A Tribute To Brazil Soccer Legend Socrates

Anyone passionate about football qua soccer will be saddened by the untimely passing away of Socrates, the Brazilian midfielder who captained Tele Santana’s legendary World Cup team of 1982. Socrates passed away on Sunday from septic shock at the age of 57 after a recent history of liver problems and gastrointestinal bleeding that required four hospitalizations in the past three months. The death of Socrates means that the sport has lost one of its most outspoken critics of pragmatic football that focuses on winning at the expense of artistry and the entertainment of fans. In Brazil, the passing away of Socrates means that opponents of Ricardo Teixeira’s tyrannical stewardship of the Confederation of Brazilian Football such as Romario have lost one of their more powerful advocates. Socrates was an ardent proponent of democracy in all facets of life and pushed for open elections for the title of the Presidency of the Confederation of Brazilian football, at one point going so far as to nominate his friend and former teammate Zico as an eligible successor to Teixeira.

Socrates is best known for captaining Brazil’s remarkable World Cup 1982 team in Spain. Contemporary football fans who have the privilege of viewing the Brazil World Cup team of 1982 will find it challenging to absorb the rhythm, tempo and formation of the Brazilian team because it resembles virtually no other team in the history of football. Coach Tele Santana played a 4-2-3-1 formation with Junior, Luizinho, Oscar and Leandro in defense, Falcao and Cerezzo deep in midfield, Eder, Zico and Socrates in attacking midfield and Serginho as the lone center forward and pure striker. Brazil fans who watched the Brazil v. Italy match of 1982 will painfully recall how Brazil did almost no defending in the match against Italy, choosing instead to try and win through ball possession, one touch passing, and streaming attacks on goal that defied any predictable formation or pattern. On one hand, Brazil 1982 represented a team marked by cohesion, collaboration and an attacking spirit taken to an extreme. On the other, the lynchpin of the team, the cog around which play revolved, was none other than Socrates playing in one of his finest hours.

Fans of Socrates will remember his blind, back-heel pass; the way he sauntered all over the field as if it belonged to him; how he instinctively knew which spaces teammates like Zico, Branco, Junior, Falcao, Cerezzo, Muller and Careca would fill with their runs forward; his ability to orchestrate attacks from both the right foot and the left; how he could feel and alter the pulse of a game like the doctor that he was; his calmness when things became rough; his spectacular goal against the USSR in World Cup 1982; his equalizer in 1982 against Italy from an absurdly narrow angle, setup by a Zico pass; his inspirational play against France in World Cup 1986, when Brazil chose not to play in midfield, but to attack ruthlessly on all fronts in the heat of the Guadalaraja sun against the likes of Michel Platini, Amoros and Tigana.

Fans will remember his outspoken criticism of Carlos Dunga and Mano Menezes for making Brazil play European football; his buoyant admiration for Paulo Henrique Ganso; his respect for Neymar; his youthful commitment to the Corinthians Democracy movement in the late 70s and early 80s that established a democratic approach to club management at Corinthians as a form of protest against increasing regimentation in Brazilian football and militaristic rule more generally; his degree in medicine; his love of alcohol and habit of smoking cigarettes; his 172 goals in 297 games for Corinthians; his 22 goals in 60 games for Brazil; and his lifelong commitment to freedom, creativity, democracy, football and art.

Socrates Brasileiro Sampaio de Souza Vieira de Oliveira: you redefined the meaning of a sports figure that became a global intellectual and political commentator. On the soccer field, no midfielder in the history of the game has been able to read the game like you. You were one of the greatest playmakers and creative midfielders in the history of football. Rest in peace. We will miss you.

Ronaldinho Teaches Neymar Free Kicks

In this rare piece of footage, we see Ronaldinho on the far right, slotting home free kicks as if they were billiard balls into the nearest slot. Here, Dinho, presumably in the lead up to one of Brazil’s recent friendlies, teaches Neymar the sublime art of curling in a free kick. The clip reveals a model of mentorship that transcends the coach-player relationship and hinges instead on the transfer of knowledge from the experienced player, Ronaldinho, to the gifted protégé, Neymar.

