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Word Wars

May 26th, 2006 | By: Euler Costa | 15 Comments »

Word War I like what I’m reading! Croatia and Spain coaches are defiant towards Brazil. I hope to read more coaches following this trend in the following days. Let them become cocky, maybe the pressure will diminish for our players. I was afraid that the training images of the Swiss carnival atmosphere would leave the other coaches with the impression that our team wasn’t serious. Maybe that’s exactly what happened, I don’t know. I know that this overconfidence is great for us, especially when the World Cup is so near.

Arrogance is even better! It gives the players that extra motivation to win. Just like Zlatko Kranjcar said in recent interview. “Parreira has a fantastic squad, but if they take us lightly, they will be walking into a minefield. If that’s what they plan, then there will be no better motivation for my players.”

You see? He is already trying to put words in Parreira’s mouth. Let me refresh his memory. This is what Parreira said about Croatia: “The first game always creates huge apprehension, great expectations; the Seleção did not play any official games for eight months and will break this fast exactly against Croatia that made a very good qualification, didn’t lose any match, recently won over Argentina, two months ago, so it is a team that is no fool at all.”

Luis Aragones was not as bullish about it. He is just confident that they will win in case they meet at the quarter-final stage. “It would be better if didn’t meet them, but if we did we would have to remember they have only won one of their five World Cups in Europe (Sweden 1958).”

Tomorrow reporters will ask Parreira what he thinks about these declarations. That’s exactly the purpose of their statements, I believe. To start a war of words that will get their players an extra motivation. I can’t blame them, after all we are talking about the World Cup. It’s almost like war, except for the political motivation and the deadly use of violence. I can only hope that our team, coach and players, don’t concede any nasty comments. Until now Parreira is doing great.

Tags: Brazil, Carlos Alberto Parreira, Croatia, Luis Aragones, Spain, Zlatko Kranjcar

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Comments

By Bob | May 26th, 2006 at 4:54 pm

Croatia is feeling good about themselves since they beat Austria 4-1 and they have played well lately. I agree that you don’t want to be cocky, but at the same time they can’t play scared because they are playing Brazil.

Can’t wait to read Parreira’s response, or lack thereof.

Posted from United States

By Euler | May 26th, 2006 at 7:26 pm

Exactly, they must be very confident and cocky, forget that we are the champions, my friend. No time for losers!!! I hope that this will increase our chances.

By soze | May 26th, 2006 at 7:59 pm

Alot of these kind of “interviews” are appearing in Croatia newspapers lately and I do not post them. The article you linked to in Fox Sports is a gross misquote. This is Croatian journalists putting words into Kranjcar’s mouth by reading Parreira’s quote to him and when Kranjcar answers by saying that Brazil is strong and that is a good motivation for his players the media embelishes it. You know it Euler, how else do you sell papers but by embelishing the trouth.

Kranjcar is a very low key guy, and I have never heard him trash talk about another team. He was once a great player as well and respects oponents no matter who they are. Even before playing Austria and knowing they are a weaker side, he said “No match should be taken lightly, and I do not expect a cakewalk in Vienna.” That does not sound like an arrogant guy to me.

Don’t believe everything you read.

By Kapcro | May 26th, 2006 at 8:20 pm

I agree with you there Soze, these media outlets want to stir up more aggressive rivalries.

Posted from United States

By Tomislav Chagall | May 26th, 2006 at 9:05 pm

bob, dunno if you remember, but the first comment i made on this site was in response to an alleged interview that kranjčar gave a *korean* newspaper where he supposedly trashed japan. this is big business, and all those media squirrels try getting a nut. they also pursue specific interests when they publish their articles.

euler, take it easy. it’s one thing what we the fans say or write, and another what the professionals do. kranjčar *is* a professional, just like parreira. don’t accuse him if you don’t check croat media (which at times is full of bull). cheers.

