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Ronaldo world record as Brazil win

DORTMUND, Germany -- Ronaldo became all-time top scorer at the World Cup finals with 15 goals as Brazil beat Ghana 3-0 in Dortmund on Tuesday to reach the quarterfinals.

Ronaldo's goal after five minutes took him past the 14 goals scored by Gerd Muller of West Germany at the 1970 and 1974 finals.

Adriano slid in a second at the end of the first half and Ze Roberto's third on 84 guaranteed title holders Brazil going through to face France.

Ghana ended the match with 10 men, striker Asamoah Gyan sent off in the 81st minute when he collected his second yellow card for a dive.

"That (the record) was never my goal, it's just something that's happened," Ronaldo told reporters.

"I'm happy to have broken this record; for seven World Cups it has not been broken....but let's not forget our main objective is to reach the final. The players are very confident and our team is meeting our goals."

Referring to his clever dummy of Ghana keeper Richard Kingston in scoring, Ronaldo said: "I hope they continue falling for my tricks up to the final.

"I sensed I had to trick the goalie somehow. I figured it would complicate things if I kept the ball too long so I decided to do that dribble."

Ronaldo, who scored twice in the World Cup final 2-0 victory over Germany in 2002, said it had not all been plain-sailing against an aggressive and spirited Ghana team.

"If people put me under pressure, it's actually good for me because then I can show what I can really do," he added.

Brazil, seeking a fourth successive final appearance and a sixth triumph, got the ideal start.

Keeper bamboozled

Kaka sprang the offside trap with a pass into the path of Ronaldo and the striker bamboozled Ghana goalkeeper Richard Kingston with a quickstep dummy to score his third goal of the current tournament.

Ghana, without suspended midfield inspiration Michael Essien, looked in disarray in the first 20 minutes.

They gradually settled to attack the shaky heart of the Brazilian defense and create a series of chances that had the world champions rattled.

Matthew Amoah should have scored but scuffed his shot in front of goal after 24 minutes and John Mensah then met a corner with a perfect downward header that Brazil keeper Dida somehow kept out with his foot.

Ghana were then stunned on the break with a controversial goal as Kaka fed the overlapping Cafu, making a Brazilian record 19th World Cup finals appearance.

story.zeroberto1.afp.gi.jpg
In the bag: Ze Roberto's goal wraps up Brazil's place in the last eight.

Adriano was probably marginally offside as he drove into the six-yard box to nudge home his captain's low cross.

The Ghana players protested to no avail as did their Serbian coach Ratomir Dujkovic, who was sent to the stands for his troubles.

The last remaining African side in the competition did well to come out fighting, with Gyan forcing Dida into a good diving save after 69 minutes.

But midfielder Ze Roberto added the third in the 84th minute when he slipped the Ghanaian offside trap once more.

Ronaldo's other two goals in the current tournament came in the 4-1 defeat of Japan in the first round.

The 29-year-old Real Madrid striker, criticized for his performance in Brazil's first two games when he appeared to be overweight and out of form, also scored four goals in the 1998 World Cup and eight in 2002.

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