4/22/2006
Afshin Afshar, lastkick.com
I am not Brazilian, I have not been to Brazil, and I don’t even speak Portuguese, but I love football and the way Brazilian national team plays it.
I remember hearing Pele, Jairzinho, Tostão, Rivelino’s names when I was a kid as if they were Iranians. When I learned that Pele was not Iranian I was so upset that pouted for days.
I remember most of my older friends wanted to be Rivelino or Carlos Alberto whenever they played. But the generation of Brazilian football players who I idolized was that of the 1982 squad. I loved watching Junior dominate attackers who dared into his territory on the left defensive side, and then join Zico, Socrates, Falcao, and Cerezo in the attack. When they crashed against Italy, I was so upset that I almost refused to watch the rest of the World Cup.
Why am I telling you all this? Well because the man who put that team together died today.
Tele Santana passed away at the age of 74.
I am not lying to you when I say that I am typing these words with knot in my throat.
In times when many coaches were primarily concerning themselves with defense, and selling out to anti-football, he was a leading figure amongst a very elite group who held on to the attacking principals that made the Beautiful Game what it was.
He was once quoted as saying, “Football is art, it is enjoyment and it is not about hoofing the ball upfield. I'd rather lose the game than tell my team to foul, kick the opponents or win with an illegitimate goal."
Tele you will be missed.
English
فارسی
April 22nd, 2006 at 4:19 am
I was impressed with your emotional world. I remember I was 9 years old when Rossi scored 3 goals against lovely Zico’s squad. I was wondering how such a strong and beautiful team suffered from such a goalkeeper (Valdio Perez). I think it takes so long time that we see again 4 playes like “Zico, Socrates, Falcao and Serezo” as midfielders. In that time I hated Rossi, but the memory of Brasil 82 will be with me for my life.
April 22nd, 2006 at 12:32 pm
Thanks for your note Mohammad jAn. Remember the goal Zico scored against New Zeland that year? What a thing of beauty
April 22nd, 2006 at 1:24 pm
Yes I remeber. It was like a gift from heaven for us. And I remember the goal of Eder to CCCP and It was a pitty that the goal of Falcao did not lead to winning in that game. Congratulationf to you for feeling the real football.
April 23rd, 2006 at 8:51 am
I too was sadened today about passing of Santana. Santana’s beautiful football lived on after his team’s failures in 82 and 86. He became the coach of Sao Palo in Brazil and won the South American title several times. He lead players like Cafo, Leonardo, and Rai. He further proved the supremacy of the Brazilian (=Beautiful) football over the European (=Machine) football by beating European champions such as Milan and Barcelona.
His legacy lives on in Brazil and elsewhere with the players who played for him and those of us who watched his team present football the way it should be played.
April 23rd, 2006 at 1:10 pm
good point. Thanks