London, Sept 6: Ronaldinho made a winning return to international football as Brazil defeated 10-man Ghana 1-0 courtesy of Leandro Damiao's first-half strike in a feisty friendly in London on Monday.
Internacional striker Leandro marked his first start for Brazil with a maiden goal for the national team, collecting a through-ball by Fernandinho and slotting home a low finish in the 44th minute.
The 31-year-old Ronaldinho made his first appearance for the five-time world champions in 10 months and played the full 90 minutes, improving as the match wore on and drawing a couple of fine saves with bending free kicks.
World Cup quarterfinalist Ghana began well but will view the 34th-minute sending-off of defender Daniel Opare for two yellow cards as the turning point.
The victory will come as a relief to Brazil coach Mano Menezes, who has come under severe pressure after his team was eliminated from the Copa America at the quarterfinal stage this summer. This was only a second win in six matches for Brazil.
Most of the pre-match focus was centered on the return of Ronaldinho, who was recalled by Menezes after an impressive series of displays for Flamengo in the Brazilian league.
The two-time world player of the year was subdued in the first half but turned on the style after the break, bringing out a couple of top-class saves from Ghana goalkeeper Adam Kwarasey from whipped set pieces and producing some neat flicks that thrilled a packed crowd at Premier League side Fulham's Craven Cottage ground in southwest London.
One drilled cross for substitute Alexandre Pato, whose 86th-minute header was tipped over by Kwaraset, showed why Menezes has turned to Ronaldinho in testing times for a country that will host the World Cup in 2014.
Overall, though, Ronaldinho was overshadowed by fellow forward Neymar, who played on the opposite wing and displayed all the trickery and skills that were the hallmark of Ronaldinho in his heyday in the middle of the last decade.
The only way Ghana's defense could cope with Neymar was by clattering into him as soon as he received the ball _ Opare did just that in the 13th minute to earn the second of six yellow cards in a stormy, frenetic first half. There were eight bookings in total, with English referee Mike Dean quick to produce the cards.
Before Opare's sending-off, Ghana was the better side, producing more energy in midfield with Emmanuel Agyemang-Badu particularly impressive. Without creating any clear-cut chances, the Africans had Brazil worried but being reduced to 10 men changed the complexion of the game.
Denied a goal by the offside flag in the 26th minute after running onto Neymar's superb lobbed pass, Leandro finally found the net after latching onto a delightful through-ball by Fernandinho and drilling home a low shot from 10 yards (meters). AP
