Ronaldinho battles for the ball. (Allsport)
'THREE Rs' CLOCKWATCH
By Damian Spellman, PA Sport
1 - Ronaldinho takes on and beats Torsten Frings down the left, but the
defender gets back well to concede the first corner of the game. The Brazilian
takes the corner himself but curls the ball over Gilberto Silva's head at the
far post.
4 - Rivaldo picks up the ball deep inside his own half and tries to put
Kleberson away on the right, but Marco Bode tracks back well to intercept.
14 - After a quiet start, Ronaldo gets a wake-up call from marker Carsten
Ramelow, who scythes him down on the halfway line with an untidy challenge.
17 - Ronaldo picks up possession from Roque Junior and with the help of a
ricochet, feeds it in to Ronaldinho on the edge of the penalty area, but the
Germans close the door with the minimum of fuss.
19 - Ronaldinho picks out Ronaldo's run into the box with a superbly-weighted
pass, but the striker pokes his effort wide of Oliver Kahn's right post.
22 - Lucio surges forward and continues his run after laying the ball off to
Ronaldo, but he cannot return the favour as Ramelow gets in a fine challenge.
26 - Rivaldo provides the pivot for Brazil as he receives Gilberto Silva's
pass and allows Kleberson to find Roberto Carlos on the left, but his driven
cross is easily blocked.
30 - After picking himself up from a painful kick on the shin from Thomas
Linke, Ronaldo powers his way into the box to get on the end of Ronaldinho's
lofted ball over the top, but cannot get a decisive touch as Kahn comes from his
line to save.
35 - Ronaldinho turns neatly away from Jens Jeremies on halfway and finds
Rivaldo, who ships it on to Ronaldo on the left, but his progress is soon halted
by a crunching tackle from Linke.
38 - Rivaldo turns up deep inside his own half to get in a vital tackle on the
lively Bernd Schneider.
45 - After a patient build-up involving each of the three Rs, Ronaldinho
squares the ball to Kleberson, who curls a right-foot shot beyond Kahn but sees
it come back off the crossbar.
45 - Ronaldo is first to react to Roberto Carlos' driven cross in front of
goal, spins and fires in a point-blank left-foot shot, but again Kahn makes a
magnificent block.
52 - Kleberson picks out Ronaldo wide on the left edge of the penalty area,
but despite his trickery, Linke stands firm to concede a corner.
53 - Rivaldo slides the ball in to Ronaldo and he cuts inside Ramelow but
cannot force his shot past the defender's outstretched leg.
56 - Rivaldo finds Ronaldinho and then charges into the box, but Christoph
Metzelder is on hand to cut out the return pass.
59 - Ronaldo gets a chance to go for goal after Dietmar Hamann is penalised
for handball 25 yards out, but with Rivaldo providing the decoy, smashes his
free-kick into the defensive wall.
67 - Ronaldo wins possession from Hamann 25 yards out and sets up Rivaldo to
shoot, and when Kahn spills his left-foot effort, Ronaldo follows up to score
from close range.
75 - Rivaldo heads clear Schneider's inswinging corner at the near post as
Germany rally.
79 - Kleberson bursts down the right and cuts inside before squaring for
Rivaldo to step over the ball to allow Ronaldo to take a controlling touch and
then steer the ball past Kahn and into the bottom corner for number two.
85 - Ronaldinho is replaced by Juninho as the celebrations begin in earnest.
86 - Juninho wins possession on halfway and charges forward before attempting
to pick out the unmarked Rivaldo in front of goal, but overcooks his pass.
90 - Ronaldo receives a rapturous ovation as he is replaced by Denilson in the
final minute of normal time.
90 - Juninho gives Rivaldo a late chance to run at the German defence, but he
is eventually stopped by Ramelow as he tries to tip-toe his way through.
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