From: atena@uxh.cso.uiuc.edu (Arturo Tena-Colunga)
Subject: Re: BRAZIL: CAN THEY BE CHAMPIONS AGAIN?
Organization: University of Illinois at Urbana
Date: Thu, 16 Apr 1992 22:44:10 GMT


      I couldn't help myself to participate to the recent 
Brazil-trashing stuff :-) Let's see :

>>>The big question is: Can Brazil be World Champions again?
>
>Probably not. The game has evolved a lot since 1970; it has become much faster 
>and physically demanding. If you watch tapes of the 1958 World Cup (when Pele
>made his appearance) or of the 1962 one, you' d be amazed at how slow the game
>was and how permissible the defenses..Why, attackers would get within 10 meters
>of the goal and still not take a shot? The 1970 Brasil team (possibly the grea-
>test ever) benefitted of the services of several superplayers: Gerson, Riveli-
>nho, Tostao, Pele and Jairzinho. Coincidences like this do not happen very
>often..But, otehrwise, Brasil has been slow to adapt to the new game. Also,

 Radu, if you watch the tapes of 1982-86, you shall see how bad the
Brazileans "adapted to the game". They outclassed everyone they
play, including the Italians in that tragic game. :-( If only Brazil
would have had Claudio Tafarel and Careca in that game instead of
#$#@!^%$#*&&^!!! Valdir Peres and *&&^%#@$!@#! Serginho 

>most of their star players are in Europe now and it is so diffcult to motivate
>a team of mercenaries..

      That is their major problem. Class to play? They have lots!!!
I still see an edge of the brasileans in that respect. Not wonder
I am a big fan of brasilean national team.  :-) In any case, I hope
they will fill a good team for 1994. It is still too early to make
any reasonable prediction, though... 

>>>>                   BRAZIL - 1994 WORLD CHAMPIONS
>>                    ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^

   At least I want them to play the final against MEXICO!!! :-) :-)
(no flames for patriotic bias , o.k??? :->  )

>>   We'll discuss this *AFTER* Brazil has qualified for the finals.
>> 
>>	Here is some facts of life:
>> 
>>	1 - Brazil is the ONLY team that qualified for ALL the finals.

      UNDOUBTELY.  Brazil! Brazil! Brazil!
>
>   Germany also qualified for every single world cup that it 
>   participated in.

      Yes, but they didn't play all of them (i.e., 1930...) 
So Brazil is indeed the only team to play ALL WORLD CUP TOURNAMENTS

>>	2 - An european team has NEVER won a world cup in the american
>                                                          ^^^^^^^^
>
>   You mean South American continent.  USA is in North America.

      He means AMERICA. Mexico is also in North America, not in
South America. And as far as I remember, the champs in the 
Mexican WC were Brazil (1970) and Argentina (1986), that  are 
not considered european teams so far!!! :-> :->


      Cheers!

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                        Arturo Tena Colunga
                        e-mail arturo@civilgate.ce.uiuc.edu
                               atena@cevax.ce.uiuc.edu
                               atena@uxh.cso.uiuc.edu