Neymar and Ganso on Santos Copa Libertadores Victory

Paulo Henrique Ganso

"This title puts this generation in the history books. We are making history with another title, with a groups of young winners, young fighters who honor Santos's jersey."

Neymar

"It's the happiest day of my life, I made history. We deserved this title, it's time to celebrate. It's time to go after my third South American title [Copa America]. We still have a few months to go before we get there, but it's going to be interesting.”

Leo (Defender)

"They (Penarol) were a worthy opponent, but they don't know how to lose.”

Edu Dracena (Captain)

"It's an important title for the club and for all the players. We've been trying to win this third title for a long time and now we've made history."

Muricy Ramalho (Santos coach)

"I've been going after this for a long time. It wasn't easy, but it's finally my turn.”

Pele (Celebrated former Santos player)

"We have to thank these young guys for giving us this title.”

Santos Defeats Penarol 2-1 in Copa Libertadores Final; Neymar and Pele in tears

Santos defeated Penarol 2-1 in Sao Paulo to win the Copa Libertadores championship for the first time since 1963 in a match that indelibly marked the arrival of Neymar and Ganso as major players in world football. Santos pressed the attack in the first half, with Elano, in particular, threatening the Penarol goal with his trademark curling free kicks. But it was Neymar and Ganso who stole the show in the first half with Ganso finding Neymar in an almost telepathic partnership that conjured up shades of Bebeto and Romario from the mid-1990s.

Neymar fittingly found the back of the net to open the scoring in the 47th minute after Ganso flicked a pass to Arouca, who subsequently found the spiky haired teenager lurking in his favorite position on the left flank near the mouth of the goal. Neymar dispatched the ball past the keeper's right with clinical precision to give Santos a precious lead after the home team had attacked in waves, largely on the basis of the creative vision of Ganso and Elano, playing behind Neymar and Ze Eduardo.

In the 69th minute, Danilo virtually put the match away after collecting a pass from Ganso while surging up the right flank. In a move that recalled Paulo Falcao's famous goal against Italy in the 1982 World Cup, the right back Danilo cut inside, took the ball on his left foot, and sent a lawnmower of a shot into the far left corner of the net. Durval netted an own goal in the 80th minute to make it 2-1, but the home team held on for a well deserved victory.

Neymar broke into tears after the final whistle and noted, soon after, "It's the happiest day of my life. I made history. We deserved this title, it's time to celebrate." Similarly, Santos's most famous player, Pele, celebrated with tears of joy after seeing his club team hoist the Copa Libertadores title for the first time in 48 years. The match broke into a brawl after the final whistle, but no players were seriously injured.

The 2011 Copa Libertadores final heralded an important shift in the geopolitics of world soccer because Neymar and Ganso have now made their mark on the footballing world by plying their trade in Brazil as opposed to Europe. Santos's victory sets new standards for excellence in Brazilian football and formally heralds the birth of a new generation of Brazilian players that are eager to take over the mantle of the Selecao from the likes of Ronaldo, Ronaldinho, Rivaldo and Kaka. Now the question on everyone's mind is whether Neymar, Ganso and Elano can fire Brazil to victory at the Copa America given stiff competition from Argentina, the home team.

Flashback: Dondinho, Pele's father, mentor and friend

In recognition of Father’s Day as celebrated in the U.S., Bringing Back the Beautiful Game presents the following reflection on Pele’s relationship with his father:

One of the remarkable things about Pele’s biography is the clarity with which he articulates the closeness of his relationship to his father, Dondinho, an attacking center forward that played closer to goal than Pele preferred to play. Dondinho was a classic number 9 whereas Pele, as number 10, opted for a deeper role where he could orchestrate attacks as well as come forward. In his autobiography, Pele recounts his father’s support of his childhood ambition to become a professional pilot. Instead of pouring cold water over his son’s excitement, Dondinho nurtures Pele’s ambition and reminds him of all of the skills he would need to acquire to realize that dream as illustrated in the passage below:

“I remember talking about it and being surprised that he thought it was a good enough ambition. I expected him to dismiss the idea, but instead he cleverly reminded me of the skills I would need to acquire to achieve this goal – reading, writing, navigating and the rest. It was one of the first times I recall him treating me like a man, and taking me seriously, and it made a big impression. As well as being a footballer he had a good head on his shoulders – he was always the one to rein in Dona Celeste’s fireworks – and I knew instantly that I should listen to what he was saying. It made school seem more relevant, more useful. Even when skipping school I knew that I’d have to get some sort of education to be able to fly.” (22)

Pele’s boyhood dream of becoming a pilot was cut short by an unfortunate incident when a local plane crashed, killing the pilot. The young Pele went to the hospital to view the autopsy and, upon seeing the pilot's corpse, decided that a career flying planes was not for him. As luck would have it, his father’s nurturing trait extended to football as well, and Dondinho became Pele’s first professional football coach. Dondinho taught Pele how to pass accurately, dribble, use a shoulder feint to leave defenders for dead, and change pace quickly to outmaneuver defenders. And over and beyond the technical aspect of football, Pele notes how spending time with his father was marked by pleasure and the experience of learning about being a man: “And I loved spending time with my father, learning football and how to be a man." (41) The young Pele derived joy and passion from the playful back and forth exchange he had with his father. Moreover, he loved the way his father took his opinions seriously, as if he were a man.

