In the 16th round of play in the Sao Paulo state soccer championship on Wednesday, Corinthians star forward Ronaldo scored twice in the 2-2 draw against Ponte Preto, reported the local media on Thursday.
The game marked the first full 90 minutes of action by Ronaldo after having returned to the sport after more than one year of being sidelined due to a torn knee ligament.
Despite Ronaldo's prime performance, he saw his team's defense breakdown, allowing Ponte Preta to equalize the score.
Ponte Preta scored the game's first goal in the 32nd minute of play. A wide-open Edilson snuck through the Corinthians defense when he received the ball from Leandrinho. Silencing the home crowd, Edilson drilled the ball past Corinthians goalkeeper, Felipe.
Corinthians responded in the 36th minute. Ponte Preta's fullback, Gum, committed a foul on Ronaldo inside of the penalty box. Ronaldo took the penalty kick and tied the game to the crowd's delight.
Corinthians and Ronaldo would again score in the 57th minute of play. After receiving the ball on the right side of the field, Ronaldo took a quick first step to create room between him and the defense. With the space the striker created, Ronaldo pounded the ball with his left foot into the upper right side of the goal to put his team up 2-1.
However, in the 76th minute, Ponte Preta tied the game. After a stopped ball foul, Guilherme crossed the ball towards the front of the Corinthians goal. The team's fullback, Gum, rose above the Corinthians defense to head the ball past Felipe and into the back of the net.
With his two goals scored, Ronaldo has accumulated his fourth goal of the season. As a result of the tie, Corinthians now has 34points and remains in second place in the state tournament. PontePreta reached their 20th point and rose to ninth place.
(Xinhua News Agency March 27, 2009)