Ronaldinho’s education of Neymar recalls in the context of Brazil's recent friendly against Mexico recalls yet another famous teacher-student relationship in Brazilian football from over a decade ago, namely, the strike partnership of Romario and Ronaldo. In the Brazil v. Mexico friendly on April 30, 1997 in Miami, crowds flocked to see Romario and Ronaldo play alongside each other, with specific attention to the young sensation Ronaldo at the height of his power. But the 31 year old Romario showed the 20 year old protégé Ronaldo that he still had a few tricks up his sleeve with a magnificent hat-trick in a 4-0 victory for Brazil. Everyone had come to see the great Ronaldo but Romario showed there were still some lessons to be learned from the master.

Ronaldo's Retirement: Ronaldinho, Kaka, Beckham, Zico, Romario and Mano Menezes Pay Tribute to "The Phenomenon"

Carlos Alberto Parreira

"It's a feeling of loss -- to know that on Sundays, on the television, we are not going to see Ronaldo anymore."

David Beckham

“I just want to say to my friend Ronaldo what an honour it was playing with him and becoming his good friend... He was not just an amazing person but along with Zidane, one of the most talented and gifted players in football history and I was honoured to have been in the same team as him whilst at Real Madrid...Well done my friend...”

Kaka

“Ronaldo, thank you for everything you did. Thank you for the sport of football, for Brazil, and for the army of many thousands of fans."

“Ronaldo has no successor and he will not have. It’s hard to put a collection of those in any other Brazilian player as Neymar, Fred, Luis Fabiano or who they’re playing in that position. Neymar is a great player, I think he can go far, but Ronaldo is irreplaceable. Ronaldo’s retirement is sad for football. Now he chose another career and he will also be a phenomenon in his chosen field. My wish is to follow his path and write down in history forever.”

Mano Menezes

“We worked together for about 18 very intensive months at Corinthians and his individual class impressed all of us. The results might have been better in his first year, but his enormous desire to always win every game explains his ability to make comeback after comeback. His superb mentality helped him overcome his injury problems.

I firmly remember how he was sitting on the treatment table putting on a bandage in the dressing room only days before he helped us to victory in the Brazilian Cup and the Campeonato Paulista.

From now on, he will be considered as a legend of the game and he will join many others from the past who have filled us with joy with their masterpieces. Fortunately for us, stars come and go in Brazilian football. Those who enter the stage will learn from those who starred before them, like Ronaldo. It's now up to us to repay Ronaldo for everything he has done for us. We'll have to minimize the empty feeling he probably has and he deserves the affection of all Brazilian football fans. Being successful has always been his trademark and we can only hope that he will soon be active in the football world again in some position.”

Ronaldinho

”Ronaldo for me was an idol. I was inspired by him in everything. Thanks to him Brazil was recognized in Europe. I still cannot realize what has happened. It has left me sad."

Romario

"We Brazilians can be sure that we will no longer see on the field one of the greatest players in the history of world soccer."

Zico

"I would like to play with him, because I would always put him in front of the goal."

Zidane's reflections on Ronaldo.

Bringing Back the Beautiful Game's tribute to Ronaldo

Ronaldo Luís Nazário de Lima: A Tribute

When Ronaldo retires we will remember his incredible pace and his buck-toothed smile; his slalom runs through midfield; the acceleration that left defenders for dead; the retreat, deep into midfield and then the assault on goal; the stutter step that allowed him to change direction; the dribbling that we hadn’t seen since Garrincha and Maradona; his clinical finishing with either the left foot or the right; the ability to carve out that extra yard of space when surrounded by two or three defenders; the buzz in the mid-1990s about this player from Cruzeiro who had arrived in Europe and was scoring a goal a game; the boldness of his promise to break Just Fontaine’s record on his own soil; his calmness in front of the penalty spot; his friendship with Romario; his instinctive leadership on the field; his enduring respect for his boyhood idol Zico; his record of scoring in every final before World Cup 1998; his goal in the final of the 1997 Copa America against Bolivia in La Paz; his goals for Inter Milan against Spartak Moscow in the UEFA Cup when Inter was down, away from home, on a pitch that resembled sand; his breathtaking performance against Holland in World Cup 1998; his goals in the World Cup 2002 final against Germany after heart wrenching injuries; his tears in his retirement press conference; his love of Corinthians and the passion of their fans; the way he redefined the number 9 jersey; his joy for the game; the way he made the beautiful game beautiful again.

