Ronaldo sees AC Milan held in cup

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MILAN, Italy -- Brazil striker Ronaldo is poised to join AC Milan after watching them draw 2-2 with AS Roma in their Italian Cup semifinal first leg at the San Siro on Thursday.

On a chilly night, 30-year-old Ronaldo sat in the stands alongside Milan owner Silvio Berlusconi hours after arriving from Madrid.

"Tomorrow Ronaldo will undergo a medical at Milanello and on Monday I have got an appointment with Real," Milan vice-president Adriano Galliani earlier told the Spanish daily El Mundo's Web page on Thursday.

"If everything goes according to plan, Ronaldo will be a Milan player on Monday."

Milan's Brazilian players Dida, Cafu, Kaka, and Oliveira waved at Ronaldo as the two teams lined up before kickoff, and the home fans applauded him.

Roma was bolstered by the return of Pizarro and Daniele De Rossi, who were suspended from the 1-1 draw at Livorno in the Serie A on Sunday. But it was Milan which started quicker.

Oliveira scored with an angled drive after just four minutes, collecting Massimo Ambrosini's through-ball to shoot from just inside the area. Inzaghi tapped in the second in the 23rd, off Marek Jankulovski's pass across the face of goal.

But Roma rallied and six minutes later Perrotta scored with an almost identical goal to that of Inzaghi's, after misses by midfielders Christian Wilhelmsson, Pizarro and Alessandro Mancini.

Defender Christian Panucci set up Perrotta.

Mancini missed two more good chances, before Pizarro struck in the 39th to level the score.

Goalkeeper Dida should have saved the Chile international's effort, but appeared not to see the ball when the midfielder shot, and reacted late.

Dida was more alert in the second half, saving attempts by Roma captain Francesco Totti and Wilhelmsson.

Milan also had opportunities to win after the break but was unable to beat Roma goalkeeper Gianluca Curci.

Spanish media, meanwhile, reported Milan had made a six million-euro ($7.79 million) offer for three-times FIFA World Player of the Year Ronaldo.

El Mundo said Ronaldo would sign an 18-month contract with Milan, who would offer him the chance to end his career at the club if he lived up to expectations.

Ronaldo has been angling to leave Real since coach Fabio Capello made it clear the Brazilian did not feature in his plans.

A transfer to Milan would represent a return to familiar territory for the striker, who played for city rivals Inter between 1997 and 2002.

If the transfer goes through, Ronaldo will become the 10th non-Italian to play for both Milan clubs.

He will follow in the footsteps of Patrick Vieira, Edgar Davids, Hernan Crespo, Thomas Helveg, Dario Simic, Clarence Seedorf, Andres Guglielminpietro, Taribo West and Victor Benitez.

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