all about sport

Soccer has currently become such a prominent sport that it is now considered as the most popular and highly celebrated team sport all over the world. Because of this, it is not surprising that more and more children have been influenced by their “idols” in soccer and by their own parents to enter the sport and be good at it.

However, it is not just enough that a kid must have a soccer ball and goal to kick the ball to. Although necessary soccer equipment and accessories are necessary, it is also important to have the right soccer drills and training so that you ca be assured that soccer games for kids will bear fruit in the future.

Soccer drills are considered as the backbone of the many training sessions in soccer. Soccer drills that are not suitable for the type of players that you have will not be at all be useful and effective in teaching them how to play the sport. This is especially true to kids that are exposed to advanced level of training drills at too early of an age, which in the end will cause the loss of interest of the children to the sport. It also has the tendency to decrease the fun and enjoyment that are included in playing the sport and has a way of lowing one’s self esteem.

One important reminder that coaches and trainers alike must remember is that children are motivated when they are having fun. When a coach is dealing with a lazy team or players that are very disruptive, the best solution is not always to yell and scream at them so that a form of discipline can be maintained. It has more bad effects for a child than good since it can crush one’s self-esteem and confidence in playing the sport. It somehow brings up a stiff and hostile environment where a kid cannot play the sport freely. Remember that fun must not be eliminated from the training. Kids have a very short attention span so it’s best to keep them active at all times.

Keep the kids busy and make them feel that their contribution to the team is highly valued. Disruptive kids will behave better if they are asked to do a task and lazy kids will perform better when they are having fun. In this way, they get to improve and still enjoy the sport.

It has been long known that the U.S. is one of the few countries in the world where soccer is not considered the premier sport. Even considering the fact that some form of this game has been around for centuries, it has been slow to make its’ presence felt in the United States. That, however, may be changing as interest increases steadily for this sport that has for many years been the most popular sporting activity in many countries around the globe.

History tells us that the earliest versions of the game of soccer go back some 3,000 years and took place in Japan. Evidence suggests that the players used a rather rudimentary hair-filled leather ball which was obviously quite different from the well researched and developed, high luster, air filled soccer balls available today. We know that a game similar to what is played today was being played in the early nineteenth century in England. By 1904 there were teams from seven countries in Europe which organized under the title of Federation Internationale de Football Association (FIFA). That organization still exists today and there are no fewer than 208 national teams that are part of this association.

Soccer isn’t just a sport or an exciting pastime but has also become a big business in the U.S. There are new stadiums being built to accommodate increasingly competent teams and the many thousands of spectators who come out to watch them play. Sponsors now seem much more eager to take on soccer teams than they have been in the past. In addition to that, the media has become more enamored with the sport of soccer and we witness a good deal more air time for this sport which makes it possible for millions of people to get involved in the excitement and competition from their own living rooms.

Although a new surge of interest has taken place for professional soccer, it is not the only level of the game that has seen such increased interest. Soccer has become a popular sport among high school athletes as well as intermediate school students and even those in the elementary grades. Stars of the sport have emerged and talented, well-known players have a sizable fan base who are happy to wear their idols numbered soccer jersey on as many occasions as possible. As soccer continues to infiltrate the sporting landscape of the United States, we will likely see more interest, more teams and more fans as time progresses.

Goalkeeping drills are a great way to allow your keeper to develop his or her skills outside of an actual soccer game. They are a way of being able to control the situation in away that is not possible in a game or a scrimmage.

These goalkeeping drills focus specifically on getting your keeper used to stopping the soccer ball coming in from many different directions. They are also excellent for building reaction speed and quickness.

Second Shot

To set up this goalkeeping drill you only need 2 cones a keeper and 2 players. Set the cones wide enough apart to simulate a soccer goal. Have Player A stand facing the goal, about 10 yards out from the first cone. Player B would stand facing the goal on the opposite side, about 10 yards out from the center of the goal. Both players will need to have a ball for this drill.

The goalkeeper will stand by the first cone facing Player A. Player A tosses the ball to the keeper, who catches it and throws it back. As soon as the keeper throws the ball back to player A, Player B will take a shot on goal, keeping the ball on the ground. The goalkeeper must quickly spin and make a diving stop to prevent the goal.

