Giants of Brazil.com

August 17th, 2005.
Opponent: Croatia
Location: split  Stadium: Poljud
Friendly

Our next game is against Croatia in a friendly to take place in the Seventeenth of august 2005, in the city of Split. The game will take place in the Poljud stadium that has a capacity of 45 thousand spectators, and will be the first time the two teams ever meet.
- Croatia was declared independent on June 25th, 1991, and was recognized by the European Community and other 27 countries on January 15th 1992, and was declared an independent nation by the United Nations May 22, 1992.

Robson de Souza

(born January 25, 1984 in São Vicente, Brazil), nicknamed Robinho (Robbie)

Considered by many to be one of the greatest players in the Brazilian league since his debut for Santos Football Club in 2002; in addition to excelling in the national league, he is also one of the most promising prospects for the Brazilian national team. He is widely expected to agree a move to Spanish La Liga giants Real Madrid in the near future for reasons stated below.

Robinho made his debut for Santos in 2002 when, along with teammate Diego, he helped lead the club to win its then greatest honour since Pelé retired. After a disappointing 2003 season, Robinho exploded in 2004, scoring 21 goals in 36 matches in the league. Robinho has also appeared for Santos in two Copa Libertadores, helping Santos finish runners-up to Boca Juniors in the 2003 tournament.

Robinho's performances over the past three years has attracted the attention of the great clubs from Europe, but Santos is reluctant to let him go (foreseeing a possible decay of the club's playing strength).

However, he has expressed a desire for leaving the country since his mother was kidnapped, by the end of 2004, and was held captive for two months (one among several cases of relatives of famous Brazilian footballers kidnapped recently).

source: Wikipedia

Adriano Leite Ribeiro

Bbetter known simply as Adriano, was born on February 17, 1982 in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. He weighs 91 kg and is 189 cm tall. An agile and powerful forward, Adriano counts exceptional ball control among his many talents. Some of his clubs include Flamengo, Fiorentina, Parma, and his current club, Internazionale (Inter Milan).

In his first appearance for the Nerrazurri, the striker scored against Real Madrid in the 2001 Santiago Bernabeu Trophy. Inter loaned him to Parma and Fiorentina during 2002 and 2003, but he returned to the Nerazzurri in 2004 and has since been a vital asset to the team. He has scored a total of 15 goals in his 16 appearances this 2004/05 season. While playing for the Brazilian national team, he won the 2004 Copa América in Peru. Adriano scored the most goals of the tournament and was selected as the best player.

Adriano is often considered as the long-term successor to Ronaldo in the Brazillian national team. When he scores a goal, he looks to the sky in memory of his recently deceased father. In Italy, he is known by the nickname of "L'Imperatore" ('The Emperor').

He has recently been linked with a £65 million move to Chelsea. However, these rumors have been dismissed as false. Chelsea is not the only team interested in the Brazilian striker. Real Madrid, a Spanish club, has shown interest as well. Although many clubs are after him, Adriano comments that Inter is his home forever and that he wishes to finish his career there. Giacinto Facchetti, Inter Milan's club president, is keeping a close watch on the star. "It's flattering that so many prestigious clubs want him," Facchetti tells journalists, "but we're keeping tight hold of him."

During the Confederations Cup, Adriano was named Player of the Tournament. In the final, he steered Brazil to an unforgettable victory. Two outstanding goals helped Brazil to top Argentina 4-1, the first one coming from a blistering left-footed shot in the 11th minute. The second came as a result of a Cicinho cross, with Adriano heading it in. The goal made him the tournament's top scorer with five goals overall.

From 11 July 2004 through 25 June 2005, Adriano has scored an impressive total of 40 goals. They have come from an assortment of matches (28) including appearances in: Serie A, Coppa Italia & Champions League games for Inter in 2004/05; Copa America, South American World Cup qualifying, and Confederations Cup games for Brazil.

