Posted March. 29, 2002 09:01,
28th was the official date for `A-match`, specifically decided by the International Football Federation (FIFA). As 54 nations around the world held the total of 27 matches on the day, 26 out of 2002 World Cup’s 32 final participants also faced each other in friendly matches. The day’s greatest attention was laid upon the Brazil-Yugoslavia match, and the center of focus was Brazil’s `new soccer king` Ronaldo.
Recovering from injury, Ronaldo played for the Brazilian national team for the first time in 2 years and 5 months at the home-ground A-match with Yugoslavia at Fortaleza. Although Ronaldo was substituted with Luizao in the second half after playing for 45 minutes in the first half, he certainly showed his full talent by attacking the enemy’s defense with powerful breakthrough and creating many chances with heel-passes and distant shots. The result was Brazil’s victory by 1-0 with Luizao’s heading-goal in 25 minutes of the second half. Ronaldo said after the game, “The goal is the World Cup.”
On the day, FIFA’s first ranker France crushed Scotland by 5-0, as Trezeguet scored 2 goals and Zidane and Henri added more. Also in the `big match` between `World Cup’s championship candidates`, Italy defeated England by 2-1.
Another championship candidate Argentina tied with Cameroon by 2-2, and World Cup’s non-qualifier Netherlands won over Spain by 1-0.