Jump and Dive

The second goalkeeping drill is called Jump and Dive. All that is required for this drill is a ball bag or some other obstacle, one player, and a goalkeeper.

The drill starts with the keeper sitting with his or her back to the ball bag. When the player with the ball shouts “Go” they will roll the ball to one side or the other of the ball bag. The keeper must quickly jump to his feet, then make a diving stop.

Continuous Shots

One of the challenges a keeper faces is deflecting a shot, and then having to recover to make a save on a second shot. This drill is designed to help your goalkeeper get used to saving a rapid succession of shots on goal.

Set the drill up with 2 cones, one about 10 yards from the goal, and the second cone about 20 yards out. Have your keeper stand by one post of the goal with the other players on the team facing the goal at the 20 yard cone. The drill starts by having the first player dribble to the 10 yard cone and shoot the ball on goal. The keeper must attempt to stop the shot.

As soon as the first player shoots the ball, the second player starts their attack, shooting from the 10 yard cone. The keeper must stop the shot, the run to the opposite goal post and recover to stop the next shot. The drill continues until every player has had an opportunity to shoot on goal

Soccer goalkeeping drills are a great way to allow your keepers to develop much needed skills in a controlled way. It removes a lot of the confusion, and allows you and the keeper to focus on specific areas that need to be developed.

Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger has told the world of football news how the club will not be looking to allow their captain Cesc Fabregas to leave the club without a fight, showing his intention to try to prevent the Spanish international from leaving the club.

Fabregas has been a long time target for Spanish giants Barcelona, the club where young Fabregas began his professional football career before heading to England and joining Arsenal.

Now that Fabregas has repeatedly shown his ability to play at the highest possible level, both in international and European competition, Barcelona are looking to bring the Spaniard back to his home country, a move that have been heavily backed by the Spanish internationals within the Barcelona set up.

Thoughts were initially pointing to the north London club now admitting that they were going to lose their prize asset, indicating that they would need £35 million in order to be pushed to sell the midfielder but the comments made to the latest football news columnists show that the club are now getting ready for a battle to keep the playmaker.

Everyone loves a game of football, who would not? If you fancy football, but find it difficult to even take up half way through, then you are not fit enough to play the game. With one too many shows on TV, it’s no wonder you see, football is a bit difficult to handle? Football is a game where you fit enough to play. It is simply not possible to play football, especially if you have a pot belly at least not to win anyway. But choosing the right exercise will be a tougher challenge than your last football game.

The problem is that there is a lot of practice workouts to clog the airwaves, just turn on your TV in the morning, and you should be able to see at least ten different workouts, while leafing through the various channels. Now the same multiplied by a factor of 100 and should give you the number of training sessions currently available online. Sort is bound by the crowd, to give you a headache, it may be a better idea to start your fitness dreams with the E-Book “total soccer fitness,” as the training will be given here individually to provide you with the ‘football fitness “.

Being in top shape is a prerequisite for this game as it happens, physically intense and that’s an understatement. So try it if you do not plan on running out of breath or on the trail in half the time, you should be conditioning your body with some of the “soccer-fitness” workout. These sessions are designed to give you the stamina, endurance, speed and everything else that you acquire top form.

The workouts in this e-book are very intensive and should go a long way in developing your physical skills. Soccer players often run out of breath, and as a result are often too tired to say by the time the last piece. With the endurance workouts covered here, you should play your top game to the wire. Remember developed these exercises to develop your physical fitness and to be successful, you will need to train on the schedule. It did not happen overnight and your fitness can only be a fantasy if you do not keep to the timetable given here.