Ronaldo Luíz Nazário de Lima
(b.September 22, 1976), simply known as Ronaldo, but not to be confused with Ronaldinho of Barcelona or Cristiano Ronaldo of Manchester United, is a Brazilian footballer who plays as a forward for Brazil and Real Madrid. He is thought by many to be the best striker to play football since Pelé. He has been nicknamed O Fenômeno ("The Phenomenon").

Ronaldo's footballing abilities were first recognised when he was 14. He was recommended to the Brazil youth team by World Cup winner Jairzinho, who also arranged for his own former club, Cruzeiro Esporte Clube, to sign the boy when he was old enough for a professional contract.

In 1993, at the age of 16, Ronaldo had already scored 59 goals in 57 matches for Brazil's under-17 squad. By 1994 he had joined the national senior squad, although he did not actually play in the 1994 World Cup in the United States.

Ronaldo's European career began when he joined PSV Eindhoven for the 1994-1995 season. He became the Dutch top scorer, and attracted the attention of Spain's FC Barcelona. He played for Barça in the 1996-1997 season, scoring 34 goals in 37 appearances, then transferred to Inter Milan the following year.

Voted the FIFA World Player of the Year in 1996 and 1997 (the only male player to have ever won it in two consecutive years), he had a comparatively disappointing performance during the 1998 World Cup, scoring only four goals. Brazil lost the final to the hosts France after he suffered a mysterious fit the night before. [1] Some questioned the decision to play Ronaldo in the final because of the possible physiological aftereffects of the fit. [2] It began nearly four years of career nightmare for the striker.

A year later, he severely injured his right knee and was out of the game for several months. During his first comeback in 2000, he managed to play a few minutes during a league game against S.S. Lazio before injuring his knee for a second time.

After two operations and twenty months of rehabilitation, Ronaldo managed a comeback during the 2002 FIFA World Cup. He claimed the Golden Boot by scoring eight goals during the tournament (and tied with Pelé for a Brazilian record 12 total World Cup goals), leading Brazil to win an unprecedented fifth World Championship. In 2002, he was awarded the title of World Player of the Year for the third time, and transferred from Inter Milan to Real Madrid after frequent disputes with Inter Milan coach Hector Cuper.

On June 2, 2004, Ronaldo scored an unusual hat-trick for Brazil against archrivals Argentina in a CONMEBOL qualifier for the 2006 World Cup. He scored all of Brazil's goals in a 3-1 win from penalties.

In April 1999, Ronaldo married Milene Domingues. The marriage lasted four years and ended in divorce. The couple had a son, Ronald (born 2000). In February 2005 he married Brazilian model and MTV "VJ" Daniela Cicarelli.

Ronaldo has just announced that he is to retire from international football after the World Cup in Germany in 2006. He has also stated that he will retire from football altogether when his Real Madrid contract expires in four years' time.

Teams and clubs
Brazil national football team
March 1994 -
Debut against Argentina
Social Ramos Club 1990/91
São Cristovão 1991-1993
Cruzeiro Belo Horizonte 1993/94
PSV Eindhoven 1994-1996
FC Barcelona 1996/97
Inter Milan 1997-2002
Real Madrid 2002-

Honors and awards
FIFA World Player of the Year: 1996, 1997, 2002
European Footballer of the Year: 1997, 2002
UEFA Most Valuable Player: 1998
FIFA World Cup
2002 Golden Boot - 8 goals
2002 - Winner
1994 - Winner
Copa América: 1997, 1999
UEFA Cup: 1998
Cup Winners' Cup: 1997
Dutch Cup: 1996
La Liga - Primera División champions: 2003
Intercontinental Cup: 2002
European Super Cup: 2002
Spanish Super Cup: 2003

Roberto Carlos da Silva
(b. April 10, 1973 in Garça, São Paulo)
This short, but strong and very fast left wing-back is known for his trademark super-powerful free-kicks. He currently plays for Real Madrid where he has extended his contract until 2007.

On the club level, Roberto Carlos has played for Palmeiras, Internazionale, and Real Madrid. He has 105 caps for Brazil, and helped his country win the World Cup in 2002 after finishing second in 1998. He is perhaps most famous for scoring an incredible free kick against France when the ball took an amazing swerve, leaving goalkeeper Fabien Barthez stunned.

