Showing posts with label Ricardo Teixeira. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Ricardo Teixeira. Show all posts
Monday, July 18, 2011
Brazil Make Disgraceful Exit from Copa America 2011
Brazil made a disgraceful exit from the 2011 Copa America by losing to Paraguay on penalties after failing to convert four consecutive penalty kicks by Elano, Thiago Silva, Andre Santos and Fred in the extra time shoot-out. The Selecao controlled possession but displayed what has begun to become their trademark, under Mano Menezes, of failing to find the back of the net. Ganso’s presence was negligible in midfield and although the Selecao created some high percentage chances for Lucio, Neymar and Pato, they failed to break down the Paraguayan defense. Clearly, Mano’s experiment in transforming Brazil’s midfield is not working. Ganso does not have the experience to wear the number 10 jersey and orchestrate the Brazilian attack in the way he does for Santos. Meanwhile, the three pronged strike formation of Robinho, Neymar and Pato has failed to score goals as needed. Although Ricardo Teixera, President of the Brazilian Confederation of Football, confirmed that Mano will continue as coach, rumors abound that only months separate him from replacement by Muricy Ramalho or Luiz Felipe Scolari.
Wednesday, August 4, 2010
Which Mano Menezes Will Show Up as Coach of the Selecao?
What kind of coach will Mano Menezes (Mano) become at the helm of the Brazilian national football team? For starters, Mano is a fan of precisely the 4-2-3-1 formation that Brazil used in South Africa. He is well known for his ability to restore teams such as Gremio and Corinthians to glory after suffering humiliating relegations to their respective second divisions. And, like his predecessors, Carlos Dunga and Luiz Felipe Scolari, Mano has historically professed a certain pragmatism to football, with an emphasis on winning, even if this means sitting on the lead and hogging ball possession at the expense of going forward to score more goals. Mano's teams have tended to play with two defensive midfielders and score on the counter-attack in much the same fashion as Brazil under the Dunga era from 2006 to 2010.
But in a recent interview, Mano promised to turn his back on a footballing philosophy of pragmatism as the head of the national team.
"We are going to rescue our style. Brazil has it's own way of playing," he noted in an August 3, 2010 interview with Sport TV.
"We want to recover that tradition of being the protagonists, and stop being bit-part actors looking for the rival mistake. The world now plays more similar to that Brazil and we ourselves have distanced ourselves from it."
That said, it's really anyone's guess as to what kind of coach Menezes becomes as he settles into his role as director of the Selecao.
Consider the case of Luiz Felipe Scolari, for example, in leading the Seleaco to World Cup victory in Yokohama, Japan in the summer of 2002. Like Dunga, Scolari was initially known for his commitment to tough tackling and rough, defensive minded play. An ardent supporter of a strong defense and quick counter-attacks, he championed winning at the expense of beautiful football. As coach of Gremio from 1993-1996, Scolari threatened to bench players for not committing enough fouls, and additionally became famous for encouraging player ball-boys to throw balls onto the field when opponents were about to take a throw-in, or having his players solicit the help of local police against visiting teams in the event of an on field fracas.
In Korea and Japan in the summer of 2002, something remarkable happened to Scolari's rough and defensive style of play. Brazil's starting line-up initially featured Roberto Carlos and Cafu attacking down the left and right flanks respectively, Ronaldo, Rivaldo and Ronaldinho as the triumvirate "3 Rs" strikeforce, and another offensive midfielder in the form of Juninho Paulista attacking down the center. Fans were dumbfounded by Scolari's offensive formation, especially since the rigidity of his earlier career had given way to a fluid, samba style of soccer where players would routinely switch positions instead of sticking to a predetermined tactical formation. The result produced moments of magic for the Brazilian national football team at a level unseen since 1982. Fans will recall Edmilson's sublime bicycle kick goal in their 5-2 demolition of Costa Rica, Rivaldo's magical goal in the 67th minute against Belgium, Ronaldinho's sublime free kick against England in the quarterfinal to mark a 2-1 come from behind victory and, most importantly, the great strength of Ronaldo in and around the box, scoring 8 goals in 7 games, shaking off defenders shamelessly and putting the ball where it belongs.