Source: Edson Arantes do Nascimento (Pele), Duarte, Orlando and Bellos, Alex. Pele: The Autobiography. Trans. Daniel Hahn. London: Simon & Schuster, 2006.

Mano Menezes finalizes Brazil squad for Copa America 2011

Mano Menezes announced the Brazil 2011 Copa America squad in a press conference in Sao Paulo soon after Brazil's 1-0 victory over Romania in a friendly that marked Ronaldo's farewell game. Mano trimmed down an initial list of 28 players to 22, with Paulo Henrique Ganso and Fred standing out as the notable inclusions. The selections of Fred and Ganso suggest that Mano is intent on playing a 4-2-1-3 with Lucas and Ramires behind Ganso, who in turn plays behind an attacking triumvirate combination of Neymar, Robinho, Fred and Pato (Neymar, Fred and Robinho would be one obvious combination). Speaking about the presently injured Ganso, Mano remarked: 'I've said before that Ganso is the more complete player for the position to organize the team the way I want, and there will be a lot of time for him to get ready and play well.'' Ganso's inclusion in the squad as an attacking midfielder behind 3 strikers marks one of the more offensive formations Brazil has fielded in the last 10 years, particularly given the tendency of Dani Alves and even Ramires to join the attack. Manchester United's Anderson, Nilmar, Thiago Neves, Fabio, Jefferson, Henrique, and Leandro Damiao were all dropped from the initial list of 28 for Copa America 2011 while The Hulk remains out of the orbit of Mano's immediate vision for now. Defending champions Brazil will be aiming to claim the trophy on the soil of their arch-rivals, Argentina.

By foregrounding Ganso, Mano is essentially opting for a 4-2-4 that conjures up shades of the great team of 1970 against which every Brazilian national team is compared. Brazil 1970 played with Clodoaldo and Gerson in midfield, and Pele, Jairzinho, Rivelino and Tostao in attack. Pele, however, would often drop deep into midfield while Gerson would come forward. Brazil's 2011 Copa America squad represents one of the more mouthwatering midfields in the modern game with creative players like Elano, Ganso, Elias, Jadson and Sao Paulo's Lucas alongside more rugged midfielders in the form of Liverpool's Lucas and Ramires of Chelsea.

Brazil's 2011 Copa America squad is as follows:

Goalkeepers: Julio Cesar (Inter Milan), Victor (Gremio).

Defenders: Andre Santos (Fenerbahce), Adriano (Barcelona), Maicon (Inter Milan), Dani Alves (Barcelona), Lucio (Inter Milan), David Luiz (Chelsea), Thiago Silva (Milan), Luisao (Benfica).

Midfielders: Ramires (Chelsea), Lucas (Liverpool), Sandro (Tottenham), Elias (Atletico Madrid), Lucas (Sao Paulo), Jadson (Shakhtar), Elano (Santos), Paulo Henrique Ganso (Santos).

Forwards: Neymar (Santos), Fred (Fluminense), Robinho (Milan), Alexandre Pato (Milan),

Brazil v. Romania: A Brief World Cup History

World Cup 1970
June 10, 1970
Guadalajara Stadium
Brazil 3 - Romania 2

Brazil and Romania have played just once in the World Cup, namely, in 1970 in Mexico in the group stages. Pele swore that he would never play in the World Cup again after Portugal’s Morais had fouled him out of the tournament in 1966. But the selection of Mario Zagallo as coach changed matters and Pele returned to the World Cup as the world’s best player. Brazil typically played with four attackers in the form of Jairzinho, Gerson, Tostao and Rivelino, with Pele in a deeper role in the number 10 jersey. For the Romania match, Zagallo chose to rest Gerson and Rivelino. In the 20th minute, Pele was fouled on one of his runs through midfield toward the box. The King stepped back from the dead ball with all of the arrogance and entitlement due to the world’s best football player. Pele scored by curling in a free kick around the left corner of the wall to give Brazil a 1-0 lead. Two minutes later, Paulo Cesar burst down the left flank and beat his marker to cross to Jairzinho, who opportunistically deflected the ball into the box to make it 2-0 Brazil. But Romania were not going to lie down easily. Dumitrache collected a deep midfield pass with his back to goal. He then promptly turned and beat two lackadaisical Brazilian defenders to make it 2-1. Brazil effectively put the match away twenty minutes into the second half after Carlos Alberto’s cross from the right flank was deflected by Tostao’s heel to the onrushing Pele, who found the left corner of the net. The score was now 3-1, in Brazil's favor. Romania's Dembrowski scored in the 83rd minute to render the final minutes tense as Brazil held on for victory and a place in the quarterfinals against Peru.

