Kaka showered with praise after wonder goal

Milan's Brazilian midfielder Kaka was basking in eulogies and comparisons with the greats of the game after his wonderful solo goal helped secure a 3-1 Champions League victory over Turkey's Fenerbahce.

Milan were being held 1-1 by the Istanbul side until three minutes from the end when the 23-year-old midfielder scored a goal which was greeted first with cheers and then a standing ovation from the San Siro crowd.

Coming through a challenge in midfield and bursting free, the Brazilian spun out towards the right flank and left the Fenerbahce defence standing as he weaved past two more challenges and then, after the briefest of glances at the goalkeeper, fired home.

"It was like a goal from another era," said Milan coach Carlo Ancelotti. "It reminded me of the goal Maradona scored against England in the World Cup in Mexico.

"Ricky is the only player capable of doing something like that in the modern game."

While there was some exaggeration in Ancelotti's comparison with Maradona's famous solo goal in 1986 - scored after he had run through the entire English midfield and defence - few would argue that Kaka's strike was among the very best scored in the Champions League.

"It was certainly one of the most beautiful goals of my career," said Kaka. "It is flattering to be compared with greats of the past but I have my own characteristics and I want to write my own story," he added.

His earlier goal, which opened the scoring in the 18th minute of the Group E game, is destined to be forgotten but that too showed the quality of a player who will play a major role in Brazil's World Cup bid next year.

Picking the ball up from Andrea Pirlo on the edge of the area, the ex-Sao Paulo player turned and then drilled the ball into the bottom corner with the kind of calm precision normally reserved for 10 metre passes.

Kaka even had time to create Milan's third, converted by Andriy Shevchenko after a shot from Serginho, who had been fed by a sweeping cross-field pass from his fellow Brazilian.

Milan captain Paolo Maldini felt that comparisons were needless but had no doubt about the importance of the Brazilian to the Italians' bid to win their seventh European Cup.

"Who can compare to Kaka? Kaka is Kaka and he should feel like the great player that he is. He can do it all and has supersonic speed. He is very important to us, truly fundamental," he said.