The one true way Brazil can make up for the 7-1 semi-final loss to Germany is to beat Holland soundly, by a score of four or five to nothing. There seems to be too much discussion and nervousness from people concerning the future of Brazilian football. They have five world championships, more than anybody else, and after one mediocre tournament and bad, anomalous loss they need to “re-think” everything. What they need to “re-think” are the players they select for the team. In 2010 only two starting players were under six feet tall, Robinho and Danny Alvez. The team had talent: Kaka, Melo (the eventual goat), but they lacked some style; they were a little too defensive, and dull. Many people blamed coach Dunga, the very player-type Brazil is lacking right now as a defensive midfielder. Alvarez, Fernandinho, Paulinho, Oscar, Ramirez are not the Dunga type of a player that that position needs. They all lack the leadership qualities Dunga had as a player. He knew if success was happening on the field from moment to moment. So did Gilberto Silva, who came after Dunga. They both had a good grasp over what was working and what wasn’t working from beat to beat. They had a knack for anticipating. They kept the defense organized and cool headed, which helped the whole team prosper with possession and confident play. They could direct others on the field by words and example; they were like coaches on the field in this regard. This present group lacks that. David Louis is not a good leader. He tries, and that’s the problem. The more he tries to lead the more a good leader is being left in the ruffled shadow his afro leaves behind. You get the feeling he’s gotten this far, with limited talent, based on his Side Show Bob look; at any tryout people are bound to say, “Look at him, who’s that guy?” It’s the Alexi Lalas syndrome. When he played, Lalas had the huge red afro and a goatie bigger than ZZ Top’s guitar. Had he sported a flattop crewcut his whole life we’d never have heard of Lalas.
Leadership seems a big problem on the Brazilian side. The captain, Thiago Silva, sitting out during the Germany match, based on two previous yellow cards, had his hat – supporting the loss of Neymar – tilted on his head sideways, like a gang member, a hip-hop roadie or a skater punk. Really? He looked like Brittany Spears on a 2AM binger outside a casino in Vegas texting Fed-Ex about child support and a new pair of really cool socks. Is this the look a captain should sport during the game? At the game? Wear whatever you want outside the field, during your own time, but when you’re at the stadium, representing your team, your country, and the World Cup at large, take some advice from the NBA’s dress code policy: wear appropriate attire, setting a good example for the sport, the league, in this case, the tournament. Take it from Tony Romo: backward hats equal zero championships. Look into it. Ask Howie Schwab. I'm sure there are a few backward hat wearing champions, but the majority of them wear a hat like a normal truck driver would, straight and forward. If you’re a member of the team have some common sense. This tilted hat shows a lot about the mindset of the leaders on that team. He’s like a kid. That’s fine, but that attitude is part of the reason Brazil was so unsteady throughout the tournament. They were on shaky ground in every game. Where were the coaches or elders of the Brazilian team? Couldn’t one of them have told him to shape up and wear the damn hat straight and forward? They were immature. Germany played mature, organized and creative. Brazil lacked practically everything in this World Cup: creativity, flair, organization, multiple attacking threats, good defense from all players that can play both sides of the field. It came down to player selection: no Gonso, no Pato, no Robinho, no Cicinho. No creative players. No Dunga or Gilberto Silva for good defensive leadership. There were too many defensive minded players on this year’s squad that lacked offensive superiority, and, that were shaky on the defensive end. As many Brazilians have said in the past, "It's better to lose with great style than to win with boring play." Where in the world is Junior, Falcao, Zico and Socrates? Reverting to Tele Santana's vision of artistic soccer, from the 1982 Brazilian team, is the best idea right now.
Leadership seems a big problem on the Brazilian side. The captain, Thiago Silva, sitting out during the Germany match, based on two previous yellow cards, had his hat – supporting the loss of Neymar – tilted on his head sideways, like a gang member, a hip-hop roadie or a skater punk. Really? He looked like Brittany Spears on a 2AM binger outside a casino in Vegas texting Fed-Ex about child support and a new pair of really cool socks. Is this the look a captain should sport during the game? At the game? Wear whatever you want outside the field, during your own time, but when you’re at the stadium, representing your team, your country, and the World Cup at large, take some advice from the NBA’s dress code policy: wear appropriate attire, setting a good example for the sport, the league, in this case, the tournament. Take it from Tony Romo: backward hats equal zero championships. Look into it. Ask Howie Schwab. I'm sure there are a few backward hat wearing champions, but the majority of them wear a hat like a normal truck driver would, straight and forward. If you’re a member of the team have some common sense. This tilted hat shows a lot about the mindset of the leaders on that team. He’s like a kid. That’s fine, but that attitude is part of the reason Brazil was so unsteady throughout the tournament. They were on shaky ground in every game. Where were the coaches or elders of the Brazilian team? Couldn’t one of them have told him to shape up and wear the damn hat straight and forward? They were immature. Germany played mature, organized and creative. Brazil lacked practically everything in this World Cup: creativity, flair, organization, multiple attacking threats, good defense from all players that can play both sides of the field. It came down to player selection: no Gonso, no Pato, no Robinho, no Cicinho. No creative players. No Dunga or Gilberto Silva for good defensive leadership. There were too many defensive minded players on this year’s squad that lacked offensive superiority, and, that were shaky on the defensive end. As many Brazilians have said in the past, "It's better to lose with great style than to win with boring play." Where in the world is Junior, Falcao, Zico and Socrates? Reverting to Tele Santana's vision of artistic soccer, from the 1982 Brazilian team, is the best idea right now.
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