PELE HAS HIT out at Brazil coach Dunga for his reluctance to field creative players and believes the Selecao have fallen behind countries such as Argentina and Chile when it comes to playing beautiful football.
Brazil were hammered 7-1 by Germany in the semi-finals of the 2014 World Cup, before crashing out of the Copa America in the quarter-finals at the hands of Paraguay a year later, and Pele feels recent results offer proof they no longer set the benchmark.
“I am sad just talking about it. I cried watching that game [the 7-1 loss to Germany] and not just because of the score. I cried because I do not know what happened to the joy of Brazilian football,” Pele told ESPN .
“Maybe this summer in the Olympics and Copa America, we can remind the world of how Brazil plays soccer, but it will not be easy. I fear we have lost our way.
“There is no flair. Other South American countries like Argentina, Chile and Ecuador now play more beautiful soccer than Brazil and you see what happens in the last two Copa Americas. We lose to Paraguay on penalties.
“Myself, Gerson, Rivelino and Tostao were all No. 10s and yet [then coach Mario] Zagallo wanted us all on the field at the same time so he created a formation that could accommodate us. Then in Japan [at the 2002 World Cup], we had Ronaldo, Ronaldinho and Rivaldo who all had great flair and we won again.
“But today we have a coach who doesn’t care about individual expression. Neymar cannot do it alone. You saw what happened in the World Cup when he couldn’t play against Germany.”
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I’m sure Sweden’s current strikers who got them there are delighted.
Just when you thought he couldn’t become more unlikeable,
Disrespectful to his fellow pros and arrogance beyond belief!
@Caoimhin O’Murchadha: We’re all just speculating. What’s the view in Sweden I wonder?
@Mike: No matter what way you look at it Mike he’s taking a seat on the plane that he didn’t earn, no Swedish player is going to call him out over it though because he has legendary status over there, he was a fantastic player for them over the years but this is unfair.
@Mike: Studying abroad and have met a lot of swedes and they would all welcome him back. He’s a hero in their eyes, the greatest ever swede.
@Caoimhin O’Murchadha: Any player in the squad earns their place. He’ll hardly be the only player to not feature regularly or at all in qualifying to be in a World Cup squad.
They’ve qualified purely down to the fact that he wasn’t there. They’re a team without him.
I’d never wish an injury on any sports player, but I wouldn’t be surprised if a few of the Swedish strikers might be getting a few voodoo dolls. Absolute awful behaviour from Zlatan and from the coaching staff if they allow him.
My guess he won’t be picked
Must be a slow news day. This article was first posted at 6.15pm yesterday and the article about Man United’s loss to West Brom was posted at 5.50pm yet these are the top 2 stories on 42 this morning having been re-posted. Bad journalism. You need to do better.