12/22/24
December 10, 2003
Anti-European feeling grows in Brazil: Rivaldo is mocked as the worst player in Serie A, Milan refuses to release Kaka for Olympic qualifying matches and the exciting midfielder Alex of Cruzieros is snubbed in Player of the Year honors. Given Brazil's decades-long top tier footballing, why don't they get more respect?
posted by billsaysthis to soccer at 08:36 PM - 9 comments
I have to agree with the Brazilian columnist: Italian football is a big bore, owing to the use of defensive tactics like the offside trap. Also, a lot of 1-0 scores are common, since the teams are trained to pull back and defend a one goal lead. This would conflict with the Brazilian style, which seems a lot more disorganized, improvisational, and focused on skills of individual players. The problem arises that European coaches want players with very highly-developed individual skills, so they buy Brazilians... however, the Brazilians cannot always be integrated into the somewhat more disciplined systems of play in use in some European leagues. E.g. I don't think a Serie A team could be successful using a strategy of "Give Rivaldo the ball and let him figure out what to do with it." (Similar to: "Let Michael Vick scramble around until he finds an open man.")
posted by molafson at 10:19 PM on December 10, 2003
I wouldn't make too much of this. The Brazilian media are always trying to make a scandal out a lack of respect for Brazil internationaly. 1) It's pretty hard to criticize AC Milan for anything more than wasting a bunch of money on a player who didn't fit into their Champion's League winning side. The Italians are just being silly by voting Rivaldo as the worst player in Italy. That was obviously Al Saadi Qaddafi. 2) The club vs. county conflict is nothing new or specific to Brazil. If you want to hear managers whining, just wait until the African Cup of Nations starts in January. 3) Alex has had a great year and the Brazilian league is entertaining, but it's just not the same quality as the top leagues in Europe. It's no secret that most of Brazil's best players have been sold to European clubs (Ronaldo, Rivaldo, Roberto Carlos, Ronaldinho, etc.). Anyway, the FIFA player of the year award is becoming a bit of a joke. How can they leave out Pavel Nedved after the year he's had?
posted by Steve-o at 11:03 PM on December 10, 2003
molafson: Actually, I think you'll find Serie A has more goals than the EPL. I'd agree with you that the style of play is very different between the leagues. Steve-o: Well obviously Qaddafi is a worse player than Rivaldo, and probably the worst player in the league. The difference is that nobody expected Qaddafi to be any good. Rivaldo is a world cup winner, yet he's acting like a prima donna. He hasn't done nearly enough in Milan to deserve a starting spot. I also don't blame Milan for their reluctance to release Kaka. After all, it's only the Olympic tournament. That's not an important tournament in the football world. Milan are still the ones paying his wages. They'll release him for the games that matter, like the World Cup qualifyers.
posted by salmacis at 02:46 AM on December 11, 2003
I don't think Milan gave Rivaldo much of a chance, but, with Shevchenko scoring like a madman, they didn't need to. For some more insight into the Brazilian psyche read this: Who Invented the Airplane? a Brazilian, of Course. If F1 takes on Airforce qualifies as a sports story, why not this?
posted by Steve-o at 12:26 PM on December 11, 2003
Are you saying that driving a sports car, driven by a candidate for sportsmen of the year, that accelerates faster than snot doesn't qualify as sport? I hope not, because you'd be sadly misguided.
posted by garfield at 01:17 PM on December 11, 2003
Rivalda WAS a good player... And he still IS a good player if he decides to be. What i think is happening is the SA players are spoiled in Europe and they don't think they have to play hard anymore. I should have more to say about this but i'm drunk.
posted by StarFucker at 01:25 AM on December 12, 2003
I should have more to say about this but i'm drunk. Since when (a) is that unusual and (b) ever stopped you before?
posted by billsaysthis at 04:28 PM on December 12, 2003
I was too tired, also.
posted by StarFucker at 05:36 PM on December 12, 2003
a) Sorry for the Yahoo! News link but I couldn't find another posting of this article. b) I've watched a few Brazilian matches on FSW, teams seem to play pretty interesting style.