Ronaldo Luís Nazário de Lima, otherwise known as Ronaldo of Corinthians: you changed the sport of football forever. You were the greatest pure striker of all time. We will miss you.

Brazil v. Netherlands: A Brief World Cup History

Brazil and the Netherlands have played four times in the World Cup, namely, in 1974, 1994, 1998 and 2010. On all four occasions, the intensity of the clash has matched a World Cup semi-final irrespective of the stage of the tournament in which the match took place. Brazil won in 1994 and 1998 while the Dutch came out on top in 1974 and 2010. With the exception of 1974, Brazil have typically played their traditional, attacking formation in contrast to the total football of the Dutch that relies heavily on teamwork and positional awareness of the challenges faced by teammates all over the field.

1974: Netherlands 2 - Brazil 0

1974 featured remnants of the great Brazil team of 1970, with Jairzinho and Rivelino but without the great Pele. Playing in Germany, Brazil were a ghost of the team that had lifted the Jules Rimet trophy for the third time four years earlier in Mexico. The first half featured rough play on both sides. Dutch players Suurbier and Rep fouled Brazil’s Pereira, Krol fouled Valdomiro, Ze Maria fouled Cruyff and notably, Brazil captain Marinho Peres elbowed Neeskens in the face when the referee had his back turned. The first goal came from a Dutch free kick. Van Hanegem played the ball to Neeskens who in turn passed to Cruyff. Cruyff spotted the racing Neeskens and served up the ball on a platter for his teammate in the center of the box. Neeskens lobbed the Brazilian goalkeeper to give the Dutch a deserved 1-0 lead. In the second goal, Cruyff latched onto a cross from Krol to beat the Brazilian goalkeeper at close range.

1994: Brazil 3 - Netherlands 2

The contest in 1994 took place in a different football era entirely. Brazil had failed to win the World Cup for 24 years. Intent on winning the title with the surfeit of talent at his disposal, coach Carlos Alberto Parreira fielded a cautious, tactically aware side that focused on winning at all costs. But for all of Parreira’s conservatism, World Cup 1994 marked the heyday of Romario and Bebeto and the quarterfinal match against the Netherlands in the second round proved no exception. In the 52nd minute, Romario broke through a tangle of defenders and tapped in a pass from Bebeto to open the scoring. Minutes later, Bebeto latched onto a magnificent through ball from Branco, rounded the keeper and scored before launching into his unforgettable “rock the cradle” celebration with Romario and Mazinho. The Dutch brought the score level through goals from Dennis Bergkamp and Aron Winter before Branco settled the affair with an extraordinary free kick from 30 yards that sunk the Dutch, and embellished South America’s reputation for spectacular curling balls from set pieces.

1998: Brazil 1 - Netherlands 1 (Brazil wins 4 -2 on penalties)

1998 marked yet another epic battle between the Dutch and Brazil in the semifinals in Marseille. The game had been deadlocked for the first 45 minutes with Edgar Davids going head to head against Carlos Dunga. But in the first minute of the second half, Ronaldo finally broke free. Rivaldo threaded a glorious ball behind Jaap Stam to which Ronaldo latched on and dispatched past Edwin van der Sar scarcely seconds after the whistle had blown. Ronaldo singlehandedly continued the attack with some nominal help from the overlapping full-backs Roberto Carlos and Cafu but failed to convert a bevy of high percentage chances due to excellent defending and solid goalkeeping. However, Dutch coach Gus Hiddink was quick to spot the weak link in the Brazilian defense in the form of their aerial vulnerability to corners, high crosses and long balls. In the 87th minute, KIuivert headed home the equalizer and took the game to a thrilling 30 minutes of extra time and penalty kick shoot-out. Brazil goalkeeper Claudio Taffarel saved two penalties as Brazil won 4-2 in an emotional shoot-out that left Mario Zagallo in tears on the field after the victory.

