Brazilian striker Ronaldo's return to action after a 13-month knee
injury layoff was marred by an ugly media scrum following Wednesday's
Copa Brasil game that left the 32-year-old nursing a black eye.
RicardoRafael/AP
Ronaldo in action on his return from injury
Second-half substitute Ronaldo survived his 23 minutes intact in Corinthians' 2-0 win at Itumbiara but was then injured by a microphone as around two dozen reporters and cameramen surrounded him on the pitch for interviews at the end of the game.
Pictures showed Ronaldo being struck as he was escorted off and one showed him with a badly bruised and swollen right eye. Following the incident, he left the stadium without talking to the media.
"He had a good debut, moved well and tried a few dribbles," Corinthians coach Mano Menezes told reporters.
Last February, Ronaldo ruptured a tendon in his left knee in a Serie A game playing for AC Milan against Livorno and later left the Italian club.
He joined Corinthians in December in a surprise move and has taken nearly three months to reach match fitness.
Ronaldo was involved in another off-field controversy last week when he was fined by the club for arriving late at the team hotel after a day off.
Corinthians were already 2-0 ahead when Ronaldo came on, Chicao and Andre Santos having scored either side of halftime.
Wearing his favourite number nine shirt, Ronaldo had only a few touches of the ball in an unspectacular debut. It was his first game for a Brazilian club since leaving Cruzeiro in 1994.
The former Barcelona, Real Madrid, PSV Eindhoven and Inter Milan player had previously suffered two serious injuries to his other knee and many observers speculated that he would not recover from the latest setback.
Even before the latest injury, he had been suffering from a loss of form and weight problems and had not played for Brazil since his much-criticised performance at the 2002 World Cup.
• Flamengo also advanced after trouncing Ivinhema 5-0 in Campo Grande.
Ze Roberto netted twice and Leonardo Moura, Kleberson and Maxi Biancucci scored a goal each to help the Rio de Janeiro side set up a clash against either Barras-PI or Remo-PA.
Internacional went through after the Porto Alegre side claimed a hard-fought 2-0 home win against Union Rondonopolis.
The home side had to wait until the 66th minute to take the lead with an Indio goal and Alecsandro's strike five minutes later ensured a meeting in the next stage with Guarani-SP.
Atletico Paranaense won 3-0 at Tocantins with goals by Marcinho, Rafael Moura and Julio Cesar while Goias also advanced to the next stage after beating Atletico-RR 3-1 with a brace by Amaral and a header by Ramalho.
In other games on Wednesday, Coritiba hammered Holanda 3-0 while Criciuma defeated Tupi and Fortaleza beat Desportivo by the same score.
The champions of the tournament will earn a spot in the 2010 Copa Libertadores.
ref: http://soccernet.espn.go.com/news/story?id=624806&sec=global&cc=4716
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