Samba star fails to shine on biggest stage

Kevin McCarra says Ronaldinho almost looks normal in his present midfield role

It's enough to wipe the smile off his Barcelona face. Playing for Brazil takes Ronaldinho as near as is conceivable to being a normal player. Admittedly that does not drag him all that close to mediocrity, but, on the evidence of this World Cup, pulling the yellow shirt over his head reminds him of what it is to toil, to compromise and to bow to the wishes of other people.

There is no despair about him or even an inkling that his place in the line-up can be questioned. Indeed he did quite well in Brazil's previous match, against Japan. All the same, he is not accustomed to so diluted a compliment.

It must be remembered that the virtuoso was elected world footballer of the year virtually by popular acclaim in 2004 and 2005. It only remained for him to come to Germany and assert his sovereignty over this tournament. In practice, he has barely started to do so. Certain negligent passes flew far beyond their target against Ghana yesterday and, worse still, there were lapses of vision. Adriano, having got himself in position to go clear in the 17th minute, gave him a long reproachful look when the expected through-ball never materialised.

Ronaldinho could deliver a lecture of his own on the topic of exasperation. A potential cameo in football history was torn from him. It was to be an assist from Kaka that saw Ronaldo break Gerd Müller's record for World Cup finals with a 15th goal. In the first minute, however, Ronaldinho had released the forward when all that could stop him was the flag wrongly raised for offside.

There really is not much amiss with a player venerated by the award of Brazil's number 10 shirt, but he does not hold the eye as he would in the Camp Nou. At the Westfalenstadion he sometimes had to content himself with a sympathetic glance from the spectators, as when he set up Roberto Carlos but saw the full-back's finish blocked by goalkeeper Richard Kingson.

There may well be three further high-profile games for Brazil in this World Cup, including the final, so Ronaldinho may yet be declared player of the tournament as virtually everyone had predicted. Nonetheless, there is some catching up to be done by a 26-year-old who had not anticipated being overshadowed by, for instance, Germany's Miroslav Klose.

He did offer some lovely touches after the interval in Dortmund, particularly with one impudent flick which Kaka did not gather properly. It came because of the space into which Ronaldinho could burst during that phase of the game.

If he were minded to protest, this mesmerising talent could denounce the switch in roles inflicted on him whenever he moves from club to country. With Barcelona he has a post on the left of a three-man attack, from where he can run wherever the spirit moves him. Carlos Alberto Parreira imposes a stricter system. Although Ronaldinho is incapable of the conventional, he is a relatively orthodox midfielder until a side such as Ghana, desperate in the face of impending defeat, leave him unattended as they hurl players forward.

Ronaldinho did not capitalise. At present he may even feel like the sole, dog-eared corner on the famed magic square, because Kaka, Ronaldo and Adriano have all scored in this World Cup. There is a strong prospect that he will rectify that situation soon.

Truth to tell, Ronaldinho would have been ecstatic with a tap-in yesterday. Cafu shot in the 90th minute when he ought to have rolled the ball across to present the midfielder with an open goal. Whether that decision stemmed from a defender's greedy desire to score himself or merely a lack of awareness, it demonstrated that Ronaldinho does not dominate his team-mates' thoughts.

It is naive to suppose that the granting of awards is the last word where the pecking order of the Brazil team is concerned. Ronaldinho does not enjoy seniority in the squad. There was an episode to highlight that in the first half. With 15 minutes gone, he lowered his palms to indicate that he must be given the ball. Roberto Carlos paid no attention. Worse than that, he had something better in mind and a dashing pass was swept across the width of the pitch, threatening to send his fellow full-back Cafu beyond the Ghana defence.

Ronaldinho had nothing to complain about, and doubtless he will tolerate a reduced supply of accolades if he can once more place his hands on the World Cup.