2010: Netherlands 2 - Brazil 1

In 2010, Brazil encountered the Dutch in the quarterfinals yet again and entered the match appearing well on their way to yet another World Cup title, improving with every game and finding ways to unleash their star striker Luis Fabiano. True to the story line, Robinho put Brazil ahead after 10 minutes to score his first goal of the tournament as Brazil continued to press the attack throughout the first half. The Dutch keeper parried Kaka’s curling strike to keep the score at 1-0 going into the first half. In the second half, Arjen van Robben’s histrionics unnerved the Brazilian defense as the Dutch began to play rough and disturb the composure of the normally unflappable Brazilian team. Wesley Sneijder scored twice in the space of five minutes and from then on, Brazil unraveled in conjunction with a red card to Felipe Melo in the 73rd minute.

Pato's shoulder injury may leave the Copa America door open for The Hulk

Alexandre Pato's dislocated shoulder, sustained during last Sunday's 0-0 draw between AC Milan and Udinese, may create room for Porto's Hulk in Mano Menezes's 2011 Copa America squad. The Hulk has been in devastating form for Porto this year both as a striker and provider of assists to the Colombian sensation Rademel Falcao in addition to his other Porto teammates. He scored 23 goals league goals this season and contributed a total of 13 assists in spearheading Porto's path to the 2011 Portuguese Primeira Liga championship title. The Selecao currently lacks a player with his ability to muscle through defenders and retain his balance while converging on goal and dispatching the ball into the back of the net with a calmness and focus that recalls Romario's unfailing accuracy in and around the box. The Hulk most pertinently represents a cross between the dribbling ability of Alessandro Rivaldo and the muscular power and pace of Ronaldo. He could serve as an effective compliment to Neymar and Robinho, both of whom have a tendency to go to ground in challenging circumstances. This year's Copa America will be held from July 1 to July 24 in Argentina.

Brazil v. Scotland: A Brief World Cup History

Brazil v. Scotland World Cup Results

1974: Brazil 0 - Scotland 0
1982: Brazil 4 - Scotland 1 (Zico, Oscar, Eder, Falcao; Narey)
1990: Brazil 1 - Scotland 0 (Muller)
1998: Brazil 2 - Scotland 1 (Sampaio, Tom Boyd (own goal); John Collins)

Brazil and Scotland have played in the World Cup in 1974, 1982, 1990 and 1998. Considering that Scotland has qualified for the World Cup only eight times, the Scots can consider themselves unlucky to have drawn Brazil in four of their eight World Cup appearances. In 1974, Scotland played a highly physical match against the defending champions in Frankfurt in 1974. The game featured 50 fouls divided evenly amidst both teams. In the 12th minute, Rivelino's free kick was parried away by Scottish goalkeeper Harvey. Brazil's Nelinho took the resulting corner and Leivinha hit the cross-bar to no avail. Minutes later, Jairzinho attacked from the right but Scotland's Jardine kept the ball off the goal line. In the second half, Scotland's Lorimer posed more than one threat against Brazil by way of a dangerous 30 yard free kick and shots from all corners of the field. Both sides struggled with a pitch saturated with rain but, all in all, Brazil's team looked like a ghost of the squad that had dazzled the world in Mexico four years earlier. Rivelino wore the number 10 jersey though he failed to pose the attacking threat that had destroyed defenses in the 1970 World Cup. 1982 was a different story entirely, however. The Scots went ahead early through a goal by Narey, but from then on, it was all Brazil. Zico curled in a glorious free kick to equalize in the 33rd minute and then, just after half time, Oscar latched onto a corner from Junior to make it 2-1 Brazil. Brazil now continued the attack relentlessly on all fronts and Socrates asserted his authority in orchestrating the final two goals. In the 64th minute, Socrates found Serginho in the center, in front of goal. Serginho flicked the ball left to Eder on the left flank, who caught the goalkeeper off his line and magically curled the ball into the far right post to make it 3-1 Brazil. In the 86th minute, Socrates, lurking on the edge of the box, saw Paulo Falcao steaming forward from midfield and poked the ball into his path. Falcao made no mistake and sent a rocket into the bottom left corner of the net. As in the match against the Soviet Union, Brazil came from behind and asserted their place as favorites for the 1982 World Cup in dramatic fashion. In 1990, Brazil beat Scotland 1-0 thanks to a goal by Muller, who had come on as a substitute for the young Romario in the 65th minute. Alemao struck a lawnmower of a ball at the Scottish keeper who, unable to prevent a rebound, left the loose ball to Careca. Careca deflected the ball to his strike partner Muller, who had burst forward from the right flank to tap the ball into an open goal. In 1998, Brazil encountered Scotland in their first match of the tournament and opening group game. With all of the hype around the young sensation Ronaldo and the controversy of Romario's last minute exclusion from the squad due to injury, Brazilian journalists were ready to pounce at the slightest display of weakness from the defending champions. Brazil beat Scotland 2-1 thanks to an own goal from Tom Boyd after Cesar Sampaio opened the scoring before Brazil conceded a penalty that John Collins converted in the 38th minute.