Brazil v. France: A Brief World Cup History

France and Brazil have played four times in the World Cup, namely, in 1958, 1986, 1998 and 2006. In 1958, Brazil encountered France in the quarterfinals in Sweden en route to the championship. Brazil crushed Just Fontaine's team 5-2 thanks to goals by Didi, Vava and a hat-trick by the 17 year old Pele. But since the 1958 victory in Sweden, Brazil has lost to France at the World Cup on three successive occasions. In 1986, Brazil drew France in the quarterfinals once again, this time in Guadalajara, Mexico. France boasted a star studded squad featuring Michel Platini, Jean Tigana, Alain Giresse and Manuel Amoros. Brazil, meanwhile, featured a host of world renowned players such as 1982 World Cup stars Socrates, Zico and Junior, in addition to a crop of new faces in the form of Branco, Alemao, Muller and Careca. In the first half, Brazil flourished in the sweltering 45 degree Mexico heat. Right back Josimar found Muller, who played a give and go with Junior who in turn passed to Careca across the face of goal. The unmarked Careca emphatically buried the ball in the roof of the net to give Brazil a 1-0 lead. Later in the half, Muller hit the post as the South Americans continued their onslaught on the French goal from the left, right and center. Socrates orchestrated a bevy of Brazilian attacks and received back-up in midfield from Elzo and Alemao as he ventured forward. But in the 41st minute, against the run of play, France received the lucky break that enabled them to draw level. Michel Platini tapped in a cross from the right flank by Rocheateau, whose ball across the face of goal was fumbled by Carlos, the Brazilian goalkeeper. Nearly invisible for 40 minutes, Platini emerged out of the blue to give France the equalizer just minutes before half time.

The second half continued in the same attacking vein from both teams. Tele Santana substituted Zico for Muller in the 72nd minute, and within minutes, the Brazilian number 10, also known as the white Pele, had set Branco free on goal. French goalkeeper Bats brought down Branco giving Brazil a penalty. Barely warmed up, Zico stepped up to the penalty spot and missed, giving France another leash of life on a game that was rapidly turning into one of the most entertaining, attacking displays of football in recent memory. The match went to extra time and penalty kicks.

Socrates missed the first penalty for Brazil. Yannick Stopyra scored for France. Alemao scored, as did Amoros for France. The score was now 2-1 France. Zico and Bruno Bellone scored for Brazil and France respectively. It was now 3-2 France. Branco made it 3-3. And then, Michel Platini spooned his kick over the cross-bar. Julio Cesar went for a spectacular kick that was saved by French goalkeeper Bats. And finally, France's Luis Fernandez gave France a thrilling 4-3 victory.

The next time Brazil and France met was in the World Cup final at the Stade de France in 1998 in a dream match-up between the defending champions and the host nation. France had failed to impress in the matches leading up to the final and their strikers had, for the most part, failed to find the back of the net. Brazil, on the other hand, progressively improved as the tournament unfolded and had just come off a thrilling victory over the Netherlands on penalty kicks. Ronaldo finally seemed to find the spaces for which he had been nicknamed "The Phenomenon" in Europe. Meanwhile, Rivaldo, Roberto Carlos and Cafu collectively started to emerge as a formidable strikeforce to supplement the experience and positional awareness of striker Bebeto. But there was something different about the Brazil team that stepped onto the Stade de France in the final on July 12, 1998. Ronaldo appeared sedated and off his game. Correspondingly, the entire Brazilian team lacked the rhythm and concentration displayed in their preceding matches. The game prominently featured a match-up between the two number 10 shirts in the form of Rivaldo for Brazil and Zinedine Zidane for France. Like the rest of the Selecao, Rivaldo struggled to impose himself and conversely, Zidane roamed all over the pitch as he dictated play for the French in midfield and attack, dribbling through the Brazilian midfield, organizing triangular passing formations and ensuring that the full backs Lizarazu and Thuram had the freedom to contain the marauding Brazilian fullbacks Cafu and Roberto Carlos. Zidane scored on headers from two corner kicks in the 27th minute and the 46th minute respectively, effectively sinking Brazil before the end of the first half. In the second half, Mario Zagallo brought on Denilson Oliveira and Edmundo "The Animal" but all to no avail as Brazil's possession advantage failed to translate into goals. Emmanuel Petit put the icing on the cake for the French in a counter-attacking play that sealed the score at 3-0 in what amounted to a devastating loss for Brazil. Rumors gradually spread that Ronaldo had been seen at a French hospital minutes before the match for an ankle injury, or that he had suffered a seizure or set of convulsions. To this day, no one knows the truth of what happened to Ronaldo and the Brazilian team, other than that they looked like the ghost of the team that had defeated Morocco, Chile, Denmark and the Netherlands en route to the final.

In 2006, France defeated Brazil in the World Cup quarterfinals thanks to another inspiring performance by Zidane and disciplined French marking of the Brazilian fullbacks. Brazil's "fab four" of Ronaldo, Ronaldinho, Kaka and Adriano failed to trouble the French defense. Zidane, on the other hand, took control of the game for France and dominated midfield play even more so than in 1998. In the 57th minute, Zidane swept a curling free kick to Thierry Henry who volleyed the ball into the top of the net to give France the one goal they needed to launch into the semi-finals.