This product is currently being offered at a reduced price and comes with 5 bonus products packed in a soccer nutrition plan soccer psychology. As you can see, the content is in fact quite extensive and covers every aspect of this game from the exercises to the diets you have to follow. So if you fit for ways to “get as soccer ‘look, in this case, that’s what you need

Sharks and Minnows: soccer drills for kids don’t have to be with a ball or even resemble a soccer drill. We use this drill for warm ups and speed training. Although to the players its more like a friendly game of tag. Start off with one player or the coach as the Shark. The other players(minnows) are all side by side spread out across the field. The Shark will say go and all the Minnows have to make it to the other side of the field without being tagged. Those Minnows that are tagged become Sharks. The game continues until the last Minnow is caught. This drill teaches speed and side to side moves as the Minnows attempt to escape.

Follow the Leader: I like this soccer drills for kids because they learn to control the ball while moving side to side and reversing their field. Start this drill by pairing up the players. One player has a ball the other does not. With the player without the ball being the leader, have him start jogging slowly forward then zigzag to the right then left then in a circle. Use different variations of this drill, have the non-ball carrier stop and take a step back to teach the pull back move. Rotate players every few minutes.

Capture the flag: This is another soccer drills for kids that will teach ball handling skills. Make a large 20 foot circle, every player inside the circle with a ball. Every player has a flag hanging from their waist. All the players dribble the ball around the inside of the circle. While controlling the ball every player try to capture as many flags from their teammates as possible without losing their own. Once your flag is captured, you’re out. The winner is the last one with the flag. A couple of rules to follow. You must be in control of your ball when you capture a flag and if you leave the circle for any reason you’re out.

Knock out: One final soccer drills for kids is knock out. Once again make a circle about 20 foot round with all the players inside the circle each with a ball. Blow the whistle to start. All the players begin to dribble in any direction they choose. The object of this drill is to protect the ball while making a defensive move to eliminate the other players by knocking their ball outside the circle. Again the winner is the last one inside the circle with the ball. Same rules as the last drill, you must be in control of your ball when knocking out an opponent and if you leave the circle you’re out.

So as you can see soccer drills for kids can be a lot of fun for the players as well as the coach and parents too. As the coach feel to take part of the drills. If the kids are real young, encourage the parents to get involved too. The funner these drills are the more they will want to do them and the better they will become at ball handling without even knowing it. Keep it Fun!

I don’t think there’s a single person in Mexico or Great Britain that will not know who he is. That is applicable even for those that usually are not soccer fans. There are plenty of images, video clips, media as well as discussion boards available on multiple web sites for those who like to learn deeper about him. I am simply going to go over a handful of aspects about what has occurred within this young boy’s life over the last couple of years.

The European Hope Begins to Shape Up

He began his career thanks to squad Chivas Guadalajara ever since he was just a young child when he was nine. He played with the team’s young divisions and subsequently with the teen as well as young adult squads. Right after showing off his abilities, he afterward competed with the team’s “filial” or lower category Chivas Coras. He instantly demonstrated that he may very well be an incredible player and trainers as well as team officials promoted him to play with the higher division team. He kept performing at high level and consequently called to the Mexican National Team. Initially on the under 17 category where despite the fact that he was part of the World Champions in Peru he failed to participate in caused by him being hurt. A couple of years afterward he was named to the under 20 Mexican team that took part in Canada and yet again he shined like the superstar he was basically turning into. That made him worth of getting called to the Mexican Squad that was training for the 2010 World Cup that was just going to be played eventually in South Africa.

During the friendly match ups played prior to the World Cup, Chicharito guaranteed a position within the Mexican squad as a result of his good performances. The coach back in those days had been Javier Aguirre and he decided to make him one of his favorite strikers. This actually also made him noticeable by English team Man Utd who bought him from Chivas Guadalajara. The Red Devils seemed to be following Hernandez for several weeks and they chose to make the transfer for him prior to the World Cup before he became more expensive to obtain. Everyone had been anticipating his value to go through the roof because he was supposed to flourish in the World Cup, and he did. His greatest two games were against France and Argentina where he scored a goal in each one of the match ups.

