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Confederations Cup Debate: So Is This The “Real” Brazil?
Brazil’s dismantling of the United States seems to have shut the critics up. Those same critics won’t be happy unless Brazil lift the trophy. If that’s going to happen, it will be thanks to Kaká.
Jun 18, 2009 6:18:08 PM
By Greg Lalas
PRETORIA, South Africa -- That long sigh you just heard came from the collective lungs of Brazilian fans around the world. With a dominating 3-0 win over the United States, the Seleçao put an emphatic stop to all the criticism leveled at them the past few days and returned faith to their devoted followers.
Or did they? After all, the US team was so obviously overmatched, one has to wonder how much significance Brazil manager Dunga or his players will affix to this result. And with the crunch clash against Italy coming up on Sunday, the question still remains as to which is the real Brazil: the team that squeaked by Egypt in the opener or the team that majestically demolished the USA?
All week, Dunga has been telling anyone who will listen that the Egypt game was not indicative of his side’s talents. He repeatedly blamed the players’ “weak physical condition,” due to their late arrival to South Africa and subsequent jetlag. Some of the players, he said, were still awake at 5 a.m. the night before the game.
But he also admitted some tactical mistakes, such as continuing to push when they had the lead, which opened up spaces exploited again and again by the underrated Egyptian attackers.
No such problems against the US. Brazil slammed into high gear from the opening whistle, winning every ball, outmuscling and outhustling their opponents like they were 15-year-olds. When they had the ball, they played with such fluidity as to appear to be water sluicing over rocks. Within six minutes, Brazil had a lead, when Felipe Melo overpowered Jonathan Spector to head home Maicon’s freekick from the right side. In the 20th minute, a lightning quick counterattack after a shameful misplay by the US’s Damarcus Beasley resulted in Robinho doubling the lead.
This was the Brazil everyone has come to know and love—and demand. The press brutalized the squad after the Egypt side. And this was after a win! Plus, now that we’ve seen that Egypt—who beat Italy 1-0 in the late game on Thursday night—is not the pushover many expected coming into the tournament, Brazil’s 4-3 win doesn’t look so ugly.
Still, this being the Seleçao, aesthetics will always matter. Against the US, there were actually very few individual flourishes such as tricky stepovers or backheels (Robinho’s one backheel in the second half was gorgeous, I must admit), but then tricks have never really been the essence of Brazil’s game. No, its beauty comes from their joyful cohesion, their constant motion, their boundless athleticism, and their desire, always the desire, to attack.
On the second goal, the play went through Kaká, whose deft little touch released Ramires into space. It wasn’t a remarkable bit of football except for the fact that Kaká was there to make the play—just in front of the defender, alert to the possibilities, perfectly positioned to provide a link and then unleash a little hell.
It was a moment in what turned out to be Kaká’s game. He was the focal point of the Brazil attack, perhaps in more honest way than he’s ever been before. Maybe it’s the $92 million price tag he just commanded from Real Madrid. Maybe it’s something Dunga said to make him feel totally comfortable in the side. Or maybe it just comes from within.
“I'm now a leader within the squad,” he said. “Definitely not the only one, but one of several. It's a role that I take in stride as it's a natural progression.”
Whatever the reason, it’s clear now that this is Kaká’s team. How he goes, Brazil will go.
So how will Brazil go against Italy on Sunday, a game that now means something after Egypt’s win? Will it be the Brazil that sleepwalked through the tournament opener, or the one that effectively thumped the United States? Probably only Kaká knows for sure.
Greg Lalas is editor of Goal.com Magazine.
For more on the Confederations Cup, visit its Goal.com section!
PRETORIA, South Africa -- That long sigh you just heard came from the collective lungs of Brazilian fans around the world. With a dominating 3-0 win over the United States, the Seleçao put an emphatic stop to all the criticism leveled at them the past few days and returned faith to their devoted followers.
Or did they? After all, the US team was so obviously overmatched, one has to wonder how much significance Brazil manager Dunga or his players will affix to this result. And with the crunch clash against Italy coming up on Sunday, the question still remains as to which is the real Brazil: the team that squeaked by Egypt in the opener or the team that majestically demolished the USA?
All week, Dunga has been telling anyone who will listen that the Egypt game was not indicative of his side’s talents. He repeatedly blamed the players’ “weak physical condition,” due to their late arrival to South Africa and subsequent jetlag. Some of the players, he said, were still awake at 5 a.m. the night before the game.
But he also admitted some tactical mistakes, such as continuing to push when they had the lead, which opened up spaces exploited again and again by the underrated Egyptian attackers.
No such problems against the US. Brazil slammed into high gear from the opening whistle, winning every ball, outmuscling and outhustling their opponents like they were 15-year-olds. When they had the ball, they played with such fluidity as to appear to be water sluicing over rocks. Within six minutes, Brazil had a lead, when Felipe Melo overpowered Jonathan Spector to head home Maicon’s freekick from the right side. In the 20th minute, a lightning quick counterattack after a shameful misplay by the US’s Damarcus Beasley resulted in Robinho doubling the lead.
This was the Brazil everyone has come to know and love—and demand. The press brutalized the squad after the Egypt side. And this was after a win! Plus, now that we’ve seen that Egypt—who beat Italy 1-0 in the late game on Thursday night—is not the pushover many expected coming into the tournament, Brazil’s 4-3 win doesn’t look so ugly.
Still, this being the Seleçao, aesthetics will always matter. Against the US, there were actually very few individual flourishes such as tricky stepovers or backheels (Robinho’s one backheel in the second half was gorgeous, I must admit), but then tricks have never really been the essence of Brazil’s game. No, its beauty comes from their joyful cohesion, their constant motion, their boundless athleticism, and their desire, always the desire, to attack.
On the second goal, the play went through Kaká, whose deft little touch released Ramires into space. It wasn’t a remarkable bit of football except for the fact that Kaká was there to make the play—just in front of the defender, alert to the possibilities, perfectly positioned to provide a link and then unleash a little hell.
It was a moment in what turned out to be Kaká’s game. He was the focal point of the Brazil attack, perhaps in more honest way than he’s ever been before. Maybe it’s the $92 million price tag he just commanded from Real Madrid. Maybe it’s something Dunga said to make him feel totally comfortable in the side. Or maybe it just comes from within.
“I'm now a leader within the squad,” he said. “Definitely not the only one, but one of several. It's a role that I take in stride as it's a natural progression.”
Whatever the reason, it’s clear now that this is Kaká’s team. How he goes, Brazil will go.
So how will Brazil go against Italy on Sunday, a game that now means something after Egypt’s win? Will it be the Brazil that sleepwalked through the tournament opener, or the one that effectively thumped the United States? Probably only Kaká knows for sure.
Greg Lalas is editor of Goal.com Magazine.
For more on the Confederations Cup, visit its Goal.com section!
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