Ronaldinho Set to Join Flamengo

AC Milan Vice President Adriano Galliani has confirmed that AC Milan and Flamengo have reached an agreement to allow the transfer of Ronaldinho to the Brazilian club. Galliani, who is on vacation in Rio de Janeiro, noted that "Ronaldinho's chances of playing with Flamengo are 99.9%." Flamengo club President Patricia Amorin elaborated further by saying: "Flamengo and Milan have reached an agreement over a transfer... we need two or three days to agree [to contractual details with Ronaldinho]." Ronaldinho was widely expected to return to Gremio, the club of his formative years, but he appears to have subjected a number of Brazilian clubs to an intense bidding process in a move that drew widespread criticism from Gremio fans, Gremio President Paul Odone and Pele. Flamengo, the apparent winners of the Ronaldinho auction, are badly in need of new talent after a disastrous season in which they started as defending champions and ended in 14th place, two spots above the four teams in Brazil's Serie A designated for relegation.

Flashback: Tears of Regret and Friendship: Bebeto and Leonardo in World Cup 1994

Pele's tears of joy after Brazil won the 1958 World Cup in Sweden are well documented in photographic and video archives, as are Mario Zagallo's tears of joy in World Cup 1998 and Romario's tears of sadness after failing to make the 1998 World Cup squad. Less well known are Leonardo's tears of regret after earning a red card for elbowing Tab Ramos in the Brazil v. USA second round match of World Cup 1994. The Brazil v. USA match famously marked the continued evolution of the Romario and Bebeto strike partnership, featuring, in this case, Romario's assist to Bebeto after overcoming a tangle of defenders. Romario's pass set up Bebeto's game winning, Carlos Alberto-like strike on goal past Tony Meola from the right flank. Bebeto described Leonardo's tears in a FIFA interview as follows:

"When I went into the dressing room at half-time in that game, I saw Leo, someone I've always been very fond of because we started out together with Flamengo. He was sitting there in the corner, crying his eyes out, so I told him not to worry as I would score the winning goal for us."

Bebeto returns to the dressing room at half time to find Leonardo bawling his eyes out and consoles him by telling him he will score the winning goal and negate the setback to the Brazil team created by Leonardo's red card. In this exchange, Bebeto performs what contemporary psychologists call self-actualization by visualizing himself scoring the crucial game winning goal. True to his vision, Bebeto went on to score in precisely the manner that he promised to his friend and teammate Leonardo.

Speaking of his promise to Leonardo, Bebeto remarked:

"And with the help of God I did. When I returned to the dressing room afterwards, he gave me a big hug and thanked me profusely. Without a doubt, I felt something very strong in that game. Something God-given."

Something viscerally powerful about the friendship between Bebeto and Leonardo sparks Brazil's victory. Leonardo's tears touch Bebeto to the point where he assumes responsibility for his friend's sadness, and he returns to the pitch intent to restore his friend's spirits. And after the ball touches the back of the net, Bebeto becomes convinced that Brazil will indeed become four times champions with a conviction that borders on the sublime. "From that moment, I was convinced that we would become four-time World Cup winners," Bebeto reflected.

A similar red card incident transpired the next time Brazil won the World Cup in 2002 in the quarterfinals against England. Ronaldinho received a red card for a foul on Danny Mills and this time, Cafu played the role that Bebeto had played in 1994, by putting his arm around Ronaldinho's shoulder as he was leaving the field and telling him with uncanny conviction: "Don't worry. We will win the game for you."

For more on Brazil v. USA, World Cup 1994, see:

Bringing Back the Beautiful Game. Deadly Striker Partnerships: Romario and Bebeto (Part 2 of 2)

Sources cited: Bebeto's FIFA Interview

Tears in Brazilian Football

In the spirit of the holidays, and the deep feelings and reflective moments specific to the season, "Bringing Back the Beautiful Game" will feature at least two articles on tears in Brazilian football by Christmas. Whether they be tears of joy, or tears of sadness, we will examine at least a couple of occasions on which the Selecao and its teammates have been moved to tears in various moments. Part of our mission in this blog is to reflect on the passions within the game and football's ability to transport fans, players and coaches to moving emotional states that are linked to powerful and beautiful actions. In an August 31, 2010 article, I wrote about Pele seeing his father cry for the first time after Brazil's shock defeat to Uruguay on July 16, 1950 in the World Cup final. The upcoming articles will shift their focus to tears specific to players or coaches. Suggestions for articles on the topic of tears are wholly welcome, so do send them our way. Thanks so much.

Ronaldo of Brazil: The Retirement of the First Global Sports Hero of All Time

Brazilian soccer legend Ronaldo announced his retirement from professional football on February 14, 2011, citing difficulties maintaining his body and hypothyroidism, a medical condition which made it difficult for him to maintain an optimal weight.

Where will Ronaldo find his nest after retiring from professional football? Questions such as these about Ronaldo’s future hover like a ghost around the Brazilian legend's decision to retire in the wake of harassment from Corinthians fans because of the club's February 2 exit from the Copa Libertadores. After retirement, Ronaldo’s Selecao teammates Romario and Bebeto found careers in coaching, club management and, most recently, politics. Correspondingly, 1994 World Cup winners Dunga and Jorginho went on to coach one of the most tactically aware and defensively robust Brazil sides of all time. Right winger Leonardo coached AC Milan with considerable success from 2009-2010 and has transformed Inter Milan radically since taking over as coach in late December 2010.