He was named by Pelé as one of the top 125 greatest living footballers in March 2004. Roberto Carlos is divorced with three children.
On June 24, 2005, Roberto Carlos was robbed by two gunmen while doing a live radio interview. However, the robbers did not harm him, merely taking his watch and the interviewer's cellphone.

On August 2, 2005, Roberto Carlos received Spanish citizenship but maintained his Brazilian nationality as well.

Clubs
Brazil national football team
February 1992 -
Debut against USA
Palmeiras 1992-1995
Inter Milan 1995-1996
Real Madrid 1996-

Titles
1993 Brazilian league with Palmeiras
1996 Bronze medal Olympic football tournament with Brazil
1997 Spanish league with Real Madrid
1997 Copa América with Brazil
1998 UEFA Champions League with Real Madrid
1998 Intercontinental Cup with Real Madrid
1998 Runner-up FIFA World Cup with Brazil
1999 Copa América with Brazil
2000 UEFA Champions League with Real Madrid
2001 Spanish league with Real Madrid
2002 UEFA Champions League with Real Madrid
2002 European Supercup with Real Madrid
2002 Intercontinental Cup with Real Madrid
2002 World Champion FIFA World Cup with Brazil
2003 Spanish league with Real Madrid

Source: Wikipedia free encyclopedia

Ronaldo de Assis Moreira
(born March 21, 1980 in Porto Alegre, Brazil), better known as Ronaldinho (Little Ronaldo) or Ronaldinho Gaúcho, is the current best player of the World.

He started playing football at a young age, playing futsal in Brazil. Making a name for himself as the top scorer at the under-17 world championship in Egypt, Ronaldinho began his professional career at Grêmio, and played there from 1998-2001. In his Brazilian national team debut on June 26, 1999, he scored his first international goal, against Venezuela, to win the Copa América. To date, he has won 34 caps for Brazil, scoring 13 goals.

In 2001, Ronaldinho signed a five-year contract with Paris Saint-Germain. The manager of PSG thought that Ronaldinho was too focused on the Paris nightlife rather than on his football. He started playing at the beginning of the 01/02 season due to a protracted legal battle between PSG and Grêmio over the transfer fee. Grêmio finally received $4.5 million.

In 2002, Ronaldinho helped Brazil win the World Cup. One of the highlights of the tournament was a spectacular 35-metre lob he scored against England in the quarter-finals of the tournament.

In 2003, Ronaldinho made it known he wanted to leave PSG after they failed to qualify for European cups. That set off a bidding war among the elite clubs for his services. On July 19, FC Barcelona snapped him up for 27 million Euro, beating Manchester United to his signature. Ronaldinho justified their purchase, leading them to a second-place finish in the Spanish first division during the 03/04 season.

Together with Samuel Eto'o, Deco, Henrik Larsson and Ludovic Giuly, he comprises part of an awesome strike force which has led Barça to win the season 04/05 Spanish first division.

On December 20, 2004, Ronaldinho was named FIFA World Player of the Year over Arsenal's Thierry Henry and AC Milan's Andriy Shevchenko.

On June 29, 2005, Ronaldinho played a pivotal role as the captain of the Brazilian squad which won it's second FIFA Confederations Cup title, in a 4-1 victory over Argentina. Pele named Ronaldinho in his 125 Top Living Footballers in March 2004.

Source: Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Ricardo Izecson Santos Leite
April 22th, 1982 in Brasilia (Brazil)
Sign: Taurus
Height: 1,86 meters
Weight: 73 kilograms
Hair: Black
Position: Midfield / Attacker
Current Club: AC Milan

former club: Sao Paulo

Kaka starred in the Selecao on January 31st of 2002 in a match Brazil crushed Bolivia with a final score of 6:0. From then on he has become a strong weapon for Brazil, establishing himself as main player since the beginning of the WCQ for 2006. In my opinion Kaka gained his spot when he was thrown in against colombia last year in a WCQ game. He scored in less than one minute, with a terrific pass from Ronaldo and a fatal kick from outside the area.  Most recently he had great part in Brazil's Confederation's cup feat, scoring an important goal against Argentina in the final match. 

