Ronaldo scored in the 15th
minute, giving World Cup champion Brazil a 1-0 victory over Russia in an
exhibition game Wednesday night.
Ronaldo deflected Roberto Carlos' 15th-minute pass off his chest from just
outside the penalty area. Goalkeeper Igor Akinfeev watched the ball go by
without attempting to stop it, raising his hands in apparent frustration at his
defenders' failure to read the play.
Brazil was playing without injured forward Ronaldinho and its two top
goalkeepers. The game at Lokomotiv Stadium, which was half-full, was played in a
temperature of about 18 degrees and on a field with only sparse grass.
Brazil made six substitutions in the second half. Coach Carlos Alberto Parreira
said the weather and the field made it difficult to evaluate performances.
"I'm not going to judge the team by this game" he said. "The weather conditions
did not help us." |