Roberto Carlos

Roberto Carlos is one of the world's most renowned players, a World Cup winner with Brazil and a world and European championship winner with Real Madrid. He is also now in potentially serious trouble with FIFA after allegedly assaulting Israeli referee Alon Yefet during the closing stages of Brazil's 2-1 loss to Portugal on Saturday. Yefet claims Roberto Carlos struck him with his elbow while protesting a foul Yefet had called against him and was subsequently red-carded.

BRAZIL, 1970: Played six and won six, thanks to Pele, Jairzinho, Rivelinho, Tostao, Gerson, Carlos Alberto and all the rest. The final victory over Italy was a soccer master class. Head and shoulders above all others. HUNGARY, 1954: The "Magnificent Magyars" sported the likes of Ferenc Puskas, Sandor Koksis, Nandor Hidegkuti, Zoltan Czibor and Jozsef Bozsik, every one of them of true world-class. Beaten only once in six years. NETHERLANDS, 1974: For the incomparable Johan Cruyff, with a creative cast that included Johan Neeskens, Johnny Rep, Rob Rensenbrink, Wim van Hanegam and Ruud Krol, "Total Football" added up to total enjoyment, until the final.

Roberto Carlos doesn't have a great voice or a dynamic stage personality, but he's been able to maintain headliner status in the Latin pop world for parts of four decades. The secret: highly accessible material and a likable, Everyman manner that charms his fans--even if his conservative style bores anyone looking for passion or challenge in music.

Argentina clinched a berth in next year's World Cup in Germany, beating archrival Brazil, 3-1, Wednesday night and retaining the lead in South American qualifying behind two goals from striker Hernan Crespo at Buenos Aires. Crespo scored in the third and 39th minutes, and Juan Roman Riquelme had another goal in the 18th. Roberto Carlos scored Brazil's goal in the 71st. In other South American qualifying games: Tressor Moreno scored two goals as host Colombia routed Ecuador, 3-0, at Barranquilla.

If there's one person the Germans have to watch out for in Sunday's World Cup final, it's the bald guy. No, not Pierluigi Collina. The Italian referee with the cue-ball head and the piercing eyes is the least of Germany's worries. He is probably the most highly respected game official in soccer and the perfect choice for a Brazil-Germany clash. No, not Ronaldo, either.

Roberto Carlos, the Thighmaster of international soccer, was out walking his twins Friday. Righty and Lefty, you can call them. Inseparable since birth. They come out to play every time Carlos dresses them in the blue and white shorts of Brazil's national team--a pair of holy terrors that sometimes even Carlos is unable to control. They are not Carlos' children, of course, not in the traditional sense. They are his thighs. More awesome to behold than a Ronaldo one-on-one break.

SITE: Nantes TIME: Noon. TV: ESPN, Ch. 34. RADIO: KWKW (1330 Spanish). * ABOUT BRAZIL: The only truly enterprising team in the tournament, the only team other than Croatia with an unquestioned commitment to attack, the only team with players who can light up a game, is shoring up its defense. The Brazilian coaches have put restraints on their two outside defenders, Cafu and Roberto Carlos, from going forward as much and told them to stay back and help the center backs.

When Warner Bros. made only lukewarm efforts to promote Edward James Olmos for an Oscar nomination, the actor and his friends took matters into their own hands. They felt Olmos should be a nominee at the March 29 ceremonies for his portrayal of East Los Angeles math teacher Jaime Escalante in "Stand and Deliver." They mounted their own Oscar campaign in the Hollywood trade press.

With the opening ceremonies of the Atlanta Games only days away, Brazil fired a perfect warning shot across the bows of its Olympic rivals Sunday. Two excellent goals by Bebeto and Roberto Carlos, sandwiched around a truly spectacular one by Germany's Juergen Klinsmann, earned the South Americans a well-deserved 2-1 victory over the FIFA World Stars at Giants Stadium.

BRAZIL, 1970: Played six and won six, thanks to Pele, Jairzinho, Rivelinho, Tostao, Gerson, Carlos Alberto and all the rest. The final victory over Italy was a soccer master class. Head and shoulders above all others. HUNGARY, 1954: The "Magnificent Magyars" sported the likes of Ferenc Puskas, Sandor Koksis, Nandor Hidegkuti, Zoltan Czibor and Jozsef Bozsik, every one of them of true world-class. Beaten only once in six years. NETHERLANDS, 1974: For the incomparable Johan Cruyff, with a creative cast that included Johan Neeskens, Johnny Rep, Rob Rensenbrink, Wim van Hanegam and Ruud Krol, "Total Football" added up to total enjoyment, until the final.

