Ronaldinho Adapting To Different Position

Filed in archive Ronaldinho on June 22, 2006

image: tvnz.co.nz

Ronaldinho has been producing steady performances for Brazil, but nothing to add to the Joga Bonito highlight reel yet. Part of the reason is that he's playing a different position for the Seleção than he does for Barcelona.

At Barcelona Ronaldinho tends to play on the left hand side of three attackers, which means a little more freedom as well as receiving the ball in more advanced positions. "When you play further forward, every dribble produces a chance for a shot on goal," explained the man himself.

For Brazil he plays alongside Kaka as an attacking midfielder, behind two strikers and in front of two defensive midfielders. The formation is called the magic square, but it means Ronaldinho is responsible for starting moves rather than finishing them.

He's not complaining though.""Here my job is to make the team play. I'm not here to play for myself," he explained. "In the National team, all the players are of a really high standard so everybody has to help each other out, nobody is here to create a conflict. The atmosphere is really good and everybody is prepared to give a little."

I don't want to go overboard about Ronaldinho, it's already been done, but it's refreshing to hear such a big name, who could easily make demands about where and how he plays, speak with such relative humility.