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<p>DORTMUND, Germany (AP) -- Ronaldo broke free early, flashed past Ghana's flailing goalkeeper and poked the ball into the net. </p><p><table cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0" width="5" align="center" bgcolor="#000000" border="0"><tbody><tr><td valign="middle" align="left" bgcolor="#ffffff"><img alt="" hspace="0" src="http://www.chinadaily.net/sports/2006-06/28/xin_400603280744290199532.jpg" align="baseline" border="1"/><br/><font face="Arial" size="2">Brazil's Ronaldo celebrates his goal against Ghana with team mate Kaka (8) during their second round World Cup 2006 soccer match in Dortmund June 27, 2006. [Reuters]</font></td></tr></tbody></table></p><p>With one swift move in the fifth minute Tuesday, the superstar striker overtook German Gerd Mueller as the greatest scorer in World Cup history, spoiled Ghana's scrappy debut and put defending champion Brazil into its fourth straight quarterfinals. </p><p>"I want to continue to increase the record," Ronaldo said, "but without forgetting that the main goal in the World Cup is winning the title." </p><p>Brazil had to work for its 3-0 win over the Black Stars, who pressured enough to create chances but kept shooting either just off the mark or well within reach of goalkeeper Dida. </p><p>"Today's game was as we expected," Brazil coach Carlos Alberto Parreira said. "It wasn't easy and we knew it wasn't going to be easy, 3-0 seems easy, but it wasn't." </p><p>The Brazilians used long, penetrating passes to build each of its goals, but Ronaldo's tournament-record 15th was the only one it would need. With its 11th straight tournament win, Brazil took another step toward a fourth straight World Cup finals, and next faces France in a rematch of the 1998 final. </p><p>"The big guys are coming to the quarterfinals," Parreira said. "It is getting closer and closer. It's getting tougher and tougher." </p><p>On the counterattack, Kaka sent a second long pass up the heart of the field to an unmarked Ronaldo, who touched the ball once toward Richard Kingson, then sent the goalkeeper flailing with a brilliant stepover move. Ronaldo cut left, and with a defender closing, popped the ball into the net. </p><p>Ronaldo said he never intended to break the World Cup scoring record -- it came to him. </p><p>"It was never my goal, it just happened match after match," he said. "This is the result of lots of work, lots of sacrifice." </p><p>Mueller scored his 14 goals over 13 games in the 1970 and 1974 World Cups; Ronaldo has played 18 games in the past three tournaments. </p><p>Ronaldo performed poorly in Brazil's first two matches against Croatia and Australia, when the Real Madrid striker was held scoreless and substituted for twice. He was also bothered by a weight controversy and a string of minor health problems. </p><p>One minute into first-half injury time, Adriano added to Brazil's lead in a breakaway set up by a through ball, using his left thigh to nudge a waist-high cross from Cafu into the net. Replays showed Adriano appeared to be offside when he touched the ball in, and fans booed the replay. </p><p>The third goal also came when a long pass sprang a Brazilian one-on-one against Kingson. Midfielder Ze Roberto received the ball and flicked it over the keeper, who left his box and tried to make a save with his head. Safely past, Ze Roberto jogged the ball in alone. </p><p>Ghana coach Ratomir Dujkovic said he was thrown out of the game at halftime for complaining to the referee as they walked in the tunnel, and did not coach the second half. When asked about what happened, Dujkovic said he told the referee "that it would be better for us if he put a yellow jersey on." </p><p>After the game, Dujkovic said he believed the Black Stars of Ghana would be back. </p><p>"They (Ghanaians) faced a great team, the world champions, they are the best in competition, defending champions," Dujkovic said. "It is not a shame to lose to Brazil." </p><p>Ghana bounced back quickly from the early goal, pushing forward and pressuring Brazil. Though the Ghanaians had more scoring chances and outshot the Brazilians 25-21, Dida shut them out with a solid performance. <br/><font size="3">Dida also stopped Gyan's 79th-minute shot from inside the area. </font></p><p>John Mensah had one of the match's best opportunities with a close-range header in the 42nd, but Dida made a great save with his right leg. </p><p>Ghana was physical from the beginning, picking up four yellow cards in the first half and two others in the second. </p><p>Gyan was sent off in the 81st for diving, his second yellow. His expulsion extended the World Cup record for red cards to 25. </p><p>While Brazil is seeking a record sixth title, Ghana was trying to become only the third African team to reach the quarterfinals of the World Cup. Senegal did it in 2002 and Cameroon made it in 1990. No African team has reached the semifinals. </p><p>Ghana finished second to three-time champion Italy in Group E, which also included the United States and the Czech Republic. </p><p>Brazil came into the match boosted by a convincing 4-1 win over Japan, when Parreira fielded five reserve players to rest some starters. The regulars were recalled for Tuesday's match, though many in Brazil wanted Parreira to keep playing some of the second stringers who performed well against Japan. </p><p>But this far into the tournament, Parreira went back to his starters, and back after sitting out Thursday were defenders Roberto Carlos and Cafu; midfielders Emerson and Ze Roberto; and striker Adriano. Cicinho, Gilberto, Gilberto Silva and Juninho, meanwhile, returned to the bench. </p><p>"History doesn't talk about the beautiful game, it talks about champions," Parreira said. "We like to play beautifully and if we can, we will. ... We have five world championships under our belly and we want to make it six." </p><p></p><p><br/></p> |
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