Pretty Good

When Spanish football club Barcelona paid US $35 million for Ronaldinho last summer, they weren’t buying a pretty face. "I am (1) ," admits the Brazilian superstar (超级明星). "But everyone has got a different kind of beauty. What I (2) have is charm. "
Indeed he has. His buck teeth (龅牙), flowing hair, big smile, and of course his (3) skills are always eye-catching on the pitch. The 23-year-old striker (中锋) scored two goals in a 3-2 win over Deportivo La Coruna on March 1. It was Barcelona’s sixth win in a row and, thanks to their Brazilian’s 10-goal contribution, (4) looked like a poor season could now end a success.
Ronaldinho-full name Ronaldo De Assis Moreira-is one of many South Americans who learned their skills playing in the backstreets before (5) them off on the world stage.
Great things were (6) when Gremio signed him as a seven-year-old, and he soon became friends with Ronaldo, who was then the other young star of Brazilian football. It was Ronaldo who first called him Ronaldinho, which (7) Little Ronaldo.
He first (8) for his country in 1999 but it was at the 2002 World Cup where he showed his real worth, scoring an unbelievable free-kick in Brazil’s quarter-final victory (9) England.
"I have never failed to deliver in big matches," Ronaldinho says. "My game is based on improvisation (即兴表演). Often a forward does not have the time to decide whether to shoot or (10) . It is instinct that gives out the orders. "
While he may not have David Beckham’s good looks, Ronaldinho has a (11) reputation off the pitch. At former club Paris Saint Germain, which sold him to Barcelona, he broke (12) rules by going out and enjoying the city’s nightlife. "Without doubt, Ronaldinho is the most (13) player I have ever come across," says former PSG coach Luis Ferdandez. "The main (14) for any coach is that one player without discipline can hurt the whole team. "
But Ronaldinho doesn’t think he has done anything wrong. "I am just a young person who enjoys (15) ," he says.

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