Football For Hope: Ronaldinho XI Defeats Shevchenko XI, 6-3

3.27.05

An all star cast, one side captained by Andrei Shevchenko the winner of the European award, the other captained by FIFA World Player of the Year Ronaldinho, played a benefit match dubbed "The Game for Hope" in Barcelona's Nou Camp stadium on February 15. The Ronaldinho XI defeated Shevchenko XI, 6-3, in freezing temperatures. More than $3 million was raised for South Asian tsunami victims.

The Shevchenko's European XI was coached by Italy coach Marcello Lippi and Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger while the Ronaldinho XI was coached by Brazil's national team coach Carlos Alberto Parreira and Barca manager Frank Rijkaard.

Italian legend Roberto Baggio, the Italian legend was the only retired player invited to play, and joined the Shevchenko XI with stars Henry, Gerrard, Beckham, Pavel Nedved, Francesco Totti and Zinedine Zidane. The Ronaldinho XI inlcuded some world greats such as Didier Drogba, Ronaldo and Kaka.

African player of the year, Eto'o, put the Ronaldinho XI up 1-0 in the 13th minute. Ronaldinho added to that goal five minutes later, before the Shevchenko XI responded on a goal by Italy's Ales del Piero in the 26th. Eto'o again scored before half on a steal and push into an open goal. Zola and Honduras' David Suazo each scored to draw the Shevchenko XI even at 3-3. Senegal's Henri Camara though, scored twice in three minutes, and Korea's Cha Doo-ri finished it off with the sixth and final goal for the Ronaldinho XI. Italy's Pierluigi Collina refereed the match.

The proceeds of the match were donated to the FIFA/AFC Tsunami Solidarity Fund. The match was preceded by an honorary minute of silence in memory of the vistims, with all players holding hands in the center cirlce.

Box Score
Ronaldinho XI 6: (Eto'o 13, 35, Ronaldinho 19, H.Camara 60, 65, Cha Doo-ri 80)
Shevchenko XI 3: (Del Piero 25, Zola 50, D Suazo 59)
HT: 3-1
Att: 40,770
Ref: Collina (Ita)

Shevchenko XI: Casillas (Toldo 46) - Deisler, Thuram (Kompany 46), Montero (Kuffour 46), Kaladze (Vogel 46), Beckham (Litmanen 46), Gerrard, Zidane (Giuly 46), Del Piero (Zola 46), Shevchenko (D Suazo 46), Raul (Henry 46, Hakan Sukur 66)

Full Rosters

Shevchenko XI
Coaches:
LIPPI Marcello - Italy - National Team WENGER Arshne - France - Arsenal