Sporting contests to remember: the summer of 2002

This was a summer of records for the beautiful game. Not only was the FIFA World Cup being held in Asia for the first time, but also, as it turned out, this was the World Cup where Ronaldo would establish himself as the one of the greatest strikers to have ever graced this planet.

Brazil showed the world how the game should be played as they became record five-time winners of the ultimate soccer contest. But to write on the entire tournament and do justice to it will require much more than a single article and hence I will focus on one of the best games of the Cup; not the final or the semifinals, but the legendary quarterfinal between Brazil and England.

SHIZUOKA – JUNE 21 2002: Ronaldinho of Brazil celebrates after scoring FIFA WC QF match between England and Brazil played at the Stadium Ecopa, Japan.

This is a game that was played a decade ago, when Messi was just a fifteen-year old wannabe footballer and no one had heard of the other Ronaldo (Cristiano) yet. Wayne Rooney was still at Everton and England depended on another hero: the inimitable Michael Owen.

They were in the Stadium Ecopa of Japan. England, as usual, had gone for the 4-4-2 formation whereas Brazil went for the 3-5-2. This was, beyond doubt, one of the best Brazilian teams led by the dreaded attacking triad of Ronaldo, Rivaldo and Ronaldinho with the defense left in the able hands (or legs, if you please) of Roberto Carlos, Cafu and Marcos.

The game took off with both the teams looking to defend more than attack. Ronaldo, for the first time in the tournament, seemed lackluster as Sol Campbell taught the Brazilians a lesson or two in defense; he seemed to contain the goal-machine with ease. The breakthrough finally came in the 23rd minute when the little wizard of English football, Owen, was put through by Emile Heskey and he made the most out of it as he coolly sent the ball whistling past Marcos. The English camp went up in a rapturous roar; if only they could see what was yet to come!

The Brazilians started to panic as a repeat of the final of four years ago seemed imminent; just like 1998, Ronaldo had suddenly lost his golden touch. So who could prevent that from happening and give the green and yellow brigade (who, by the way, were in blue on that day) the much needed breakthrough? They didn’t have to wait long for the answer as the electric Ronaldinho won the ball just within the Brazilian half of the pitch, and shot past almost the entire English defense before flicking the ball to Rivaldo, who was waiting like a prowling leopard. He smashed the ball past  good old Mr. Seaman and the score read 1-1. But the woes of the English goalkeeper were far from over.

Just five minutes into the second half, Brazil won a free kick. Very few people applauded as the kick had to be taken from too far out to cause any serious damage to the English team. But who knew what was going on in Gaúcho’s mind? To the utter disbelief of everyone, he decided to go for a goal rather than pass the ball to his teammates. As it turned out, it was to become one of the greatest goals ever scored in the game. The ball spent a dangerously long time in the air, giving adequate scope to Seaman to stop it. Call it luck or Ronaldinho’s skill, or even Seaman’s stupidity, but the ball went into the goal from above Seaman’s head as he was caught flat-footed with nothing much to do. There was silence all around for some time before the Brazilian camp went up in raptures. Ronaldinho had done it, and how.

Just seven minutes later, Ronaldinho was red carded for stomping on an opponent’s ankle, but the damage had already been done. England never seemed to regain their edge for the rest of the game as the Brazilians cunningly kept wasting time, kicking the ball out now and then, to the utter dismay of the English supporters. The England coach tried a lot to win it for his team with an array of substitutions, but without much effect. When the whistle blew, the final score read 2-1 in favor of Brazil. Whoever said, “the English invented it, the Brazilians perfected it”, must have been smiling.

SHIZUOKA – JUNE 21: Ronaldinho of Brazil is sent off during the FIFA WC QF match between England and Brazil played at the Shizuoka Stadium Ecopa, Japan. Brazil won the match 2-1.

Rivaldo deservedly got the Man of the Match award but it was Ronaldinho who established his name in Brazil’s folklore with this game. Yes, it was over a decade ago and another star has risen in Barcelona in the meantime who goes by the name of Lionel Messi. Rivaldo and Ronaldo have hung up their boots and the Brazilian team seems to be in tatters.

But all is not lost. Luiz Felipe Scolari is back at the helm of affairs of Brazil’s national team and he has brought back Ronaldinho with him, the only member remaining from the winning team of 2002.  But why exactly? Well, I am sure you know the answer now, don’t you?