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Our Foreign Legion

May 15th, 2006 | By: Euler Costa | 9 Comments »

The General This post is just to thank the magnificent Brazilians playing in Europe, spreading the great football message to all the corner of this round world. As news flow by, we read everyday about the success of our players. Being Brazil the only country with five titles, we feel a certain responsibility, a nice kind of pressure to validate our stardom within the football world. I know the risk I’m taking to be called arrogant here. But I can’t help feeling proud when our guys are mentioned anywhere.

Of course I’m not going to mention every Brazilian player in Europe. They are too many and I’m not in the mood for scrutinizing this kind of information, but let me celebrate some of them that made the headlines recently.

Adriano is in Rio. After Inter won the Coppa Italia he was free to travel home to see his family and to wait for the final decision from our coach Parreira. He is anxious to hear if he really is in the team. He also said that the competition would be a great opportunity for him and Ronaldo to lift the bad mojo off and to be back in their best game. Let us not forget that Julio Cesar, Zé Maria and Cesar also are hirelings of the team.

Sevilla! They won the UEFA Cup 2006 with Brazilian help too. Adriano Claro, Luis Fabiano, Renato and Daniel were there fighting for the title and they deserve to be mentioned here. Thanks guys!

Emerson In Juventus, the team is under investigations, unfortunately. Along with racists, corrupt people should also be punished in medieval ways. Anyway, Emerson was there dropping his sweat to clinch the Italian title. Good job!

Kaka, Cafu, Serginho, Amoroso and Dida were fighting for AC Milan. They came in second place in Italy and they too provided great football for the fans.

In France, some of our men were also champions. Juninho Pernambucano, Cris, Fred and Caçapa represented our tradition very well! Great work guys!!!

Robinho do Pedaladas Well, what can I say about Real Madrid’s situation? They had Zidane, Beckham and Ronaldo but they didn’t win the Spanish championship. Of course it sounds like a great failure, but they did finished in second. I know… the second is the first looser, right? Maybe, but I thank Robinho, Cicinho, Ronaldo, Julio Batista and Roberto Carlos for good games in my afternoons.

The team that won the Spanish title also has Brazilian force in it. Defender Belletti and midfielder Thiago Motta are the less famous players we have there. Ronaldinho was there too; having fun and making us smile. This Wednesday they will dispute the Champions League title against Arsenal.

Now that we are in the brink of the official call from our coach Parreira, we will see this foreign legion of players in the Seleção’s list. I’m hoping the fact that most of our team will come from Europe, this stigma of South-American teams not doing very well in Europe will fade.

Again, great work guys! You are our football embassadors in Europe, the greatest display window of the sport these days. May you all be worthy of the call you are about to receive in a few minutes.

Tags: Brazil, Europe, foreign legion, France, Italy, Ronaldinho, Spain

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Comments

By stacy-marie | May 15th, 2006 at 9:29 am

Happy Birthday Euler

Posted from United Kingdom

By Euler | May 15th, 2006 at 9:43 am

Thanks Stacy!!!!!

By Sourav | May 15th, 2006 at 11:23 pm

you missed Silviniho (spelling?) of Barca.
Thanks for your great posts.
Do you think Roberto Carlos and Cafu will be good enough this time around? Roberto Carlos was great last world cup but was making a lot of mistakes in Real Madrid games. I hope Ronaldo and Adriano hits good form. I think the Kaka will get subbed midway in the 2nd half by Juninho Pernambucano as he always seem to disappear towards the end of the games. I am glad about the number of good holding midfielders as they will be most vulnerable to yellow cards.

Posted from United States

By Euler | May 16th, 2006 at 8:10 am

Thanks Sourav! And thanks for enjoying my posts. Many people are questioning Roberto Carlos and Cafu now, but I think the main quality of our team is the versatility to change them at any time. Same goes to Kaka. Parreira can use him as a starter and change to Juninho at the second half. These options are the secret behind our chances. I’ll write a big post about it later!

By dino | May 16th, 2006 at 7:58 pm

Gracias Euler for your post. Brasil is the essence of the beautiful game. Be proud of Brasil. I love Brasil even if I am from Honduras. And one more thing. Viva Brasil.

Posted from Canada

By Euler | May 17th, 2006 at 4:11 am

Thanks Dino! The Seleção really is something we can be proud of. And opinions like yours are really cool to know. Viva Brasil!!!

By Dan | May 18th, 2006 at 5:14 am

Hi folks - I am an american who fell in love with Brazil watching the 1970 world cup as a ten year old living in Germany. I actually remember watching the games on black and white tv and over the BBC radio broadcast. I actually heard the England -Brazil match on the BBC as it was not shown on German TV. Back then the first round games were only shown live if Germany played. Pele was fantastic. I was still in Germnay for the 1974 cup and my memories of Brazil a fague. I did follow them the best I could once I got back to the states through 78 until the 1990’s whne the cup was shown live to the US on spanish channel stations. Once the cable boom happend it was easier to watch and know what was going on. 1982 was flabbergasting. Always the defense would do something stupid and seemingly give it away. They should have beat Argentina in 1990. My question for today is why is Denlilson and Rivaldo not on the team? When looking at the reserves, that list is better than most countries first team. It is not far fetched to think that Brazil is 3 teams deep and maybe more…If anyone can let me know about Denilson, who I thought should have been used more in 1998, and Rivaldo - although maybe his attitude is not the best. The other thought or question is - why is the skill level of Brazil a step above the rest of the world? There is something about them that allows them as a whole, player after player, generation after generation, to create play that no one else can. They don’t always win, but it just seems the players from Brazil can elevate the play above all others - the game can be just moving along and brazil seem to maintain possession and then all of a sudden make three long passes and a quick run or two and score. They can do things others can’t - why? how? the last goal of 2002 final is perfect example. Kahn clears the ball with a long kick to the left sideline in Brazil terriotory. The brazilian players heads the ball with purpose to Ronaldinho who is on the other side of the field. He controls the ball and runs up the sideline, makes the crossing pass to Ronaldo at the top of the box to Kahns right side. Ronaldo controls the ball a few yards across the top of the box moving to Kahn’s right side and strikes the ball with force passed Kahn just inside the right post for goal #2. No one else does this - or can! Look forward to reading your responses.

Posted from United States

By Victor | June 12th, 2006 at 8:07 am

Brazil is a treat to watch . It has the most skillful individual players in the world.

They are favorites to win this world cup , but i think without Rivaldo they do not have the punch in their attack to come back from goal down and beat the opposition. This is going to be the big worry for coach carlos. He should have taken Rivaldo . His left foot can shake any opposition especially when you are down he can bring the team back like he did in the 2002 world cup.

Posted from India

By kauzi | July 4th, 2006 at 4:47 pm

I pity Brazil, I am an ardent supporter but they disappointed in this world cup.Why did Cafu play instead of one JOAO CICINHO ? Roberto carlos instead of GILBERTO ? Why did old man Parreira not bring in the young lion Robinho on time to tear down les blues. I believe Parreira was solely responsible for Brazil’s HEXA. HE MUST GO ! for his failure to read the game early and make the necessary subs. CARLOS AND CAFU TOO MUST BE BANISHED TO RETIREMENT.

Posted from Sweden