew about the headbutt than the outcome of the final in 2006.
I don't want his career to end, you never know he may actually play again, for Bolton perhaps.
I don't want his career to end, you never know he may actually play again, for Bolton perhaps.
Toure de Emirates - February 15, 2008 10:27 PM (GMT)
Great player. Shame he's put on a bit of weight but he was an amazing player in his peak and i have a lot of respect for him.
King-Thierry - February 23, 2008 09:10 PM (GMT)
1st surperstar player i remember watching
at Barca he was well, quite amazing at his peak and unplayable
but after 1998 in france he was never quite the same
he suffered some sort of fit and it showed in the game
especially when Barthez clattered him
but he ofcourse scored a hat trik vs him at OT
so its all good
Maybe one of the greatest players to ever play at highbury?
at Barca he was well, quite amazing at his peak and unplayable
but after 1998 in france he was never quite the same
he suffered some sort of fit and it showed in the game
especially when Barthez clattered him
but he ofcourse scored a hat trik vs him at OT
so its all good
Maybe one of the greatest players to ever play at highbury?
Cripps - February 23, 2008 09:12 PM (GMT)
Although he never played at highbury
KaiserKolo - February 23, 2008 09:52 PM (GMT)
| QUOTE (Cripps @ Feb 23 2008, 09:12 PM) |
| Although he never played at highbury |
Maybe not his true self, but he did, my main memory of that match epitomises his decline where Gilberto made up 10 yards or so to execute a perfect sliding tackle on him just as he was about to pull the trigger...
Mr Brighterside - April 29, 2008 07:56 PM (GMT)
McNamara That Ghost... - April 29, 2008 09:03 PM (GMT)
What a legend!
Cripps - April 29, 2008 09:03 PM (GMT)
:bow:
McNamara That Ghost... - May 4, 2008 07:06 PM (GMT)