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| June 2, 2002 | Sunday | Rabi-ul-Awwal 20,1423 |
Ronaldo gets stern warning by coach
ULSAN, June 1: Ronaldo was reprimanded by Brazil coach Luiz Felipe Scolari on Saturday for failing to do his share of marking and warned that his reputation would not stop him from being substituted during a game.
“He still has a bit of difficulty in responding to the request to mark the opposition when they are trying to play the ball out of defence,” Scolari said.
Ronaldo, who is returning to full fitness after being sidelined for over two years by a succession of injuries, was still not at his best during Saturday’s practice match between the first team and the reserves, said Scolari.
“Ronaldo is getting better on the physical side and on the technical side but he still lacks rhythm,” added Scolari.
Scolari said that if Ronaldo was off-colour during a match, he would substitute him rather than keeping on the field in the hope that he could produce a match-winning minute of genius.
“I will not wait for the end. If I have to change the team, I will. My job is to do what is best for the group.
“No name is so big that he can’t be substituted and I’m not going to spare A, B or C.
If I have to take a decision,
it could be the goalkeeper or the left winger, but I will take it. We have plenty of good players who are not in the team.”
Scolari, whose team face Turkey in their opening
game in group C on Monday, has confirmed his team, with Juninho being brought in as a second attacking player in midfield.
The team will line up with Marcos in goal, Lucio, Edmilson and Roque Junior in the centre of the defence, Cafu and Roberto Carlos on the flanks, Emerson, Juninho and Ronaldinho in midfield and Ronaldo and Rivaldo in attack.
But Scolari admitted he was not fully happy with Saturday’s practice.
“We can never be 100 percent happy, there’s always a little bit more the players can give,” he said. “We had some problems creating chances and with the finishing as well.”—Reuters
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