Kaka scored the games only goal on Tuesday night, shortly before half time, but there was little else on offer from Brazil to enthral supporters across the globe.
‘Have they the personnel to carry them through?' asked Owen Slot in The Times after the narrowest of victories against Croatia.
Ronaldo replaced by Robinho during the second half, was the target for most of the flak afterwards, but even the change did little to improve the overall team performance.
‘Brazil coach Carlos Parreiera could abandon the "Magic quartet" and play Ronaldinho up front with Adriano. The second XI in the Brazil squad could understandably ask themselves what they have to do to merit promotion to the first team. The Ronaldo situation could become unhealthy for team morale. Ronaldo's hospital visit has given Parreira the opportunity to cut his losses and pick a different strike force.'
Ronaldo had been taken to hospital the day after the Croatia match. He underwent a gastroscopy, suggesting that he had stomach problems, possibly stress related after complaining of dizziness and headaches: "For the first time in my career, I was aware of my condition and my condition was not good. I've no idea [what the problem was], but I'm over it. It was only an indisposition. It has nothing to do with 1998." (The Times)
In World Cup qualifying, Ronaldo was top goalscorer in the South American group with ten goals, despite being dropped for two games.
Ronaldo said: "I admit that I didn't play well. Perhaps it was the heat because people said it was the hottest day for many years in Germany. I didn't feel ill afterwards but on Wednesday I was feeling unwell and under the weather so I immediately advised the doctors. They insisted on doing all the tests but found nothing to worry them so I don't know what was wrong with me."
Arsenal's Gilberto Silva who didn't feature against Croatia said: "Don't forget that before the last World Cup, people were saying he had played his last game for Brazil - and what happened? We won and he finished the tournament as top scorer."
Kaka said: "A narrow victory was good to calm down fans who thought that there was always going to be goals and a spectacle, because this thing that was said - that we were football's [Harlem] Globetrotters - was just not true. However, it wasn't what we hoped for because I think we played at 75% of what we were capable." (The Sun)
Cafu said: (Ronaldo's performance) was a problem that's in the past, just as the match against Croatia is in the past." (The Independent)
The Brazil captain added: "We knew there would be such a lot demanded of us because it was our first game. That's why the victory was important."
Parreira summed it up as saying: "I think it was a balanced game because we had a certain difficulty to impose our rhythm on Croatia." (The Guardian)
Rob Hughes in The Sunday Times today writes: ‘Ronaldo has to play. He may need just one chance, one goal to destroy the new myth that is growing around him. Adriano is supposed to be the replacement in waiting. To play both of them as well as Kaka in attack is a gamble that says, "You score, we score more." It depends on each player firing, and it puts an onus on Ronaldo and Adriano to be energetic, quick and hungry.'