"SOUTH AMERICA is the Continent of tomorrow," runs an old American saying, "but tomorrow is always a fiesta." The words occurred to me after the recent fiasco of a Copa America in Colombia. Won in the final by the host country, which beat Mexico 1-0, but what did it matter? Argentina, far the most powerful team of the moment in South America, didn't go. Uruguay, Brazil, Paraguay and yes, even little Honduras, David to Brazil's Goliath, sent under strength teams. It was only dire threats of an $8 million dollar law suit by the floundering Brazilian TV right company, Traffic, which caused the tournament to go ahead in Colombia at all.
It will be recalled that shortly before it was due to take place, the Vice-President of the Colombian Soccer Federation was kidnapped by guerrillas. The competition was taken away from Colombia by the South American Confederation, and initially awarded to Brazil. The Brazilians then said they couldn't put it on, so the Confederation decreed that it be postponed till early next year. Whereupon Traffic, which had already received a body blow when the ludicrous Club World Cup tournament, second version, was cancelled, threatened legal action and the competition lurched uneasily into action.
No Argentina. They'd withdrawn already on the grounds that they feared for the safety of their players. Then they confirmed their withdrawal this time saying that their players had dispersed. So, with Central American Costa Rica having already been enlisted to make up the number, in came Honduras, at the last moment, deprived of several first choice players, all of whom were needed by their clubs for the last phases of the national tournament. Which marked their defeat of Brazil, 2-0, a greater humiliation than ever.
Which brings us, indeed, to the crisis of Brazilian football. One which even the appointment of "Big Phil" Scolari, most abrasive of managers, the man who openly encourages his players to foul, has done nothing to alleviate. The very manner of his appointment showed just how deep is the crisis of the Brazilian game. His predecessor, Emerson Leao, had certainly been struggling. Was certainly in line to be sacked. But to do it immediately after that other fatuity, the Confederations Cup, played in Japan, was senseless.
True the Brazilians had a disastrous tournament, but this was barely even Brazil's first team. Most of the European based stars were missing, and several of those still at home were denied to Leao because they were involved in competitions for their clubs.
So to Big Phil, who made a truly wretched start when his team lost 1-0 in the World Cup eliminators in Uruguay, where he inexplicably decided to use a centre back, Roque Junior, in central midfield. So much for the flowing, attacking tradition of Brazilian football. In Colombia, things would get even worse. Here, Big Phil didn't bring a full team, but given the way Rivaldo, Cafu and Roberto Carlos had performed in Montevideo, would it have made a difference?
Brazil began by losing 1-0 to Mexico whom it is true have looked far better since their change of manager, and the insertion of several players from Cruz Azul, the team which went all the way to the finals of the Libertadores Cup where they lost only on penalties to famous Boca Juniors. In parenthesis, you may well ask what Mexico were doing in the Copa America at all, not to mention Honduras and Costa Rica. The tournament which as the South American Cup was the oldest of its kind in the world and once carried such enormous prestige.
Cynics in South America now say that "We would accept Tahiti if they could make it." Money talks: which was the reason why, a couple of tournaments ago, Japan of all nations was invited to participate! The reasoning clearly being that the Japanese would bring money into the tournament, though they didn't.
What has happened now, alas, is that this bi-annual affair has been utterly overshadowed and devalued by the crazy decision to make the South American World Cup qualifying competition an 18-month monstrosity involving every single country. This instead of the perfectly logical tradition of having three small qualifying groups, and the chance for one runner up of a play off against Oceania. Which in fact is still in prospect with the team which finishing fifth in the South American monster competition. Brazil v Australia? It could well happen, and with the Aussies able to call upon Hary Kewell and Mark Viduka of Leeds United, who would put their money confidently on Brazil? In Colombia, Big Phil again made some odd choices. He talks confidently about commitment and the like, but seems just one more in the succession of Brazil managers such as Mario Lobo Zagalo in 1970, Claudio Coutinho and Carlos Alberto Parreira in his first incarnation who have wilfully gone against the grain of Brazilian tradition and resorted to physical means. It doesn't work and never will.
What, for example, possessed Big Phil to use as centre forward the big, slow, sluggish Guillerme? His excuse, for that's what it mounted to, was that Guillerme put pressure on defenders when they had the ball! Classically Brazilian, that! Shades of the 1982 World Cup when in Barcelona Brazil used at centre forward the big, crude Serginho. When he was eventually substituted, Joao Saldanha, ex-manager of Brazil by then seated in the Press box remarked, "Now the ball is round again!"
On August 16, Brazil are at home to Paraguay in their next vital World Cup eliminator, and this time it won't be the below strength Paraguay they beat in Colombia. What will happen? And what is this sickness in Brazilian football? Some day that its long rooted endemic corruption at almost every level not least the top is catching up with it. Did the turning point come in the 1998 World Cup Final in Paris when Ronaldo was obliged to play the whole game, despite having had a convulsive fit that very afternoon? And why did Brazil sell its soul to Nike manufacturers, allowing them to impose a fatuously demanding schedule of matches on the team?
The Joao Havelange tradition you might say, continued by son-in-law Ricardo Texiera. The likes of Zico and Pele have been fighting a losing battle against sleaze.
Comments
SHARE