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

Flashback: Tears of Sadness for Romario Upon His Exclusion from the 1998 Brazil World Cup Squad

"This is very sad for me, a big disappointment. This is a very difficult moment in my life. From now on, I will start to give value to other things. I just want to thank the national team for having given me the chance to become what I am."

--Romario, June 2, 1998, press conference in Lesigny, France, on his exclusion from the 1998 World Cup squad because of a calf injury

Romario broke down in tears at a press conference after it was announced that he would not accompany the Brazil team to the 1998 World Cup in France. Team doctor Lidio Toledo explained that a recent scan revealed significant damage to Romario's right calf muscle that would require 2-4 weeks to heal, and possibly longer. Coach Mario Zagallo remarked that a decision about Romario's inclusion in the 1998 World Cup squad had been delayed given Romario's status and unique ability to change a game, but that the scan had unilaterally made the difficult decision for the coaching staff. Romario broke down in tears three times during the press conference before he was ultimately escorted off stage. His exclusion from the World Cup squad put an end to the mouthwatering prospect of Romario and Ronaldo partnering together as strikers in front of goal. For at least two years before France 1998, football fans all over the world dreamed about the prospect of the legendary "Ro Ro" combination as the stage on which the World Cup would unfold. The "Ro Ro" combination featured the feared combination of Ronaldo, with his explosive pace and power, partnered alongside Romario, the best finisher in the penalty area in the modern game. Despite having forged an unforgettable strike partnership with Bebeto in 1994, Romario fully admitted that Ronaldo was his preferred strike partner, and Ronaldo in turn, said the same of Romario. In Romario's case, Ronaldo easily detracted the attention of 2-3 defenders, leaving him plenty of space in the box to turn and shoot when delivered the ball. And on Ronaldo's side, the relationship was very much that of an apprentice to a master, in which the 22 year old claimed that he still had much to learn from the 32 year old striker who brought Brazil their first World Cup trophy in 24 years. "We had plans for this World Cup," Ronaldo remarked, "but now they won't happen." As the World Cup in France wore on, news leaked that Ronaldo was missing his preferred strike partner up front because Bebeto was unable to serve as the decoy he needed to break down defenses. Conversely, Romario's tears spoke less about his investment in the World Cup itself, and more about his desire to play alongside the young sensation Ronaldo, his friend, student and mentor, all in one.

Flashback: Roberto Carlos Banana Free Kick At the 1997 Tournoi de France

In advance of the February 9, 2011 friendly between Brazil and France, "Bringing Back the Beautiful Game" will return to the history of national competition between France and Brazil, starting in 1986 all the way through the World Cups of 1998 and 2006. Along the way, we will take a close look at players such as Socrates, Zico, Michel Platini and Zinedine Zidane, four of the exemplars, par excellence, of the beautiful game. For now, however, we will begin with Roberto Carlos's celebrated, banana free kick that seemingly defied physics and the laws of gravity. Football has rarely witnessed a free kick with quite the degree of curve as this one.