Emerson Ferreira da Rosa

(born April 4, 1976 in Pelotas, Brazil)

Currently plays for Juventus of Serie A.

Emerson was a late-minute replacement for Romário at the 1998 World Cup, and then suffered a reversal four years later. The original captain of Brazil's 2002 World Cup team, Emerson dislocated his shoulder [1] in training before the first game; Cafu replaced him as captain and Brazil went on to win the cup.

Career:

1 Brazilian Championship: 1996
2 Brazil Cup: 1994, 1997
1 Libertadores Cup: 1995
1 Copa America: 1999
1 Supercoppa Italiana: 2001
2 Italian Championship: 2000/01, 2004/05

Source: Wikipedia - Juventus Official Site

Date & place of birth   6 July 1974 in Ipiranga (Brazil) 

Star sign   Cancer 

Nickname   Zé Roberto 

Height/weight/shoe size   1.72 m / 71 kg / 8 

Marital status   married (to Luciana), 2 children (Endrik, Miriá) 

Education   High school 

Attributes   punctual, disciplined, devout 

Hobbies   Music, family 

Motto   "My strength comes from Jesus" 

Previous clubs   
Pequeninos de Joquey (1981-93)
Portoguesa Sao Paulo (1994 – March 97)
Real Madrid (March - December 1997)
Flamengo Rio de Janeiro (Jan. – June 1998)
Bayer 04 Leverkusen (1998 – 2002) 


Career record   
German championship 2003
German Cup 2003
Spanish championship 1997
Spanish Supercup 1997
Copa America 1997, 1999
Confederations Cup 1997, 2005

When you feel an excited buzz shimmering around the Olympic stadium at Bayern home games, it usually means one thing: Zé Roberto is on the ball. The Brazilian is one of the game's finest exponents of close control, stroking the ball sweetly with his left foot: a stepover here, a back-heel there, and suddenly the opposing full-back lunges at fresh air, the ball and Zé both long gone. Quite apart from his dribbling skills, the former Leverkusen star is consistently one of the Bundesliga's top providers. But despite laying on 11 Bayern goals last term, "he could still do even more," chairman Karl-Heinz Rummenigge believes, and Zé knows where he could improve: "I'm going to start scoring more goals," he vows.

Source:  The official FC Bayern Munich website

Gilberto Silva
(born October 7, 1976 in Lagoa da Prata, Brazil) is a Brazilian national football player, currently playing for Arsenal F.C. as a midfielder.

Before he joined Arsenal on August 7, 2002 for 4.5 million pounds, he played for Vasco da Gama and Atletico Mineiro.

On his Arsenal debut, he emerged as a substitute in the second half of the FA Community Shield match against Liverpool F.C., scoring the winning goal but also receiving a yellow card for a misdemeanour during the match.

On September 25, 2002, he managed to break the record for the fastest goal in the UEFA Champions League, scoring after 19.4 seconds against PSV Eindhoven.

He enjoyed a good 2003/04 season in the ranks of the undefeated Arsenal squad.

Unfortunately injured for most of the 2004/05 season, he has made a return late in the season and has proved his worth by helping Arsenal take the runners-up position against Manchester United. He was part of the starting line-up in the FA Cup final, also against Manchester United, on 21st May 2005, which they won 5-4 on penalties.

Silva is often called "the invisible wall" in Brazil. This is because his play often goes unnoticed, as he positions himself very deep in the midfield, breaking up oppoistion attacks before they gather momentum. In this role, he is the first line of defense for both club and country. As Arsenal and Brazil are both notoriously attack minded, he offers cover for attacking wing-backs and other midfielders, such as Robert Pires of Arsenal, who have a poor record of dropping back to help the defence.

Source: Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.