Ronaldo has said little about his post-retirement plans but one senses he is less likely to pursue a career in coaching and more inclined to contribute to football in an advisory capacity for club teams or as a commentator on the game. As a global symbol of peace, goodwill and human rights for the United Nations at various moments during his career, Ronaldo may well end up following Romario and Bebeto in furthering causes for justice and the well-being of children worldwide, whether in politics or the non-profit sector. With respect to football, Ronaldo has professed an interest in remaining involved with his former club Real Madrid in an advisory role, and one would expect that he will continue to maintain close ties to Corinthians in subsequent years. But in all this, the question about Ronaldo’s retirement and attendant plans engages the fate of one of the first truly transnational sports heroes of all time.

Ronaldo rapidly became a symbol of goodwill and sportsmanship to generations of football fans all over the world. In the mid-1990s, his goal scoring feats and slalom runs catalyzed a renaissance of interest in the game that coincided with its emerging popularity in the United States and Asia. And most importantly, Ronaldo became the first truly global sports hero that men and women all over the world admired, shared and loved, beginning with his sublime goal a game ratio at Barcelona and Inter Milan, to his heart wrenching struggles with knee injuries, back to the glory of his 2002 World Cup victory and two goals against Germany in the final. Pele was never truly a global hero because he played in a historical moment that was not wired in quite the same way as the world is today with Google, YouTube and soccer websites and discussion boards in almost every language. Maradona had few fans amongst English football supporters and his greatness was ultimately eclipsed by his decline into cocaine addiction and alcoholism. Romario paved the way for the concept of a global super-hero, but his cat-like prowess around the goal mouth paled in comparison to Ronaldo’s almost superhuman speed, strength, dribbling ability and power. Moreover, the peak years of Romario’s career coincided with the dawn of the consumer internet era as opposed to the conjunction of the peak of Ronaldo's fame with the lightning fast proliferation of internet technologies across the globe.

Add to all this the manner in which football enjoys a global popularity that trumps basketball, tennis and golf, it becomes easy to understand how Ronaldo crossed national, class, generational and gender boundaries more so than Bruce Lee, Michael Jordan, Martina Navratilova, Pete Sampras, Roger Federer and Tiger Woods. His fame ushered in the conditions of possibility for a transnational sports hero embraced by fans all over the entire globe. In terms of fame and global power as a cultural icon, only Michael Jackson and Madonna bear him comparison. While soccer historians would do well to begin cataloguing Ronaldo’s dizzying array of goals and records, cultural historians should take stock of the way in which Ronaldo elevated sport in general, and football in particular, to a global language with the power to galvanize audiences in all corners of the entire world. Messi stands on Ronaldo’s shoulders because his circulation in the world of contemporary popular culture derives from Ronaldo’s unprecedented, organic creation of the concept of a truly global sports hero for the very first time.

The above article features a post-February 14, 2011 update to the original December 4 posting.

Romario, Ronaldinho, Ronaldo, Kaka & Bebeto: A Guide to Shirt Numbers for the Selecao

The number of a football player's shirt speaks volumes not only about his position on the pitch but also about the way in which he is perceived by his coach and the team more generally. In the case of the Brazilian national football team, the symbolism of numbers worn on the shirts of Selecao players is richer than in most other national teams given the Selecao's illustrious history, complete with 5 World Cup trophies, two runner up medals and the memory of Tele Santana's 1982 World Cup squad, widely regarded as the best football team never to win a championship. Ever since Pele wore the number 10 shirt for Brazil in 1970, the number 10 shirt has typically been given only to remarkable footballers who have the capacity to change a game. Zico inherited the number 10 shirt in 1982 and 1986 and, like Pele, occupied the position of a pure striker. In recent years, however, the number 10 shirt has shifted to creative, attacking midfielders that orchestrate attacks in addition to scoring goals. When Mario Zagallo gave the number 10 jersey to Allessandro Rivaldo at the 1998 World Cup in France, for example, there was much speculation in the Brazilian media as to whether Rivaldo could "bear the weight" of the number 10 jersey. As it turned out, Rivaldo lived up to and even exceeded expectations in the number 10 shirt both in 1998 and 2002, and since then, the number 10 shirt has gone, for the most part, either to Ronaldinho or Kaka.

The number 9 and 11 jerseys signify a pure striker in the vein of Ronaldo and Romario. Ronaldo famously wore the number 9 whereas Romario was most often seen in the number 11. 7 marks yet another well known number in the pantheon of venerable Brazilian shirt numbers as it is typically worn by another striker, and most likely a winger of a certain kind who lies deeper than a primary striker and plays a pivotal role in creating goal scoring opportunities alongside the attacking midfield. Bebeto wore the number 7 given his penchant for lying deep, behind Romario, and setting up his strike partner to score while concurrently dispatching scoring opportunities that came his way. Rivaldo also wore the number 7 jersey earlier in his career when playing alongside the famous "Ro Ro" combination of Romario and Ronaldo as a left sided winger. The final number of any real significance is 8, the shirt number worn by the great midfielder Socrates and, in select matches, by Ricardo Kaka, who wears the same jersey for Real Madrid. 8 seems to have fallen out of favor in the last ten years or so, but its symbolic association with Socrates has unforgettably marked its bearer as an embodiment of creativity, leadership and midfield brilliance.

