Learner’s Podcast 30 – Ronaldo

A On this week's show the languagecaster team take a look at the career of Ronaldo of Brazil and AC Milan, and introduce anotherA English for Football phrase. There is a transcript A for the reports below as well as the following links for language learners. Worksheets and transcripts Vocabulary lists Online quizzes and crossword puzzles Weekly blogs from our football-crazy writers inA fansa€™ forumTranscriptSadly, the Champions League second leg tie between Arsenal and AC Milan will not feature Ronaldo Luis Nazário de Lima - or as everyone knows him, Ronaldo. This isna€™t the Christian Ronaldo of Manchester United, who is being mentioned as a potential great, but THE Ronaldo already recognised as one of the greatest players of the last 15 years, and perhaps of all time. Ita€™s the Brazilian Ronaldo of Cruzeiro, PSV, Barca, Inter, Real Madrid and now of AC Milan. Ita€™s the Ronaldo who won the Golden Boot with eight goals in the 2002 World Cup and a winners medal along with being voted the best player in the 1998 tournament.It wasna€™t the first or last time it was decided that Ronaldo was the best. Hea€™s won the FIFA Player of the Year award three times in 1996, a€˜97 and 2002. That puts him alongside Zidane as the only player to win the award three times. But of course it wasna€™t collecting awards and medals that makes him famous, makes many believe he deserves a mention along with the all time greats such as Pele, Maradonna, Best, Cruijff, Puskas. It was scoring goals with devastating pace and power, being able to take on defenders with not just speed but technique and incredible balance.Listen to these statistics.At Cruzeiro: played 13 scored 12PSV: played 46 scored 42Barcelona 34 goals in 37 appearancesAt Inter 49 goals in 69 games.Real Madrid: played 127 scored 83And nine from 16 at AC MilanAt international level for Brazil, 62 from 97 games.Amazing! Truly a goal scoring machineA A And all that despite a crisis in his career in 1998 when he performed below par at the World Cup and was clearly mentally not ready for the final where he was a huge disappointment. The next year he injured his right knee badly and it was to be nearly two years before he fully recovered. But he did recover and stormed back onto the World stage outshining David Beckham in the World Cup in Korea and Japan. However, this latest injury, a ruptured tendon in his left knee, has many commentators wondering if he can make a come back. he had seemed set to regain some of his past sharpness partnering Pato up front for AC Milan, and at 31, age is on his side, but you have to wonder if the hunger will still be there for a player who was already been on the Brazilian team bench in a world cup at 17.A It would be a sad way to hang up his 9 shirt, but if he doesna€™t come back, he will be remembered as one of the greatest strikers... ever.A