Posted from Germany

By Euler | May 26th, 2006 at 9:15 pm

I believe it would be hard to read the Croat papers, but I’m glad to know that. I wrote from the sources I had, of course.

These media bastards!!!

By marco | May 26th, 2006 at 9:31 pm

well i recon brazil will lose to croatia as they will underestemate them .. as for spain well there no good .. plus all there players are prob all druged up any way

Posted from Australia

By soze | May 26th, 2006 at 11:53 pm

Come on Euler, If I can read Portuguese, you can read Croatian….a quote from Cico Kranjcar for your reading pleasure.

“Ne, ipak se nećemo previše ravnati prema suparnicima. Bilo bi pogubno zatvoriti se protiv Brazila i samo gledati kako da što duže ne primimo gol. Moramo težiti nametanju svojih kvaliteta, kako protiv Brazilaca, tako i protiv Japana te Australije. Generalno, kroz ove pripreme cilj nam je dohvatiti formu kakvu smo pokazivali u kvalifikacijskim utakmicama, mislim da je ta forma najbolje jamstvo dobrih rezultata.”

Now that is the Cico I know and love.

By Milan | May 27th, 2006 at 6:01 am

Yeah I agree with Soze and Kapcro on this matter. The Australian media always like to stir up the pot and over exaggerate certain phrases to glorify a situation. What Krajncar was trying to say was that if Brazil takes Croatia lightly they will be in trouble which to me is true. Though I don’t think they will take us (Croatia) lightly, I still believe we can get a strong result from the superstar Brazilian team.

Posted from Australia

By Euler | May 27th, 2006 at 7:29 am

Are you serious? I can’t read any of that! Rezultata, ok… Primimo gol is first goal, probably… I just can’t. There is a Z with a Chinese hat upside down! I’ll need your help, Soze!

By Kapcro | May 27th, 2006 at 1:44 pm

“Actually we won’t base our game depending on who our opponents are. It would be a losing proposition to close ourselves off against Brazil (play defensively) and look to put off taking a goal as long as possible. We have to play to our qualities (offensive strengths), play that way against Brazil, and that way also against Japan and Australia. Generally, through these preparations our goal is to get the form that we showed in the qualifying games, I think that this form of play is our best guarantee of good results.” -Zlatko Kranjcar. Hope that helps Euler I left out any upside down Chinese hats. Please forgive any errors in translation, general gist is there.

Posted from United States

By Akbar | May 28th, 2006 at 1:45 am

I wish there was more trash-talking at the World Cup. The one most appealing aspect about boxing is the trash-talking. It really makes everything much more competitive.

Posted from Switzerland

By Euler | May 28th, 2006 at 12:22 pm

Thanks Kapcro! I agree with him. To play in defense is madness. If the team is good attacking, that’s the way they should play always.

About Akbar’s ‘trash talking’ theory, I would like to see more of that too, but not from the Brazilian team. I agree that is fun, but when it comes to MY team, I don’t feel very confortable provoking the others. It just creates motivation for the opponents. More so if you have a team with 5 titles, it could sound very arrogant.

By dino | May 31st, 2006 at 7:32 am

Everybody loves a champion. Everybody dislikes a champion. Everybody wants to beat the champion. Everybody wants to Be the Champion-like Brasil. There is envy -when there should be admiration. Brasil’s coach and players respect all the other teams,staring with the first. Let the pundits,critics and coaches mouth off. Brasil is concentrating on winning Copa numero seis. And one more thing,Viva Brasil.

Posted from Canada

By Akbar | May 31st, 2006 at 9:33 am

No Euler definitely not from Brazil because they have the favourites tag and it really won’t suit the humble Brazilians, especially the likes of Ronaldinho, to be trash-talking.

I’m thinking more about challengers and underdogs. It just adds up the hype of the match by about 10 times. The perfect timing to drop a little verbal bomb would be the day before the match. By the time everyone hears about it the next morning they’ll be jumping up and down waiting for kick off. Don’t you just love that feeling?

Posted from Switzerland

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