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SAO PAULO (AP)—It took only six matches for Ronaldinho’s return to Brazilian football to be considered a success.

Ronaldinho still isn’t playing the kind of football that twice made him the FIFA player of the year, but on Sunday he scored a decisive goal and lifted his first trophy since joining Flamengo after 10 years in European football.

“I’m euphoric,” Ronaldinho said after Flamengo’s 1-0 victory over Boavista in the Guanabara Cup final. “This is how I want to make history with Flamengo, scoring goals and winning titles.”

The goal in the Guanabara Cup—the first stage of the Rio de Janeiro state championship—was Ronaldinho’s third since making his debut with the popular Brazilian club following a transfer from AC Milan in January, a move that brought him back to Brazil after thriving with some of Europe’s top clubs.

“I came to Flamengo at the right time,” the 30-year-old Ronaldinho said. “I’m very motivated to start playing well again and to be happy again.”

Ronaldinho was FIFA’s player of the year in 2004 and 2005 with Barcelona, but was struggling recently with AC Milan and decided to return home to revamp his career.

“My goal is to return to the national team as soon as possible,” he said. “I’ll keep working hard.”

Ronaldinho is yet to have a stellar performance since his debut with Flamengo on Feb. 2, but the club has won five of the six matches he played.

He scored his first goal with Flamengo with a penalty kick against Boavista in the group stage on Feb. 6, and his second came with a header against Murici in the Brazilian Cup on Feb. 16.

The 71st-minute goal on Sunday came at a crucial moment for Flamengo, which was dominating the match but was having difficulties getting past the opponent’s tight defensive scheme at the Engenhao stadium in Rio.

He curled a right-footed shot over the wall, striking it so perfectly that he began running to celebrate even before the ball hit the net. He ran near the sideline with several teammates lined up behind him, all dancing together.

The playmaker was praised and hailed in headlines across Brazil’s top newspapers on Monday.

“Ronaldinho decides with masterful goal,” the Lance sports daily said.

“Ronaldinho gives Flamengo the title,” read a front-page headline in the O Globo newspaper in Rio.

Ronaldinho signed with Flamengo in January after a controversial negotiation that involved two other Brazilian clubs, Palmeiras and Gremio, where he started his career. Ronaldinho’s agent and brother Roberto Assis negotiated with the three clubs for several days before announcing Ronaldinho’s decision to join Flamengo until the 2014 World Cup, which will be played in Brazil.

Labels: already, Brazil, return, Ronaldinhos, success

Liverpool footballer Dirk Kuyt has claimed that the team's recent good spell is due to his music taste.

The striker said that since he began playing music from his iPod before matches Kenny Dalglish's team has not lost a game.

“I took over from one of the lads and when they all like it, they let you be in charge. It is like taking a penalty. If you score, they all let you take the next one,” he told the Daily Mirror.

“What do I play that gets the lads going? Kings of Leon, The Killers and Amy Winehouse. That sort of stuff. Then, after the warming up, I let the physio take over with his iPod for one song.

Kuyt went on to reveal that the team also listen to Liverpool's famous anthem, 'You'll Never Walk Alone'. The club is currently unbeaten in its last seven games.

Labels: Gigwise, Kings, Liverpool, success, Winehouse

Ospreys 23-22 Ulster

FORWARDS coach Jonathan Humphreys praised the fortitude of his young Ospreys side as they held on to secure a one-point victory over the Ulstermen at the Liberty Stadium.

At stages throughout the match the Welsh region looked as if they were going to suffer a seventh Magners League defeat after trailing 13-0 after 20 minutes and 19-14 shortly after half-time.

But they were indebted to a try from Marty Holah and the boot of outside-half Dan Biggar, who kicked six of his seven penalty attempts.

“We delighted with the performance. It was tough to go behind early doors but this team has got great spirit,” said Humphreys.

“It was great to see them stick to our game-plan and they played as a team and that’s what got us back into it and helped get us the victory.”

The Ospreys were helped by some good performances from their younger players not least from Tom Smith, who won the official man of the match award, and centre Ashley Beck, who provided the pass for the Ospreys’ only try.

Their other points came from Dan Biggar who kicked six out of his seven penalty attempts.

The Ospreys handed a Magners League start to wing Tom Prydie despite having already four Wales caps to his name.