Roberto Carlos is one of the world's most renowned players, a World Cup winner with Brazil and a world and European championship winner with Real Madrid. He is also now in potentially serious trouble with FIFA after allegedly assaulting Israeli referee Alon Yefet during the closing stages of Brazil's 2-1 loss to Portugal on Saturday. Yefet claims Roberto Carlos struck him with his elbow while protesting a foul Yefet had called against him and was subsequently red-carded.

If there's one person the Germans have to watch out for in Sunday's World Cup final, it's the bald guy. No, not Pierluigi Collina. The Italian referee with the cue-ball head and the piercing eyes is the least of Germany's worries. He is probably the most highly respected game official in soccer and the perfect choice for a Brazil-Germany clash. No, not Ronaldo, either.

Giant pictures of Ronaldo, the most-worried- about man in a traumatized Brazil, smiled down as usual Thursday from advertising billboards in which the soccer star mimics the pose of a landmark Christ statue on a mountaintop in Rio de Janeiro. But the real Ronaldo was not smiling. He was last seen Wednesday speeding away from reporters in a blue Mercedes-Benz and climbing into a helicopter with his actress fiancee headed for a secret destination, reputedly an exclusive island resort near Rio.

Roberto Carlos, the Thighmaster of international soccer, was out walking his twins Friday. Righty and Lefty, you can call them. Inseparable since birth. They come out to play every time Carlos dresses them in the blue and white shorts of Brazil's national team--a pair of holy terrors that sometimes even Carlos is unable to control. They are not Carlos' children, of course, not in the traditional sense. They are his thighs. More awesome to behold than a Ronaldo one-on-one break.

SITE: Nantes TIME: Noon. TV: ESPN, Ch. 34. RADIO: KWKW (1330 Spanish). * ABOUT BRAZIL: The only truly enterprising team in the tournament, the only team other than Croatia with an unquestioned commitment to attack, the only team with players who can light up a game, is shoring up its defense. The Brazilian coaches have put restraints on their two outside defenders, Cafu and Roberto Carlos, from going forward as much and told them to stay back and help the center backs.

With the opening ceremonies of the Atlanta Games only days away, Brazil fired a perfect warning shot across the bows of its Olympic rivals Sunday. Two excellent goals by Bebeto and Roberto Carlos, sandwiched around a truly spectacular one by Germany's Juergen Klinsmann, earned the South Americans a well-deserved 2-1 victory over the FIFA World Stars at Giants Stadium.

Giant pictures of Ronaldo, the most-worried- about man in a traumatized Brazil, smiled down as usual Thursday from advertising billboards in which the soccer star mimics the pose of a landmark Christ statue on a mountaintop in Rio de Janeiro. But the real Ronaldo was not smiling. He was last seen Wednesday speeding away from reporters in a blue Mercedes-Benz and climbing into a helicopter with his actress fiancee headed for a secret destination, reputedly an exclusive island resort near Rio.

Argentina clinched a berth in next year's World Cup in Germany, beating archrival Brazil, 3-1, Wednesday night and retaining the lead in South American qualifying behind two goals from striker Hernan Crespo at Buenos Aires. Crespo scored in the third and 39th minutes, and Juan Roman Riquelme had another goal in the 18th. Roberto Carlos scored Brazil's goal in the 71st. In other South American qualifying games: Tressor Moreno scored two goals as host Colombia routed Ecuador, 3-0, at Barranquilla.

Roberto Carlos doesn't have a great voice or a dynamic stage personality, but he's been able to maintain headliner status in the Latin pop world for parts of four decades. The secret: highly accessible material and a likable, Everyman manner that charms his fans--even if his conservative style bores anyone looking for passion or challenge in music.

Universal Amphitheatre has developed quite a knack for packing the house by booking big-name Latin pop stars, many of the saccharine crooner variety. Fortunately, Brazil's Roberto Carlos did much to resist the chest-thumping sentimentality and "My Way"-narcissism of his peers during his show there on Friday. Carlos' better love songs transcend mere retelling of the heart's loses. Instead, like Garcia Marquez's eternally lovesick Florentino Ariza, Carlos invokes a balancing femininity; a sensual and moral ethic for facing life and death.