THE WORLD CUP FINAL is not till July 9, so there is time for the Brazilian people to organise a referendum on whether Ronaldo should be in the team.
Clearly, Carlos Alberto Parreira cannot drop the legend on his own initiative.
He should be making Adriano and Ronaldo compete for the same position.
History tells us that the side that starts the World Cup Final is never the eleven who started the first group game.
Last week Rob Hughes told me that his pal in the Brazilian camp reckoned Ronaldo was flying in training and they were all passing to him. I was dubious about that.
Interestingly, Ronaldo seems to have shed about five kilos in the last four weeks. He looks like an athlete again, but his head is not right.
Last night Ronaldo knew they did not want pass to him. So he did not make runs. And since he did not make runs, they did not pass to him.
Incredibly, he only had the ball eight times in the 69 minutes before Robinho replaced him. He should not be in the team. If you refuse to run, you should not be playing football.
Ronaldo knew they were playing to get him out of the team, and he also knew, better than anyone, that playing him with Adriano is ridiculous. It will always be ridiculous to play two static strikers together.
Brazil’s attack is as misconceived, as unbalanced, as England’s midfield.
ADRIANO is like Big Bertha, the 175-ton howitzer from WW1, which fired a huge shell nine miles.
The Inter colossus looked like a tame rhino last night.You can only play Adriano in a team where the other nine players run around a lot but always know where he is. If everyone is inter-changing, it helps to have a lamp-post to bounce passes off.
RONALDINHO is accustomed to having Eto’o, Lar sson and Giuly making runs for him, so he did not shine as he should have done.
KAKA is a middle class maestro who plays, like Gazza, Platini and Totti, in the penalty corridor, the middle zone of the attacking half, where dangerous thrusts can be made quickly and where long-range shots can be fired.
The only goal came in 44 when Emerson found Brazil’s best forward, Cafu, and he passed inside to Kaka, whose first touch foxed two Croatians and allowed him to rifle a left-foot rocket into the back of the net. A typical link-up by the two AC Milan players.
EMERSON is a leader with huge experience.
ROBERO CARLOS is still a dynamic gladiator but has become a sloppy dynamic gladiator.
DIDA saved three shots that were straight at him.
JUAN is a big stopper who has not really been tested yet.
ZE ROBERTO is the most under-rated midfielder in Europe.
LUCIO is the best defender in the world.
ROBINHO is perpetual motion and when starts to link the play, Brazil will flow like liquid gold.
Robinho can play a major role in this World Cup, but it will take time to get him into the team.
In football, there are three principles of play (possession, support, penetration) and Robinho supports the ball, plays for the team, adds a vital dimension with his indefatigable running and touch play. He is not a goalscorer but that doesn’t matter if Brazil are flowing and creating.
The world champions played a risky high line, gambled on Lucio’s recovery pace, got width from their fullbacks, but only sparkled intermittently. Still, they will improve and reach the final.
CROATIA are an inventive side who would beat England.They might beat Australia, who currently top Group F after that 3-1 win over Japan.