In all the Ospreys, captained by Jerry Collins, had 24 players unavailable through international duty with Wales, Scotland, Wales U-20s and Wales Sevens, and injury.

Ulster made the more encouraging start and were good for their 6-0 lead after 11 minutes with two Ian Humphreys penalty goals.

The Ospreys went through the phases as they tried to get into Ulster’s 22 but the visitors’ defence held firm.

A Richard Fussell long pass to Prydie looked to have sent the wing through down the right, but referee Neil Paterson adjudged a forward pass.

And the Scottish official found himself in the thick of the action awarding a penalty try to Ulster on 15 minutes when Prydie tackled Humphreys without the ball as he chased a ball across the line. Š

There were ironic cheers from a poor home crowd five minutes later when Mr Paterson awarded the Ospreys a penalty from a scrum offence, a kick Biggar converted to get his side on the scoreboard.

That and a penalty miss by Humphreys seemed to rejuvenate the Welsh region and from a five metre lineout taken by Smith, the Ospreys score their first try with centre Beck putting in a long pass for Marty Holah to go in at the left corner.

With the Ulster pack getting penalised, Biggar kicked a penalty to close the gap to just two points.

And Ulster’s cause was not helped that Humphreys was forced off with a shoulder injury on 32 minutes, replaced by Paul Marshall, who went to scrum-half with Ruan Pienaar at 10.

There was worse to follow for the Ulstermen just before half-time when Tim Barker was sin-binned for throwing a punch on the floor with Biggar converting the subsequent penalty from five metres inside his own half to give the home side a 14-13 interval lead.

Despite being down a man, Ulster were kicked back into the lead with a Pienaar penalty three minutes after the, and a further six minutes later the South African was on target again.

But back to their full complement Ulster gave away three penalties with Biggar kicking three penalties to give the Ospreys a four-point lead.

With seven minutes left, the Ulstermen earned a penalty goal in front of the Ospreys posts, which Pienaar kicked, but it was not enough.

Labels: Battling, Ospreys, success, WalesOnline

Theo Walcott has admitted he does not care what trophy Arsenal win this season - he just wants to ensure they do.

After five seasons without silverware, the Gunners are in contention for four major honours this term.

They lie second in the Premier League table, with an FA Cup fifth-round trip to Leyton Orient looming and a Carling Cup final with Birmingham after that - not to mention their eagerly-awaited Champions League double-header with Barcelona.

Little wonder there is a gleam in Walcott's eye as he assesses the prospect of finally adding another year to the roll of honour wrapped around the Emirates Stadium.

"The league would be massive," he said. "It's the hard work over the whole season. You have so many games and have to go through so many ups and downs. That would be the biggest one to win. I want that one.

"But really, anything will do. We haven't won trophies for a long time. This is the year we need to."

Labels: Eurosport, hungry, success, Walcott, Yahoo

There's more live football on Sky Sports than ever before, including the Barclays Premier League, UEFA Champions League, Clydesdale Bank Premier League, England away Euro 2012 qualifiers and La Liga. With four live Sky Sports channels, as well as Sky Sports News, you'll never miss a moment on Sky. Click here for more.

The Bhoys kept their Scottish Cup hopes alive as they came from behind twice with ten men to earn a 2-2 draw with Old Firm rivals Rangers in their fifth-round meeting.

Commons has been impressed by Neil Lennon's since joining last month from Derby and he believes Rangers are the team with problems at present.

"We've been talking about it [winning the Treble] in the dressing room. It's definitely on our minds," Commons told the Daily Record.

"We have the lethal combination of being hard to beat going forward and refusing to leak goals in defence.

"Our display against Rangers showed they are the team with a few worries that need to be sorted out."

Commons, who scored Celtic's first equaliser, admitted it was a blow to be substituted so early on in the game after being sacrificed by Lennon to allow Lukasz Zaluska to replace the sent-off Fraser Forster.

"It was a blow for me but sometimes things happen in games that give the manager no choice with his decision-making," added Commons.

"If you're forced down to 10 men then you might consider me to be a bit of a luxury you can't afford under those circumstances.

"It wouldn't have been possible for the manager to take Gary Hooper off, for instance, while he was needing an out-and-out goalscorer.

"I was a little bit surprised when I saw my number being held up but the fact I looked over to see if it was me might have shown subconsciously I thought it was a possibility I'd be the one who was sacrificed."

Labels: Commons, SkySports, success, Treble