Brazil ended up with a 1-1 draw to France and ultimately earned second place in the competition, finishing runners up to England. Even though Brazil fielded the "Ro Ro" strike partnership of Romario and Ronaldo that netted their share of remarkable goals, the tournament ultimately became famous for Roberto Carlos's 21st minute free kick at the Stade de Gerland in Lyon on June 3, 1997.

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.

Flashback: The Magic of Ronaldo

Brazil 2-Germany 1. International Friendly. Gottlieb Daimler Stadium, Stuttgart, Germany. March 25, 1998.

Weeks before the first World Cup ever to be held in France, football superpowers Brazil and Germany squared off in a friendly at the Gottlieb Daimler Stadium in Stuttgart, Germany. Mario Zagallo fielded a star studded squad that epitomized yet another golden age in Brazilian football. Zagallo started Claudio Taffarel in goal, Cafu, Junior Baiano, Aldair, Roberto Carlos in defense, Dunga and Cesar Sampaio in central midfield, Denilson and Rivaldo as attacking midfielders, and Romario and Ronaldo near the mouth of goal. The veteran Brazil coach opted for a 4-2-2-2 formation given the ultra-attacking firepower at his disposal, with Bebeto on the bench and the up and coming prodigy, Denilson de Oliveira, wearing the number 10 jersey.

Berti Vogts's German team boasted their own share of household names including Jurgen Klinsmann, Andreas Moller, Oliver Bierhoff, Jurgen Kohler and Christian Ziege. The match against Germany marked one of Brazil’s final stops on their Nike Brazil World Tour of friendlies before France 1998, and the stadium was packed with fans anxious to see the home team clash with the boys in gold and blue despite near freezing temperatures. Fans all over the world, meanwhile, awaited with baited breath yet another rare glimpse of the "Ro Ro" strike partnership between Romario and Ronaldo, two of the most brilliant marksman in the history of football.

The game started scrappily at first. Both teams attacked down the center of the pitch, with direct end to end play and a go for goal attitude toward the game. The Germans didn’t hesitate to use the time honored strategy of fouling the Brazilians whenever they started to break in midfield. Dietmar Hamann repeatedly stopped Denilson in his tracks as he attempted to burst down the left side and Jurgen Kohler confirmed his reputation as one of the best man markers in Europe by shadowing Ronaldo deep into the center circle and fouling the 1996 and 1997 World Player of the year precisely as he received the ball and turned and darted toward the German goal. Klinsmann, Bierhoff and Moller threatened on the counter-attack and, on the whole, the Germans did a fantastic job of containing some highly skillful opponents by allowing Romario and Ronaldo only a handful of scant touches on the ball.

Against the run of play, Cesar Sampaio scored on a header from a corner kick in the 27th minute with what he later called the “shoulder of God”. But from here on, the rough play continued even though Brazil started to string together more passes as Ronaldo, Romario, Rivaldo and Denilson began to collectively swarm towards goal. Minutes before the half time whistle, Jurgen Kohler committed a studs up foul on Cafu and promptly earned a red card from referee David Elleray. Kohler’s ejection appeared to make it curtains for Germany, trailing 1-0 and down a man against the best ball possession team in the world. But Brazil captain Dunga made matters more interesting when he correspondingly received a red card for a late challenge on Ulf Kirsten. Within ten minutes of Dunga’s ejection, Germany displayed their hallowed tradition of coming from behind as Ulf Kirsten toe poked an equalizer in the 65th minute following some lax Brazilian defending.

Now, it was 10 versus 10 and anyone’s game. Germany pressed forward as the home team, but in the game’s dying minutes, Ronaldo’s magic sealed the game for Brazil. Roberto Carlos picked up Moller’s misplaced pass and burst down the left flank. Seeing the German team caught up field, he delivered a magnificent diagonal through ball to Ronaldo who had retreated to his team’s center circle arc and followed every inch of Moller’s misplaced play. Like a sprinter out of the blocks, Ronaldo exploded forward, eyeing the ball like a hawk, out-muscling a pair of defenders and using his speed and balance to power himself into the box. The Brazilian ace sidestepped goalkeeper Andreas Koepke and tucked the ball into the back of the net with his characteristic composure in front of goal. After appearing invisible for much of the game, Ronaldo finally displayed his trademark explosive pace and ability to power through defenses. His goal marked an extraordinary finish to an otherwise scrappy but hard fought game marked by 2 red cards and 6 yellows, with both Brazil and Germany anxious to send some messages to the global football community prior to France 1998.