The following list identifies attacking Brazilian players for the Selecao and the shirt number they typically wore in World Cup matches or qualifying rounds:

World Cup 2010

Robinho: 11
Kaka: 10
Luis Fabiano: 9
Elano: 7

World Cup 2006

Ronaldinho: 10
Ronaldo: 9
Kaka: 8
Adriano: 7
Roberto Carlos: 6

World Cup 2002

Ronaldinho: 11
Rivaldo: 10
Ronaldo: 9
Roberto Carlos: 6

World Cup 1998

Bebeto: 20
Rivaldo: 10
Ronaldo: 9

World Cup 1994

Romario: 11
Bebeto: 7

World Cup 1990

Muller: 15
Romario: 11
Careca; 9

World Cup 1986

Socrates: 18
Zico: 10
Careca: 9
Muller: 7

World Cup 1982

Falcao: 15
Eder: 11
Zico: 10
Serginho: 9
Socrates: 8
Junior: 6

World Cup 1970

Rivelino: 11
Pele: 10
Tostao: 9
Jairzinho: 7

Santos midfielder Paulo Henrique Ganso is widely expected to take over the number 10 jersey in the coming years while Neymar may well inherit number 11, and Alexander Pato the number 9 shirt for Brazil.

Neymar's Uniqueness

He has a lanky build and spiky hair. At first glance, one might mistake him for a playground player with pace and the chutzpah to take shots on goal. He occasionally throws tantrums on the field that testify to the immaturity of an 18 year old boy. But this same petulant youth has been compared with Pele and Robinho and hailed as one of the brightest stars in the emerging generation of Brazilian football. His name is Neymar da Silva Santos Junior and he wears either the number 11 or 7 shirt for the Brazilian club Santos.

Although Neymar has scored 10 goals for Santos in Brazil's Serie A this season so far, and 10 in the preceding season as a whole, his international fame and attention from clubs such as Chelsea and Juventus have rested less on the raw statistics of his goals per game, and more on his unique style of play. For one, there is a boundless energy and exuberance about his movement on the pitch. He plays with the youthful energy of a teenager, bursting forward on the left and right wings and running at the center of defenses as well. The Brazilian press have compared him most frequently to Robinho because of their shared propensity to dribble and cut inward from the flanks without fear of swarms of defenders.

In a style reminiscent of his compatriot Ronaldo, Neymar roams all over the pitch and returns deep into midfield in order to run at defenses. But unlike Ronaldo, he brushes by defenders by relying almost exclusively on an exquisite sense of balance and ball control in contrast to Ronaldo's combination of power, strength and skill. Drawing throngs of defenders in his wake, he solicits the foul, scores from the penalty spot or orchestrates the ensuing free kick and instinctively locates the right place in the box for the killer header or deflection or shot on goal. More often than not, he carves his way out of a thicket of defenders by feigning a move right and then darting left, or employing a similar set of guileful tricks to fool defenders.

Like Ronaldo, Neymar shoots off both feet. Like Ronaldo, he treks back deep into midfield. Like Romario, his balance and goal scoring precision around the box are virtually unparalleled in the modern game. Like Rivaldo, he takes penalties with confidence and success. Like Kaka, he has a sixth sense for the placement of his team mates on the pitch at all moments. But in the final analysis, he is just Neymar, the lanky Santos striker who finds the back of the net from all corners of the pitch and applies himself to his trade with a limitless energy and adolescent disrespect for the positioning and rigidity of the modern game.

In recent months he has scored for Santos in Brazil's Serie A against Atletico Mineiro, Gremio, Avai, Corinthians, Cruzeiro, Internacional and Sao Paulo. And he scored Brazil's opening goal in their friendly against the USA on August 10, 2010 in New Jersey. Nevertheless, Selecao coach Mano Menezes opted to drop Neymar from Brazil's friendlies against Iran and the Ukraine because of his incidents of indiscipline at Santos. At the moment, it's anyone's guess as to whether the Santos sensation will be included in the Brazil roster for the November friendly against Argentina. As every coach knows, brilliance and indiscipline are often coextensive traits that take time for a gifted young athlete to juggle and balance. The question now on everyone's mind is whether Mano and Santos can enable Neymar's talent to blossom to reach its fullest potential and become a complete player that bears no comparison to Robinho, Pele, Ronaldo or Romario, but is just Neymar, the aggressive forward whose creativity marks the fullest embodiment of the beautiful game since Ronaldinho, Diego Maradona and Socrates.

Brazil 1982: 11 World Cup Goals Featuring Zico, Socrates and Falcao

The video below features a compilation of goals from Tele Santana's Brazil World Cup team of 1982, the most talented team to never win a trophy in the history of football. The footage should give the viewer chills when compared with the rigidity of modern football at the club level in Europe. Brazil 1982 didn't play football; they celebrated football. Zico, Socrates, Serginho, Eder, Junior and company burst forward in waves and displayed an uncanny awareness of each other via back heels, side heels, bicycle kicks, chest traps, flicks, one twos, and intuitive passing into open spaces. Yet despite their marvelous teamwork, Santana's players were not afraid to go for goal from long range and display their individual skill by sending some sublime rockets into the back of the net as evinced, for example, by Socrates's goal against the Soviet Union in goal 2 of this collection.

