Brazilian dominance in soccer takes a new complexion. There used to be a time when the Brazilian men's national soccer team were of average size and build. They were small (shorter), fast and skillful. Diminutive in stature but this did not apply to their technical and tactical abilities.
The team might appear to line up in some formal positional formation and set up. Once the game starts it is an all positions for everybody on the team. They seem to play a 1 (goalkeeper) -10 (field) as all the players are in constant motion and are able to play off of each other at any time. The team members do however have certain defensive responsibilities and are accountable for their respective areas. They truely understand "the game" and are ready to be spontaneous as well as volatile. The Brazilian team seems to make the opponents play catch up and defensively throughout most of the contest. A goal scoring opportunity can come from any where and any one on the field and at any time. The only thing that you can predict is that the goalkeeper will not leave the 18 yard box to act as a forward and score some goals.
Ronaldinho has just acquired his second FIFA international player of the year award in a row. Does he deserve it? Most definitely. He is a pleasure to observe as he sets up most of his team mates to lead his current team FC Barcelona to the top of the Spanish "La Liga".
Now add the goalkeeper Dida who has been a major part of his team's successes, in the back and Adriano up front who has seemed to be totally unstoppable goal scoring machine on the forward line for the Italian "Serie A", Roberto Carlos on the left where he still has a command on the free kicks, and Ronaldo the task master who often and still shows flashes of brilliance in the mix and you have a fortress of power and abilities few can match.
I think the ball got rolling with the the introduction of Junior Biano as a defenseman in 1998. With the exception of France his presence was a dominant deterant for other teams. The latest big man to join him is Lucio
Brazil found mass to be a compliment to all their other strengths. It would appear that they have continued to build from there. The average weight of their national team has increased without diminishing their agility and manouverability. Although not a necessity, muscle mass has been a factor in other team sports. This might be true in modern Futbol as speed has become an over-riding factor to the game in the last 15 years. Most of the elite players are also playing in the Italian and Spanish premier leagues and on similar if not the same teams. They are learning from each other by being rivals and combats as well as compatriots.
Here are the possible candidates for the next world cup roster for Brazil.
Goalkeepers:
DIDA, JÚLIO CÉSAR, Defenders:
CAFU, CICINHO, EDMÍLSON, GILBERTO Melo, JUAN, LÚCIO, ROBERTO CARLOS da Silva, José Vítor ROQUE JÚNIOR,
Midfielders:
EMERSON Ferreira, GILBERTO Silva, JUNINHO Pernambucano, KAKA', RENATO, ZÉ ROBERTO,
Forwards:
ADRIANO, Júlio BAPTISTA, Ricardo OLIVEIRA, ROBINHO, RONALDO, RONALDINHO Gaúcho
A team can only be as good as it is a team and is coached as a team. A team can only be good if all the members play for the team and with the team. It does NOT matter how many stars you have and how big the egos or the payroll is either. Win as a team and lose as a team.
About the author:
Steve September of On The Ball Soccer Training has been involved in soccer for over forty years and on three continents.
As a player, player coach and high performance coach Steve wants to share the knowledge and experiences with all people involved in all levels of the soccer scene. Delve into more of the philosophy and information at; http://www.soccertrainingskills.com/SouthAmericanSoccer.html
Written By: Steven September