Romario scores big in Brazilian politics

"In politics I'm going to have less difficulty than I've had so far to do something for children and young people in the community and also for children with special needs. People, especially in the communities, respect me and see in me someone who came from where they are and that they can get to where I did."

--Romario, on how some voters identify with his own experience of poverty and hardship growing up in Jacarezinho, Rio de Janeiro.

Brazil soccer legend Romario scored his first goal in politics by being elected to Brazil's lower house of Congress as a member of the Brazilian Socialist Party, an ally of President Lula's outgoing Worker's Party. In amassing over 150,000 votes, Romario became the sixth most popular candidate in the state of Rio de Janeiro to enter Brazil's lower house of Congress. The 44 year old retired striker ran for office with a campaign that promised improved sports projects for impoverished communities and expanded services for special needs children. Romario's commitment to special needs children involves his experience raising his youngest daughter, Ivy, who has Down syndrome. On Monday, Romario pulled up to cast his ballot in an armored BMW before heading off to Jacarezinho, the shanty town where he was raised. Much of Romario's campaign stressed his own experience growing up in poverty in Brazil and the sincerity of his desire to improve the lives of the poor in Rio de Janeiro and Brazil more generally.

Romario scored 55 goals in 70 national appearances for Brazil and led the team to World Cup glory in 1994 after a 24 year old drought. He won the Golden Ball in World Cup 1994 and formed a lethal strike partnership with Bebeto, scoring 5 goals and providing several assists. Romario spearheaded Barcelona's clinching of the La Liga championship in 1994 by scoring 30 goals in 33 matches in the 1993-1994 season and proceeded to win the FIFA World Player of the Year in 1994. In commenting on his political victory, the striker whose career spanned Vasco da Gama, Flamengo, Fluminense, PSV Eindhoven, Barcelona and Valencia noted that he had achieved every goal he had set for himself in life and now wanted to focus on serving his 4 year term in Congress in the best possible way. By his own statistics, Romario claimed to have scored over 1000 goals in his career and he promised more "goals" for Brazil by entering politics.

Known for his proclivity to celebrate the nightlife, the retired striker played true to form on Monday evening by partying late into the night with friends and family after the election results were determined. Romario's strike partner from World Cup 1994, Bebeto, also scored a political victory by earning election to Rio de Janeiro's state legislature for the Democratic Workers Party. In a post-election conference, Romario noted how he hoped to relive his successful strike partnership with Bebeto in the political realm.

Brazil World Cup 1994 All Goals: Romario and Bebeto At Their Peak

Deadly Striker Partnerships: Romario and Bebeto (Part 2 of 2)

“We understood each other really well, the moves came off naturally, I always seemed to know where he was on the pitch and he also always knew where to find me. It was perfect.”

--Bebeto on his strike partnership with Romario at the 1994 World Cup

It was the fourth of July, 1994. Brazil had drawn their lot against team USA, on the U.S.’s home soil at the Stanford Stadium, Stanford University in the second round of the World Cup. Even though the U.S. lacked the international experience of the Selecao, coach Carlos Alberto Parreira and the Brazilian team knew it would be a difficult match given the blistering heat, the fitness of the U.S. team, their keen competitive spirit and home field advantage. As the first half unfolded, the U.S. defended well and in numbers. To make matters more complicated for Brazil, key winger Leonardo uncharacteristically received a red card for an elbow to the face of Tab Ramos in the 43rd minute. But despite Leonardo's red card, Brazil quickly began to dominate possession and create high percentage goal scoring opportunities as the team surged forward in numbers down the center and through both flanks. In Bebeto's words, the team went from “strength to strength” following Leonardo’s dismissal and continued to create chances despite the U.S. tactic of defending in numbers and waiting for opportunities to counter-attack. In the second half, Romario dispatched several dangerous shots on goal that either narrowly missed the mark or were deftly denied by a posse of U.S. defenders. But in the 70th minute, Brazil finally broke the stalemate. Romario picked up the ball yards ahead of center circle and dribbled toward the penalty box, attracting a cluster of defenders in the process. He then proceeded to dish off the ball to Bebeto who was steaming down the right flank in a play that recalled Pele’s famous pass to Carlos Alberto in the fourth goal against Italy in the 1970 World Cup final. The sprinting Bebeto struck the ball past Tony Meola from a narrow angle to score the winning goal that would send Brazil into the quarter-finals against Holland.