But Scolari had at his disposal an extraordinary crop of players, the quality of which Menezes is unlikely to have unless Robinho, Pato, Neymar, Ganso and company blossom into world class talent that can hold their form over the greater part of a decade. Time will tell, but the interesting thing is that, for all the talk of renovation, rebuilding, rebirth and jogo bonito in Brazil, few people in Brazil are calling Ricardo Teixeira's bluff and noting how the Brazilian Confederation of Football's choice of a coach for the Selecao seems disturbingly similar to Dunga and the early Scolari, at precisely the moment when Brazilian football needs radical change.
But in a recent interview, Mano promised to turn his back on a footballing philosophy of pragmatism as the head of the national team.
"We are going to rescue our style. Brazil has it's own way of playing," he noted in an August 3, 2010 interview with Sport TV.
"We want to recover that tradition of being the protagonists, and stop being bit-part actors looking for the rival mistake. The world now plays more similar to that Brazil and we ourselves have distanced ourselves from it."
That said, it's really anyone's guess as to what kind of coach Menezes becomes as he settles into his role as director of the Selecao.
Consider the case of Luiz Felipe Scolari, for example, in leading the Seleaco to World Cup victory in Yokohama, Japan in the summer of 2002. Like Dunga, Scolari was initially known for his commitment to tough tackling and rough, defensive minded play. An ardent supporter of a strong defense and quick counter-attacks, he championed winning at the expense of beautiful football. As coach of Gremio from 1993-1996, Scolari threatened to bench players for not committing enough fouls, and additionally became famous for encouraging player ball-boys to throw balls onto the field when opponents were about to take a throw-in, or having his players solicit the help of local police against visiting teams in the event of an on field fracas.
In Korea and Japan in the summer of 2002, something remarkable happened to Scolari's rough and defensive style of play. Brazil's starting line-up initially featured Roberto Carlos and Cafu attacking down the left and right flanks respectively, Ronaldo, Rivaldo and Ronaldinho as the triumvirate "3 Rs" strikeforce, and another offensive midfielder in the form of Juninho Paulista attacking down the center. Fans were dumbfounded by Scolari's offensive formation, especially since the rigidity of his earlier career had given way to a fluid, samba style of soccer where players would routinely switch positions instead of sticking to a predetermined tactical formation. The result produced moments of magic for the Brazilian national football team at a level unseen since 1982. Fans will recall Edmilson's sublime bicycle kick goal in their 5-2 demolition of Costa Rica, Rivaldo's magical goal in the 67th minute against Belgium, Ronaldinho's sublime free kick against England in the quarterfinal to mark a 2-1 come from behind victory and, most importantly, the great strength of Ronaldo in and around the box, scoring 8 goals in 7 games, shaking off defenders shamelessly and putting the ball where it belongs.
But Scolari had at his disposal an extraordinary crop of players, the quality of which Menezes is unlikely to have unless Robinho, Pato, Neymar, Ganso and company blossom into world class talent that can hold their form over the greater part of a decade. Time will tell, but the interesting thing is that, for all the talk of renovation, rebuilding, rebirth and jogo bonito in Brazil, few people in Brazil are calling Ricardo Teixeira's bluff and noting how the Brazilian Confederation of Football's choice of a coach for the Selecao seems disturbingly similar to Dunga and the early Scolari, at precisely the moment when Brazilian football needs radical change.
Tuesday, July 27, 2010
Carlos Dunga's letter of resignation to Ricardo Teixeira: July 5, 2010
Carlos Dunga wrote an extraordinary resignation letter to Ricardo Teixeira, President of the Confederation of Brazilian Football (CBF), on July 5, just three days after Brazil's elimination from the South Africa 2010 World Cup by the Netherlands in a 2-1 quarterfinal defeat. Before the World Cup, Dunga had said that he would resign from his coaching duties for the national team whether Brazil won the World Cup or otherwise. In various moments, he complained that the media pressure was intense, vicious and unrelenting. But his letter to Ricardo Teixeira reveals a change of heart as he recounts an impressive list of accomplishments and then notes: "I can only abide by your decision, because, like it or not, it is not my place to question it." Dunga's resignation letter indirectly refers to completing the mission that he began and concurrently reveals his love of the players and their fight, determination and commitment to the Brazilian national football team.
The full text of the translated letter, as published by Globoesporte, is below:
July 5, 2010
Dear Mr. President,
Respectfully, I come to you, first, to renew my thanks for your trust and autonomy, which, without doubt, allowed me, for the four years of services to the Brazilian Football Confederation (CBF), to develop, alongside the other members of the technical committee, my attributions and inherent functions of the job of coach of the Brazilian national team.
