Brasil - Are they all their cracked up to be?
Some might call it a crisis. Brazil, clear favourites to retain the World Cup in Germany this summer, have several key players out of form and under fire from the media. They have problems in goal, central defence, midfield and attack - and their manager is even worried about the world's best footballer, Ronaldinho, being over-played. Can they put everything right in the next two months?
A who's who of international football went on a European tour last week. With the World Cup looming, the Champions League quarter-finals proved essential viewing for a host of coaches looking to hone their squads.
Italy's Marcello Lippi played the host in Milan, popping into Sir Alex Ferguson's hotel to pass on a couple of bottles of wine. France's Raymond Domenech casually took in a couple of matches, doing his best to look like an ageing pop star with his jeans, untucked shirt and shaggy haircut. Sweden's Lars Lagerback flew in to check up on a couple of his key players. But none had quite as many notes to make as Brazil's Carlos Alberto Parreira. Italy may have had three teams in the quarter-finals, but there were 13 Italian players in the eight starting line-ups compared with 19 Brazilians - the biggest contingent by far. A positive sign for Parreira? Not necessarily.
His scouting trips to Europe this season have revealed a multitude of worries. From his expected starting line-up in Germany, there is only one player whose excellence is beyond debate - the peerless Ronaldinho. As for the rest, the form guide is littered with inconsistency, injury, complacency and some downright awful displays.
Goalkeeper Dida has developed a tendency to flap. Playing for Milan last week, he made two horribly fluffed attempted clearances that had the San Siro gasping and should have been punished by Lyon. He is having a crisis of confidence, with Gazzetta dello Sport stating, 'his feats have been replaced by mistakes'.
Right-back Cafu, who turns 36 on the eve of the finals, has just returned from knee ligament surgery and is short of fitness. Left-back Roberto Carlos, so regularly embarrassed at Real Madrid this season, is losing defensive composure at a rate of knots. After he was sent off against Barcelona last weekend, Real made a striking improvement. But as Tostao, the 1970 World Cup striker pointed out: 'There isn't a convincing substitute for Roberto Carlos.' Serginho, who has been playing that position with more defensive acumen for Milan, is 34, and Parreira is conscious his squad is already old enough. 'If we have a last-minute emergency we can contact Serginho,' he said.
At the heart of defence the form of Lucio, a powerhouse at Bayern Munich, has dipped from his force-of-nature best. But that is a minor concern compared with the issue of who partners him. Neither of the two contenders from Bayer Leverkusen is in good shape. Kicker magazine's critique underlines the bafflement that Parreira can find nobody steadier. 'Juan and Roque Junior are both Brazilian internationals and one of them is even a World Cup winner, but they often look anything but champions of the world. They have gone from being solid defenders to grilled chickens, and from stress-resistant ball artists to security risks in front of their own goal.' Juan looks likely to get the nod as the lesser of two evils. As Brazil's top TV commentator famously said of Roque Junior: 'Every time the ball is crossed into the box it's "God help us all".'
Defence is obviously Brazil's problem area, so it was a blow for Parreira to see midfield shield Emerson made to look geriatric by Arsenal. On the creative side of midfield, wonderboy Kaka has lost a shade of the sparkle that accompanied his emergence on to the big stage at Milan - he has been performing in flashes rather than dictating games - and although Ze Roberto has been effective for Bayern Munich he is less influential than one of the talents he keeps out the team, Juninho Pernambucano.
And finally to the goalscorers, Ronaldo and Adriano. In a nutshell, they look like two unhappy footballers. One is carrying too much around his waistline, the other too much on his shoulders. Adriano's private life is a mess. Newspaper gossip has centred on rumours of a split from his pregnant girlfriend and critics lambasted him for overindulging in nights out - jokes on the popular television show Controcampo suggested he was playing badly because he was having too much sex with prostitutes. Adriano, needless to say, did not see the funny side. According to his Inter team-mate Ivan Cordoba: 'He has the quality to become the best in the world, but has had so many problems. His life changed completely and that is not easy.' Adriano has mislaid his natural verve.
Meanwhile, back in Brazil, the merry band of footballing superheroes are fronting all manner of advertising campaigns, cashing in on the fever as the country aims for 'Hexa Campeon', their sixth World Cup crown. In a commercial for Banco Santander, a group including Ronaldo, Roberto Carlos and Robinho bang on about being 'the best in the world'. Easier said than done right now.
They are all talking a better game than they are playing. 'I hope to win the tournament by scoring as many goals as possible,' enthuses Ronaldo. 'I think Brazil are building a very, very strong team,' adds Roberto Carlos. 'I have a simple message to our fans: Don't worry - I'll be doing everything possible to bring home the Hexa,' claims Adriano.
The general view among Brazilians is that the players are saving themselves for the World Cup. But, just because it worked last time around - when Brazil were so listless in the build-up to World Cup 2002 they almost failed to qualify, and we all know what happened next - does not mean they can turn it on again when it matters. Parreira can content himself, though, that Cafu has played only 14 matches for Milan this season, Ronaldo 24 for Real Madrid.