Romario’s dish to Bebeto epitomized the beautiful understanding they developed and displayed throughout World Cup 1994. Brazil opened its scoring account against Russia with a Bebeto corner that Romario toe poked into the bottom right corner of the net. And in Brazil’s second group match against Roger Milla’s Cameroon, fans witnessed a similar interplay between Romario and Bebeto with Romario charging forward amidst a swarm of defenders toward the goal mouth, only to encounter a sliding goal keeper that deflected the ball away from Romario, leftwards into the path of the opportunistic Bebeto who made no mistake in putting the ball in the back of the net.

In the quarterfinals against Holland, it was Bebeto’s turn to assist Romario by steaming down the left flank on a counter-attack and crossing to his leaping strike partner, who timed his jump to perfection by volleying the ball home for a 1-0 lead. Ten minutes later, with 27 minutes remaining, Bebeto latched onto a magnificent through ball that split the Dutch defense, side-stepped the keeper and soundly dispatched the ball into the bottom right corner of the net. In one of the more memorable goal celebrations in soccer history, Bebeto approached the goal line and rocked his hands together in the motion of rocking a cradle in celebration of the birth of his son Mattheus of two days ago, the only child for whom he had been unable to be present at birth. Within seconds, Romario and Mazinho joined Bebeto in imitating the rock the cradle celebration. Any rumors of a rivalry or ill will between the two strikers quickly evaporated in the face of the glorious image of this deadly strike duo rocking the cradle to celebrate the birth of Bebeto’s child, the emerging World Cup champion Brazil and one of the deadliest strike duos in the history of international soccer.

In a post-tournament interview, Bebeto touchingly reflected on his partnership with Romario as follows:

“The partnership with Romario brought great results for the Seleção. We won everything together; we had a really good understanding. Look, in football there's always the possibility of disagreements between players, but there was none of that between us. On the contrary, we understood each other really well, the moves came off naturally, I always seemed to know where he was on the pitch and he also always knew where to find me. It was perfect. However, it would be very unfair to mention only Romario. We were the strikers and scored almost all of the goals, but it would be unfair of me to ignore Taffarel, Jorginho, Aldair, Marcio Santos, Leonardo, Zinho, Dunga, Mazinho and Mauro Silva. The entire group was crucial to winning that title. Romario and I wouldn't have achieved what we did without the help of the rest of the team. The same goes for all the rest of the delegation, from the kit-man to the masseuse. All of these people were important in helping Brazil get back to the summit of world football after a 24-year wait.”

Instinctively, Bebeto knew where Romario was and vice versa. Bebeto rightly gives credit to all of the other members of the team in bringing about Brazil’s 1994 World Cup victory. Dunga, for example, played more than a few killer passes to the pair of strikers and orchestrated attacks while commanding an almost impenetrable midfield. At the same time, Bebeto’s remarks hint at a certain “perfection” between his understanding with Romario that Brazilian soccer has yet to witness again, even in the face of such illustrious pairings as Rivaldo and Ronaldo or even Romario and Ronaldo. Given the increasingly common 4-3-2-1 formation used in modern soccer, it will be interesting to see if Mano Menezes and the Selecao of 2014—or any international team, for that matter—can resurrect a strike partnership with power and precision comparable to the deadly strikeforce of Romario and Bebeto.

Sources cited:
Bebeto's FIFA Interview