Brazil and the 'Jogo Bonito'

Brazil and the 'Jogo Bonito' (the beautiful game)

Juan Rius, an old literature professor from the National Autonomous University of Mexico used to say that "one cannot go through life pretending that beauty does not exist". If this is true for life, it is certainly true for football.

Many great playes have come and gone, some truly remarkable, but the style of football that always stands out for its beauty is that one of Brazil. Brazil's football is a mix or art and sport; it has both plasticity and skill, it has rhythm, at times it looks more like a dance or a mysterious ritual. Their game is a 'batucada' with a football.

Brazilians are the masters of technique. Nobody stops a ball like them, or can kick the ball with the effect they do. They are also the masters of dribbling. They play in a semi-slow motion until they get close to the goal (what experts call 'tempo') and suddenly accelerate the pace in order to score.

I have wondered many times why is that the football from that country has developed such an idiosyncratic way of playing. It could be for their mix of races. Brazil was one of the first teams that had white and black players (and anything in between) in their football squad. It could also be that many of their players start playing in their long coastal territories and playing on the sand develops their skills to impressive levels. It could be their music and their rhythms rooted on their blood (the samba, the bossa nova). But in reality, nobody knows what is what gives Brazil such a magical touch. But one can only sit and admire the grace with which they play.

During this World Cup, it gives me the impression that Brazil has played to 60 or 70 percent of what their real level is. They score and make only a suffcient effort to win the game. It seems that they are saving themselves for the semis and the final. Ronaldo might be overweighted but he has scored 3 times to break the all time goal world record previously held by German player Gerd Muller. Ronaldinho, the world's best player during the last two years, does not dribble or does his magic as he does for his club in Barcelona. He takes the ball and distributes it among its teammates as a host distributes drinks at a party. The Brazilians are taking it easy. They are relaxed. They play and smile. They are enjoying themselves.

It will not be easy to beat them, but it could happen. Perhaps, if an strike of melancholy invades them due to their Portuguese inheritance, then they might get distracted and loose. Yet, even in defeat, they might grant us with a beautiful pass, a surprising free kick, a magical dribble. We, football fans, know that beauty exists and that it can be found everytime "la verde amarelha" (the gren and yellow) plays.

Portugal vs The Netherlands

Portugal vs The Nethederland

The great portuguese writer Fernando Pessoa once wrote:

"All is worthwhile, if the soul is not small"

This thought was preciselly carried out by the portuguese team last Sunday when they beat the very young and very athletic Dutch team. We say the most physical and most spirited game of the tournament. The Russian referee was incomepetent and that allowed for some very hard tackles with where not punished as they should and therefore the game became tough. The very skillful Cristinao Ronaldo was taken out injured after two very bad tackles, and in total the referee showed 16 yellow card and 4 red cards. However, what I really liked about this game was the spirit that both teams put on the field to reach victory. Both teams played with a lot of heart and soul, with courage, and what in Spanish we say "cojones".

At the end, Portugal was the victor thaks to Maniche who scores a wonderful goal, beating the 1.97 meter Dutch goalie.

Portugal will not have for the next game two of its most importan players: Deco and Costinha, yet, when a team plays with such a spirit and character one can only accept that yearning of victory is mor eimportant than pure talent.

Portugal will need to remember Pessoa and play with a by soul agains the Brits.


Italy vs Australia.
A very even and very physical game. I must admire the recent Australia's development in football. Yet, tactical order is not enough to beat the creators of Opera and the Catenaccio (the lock). Italians and great performers when they are on stage (and on the pitch, of course). The first half was for Italy and the second, after Materazzi's red card, was for the Aussies. Everything was pointiong out that we would see extratimes when a dive, worth of any Puccini's drama, was granted into a penalty by Spanish ref Medina Cantalejo.

It was unfair for the Aussies to be left out of the WC in such a bold and sudden way. But performing and theatrics is part of Football and as long and FIFA does not use technology to make the calls on the pitch, we will still see referee's mistakes as such.
Switzerland vs Ukraine

Not much to comment on this game. It seems the Swiss are so, so neutral that they decided not to score a goal, not even in penalty kicks, for the sake of neutrality.

Regards,

Julio