Today, in almost any discussion of the national team, someone inevitably mentions Pele and the Brazil team of 1970. But seeing these goals, fans of the Selecao would do well to return to 1982 and first understand the uniqueness of Tele Santana's team. Captained by Socrates, Brazil's 1982 World Cup team scored 15 goals in 5 matches. The goals in the video below represent the 11 most sublime goals from the most artful team in the history of football.

Brazil to play Iran, Ukraine and Argentina in upcoming friendlies

The Confederation of Brazilian Soccer (CBF) recently confirmed two October friendlies for the Brazilian national team. The Selecao is scheduled to the play Iran and the Ukraine in the second week of October, and Argentina in November.

The friendly schedule is as follows:

Brazil v. Iran: Abu Dhabi, October 7, 2010
Brazil v. Ukraine: Pride Park, Derby, England, October 11, 2010
Brazil v. Argentina: Doha, Qatar, November 17, 2010

International friendlies such as these are vital for the Brazilian national team's preparation for the 2011 Copa America, 2012 London Summer Olympics and the 2014 World Cup because, as hosts in 2014, Brazil is not required to participate in the grueling South American qualification process.

The matches offer a mouthwatering opportunity for Brazilian fans to see how coach Mano Menezes takes charge of the Selecao with a group of highly talented players such as Andre Santos, Dani Alves, Robinho, Carlos Eduardo and Philippe Coutinho who have yet to fully gel together within the national team.

Coach Mano Menezes has begun to assert his authority on the team as a relaxed but visionary leader committed to allowing players to express their creativity on the field. Well known as a football addict and student of the game who views multiple matches a week from several different leagues, Mano showcased the depth of his tactical understanding of the game and ability to field multiple formations on the pitch in his coaching debut against the USA in a way that suggestively recalled Mario Zagallo's ability to transform a 3-5-2 into a 5-3-2 with Brazil's great team of 1970. Of course, the current Selecao has a long way to go to come anywhere close to Pele, Jarizinho, Tostao, Gerson, Clodoaldo and company, but Mano's squad selections and performance against the USA suggests that samba soccer may have begun to return to the Brazilian national team for the first time since 1982. Brazil have never played Iran and the Ukraine so both of these matches will pose a keen test of Mano's tactical acumen and preparation.

The Hulk, The Beast and The Emperor: Nicknames in Brazilian Football (Part 1)

Nicknames are part of the culture of Brazilian football more so than in other countries. The origins of calling Brazilian soccer players by a nickname instead of their given name remains somewhat of a historical and anthropological mystery. Many sports journalists argue that nicknaming enables Brazilian fans to connect to their players with a greater intensity of connection than through their given names. In a football culture that prizes individuality more than teamwork, nicknames enable Brazilian fans to enjoy a more focused form of admiration or idolatry with respect to their favorite players because fans are on a first name, friendship level basis with their players. That said, the practice of nicknaming in Brazil pertains not only to football, but all spheres of life in Brazil more generally. President Lula Inacio Lula da Silvo is globally known as Lula, for example. Similarly, in Brazilian corporate circles, it is common to refer to your boss by either a nickname or Mr./Ms. followed by a first name or a nickname.

Part of the popularity of the use of one name to refer to a person may simply involve the reality that Brazilian names often feature four names: two first names (one of which is usually the name of a saint), the mother's last name and the father's last name. One name is easier to deal with than four. And then are there other, more elaborate explanations of nicknaming amongst Brazil: that the gentry began playing the sport in the 1920s and 1930s, and when the aristocracy discovered its popularity, they wanted to play too, albeit without being identified with the gentry, thereby adopting one name that enabled them to preserve their anonymity. The practice spread to the gentry itself and eventually, almost all Brazilian football players took one name or, minimally, a transformation of their given name. Another explanation attributes nicknaming to the history of slavery in Brazil and its convention of referring to slaves by either their first name or their first name followed by the region in Africa from which they were imported.

In the context of Brazilian football, nicknaming occurs at two levels insofar as almost every player has a nickname of a certain kind.

The first level is simply a transformation of a player's given name into something else. Pele, Tostao, Romario, Bebeto, Ronaldo, Ronaldinho and Kaka are all nicknames, for example, admittedly, of different kinds and variations. In his autobiography, Pele claims not to know from where his nickname originated, although some scholars associate it with his childhood mispronunciation of his favorite goalkeeper, Bile. Kaka is the name coined by his younger brother Digao, for Ricardo Izecson dos Santos Leite, as a result of his inability to pronounce his brother's name "Ricardo".

For more on the history of nicknames in Brazilian football, see Futebol: The Brazilian Way of Life by Alex Bellos.

Part 2 features a particularly evocative selection of nicknames in the world of Brazilian football. The names in this selection titillate the imagination and create a bond between the fan and the player rooted in the fan's experience, outside of soccer, with names such as The Hulk, The Beast and The Emperor. The bold text in Part 2 denotes the nickname while the description that follows tells something about the player.

For specific examples of colorful nicknames in Brazilian football, see:
Bringing Back the Beautiful Game: The Hulk, The Beast and The Emperor: Nicknames in Brazilian Football (Part 2)

Flashback: Uruguay 2-Brazil 1, July 16, 1950. Pele on Brazil’s 1950 loss to Uruguay.

