Luiz Nazario de Lima, the Brazilian footballer who is known as Ronaldo was one of the most successful player in the end of 90’s era until the beginning of 2000 era. One day he fell into the dark period in the year of 2000 after got a knee injury which led him to rest for more than one year. Well he didn’t give up yet so that he kept working hard to cured his injury. Finally he was fully recovered and called up as one of the player that will play for Brazil National Team in World Cup 2002. Fortunately he could shine again as a hero and won another FIFA MVP (Most Valuable Player) at the end of that year. Ronaldo’s biggest achievement in 2002 is the fruit of talent and hard work, phenomenal comeback, and contribution to the national team.
Talent and hard work are the two most important basics for Ronaldo to be crowned again for the 3rd time. Well nobody rejects an idea that he was a talented footballer as the two FIFA MVP Awards in 1996 and 1997 are the main evidence. But troubles came and he got terrible knee injuries when he played for Internazionale Milano, an Italian club which is famous for its blue and black uniform. Those injuries especially the one that he got when he played against Lazio pushed him to work harder so he could be fit and play again. He did a lot of rehabilitations and therapies to cure his injuries. Fortunately after sinking in a dark period during 1999 to 2001 he could wear the uniform again and play in the field. His work wasn’t useless. Then in the mid of 2002 he was called up by Scolari to wear the number 9 jersey as Brazilian player in Korea-Japan World Cup. In that prestigious competition, once again he showed that he was still a great forward. Well World Cup 2002 was the beginning of his journey to be crowned again in the end of year.
Ronaldo was back and he showed that he was still the best. He scored 8 goals in 7 matches and that amount of goals are more than everybody’s goals collection. Only Rivaldo, his team mate and Klose, the German whose goals were close to Ronaldo’s where they scored 5 goals during the competition. Ronaldo scored double goals against Costa Rica in the 3rd match and Germany in the final match in Yokohama Stadium. The rest were come from the matches against Turkey, China, and Belgium. The only game where he didn’t score any goal was in the quarter final against England. His 8 goals has some important meanings. First is of course he became a top scorer in World Cup. And then he beat all goal keepers and defenders by those goals which showed that he was still a talented productive footballer. The most important meaning was he destroyed the best goal keeper, Oliver Kahn in the final match. Oliver Kahn who won a Lev Yashin Award only could stay quiet seeing Ronaldo scored twice in his goal. This phenomenal comeback was one of the most popular comeback in football history.
Ronaldo raised his country to be the most successful football country through the 5th World Cup winning. He scored twice in the final to led his country to be the best in the world. He let his country to be the best in the most prestigious competition that year. He gave a contribution through a phenomenal comeback. Well this contribution was the main reason why he was crowned for the 3rd time in the end of 2002. Nobody in that year could give any contribution in the most valuable competition as Ronaldo did.
Ronaldo’s contribution through his phenomenal comeback was a symbol of his talent and a fruit of his hard work. As we’ve seen, he worked very hard to cure his serious injury that threatened his career. The fruit was he could play again to show his greatness through a phenomenal comeback during the World Cup. Nobody could give any contribution in the most prestigious competition as Ronaldo did. That is why he could be crowned as FIFA MVP 2002. But everything was started form a serious commitment to work hard to cure his injury and of course his talent influenced the achievement later.
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