From: pasand@Mari.Unit.NO (Per Annar Sandaune)
Subject: Re: Maradona or Pele
Reply-To: pasand@Mari.Unit.NO (Per Annar Sandaune)
Organization: Norwegian Institute of Technology
Date: Fri, 18 Dec 92 17:11:14 GMT

In article <009652B7.A429E420@SWVS4.DAB.GE.COM>, andrade@SWVS4.DAB.GE.COM (carlos) writes:
|> 
|> 
|>  I think these are the major differences between Pele and Maradona.
|>  I believe the only area where Maradona edges out Pele is in ball handling ;-)
|>  skills. I am serious, It's incredible how he keeps the ball so close to his
|>  feet when he runs, how he protects it with his body and how he can place it
|>  anywhere he wishes.
|>  Pele was a much better header of the ball, but the major difference was
|>  his intelligence. He invented things with the ball that nobody saw before
|>  him. Examples: Uruguay vs Brazil 1970 - he ran over the ball faking the
|>  goalkeeper and running around him to get the ball (If you haven't seen this
|>  get the tape it will blow your mind). Chekoslovaquia vs Brazil
|>  1970 - Kicking the ball from midfield over the  keeper's head.
|>  None of these plays ended up in goal but they show his creativity.
|> 
|>  EL Grafico (Excellent Argentinian Magazine) said this referring to Di 
|>  Estefano (sp?) but it would say for Maradona too," Maradona knows it all, but
|>  Pele invented it all".
|> 
|>  If you look at Pele's dribbling most of the time he never touches the ball,
|>  the ball continues his path while his body is faking one way or another and 
|>  the defenders are falling all over the place.
|> 
|>  Another side of his intelligence is reflected in the players he surrounded
|>  himself with, in Santos, Brazil, and even Cosmos after his prime.
|>  Remember he declined playing in the 1974 world cup when he was still capable.
|>  I wonder if the team he had to play with made he take this decision.
|> 
|>  The next reason has nothing to do with soccer but it still has to do with
|>  brains: Pele is loved all over the world, sadly the same cannot be said
|>  about Maradona (He is more like Gaza than Pele in this respect).


Sadly, yes, but that's because the media of Pele's time was much more interested in the game than today.  Today most focus is put on the persons who play the game.


|>  Pele is still making a living around soccer but it's hard to
|>  imagine Maradona doing the same. It's easier to imagine him ending up like
|>  other incredibly skillful Argentinian players like Houseman and Corbatta.   
|>  I sincerely hope not.
|> 
|>  A better comparison would be Maradona and Garrincha.
|>  I still think Maradona is probably the second best ever or third if I believe
|>  everything my father says about Di Estefano.   
|> 
|>  Just my opinion.
|> 
|>  After saying this I have to tell about the time Pele was the commentator
|>  for Venezuelan TV in the 78 World Cup. The Ball missed the post by inches
|>  and Pele's comment was "If the ball had gone in it would have been a goal".
|>  I guess it loses some in the translation.    
|> 
|> 
|> ------------------------------------------------------------------------------
|> 
|>  Carlos Andrade                                                         |\ 
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|> 



Per Annar



Merry Christmas again!
Newsgroups: rec.sport.soccer