Sadly, the title of the 2010 World Cup was not conquered, but you can be assured by me, my loyal assistant Jorginho, all the other competent and dedicated professionals without exception, and mainly, the untiring and valuable 90 players that have served the national team during the preparation period, especially the 23 that have participated in the campaign in South Africa, that there was no lack of drive, donation, work, dedication and commitment in search of the title, in symphony with the goals previously set by you.
Evidently, since the beginning, by occasion of my signing, it was not, and it could not be assured the sixth world title. First, because of the challenge. Second, because of the complexity of the mission. The title, if possible, was the final objective to be reached by me and the members of the technical committee. With dignity, courage, patriotism, respect, passion, transparency and, mainly, obedience to your determinations, everyone, without exception, worked for that goal. In this sense, without doubt, the mistakes of the past were corrected.
We have renewed the squad of the Brazilian national team, restored our respect and fundamentally, restored the respect for the Brazilian national team and by extension, to the Brazilian Football Confederation (CBF). The recent polls with the public opinion, the results obtained by the sponsors and, notably, the titles in the pitch, without doubt, confirm this affirmation. In this period, under my command, the Brazilian national team broke many taboos, some of them, if you allow me to remember, lasted for long years, and were overcome in the first phase of the World Cup, and the South American qualifiers.
Now, as it was always the behaviour adopted by me, I can only abide by your decision, because right or not, it is not my place to question it, in the measure that this is the practice adopted in football for a long time, considering that life goes on, the commitments are many and the interests varied and complex. In this sense, offering you the needed tranquility, I hope and trust that I am contributing for you to start your new strategies, with the goal of preparing the Brazilian national team to compete and, if possible, to win the World Cup 2014, which will be held in our country.
Limited to the above, I renew my vows of esteem, respect and consideration, taking the chance to, once more, thank you for the trust and support in me and wishing full success in the command of our Brazilian national team.
Sincerely,
Carlos Caetano Bledorn Verri- Dunga
The full text of the translated letter, as published by Globoesporte, is below:
July 5, 2010
Dear Mr. President,
Respectfully, I come to you, first, to renew my thanks for your trust and autonomy, which, without doubt, allowed me, for the four years of services to the Brazilian Football Confederation (CBF), to develop, alongside the other members of the technical committee, my attributions and inherent functions of the job of coach of the Brazilian national team.
Sadly, the title of the 2010 World Cup was not conquered, but you can be assured by me, my loyal assistant Jorginho, all the other competent and dedicated professionals without exception, and mainly, the untiring and valuable 90 players that have served the national team during the preparation period, especially the 23 that have participated in the campaign in South Africa, that there was no lack of drive, donation, work, dedication and commitment in search of the title, in symphony with the goals previously set by you.
Evidently, since the beginning, by occasion of my signing, it was not, and it could not be assured the sixth world title. First, because of the challenge. Second, because of the complexity of the mission. The title, if possible, was the final objective to be reached by me and the members of the technical committee. With dignity, courage, patriotism, respect, passion, transparency and, mainly, obedience to your determinations, everyone, without exception, worked for that goal. In this sense, without doubt, the mistakes of the past were corrected.
We have renewed the squad of the Brazilian national team, restored our respect and fundamentally, restored the respect for the Brazilian national team and by extension, to the Brazilian Football Confederation (CBF). The recent polls with the public opinion, the results obtained by the sponsors and, notably, the titles in the pitch, without doubt, confirm this affirmation. In this period, under my command, the Brazilian national team broke many taboos, some of them, if you allow me to remember, lasted for long years, and were overcome in the first phase of the World Cup, and the South American qualifiers.
Now, as it was always the behaviour adopted by me, I can only abide by your decision, because right or not, it is not my place to question it, in the measure that this is the practice adopted in football for a long time, considering that life goes on, the commitments are many and the interests varied and complex. In this sense, offering you the needed tranquility, I hope and trust that I am contributing for you to start your new strategies, with the goal of preparing the Brazilian national team to compete and, if possible, to win the World Cup 2014, which will be held in our country.
Limited to the above, I renew my vows of esteem, respect and consideration, taking the chance to, once more, thank you for the trust and support in me and wishing full success in the command of our Brazilian national team.
Sincerely,
Carlos Caetano Bledorn Verri- Dunga
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