'There are still more than two months until the start of the World Cup and we believe that before our first game in Germany, the players will be back to their best form,' argues Parreira. 'Dida has made some mistakes, but he has a lot of experience and has participated in three World Cups. Cafu is exceptional physically and I am convinced he will be a central figure at the World Cup again. No one has been better than Kaka in the last three years. It's not fair when Adriano gets all the blame for what's wrong at Inter. When he plays for Brazil he is transformed.
'I'm sure that Ronaldo will have a great World Cup, because he's a player for special moments. Ronaldo enjoys great personal challenges. It would be a big let-down if he did not have a great World Cup. Ronaldo has to lead and has to be our reference point. He has to take on this responsibility. In the World Cup, it's absolutely fundamental to have players with experience. If you just take a group of youngsters to the World Cup, you're not going to get anywhere.'
In Ronaldo's case, the comparison with 2002 is trotted out as evidence against the doubters: a knee injury kept him out for much of the season and he finished the World Cup as top scorer. Few, though, seem to care that he was 25 last time round, and had unfinished business with the World Cup. Now he is 29 and jaded. Last weekend's sensational goal against Barcelona was a reminder of the standards he has fallen below. Parreira might be convinced Ronaldo will cruise again, but others are not. 'He's too old and he carries too many kilos,' observed Michel Platini. Ronaldo responded by saying: 'Zidane has won more than Platini and tells me he's just a jealous guy.'
Parreira will not tinker with his favoured formula. Brazil's manager is a conservative sort, loyal to his favourites. How else to explain that Juninho's polished performances for Lyon are not convincing enough for a first-team run? Or that his outstanding team-mate at Lyon, Cris, has not nailed a spot in defence?
The faces plastered all over Rio's billboards will keep their places, even if Parreira does not seem entirely sure whether to talk them up or fire out warnings. 'If we can't control the egos of these players, then Brazil will certainly not win the Hexa,' he said.
Fans are banking on Ronaldinho's sense of mission about this World Cup raising the bar. The theory goes that the best player in the world can make enough of a difference to coax more out of his team-mates. He is the one player Parreira is worried about, however.
'It's obvious that Ronaldinho is not going to be fresh at the start of the World Cup,' he said. 'He is in exceptional form right now, but will he be able to keep it up until July? I don't think he will if he continues to play all these tournaments with Barcelona up to mid-May. Barcelona have recently had three players go down with muscular problems.'
Parreira was just about the only neutral who wanted Barca to go out of the Champions League last week.
by Amy Lawrence
The Observer
Some might call it a crisis. Brazil, clear favourites to retain the World Cup in Germany this summer, have several key players out of form and under fire from the media. They have problems in goal, central defence, midfield and attack - and their manager is even worried about the world's best footballer, Ronaldinho, being over-played. Can they put everything right in the next two months?
A who's who of international football went on a European tour last week. With the World Cup looming, the Champions League quarter-finals proved essential viewing for a host of coaches looking to hone their squads.
Italy's Marcello Lippi played the host in Milan, popping into Sir Alex Ferguson's hotel to pass on a couple of bottles of wine. France's Raymond Domenech casually took in a couple of matches, doing his best to look like an ageing pop star with his jeans, untucked shirt and shaggy haircut. Sweden's Lars Lagerback flew in to check up on a couple of his key players. But none had quite as many notes to make as Brazil's Carlos Alberto Parreira. Italy may have had three teams in the quarter-finals, but there were 13 Italian players in the eight starting line-ups compared with 19 Brazilians - the biggest contingent by far. A positive sign for Parreira? Not necessarily.
His scouting trips to Europe this season have revealed a multitude of worries. From his expected starting line-up in Germany, there is only one player whose excellence is beyond debate - the peerless Ronaldinho. As for the rest, the form guide is littered with inconsistency, injury, complacency and some downright awful displays.
Goalkeeper Dida has developed a tendency to flap. Playing for Milan last week, he made two horribly fluffed attempted clearances that had the San Siro gasping and should have been punished by Lyon. He is having a crisis of confidence, with Gazzetta dello Sport stating, 'his feats have been replaced by mistakes'.
Right-back Cafu, who turns 36 on the eve of the finals, has just returned from knee ligament surgery and is short of fitness. Left-back Roberto Carlos, so regularly embarrassed at Real Madrid this season, is losing defensive composure at a rate of knots. After he was sent off against Barcelona last weekend, Real made a striking improvement. But as Tostao, the 1970 World Cup striker pointed out: 'There isn't a convincing substitute for Roberto Carlos.' Serginho, who has been playing that position with more defensive acumen for Milan, is 34, and Parreira is conscious his squad is already old enough. 'If we have a last-minute emergency we can contact Serginho,' he said.