Chicharito Has Immediate Impact

As soon as he dressed up with Manchester United’s uniform he showed the reason why he was destined to be the latest superstar. He scored his very first goal on a friendly match up against the MLS stars in the United States. Following a few friendly games played in America, ManU and Chicharito returned home where they’d play their first official game with Javier in the roster. The Community Shield trophy was going to end up being disputed between Chelsea and Manchester United where he once more showed why was brought over to the team by scoring one goal and giving his team the important trophy. From here on, despite the fact that he hasn’t played all the games as a starter, he has managed to score in many games and contributed with points for his team. At this point Manchester United is still contending for the UEFA Champions League, the local Premiership and also the FA Cup. Best wishes for Javier and may his ascending career and goals continue to pile up.

At this point it was easy to see that Mexico 70 was shaping up to be a very good world cup with truly wonderful displays of football. This despite scoring not being any where near as high as it had been in Switzerland 54; it was still a tournament which was bringing back some of the lost quality from previous world cups. Brazil for its next match played against Peru, who was being led by players the likes of Cubillas, Gallardo, Chale and Sotil.

Cubillas, in fact having already scored four goals in the competition and a player who would go on to become the first and so far only midfielder to score ten goals or more in world cup history with only two being from the penalty spot. This while Sotil was the sort of player whose dribbling managed to set up goals for other players. The game looked to be an interesting one. As it presented two South American teams with very good attacking players yet not much in the way of defense along with goalkeepers who did not really provide all that much security. I, for my part have wondered how Peru would have done had they had Ramon Quiroga back in Mexico 70. Quiroga being an Argentine goalkeeper who took Peruvian citizenship and even managed to save a penalty for them against Scotland in Argentina 78. This being only speculation of course yet I do find it interesting.

Peru however had one big flaw and this being that they tended to start very slowly which had put them deep in a whole early in two of their first three matches. Peru having fallen behind by 2-0 to Bulgaria only to come back to win by 3-2 yet could not manage a similar come back against Germany; who took a 3-0 lead. It being Cubillas, who on that occasion scored Peru’s only goal against Germany, whose three goals came courtesy of Gerhard Muller. As a footnote, I would like to point out that Muller and Cubillas went on to become teammates in the Fort Lauderdale Strikers of the now bankrupt NASL of the 70s and early 80s but that like they say is another story.

In this game, it was not so much that Brazil got off to such a great start but more that Peru’s defense gave away too many advantages early by making too many mistakes. It being thanks to a big error by defender Campos that Rivelihno was able to score for Brazil just 11 minutes in to the match to give Brazil a 1-0 lead. Brazil would then only have to wait four minutes before Tostao thanks to a bad goalkeeping mistake by Rubinos increased his team’s lead to 2-0. Peru was down but had not much to their credit, conceded defeat or at least not just yet. It being a tremendous shot by Gallardo from a seemingly impossible angle which put them on the score board and within striking distance of Brazil at 2-1.

Brazil would score another goal when a pass by Pele was deflected off a Peruvian defender on to the oncoming Tostao who got his second of the game as well as of the tournament to give Brazil a 3-1 lead. Peru found themselves down by two goals one more time yet again did not desist from trying. It in fact being Sotil who set up Cubillas for his fifth goal of the tournament as well as the one which once again put Peru within striking distance at 2-3. It being as if Peru simply refused to be put away.

Brazil however would go on to get a fourth when Jairzinho scored his fifth of the tournament to keep his record in tact of having scored in each of his country’s matches. Brazil won the game by 4-2 in what truly was a lovely display of football by both teams and though Peru was eliminated; they did leave good memories of their football. Peru also becoming the first team in the history of the world cup to win “The Fair Play” trophy.

Brazil had made it through to the semifinal to face a Uruguayan team which even threatened to leave the tournament when they were told they would have to play Brazil in Guadalajara. This being where Brazil had played all of its world cup matches up and till that point. Uruguay eventually accepted to play the game in Guadalajara’s Jalisco Stadium yet not without protests.

