Aguilar & Co.: Ronaldo is another LOUCO

Sunday, December 14, 2008

Ronaldo is another LOUCO

Yes! Ronaldo has joined Corinthians, the soccer team I fanatically root for in Brazil. Most people have heard or seen pictures of probably one of the most popular soccer athletes of all time. He has been elected 3 times the best player of the world (1996, 1997, and 2002), has played 4 world cups (they only happen every 4 years, which makes something hard to accomplish), and is the greatest scorer in world cup history (he past Pele and the German Muller last world cup with 15 goals). I have been a big fan of his since he started playing, and although he is no longer in his prime, he has made his life of shutting up people who thought he was done. In 2000, he had a serious injury on his right knee, in which one of the ligaments simple ruptured as he was running during a game (no hit, no nothing...just ruptured). It was a complicated surgery and possibly over a year of recovery. Since he had already been the best in world twice, was plenty rich, and adding the severity of the injury, most people didn't think he would come back.

Well, he did work hard to recover during the whole year 0f 2001. In 2002, although he had barely played any games, he gave a call to the Brazilian team head coach and said, "Call me in. I am ready for the world cup".

The gutsy coach did enlist him for the world cup and everyone called him crazy, saying that he was wasting a spot in the squad. The result:

8 goals, the world cup title, and the best player of the world prize. He destroyed Germany in the final with 2 beautiful goals.

He began having some more injuries (mostly muscular injuries), but was still able to play at a high level, including another world cup appearance in 2006.

Then, last year, the guy's worst nightmare happened. The same crazy, career-destroying injury happened again, but this time in the left knee.

Once again, everyone began saying again that he wasn't coming back and that he had no incentive to return.

Once again, he spent the whole year recovering.

And once again, his love for the game has brought him back.
Away from the high profile of the European teams, he chose to play for my Corinthians, a team with 30 million plus followers (the "Corinthian faithful" or "fiel corintiana"). I am hoping that he will once again shut everyone up and bring back his best soccer. I know, I know, he is not in the best of shapes, but I think he can get back to it.