Brazil strikers head home ahead of World Cup
Reuters - Monday 01 February 2010, 19:15
RIO DE JANEIRO - Ronaldo, Adriano, Fred and
now Robinho, Brazil's four strikers at the 2006 World Cup, have
returned home looking to revive their careers and earn a place
at this year's finals in South Africa.
Ronaldo, still far from his best physical shape, is
practically out of Brazil coach Dunga's plans, whereas his
former attack partner Adriano is set to secure a berth at the
World Cup after recovering his form to help Flamengo win the
2009 Brazilian championship.
Maybe inspired by Adriano's success, Robinho chose to take a
drop in his millionaire's salary at Manchester City to earn less
at Santos during a six-month loan - looking to be a part of
Dunga's squad.
Despite being in the starting line-up for the better part of
the South American qualifiers and Brazil's victory in the
Confederations Cup last year, Robinho's place in the team has
been questioned since he moved from Real Madrid to City for
British record transfer fee of 32.5 million pounds in 2008.
In England, he has not managed to impress.
"When Robinho left Santos, he was ready to become one of the
best players in the world. Why he didn't succeed, I don't know,"
said former Brazil goalkeeper Emerson Leao, who gave Robinho his
Santos debut at 18 in 2002.
"Now Robinho arrives here with an enormous responsibility.
First, the pressure of the media, not forgetting he has to give
a return to those who contributed financially to bring him back
and, mainly because he's a reference for all the youngsters
emerging today in the Santos team," Leao told the Sportv
channel.
"I think Robinho's return is a watershed in his career.
Either he gets back to the times of his brilliance or he really
creates a problem for himself."
KING'S RETURN
Expectations for the return of yet another big name
international to the domestic game were huge.
Ronaldo began the fashion of these returns at the beginning
of 2009. The three-times FIFA Player of the Year, while
recovering from surgery on a knee injury he suffered at AC
Milan, signed a surprising deal with Corinthians after snubbing
Flamengo.
Corinthians then won the Paulista (Sao Paulo state)
championship and the Copa Brasil in the first half of the year
but his coveted return to the national team did not happen.
Former Olympique Lyon striker Fred followed, joining
Fluminense. After a long spell recovering from injury, he led on
an astonishing run of 11 matches unbeaten to escape relegation
and is now waiting for a new chance from Dunga.
The most successful return was Adriano's to Flamengo after
saying in April that he was putting his career on hold due to
his unhappiness at Inter Milan. He was the Brazilian
championship's top scorer and he did find a place back in the
Brazil side.
Robinho will not even have time to play in the Brazilian
championship which starts in May but goes into recess for the
June 11-July 11 World Cup and ends in December.
However, returning the to the club he helped win the
national title twice is a chance for Robinho to enchant fans
again with his dribbling and bursts of pace that caught Pele's
attention when he was barely 14.
"It's a victory for Brazil because Robinho will be able to
play the football that all Brazilians want to see from Robinho,
something difficult with the rotation policy of (City coach
Roberto) Mancini," Santos president Luis Alvaro Ribeiro said on
announcing the loan deal.