At the heart of defence the form of Lucio, a powerhouse at Bayern Munich, has dipped from his force-of-nature best. But that is a minor concern compared with the issue of who partners him. Neither of the two contenders from Bayer Leverkusen is in good shape. Kicker magazine's critique underlines the bafflement that Parreira can find nobody steadier. 'Juan and Roque Junior are both Brazilian internationals and one of them is even a World Cup winner, but they often look anything but champions of the world. They have gone from being solid defenders to grilled chickens, and from stress-resistant ball artists to security risks in front of their own goal.' Juan looks likely to get the nod as the lesser of two evils. As Brazil's top TV commentator famously said of Roque Junior: 'Every time the ball is crossed into the box it's "God help us all".'
Defence is obviously Brazil's problem area, so it was a blow for Parreira to see midfield shield Emerson made to look geriatric by Arsenal. On the creative side of midfield, wonderboy Kaka has lost a shade of the sparkle that accompanied his emergence on to the big stage at Milan - he has been performing in flashes rather than dictating games - and although Ze Roberto has been effective for Bayern Munich he is less influential than one of the talents he keeps out the team, Juninho Pernambucano.
And finally to the goalscorers, Ronaldo and Adriano. In a nutshell, they look like two unhappy footballers. One is carrying too much around his waistline, the other too much on his shoulders. Adriano's private life is a mess. Newspaper gossip has centred on rumours of a split from his pregnant girlfriend and critics lambasted him for overindulging in nights out - jokes on the popular television show Controcampo suggested he was playing badly because he was having too much sex with prostitutes. Adriano, needless to say, did not see the funny side. According to his Inter team-mate Ivan Cordoba: 'He has the quality to become the best in the world, but has had so many problems. His life changed completely and that is not easy.' Adriano has mislaid his natural verve.
Meanwhile, back in Brazil, the merry band of footballing superheroes are fronting all manner of advertising campaigns, cashing in on the fever as the country aims for 'Hexa Campeon', their sixth World Cup crown. In a commercial for Banco Santander, a group including Ronaldo, Roberto Carlos and Robinho bang on about being 'the best in the world'. Easier said than done right now.
They are all talking a better game than they are playing. 'I hope to win the tournament by scoring as many goals as possible,' enthuses Ronaldo. 'I think Brazil are building a very, very strong team,' adds Roberto Carlos. 'I have a simple message to our fans: Don't worry - I'll be doing everything possible to bring home the Hexa,' claims Adriano.
The general view among Brazilians is that the players are saving themselves for the World Cup. But, just because it worked last time around - when Brazil were so listless in the build-up to World Cup 2002 they almost failed to qualify, and we all know what happened next - does not mean they can turn it on again when it matters. Parreira can content himself, though, that Cafu has played only 14 matches for Milan this season, Ronaldo 24 for Real Madrid.
'There are still more than two months until the start of the World Cup and we believe that before our first game in Germany, the players will be back to their best form,' argues Parreira. 'Dida has made some mistakes, but he has a lot of experience and has participated in three World Cups. Cafu is exceptional physically and I am convinced he will be a central figure at the World Cup again. No one has been better than Kaka in the last three years. It's not fair when Adriano gets all the blame for what's wrong at Inter. When he plays for Brazil he is transformed.
'I'm sure that Ronaldo will have a great World Cup, because he's a player for special moments. Ronaldo enjoys great personal challenges. It would be a big let-down if he did not have a great World Cup. Ronaldo has to lead and has to be our reference point. He has to take on this responsibility. In the World Cup, it's absolutely fundamental to have players with experience. If you just take a group of youngsters to the World Cup, you're not going to get anywhere.'
In Ronaldo's case, the comparison with 2002 is trotted out as evidence against the doubters: a knee injury kept him out for much of the season and he finished the World Cup as top scorer. Few, though, seem to care that he was 25 last time round, and had unfinished business with the World Cup. Now he is 29 and jaded. Last weekend's sensational goal against Barcelona was a reminder of the standards he has fallen below. Parreira might be convinced Ronaldo will cruise again, but others are not. 'He's too old and he carries too many kilos,' observed Michel Platini. Ronaldo responded by saying: 'Zidane has won more than Platini and tells me he's just a jealous guy.'
Parreira will not tinker with his favoured formula. Brazil's manager is a conservative sort, loyal to his favourites. How else to explain that Juninho's polished performances for Lyon are not convincing enough for a first-team run? Or that his outstanding team-mate at Lyon, Cris, has not nailed a spot in defence?
The faces plastered all over Rio's billboards will keep their places, even if Parreira does not seem entirely sure whether to talk them up or fire out warnings. 'If we can't control the egos of these players, then Brazil will certainly not win the Hexa,' he said.
Fans are banking on Ronaldinho's sense of mission about this World Cup raising the bar. The theory goes that the best player in the world can make enough of a difference to coax more out of his team-mates. He is the one player Parreira is worried about, however.
'It's obvious that Ronaldinho is not going to be fresh at the start of the World Cup,' he said. 'He is in exceptional form right now, but will he be able to keep it up until July? I don't think he will if he continues to play all these tournaments with Barcelona up to mid-May. Barcelona have recently had three players go down with muscular problems.'
Parreira was just about the only neutral who wanted Barca to go out of the Champions League last week.
by Amy Lawrence
The Observer
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