RONALDINHO "we fear nobody"
After Brazil had defeated Japan 4-1 to secure a Round of 16 meeting with Ghana, the FIFA World Player for the past two years found the limelight dominated by somebody else. While some egos may have been bruised, the Barcelona star says he could not have been more delighted.
"Having him (Ronaldo) back and scoring twice is just what we needed," he says, eyes smiling. "Nobody here ever doubted his greatness but we all wanted him to score to relieve the tension that we had shared."
With the Real Madrid striker's return to form, the so-called Quadrado mágico (Magic quartet) introduced by coach Carlos Alberto Parreira is gradually beginning to hit the right notes. But for Ronaldinho, who so often played conductor as Barcelona swept to European glory this season, working a different beat has not been easy.

"I'm playing more centrally and deeper so it means I have less impact in the final third," he admits. "At Barcelona I can go by one man and have a chance to shoot but in my position for Brazil beating two or even three players does not automatically mean I have a sight of goal."
With Adriano as well as Ronaldo up front, it means the player from Porto Alegre must fill the space further behind. "The coach has told me that my role is to get the team playing and to manage more the rhthym of play," he explains. "It's something I'm learning and I'm happy to do it because there are 11 stars on the field and nobody thinks of individual glory. I'm not the only one playing in a different role."