Uruguay got off to a good start when Cubilla put them in the lead 19 minutes in to the match yet were to a certain extent unlucky when Clodoaldo scored for Brazil to level matters at 1 a piece with just 1 minute left in the half. Brazil and Uruguay were tied at half time yet it was clear that Brazil was the fresher of these two teams as Uruguay had been taken in to overtime by the Soviet Union while Brazil managed to win their quarterfinal match in regulation time. The second half would see Brazil score two goals. The first of which came courtesy of Jairzinho (76 minutes) while the second one came with one minute left in the game which pretty much booked Brazil’s passage in to the finals and their third one in four world cups. Pele however had time for one last play which is another one for which he is mostly remembered for though he did not score. It being one in which he lets the ball go by Uruguayan goalkeeper Mazurkiewicz to pick it up on the other side only to miss a shot on an open goal. This play being one which for some reason still lives in the memory of many, though I personally see nothing about it to even compare it to some of the plays Maradona would perform just 16 years later in another world cup organized in Mexico. Of course also taking in to consideration that after Rivelinho’s goal, Uruguay was what could be hailed as a defeated team which was all too aware that the final was simply a game they were not going to be playing in or at least not in this world cup.

Brazil would be playing against Italy in the final. It being Italy who in a historic marathon of a seesaw match had managed to beat Germany by a score of 4-3 to make it to the final. Italy having a wonderful team that year which in 1968 had won the European Cup. This Italian team boasting a list of stars such as Riva, Rivera, Fachetti, Albertosi, Boninsegna and Mazzola. Looking back one could say that Italy was one of the few really good teams which Brazil played in their last four world cups along with Portugal and Hungary in 66 or perhaps France in 58 yet Italy was also a very tired outfit. Specially after their game against Germany took so much out of them. It being their trainer who even claimed that many of its players were urinating blood after the match.

Brazil, for its part was not short of great players yet to most of the public, their most recognizable player was still Pele. It being he who justly or perhaps not, was their only player who had already won the world cup and though he really did not play in 62; many accredited him with having won two titles. Brazil after all had new players on their team, none of which with the sole exception of Pele had been playing for Brazil when they won the world cup in 58 and 62. This making Pele, the symbol of this Brazilian team or at least to much of the public who were seeing him playing in his fourth world cup while players like Jairzinho, Tostao, and Rivelinho were just making their mark in the world cup.

Italy however despite the fatigue made a match of it as far as the first half was concerned. It being the first half which ended in a score of 1-1 with Brazil’s only goal coming courtesy of a Pele header while Italy’s goal came thanks to Boninsegna, who took advantage of a mix up between Felix and his defenders. Pele’s goal also coming due to a mix up in the Italian team. It being Italy’s coach who had sent Bertini to mark Pele yet realized that perhaps using a creative player to mark Pele one on one was a waste of good offensive player. This prompting his decision to change the man who would be marking Pele from Bertini to Rosato yet just as Italy was in the middle of doing this; Brazil had a throw in. It being Rivelinho, who got the ball which he immediately centered to a still unmarked Pele who had no trouble in beating his marker; who had yet to get to where he could cover him.

The second half saw the results of Italian fatigue as those were still not the days of such great conditioning by players and teams which could play a match which went 120 minutes to come back a few days later as if they had only played 90 minutes. This being what Italy did in 2006, where after having beaten Germany in a semifinal which went 120 minutes were able to come back a few days later and beat France in the final. This in another match which would go in to overtime and subsequently in to penalty kicks.

Brazil went on to score three goals in the second half and win the match by a convincing 4-1 score yet the truth was that Italy did not have the strength to play in the second half. Of course, in this I do not wish it to be understood that I believe Italy would have won the game had they not been so tired from their previous match yet it undoubtedly would have been harder for Brazil.

As for Brazil’s goals in the second half, they were scored by Gerson, Jairzinho and Carlos Alberto in that precise order. It is this last goal by Carlos Alberto which saw 8 Brazilian players touch the ball before it ended up in the net but the truth was that at that stage, Italy knew full well that the match was over or at least the competitive part of it. It being a similar situation when Petite scored for France against Brazil several years later when France was already winning by 2-0 with time running out and Brazil having fully realized that they simply were not going to win.