No one captures the pathos of Brazil’s 1950 World Cup defeat to Uruguay, 2-1, in the final match, better than Pele in his autobiography. The King touchingly recounts his father’s tears and need for seclusion immediately following Brazil's shock defeat. Pele goes on to describe his superstitious guilt that had he and his father been at the Maracana stadium, things would have been different, and Brazil would have scored the goals they needed to equalize and ultimately emerge victorious. Here, Pele magically puts his finger on the thought of a child…that it was my fault, that if I had been there, at the moment that mattered most, when I wasn’t able to be there, the whole game would have been different.

Nine years old at the time, Pele followed the game by radio with a group of 15 of his father’s friends who had gathered at his house in anticipation of a Brazil victory:

“Brazil scored first, through Friaca, and everyone went crazy. The house filled with shouting and everyone was jumping up and down. Firecrackers exploded all over Bauru. Shortly afterwards Uruguay equalized, but we remained confident. Then, with about ten minutes to go, Uruguay scored again. I can remember going into the house as the game ended and seeing my father and all his friends absolutely silent. I went to him and asked him what happened. “Brazil lost,” he replied, like a zombie. “Brazil lost.”

The young Pele tries to console his father but his mother advised him to leave him “in peace.” Meanwhile, the large button radios through which the family listened to the game have been turned off and replaced instead by a deathly silence:

“Just thinking about that afternoon, and remembering the sadness that was everywhere, even today gives me goose-flesh. I told Dondinho (my father) not to be sad. But my mum took me away and said "Leave your father alone. Leave him in peace." There was silence everywhere. The noise of cheers, and firecrackers and radios turned up to full volume had disappeared into a void of silence. World Cups are so important for Brazil and no one thought we would lose. And especially not in such humiliating circumstances to Uruguay, who together with Argentina are our arch-rivals. People couldn't bear the disappointment. Bauru felt like a ghost town.

It was also the first time I saw my father cry. Many of my father's friends couldn't stop themselves either. It was shocking to me, since I had been brought up thinking that men didn't show their emotions like that. One day, "I'll win you the World Cup," I promised my dad, to try to make him feel better. A few days later, when he had recovered, he told me that some people at the Maracana had actually died from shock.

Later on that day of the final I went to my father's room, where there was a picture of Jesus on the wall, and I started wailing. "Why has this happened? Why has it happened to us? We had the better team—how come we lost? Why, Jesus, why are we being punished? I continued crying, overcome, as I continued my conversation with the picture of Christ. “You know, if I were there I would not have let Brazil lose the Cup. If I’d been there Brazil would have won, or if my Dad had been playing, Brazil would have got that goal we needed...

There was no answer. I was a boy who loved football and the defeat affected me deeply.” (47-48)

It took days for Dondinho, Pele’s father, to recover. Meanwhile, Pele promised his father that he would win the World Cup to compensate for his sadness and suffering at Brazil's shock loss to Uruguay. Little did the young Pele know then that he win not only one World Cup for Brazil and his father, but three.

Source: Edson Arantes do Nascimento (Pele), Duarte, Orlando and Bellos, Alex. Pele: The Autobiography. Trans. Daniel Hahn. London: Simon & Schuster, 2006.

Neymar's Choice to Stay at Santos Inspires Hope for the Beautiful Game

Santos forward Neymar’s decision to snub Chelsea in favor of staying at his Brazilian club Santos signals that something new is afoot in world football. European clubs have traditionally had their choice of South American football players because of higher salaries and increased international publicity. But in this case, Santos successfully contested Chelsea's bid by raising Neymar’s compensation through a combination of increased salary and merchandising deals estimated at $1.2 million, annually. Neymar’s decision was considered a victory for Brazilian soccer because it allows him to develop his technical skills in a familiar environment that rewards player creativity, freedom and guile. The decision is also likely to encourage other Brazilian players to ply their craft in Brazil instead of venturing to Europe before their abilities have been more completely realized. Pele, Mario Zagallo and Brazil coach Mano Menezes all advised Neymar to stay at Santos, almost uniformly claiming that Neymar does not have the muscular physique required to flourish in Europe at the tender age of 18, amongst other reasons. Staying at Santos also allows Neymar to continue playing alongside the attacking midfielder Paulo Henrique Ganso in what many feel could become a partnership that will be replicated and feared in international football.

Speaking of the week's dramatic negotiations between Chelsea and Santos, Santos president Luis Alvaro remarked: "We've built a different possibility. We no longer accept the idea that we're an underdeveloped nation always at the mercy of the powerful European clubs." Neymar’s choice is likely to allow him to develop his dribbling and creative style of play as well as provide Brazil coach Mano Menezes with a powerful Santos platform to feed directly into the Selecao. More importantly, the Neymar-Chelsea-Santos drama reveals the power of South American football to resist the pressures of European capital to appropriate promising technical ability into drab but effective goal scoring machines. In recent years, European clubs have stifled the creative development of many promising South American players such as Robinho, Adriano and Juan Roman Riquelme, so Neymar's independent decision to remain in Brazil marks a small but important victory for attacking, creative and spectacular football.