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From: miller@loral.UUCP (David P. Miller)
Newsgroups: net.sport
Subject: Brazil '85.
Message-ID: <1011@loral.UUCP>
Date: Tue, 28-Jan-86 12:47:24 EST
Article-I.D.: loral.1011
Posted: Tue Jan 28 12:47:24 1986
Date-Received: Sat, 1-Feb-86 04:09:47 EST
Reply-To: miller@loral.UUCP (David P. Miller)
Organization: Loral Instrumentation, San Diego
Lines: 42

Keywords: 

In article <1091@abnji.UUCP>,nyssa@abnji.UUCP (nyssa of traken) writes:

> ...Brazil has been experimenting with different combinations in many
> friendlies. Their old goal punch seems to be gone, and their defense is
> subject to lax moments. By the same token, they were never out of any 
> match.

In article <293@uw-june>,ewan@uw-june (Ewan Tempero) writes:

> Their defense has always been their weakness. They spend too much time
> playing good/great to watch/attacking/adventurous soccer at the other end.
> Better than the stodgy stuff we see from W. Germany ! ..... I,m a little
> surprized to see the 0 scores they had - they are normally high scorers.

Actually, I,ve never seen a Brazilian team that had any defense to speak of,
with the exception of the 1970 World Cup team of course. Brazil is notorious
for not having good goalies (Waldir Pereira proves me right !!) instead they
concentrate in a very strong and articulate mid-field and right wing attackers.
The fact that they been experimenting with different combinations comes as no
surprise since almost every team that qualified for Mexico 86 went through
such a phase. What accentuated Brazil's case was their inability to pick a
coach during the "friendlies" phase. First was Jair Pereira, then Tele^ Santana,
then there was talk of Zagalo again, finally they settled with Tele^.
Another contributing factor to their lost of zing has been the injuries suffered
by some key players (Socrates, Zico, and Falcao~), and the failure to get a
team concentrated and trained together as a team.
All the above circustances have been apparently solved by now, ,and what we 
should look for now is how the team will perform in its upcomming tour through
Europe, this March. How well they do, or do not, perform should indicate how
much work is still left to be done.

					      BIG DAVE.


-- 

David P. Miller - Loral Instrumentation.           /    USUAL   \  
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"Sticks and stones may hurt my bones but words ......................."