With this win Brazil became world champion for the third time and what was more impressive is that they had won 3 out of 4 world cups. Naturally Pele having been on all those teams yet it is my opinion that Brazil would have won those world cups even if Pele had not been on their team. As such was the strength of their players and teams in those days and also the weakness of the other teams. I also wish to make it clear in this that I am not saying by any stretch of the imagination that Brazil won despite having Pele on their team yet I feel that Brazil still would have been world champion in 70 and 58 even if Pele had not played. As the truth was that they basically won without him in 62. All of this in contrast to Maradona, without whom I am almost certain Argentina would not have won the title in Mexico 86 or even reached the final in Italia 90.

Pele would retire from the world cup competition after Mexico 70 and eventually from football in 77. This after a few years with the New York Cosmos where in a very weak league and despite his 30 years plus; was able to score many goals. Pele after retirement took to commentating matches and basically putting down anybody who was even compared him. Pele going to the extreme of trying to hurt Zico’s career in the early 80s when some were starting to call him the white Pele.

Pele however become specially hostile toward Maradona. This after having received him as a friend in the start of their relationship yet changed his attitude when some were claiming that Maradona was in fact even better than he had been. This a statement made not by Maradona, himself but by such greats of the game as Alfredo Di Stefano and others. I, for my part particularly remember some remarks made by Pele concerning Maradona after Spain 82 in which he claimed that all Maradona was capable of was falling on the ground and crying about being fouled. I, thinking to myself at the time and this from the man who said he would never play in a world cup at the age of 25 when he was fouled once or twice in a match against Portugal in which in all truth he really did not play that well in.

Pele would also claim after the 86 world cup that he was considering coming back to football because Brazil needed him. It being this particular comment which led to Maradona suggesting to Pele that perhaps it was psychiatric assistance that which he should seek instead of a new start in football at the age of 46. It even being Brazil’s coach Parreira, who before winning the world cup in USA 94; claimed that he wanted no interference from Pele and even banned him from having contact with the players.

In my opinion, Pele was a great player yet nowhere near as good as he is generally believed to have been by those who only look at the statistics and not the stories behind them. Pele in a way being like France’s Zidane, who managed to score two goals in a final of a world cup in which he did little else yet is for the most part considered one of the best players of all time.

In conclusion, I would say that in the word’s of Shakespeare “some are born great, some achieve greatness and some have it entrust upon them”. Pele’s case being one of having been born great as well as having achieved greatness but mostly from having had it entrust upon him. This by being at the right place in history and on the right teams which could make him seem even better than he really was. Pele to a large extent being like Mohamed Ali, Maria Callas, Zidane, Alexander (the great), Pope John Paul II, Shakespeare, Michael Jackson, Lawrence Olivier, Franklyn Roosevelt, J.F. Kennedy, Nelson Mandela, Gandhi, Martin Luther King Junior along with many others; whom I feel are also praised beyond the true value of their achievements.

The next world cup after Chile 62 was England 66 which Brazil entered as the two time defending champion however many of Brazil’s great players had retired by the start of the tournament. Amongst these players being Didi, Vava, Zagalo though Pele and Garrincha were still in the team that made the trip to the world cup in England. Pele being 25 at the time and in the, what is generally considered, the best time in a football player’s career. This being an age in which the player in question still has his physical abilities yet has obtained the experience which only comes from years of playing. Garrincha for his part at 32 was still in good shape yet it was clear to see that this would be his last world cup. Brazil however being the great footballing nation it is had other younger players to fill in the gaps left by those who retired such as Jairzinho, Tostao and Gerson.

Brazil started off well in England 66 which turned out to be an equally defensive affair as Chile 62, by defeating Bulgaria by 2-0 with Pele getting the first of Brazil’s goals while the second was scored by Garrincha. Pele in this game did not really play all that well and though he did score off a free kick; his was a shot which the Bulgarian goalkeeper really should have been able to save. Garrincha’s goal and Brazil’s second also came off a free kick yet one which was placed in an angle where it would be unfair to blame the goalkeeper. It is also said that Pele was fouled viciously in this game yet after seeing it or part of the game on youtube. I do not see where the fouls committed against Pele were any where near as bad as those commited against Maradona several years later in Spain 82 by Italy or in Italia 90 by Brazil.

