Ronaldinho free-kick inspires Flamengo to victory over Boavista

Ronaldinho posted a reminder of his free-kick skills when he curled in the only goal as Flamengo beat Boavista in the final of the first phase of the Carioca [Rio de Janeiro] Championship. The 30-year-old playmaker, who joined Flamengo from Milan in January, scored on Sunday with a trademark free-kick over the wall from 25m that gave the goalkeeper no chance. "I dreamt of being able to thank the fans for their support after they put their faith in me from the beginning," Ronaldinho told reporters. "Today I've started paying them back by lifting the first trophy," the former World Player of the Year said. The title doubled as the start of carnival celebrations for the fun-loving Ronaldinho who has been frequenting practices at Rio's samba schools and whose presence is a certainty at the Sambodrome nights next month.