Brazil’s next match was played against Hungary, who in fact was the last team to defeat them in world cup competition back in Switzerland 54. Brazil went in to the game with Hungary without Pele yet it was not their first game in which Pele did not play for them. They after all, just four years ago had won the world cup almost entirely without Pele so I do not see that this would have made such a big difference had Brazil been playing up to the standards they set in Sweden and Chile. Brazil went on to lose this match to Hungary by a score of 3-1 in a game in which Brazil’s lone goal came thanks to Tostao while Hungary’s came courtesy of Bene (just 2 minutes in to the game), Farkas and and Meszoly off a penalty kick. Brazil was out played on this day by a Hungarian team which despite not being what it had been in 54 was able to play very well on offense in a convincing victory over Brazil.

Brazil’s lose to Hungary left them in a situation where they needed to win against Portugal to be sure of qualification. A draw not being a guarantee of anything as their fate would then depend on what Bulgaria; who was already out of the tournament could do against Hungary. Hungary in fact having defeated Bulgaria by 6-1 in the previous world cup.

Against Portugal, Brazil did not get off to such a good start as it was Simoes who gave Portugal the lead just 15 minutes in to the game off an Eusebio cross. This in a game which would have left them eliminated even if it had ended in a draw. As the following day Hungary would defeat Bulgaria by 3-1 which gave them four points to what would have been Brazil’s 3 while Portugal would have finished the group with 5.

Portugal however had a very good team in 66 and wanted to let Brazil know that they were not going to let them get a draw much less a win even if Portugal had already qualified to the next round by virtue of having won their first two games. Portugal, in fact getting their second goal at the 27 minute mark of the game when Eusebio scored his second goal of the tournament. Brazil had been down before yet this was the first time they were down by two goals in a game in which they absolutely had to win. Brazil at that point with nothing left to loose went forward and in a play which is often replayed, Pele was fouled yet I would say not as badly as Maradona would be fouled several year later in Spain. Pele even having to limp off the field yet contrary to what is often said was able to return and run around the field like he had done before.

Brazil was able to make a game of it when Rildo scored with 20 minutes left in the match, to at least give them a glimmer of hope yet all came to an end when Eusebio; just five minutes from the end of the match scored his second to put Portugal up by 3-1. Brazil was beaten and justifiable so. As they had been clearly out played by Portugal while Pele went about making excuses for himself because he had been fouled once or twice in the match.

Pele even saying he would never again play in a world cup. I however would like to point out that if one looks at the game on youtube, one can see that the fouls against Pele were but a few and nowhere near as brutal as those committed against Maradona in Argentina’s match against Cameroon. This being a game which Argentina lost yet Maradona did not complain or use his being fouled to justify Argentina’s lose. This in contrast to Pele and Brazil, who used this one foul to justify, what had not been so much a weak performance on their part in this world but to hide the fact that they had been beaten by two teams (Hungary and Portugal) who had clearly out played them.

Brazil would go on to use the same strategy against France to justify their 3-0 defeat in the 98 final by claiming that Ronaldo was not fit. This in spite of his not showing any apparent injury during the match. It perhaps being a case of knowing before hand that they would lose and wanting to be ready with an excuse if they did loose. Of course in this we could also ask ourselves how often do teams play with all their players completely injury free with not a single player having any problems? Rarely, I would say yet many teams will not resort to using such tactics to justify loosing such as Italy, who in 94 did not use Baggio’s injury against Bulgaria or Baresi’s operation during the world cup as a way to justify their defeat to Brazil in the final.

The next world cup was in Mexico, four years later and contrary to his threats Pele returned along with another great team. It including Jairzinho, Tostao, Gerson, Carlos Alberto and Rivelinho. Pele for his part was now 29 years old and not as fast as he once had been but yet still kept enough of his quality that he might be useful to his team.

As for Mexico 70, it was a world cup which saw changes being made in the game such as allowing teams to substitute up to two players during the match as well as the first use of yellow and red cards. Mexico 70, also saw the first use of instant replays during the game. This a feature which was not available during the matches which were televised from England 66. Of course to this we can add the fact that by 1970 most people through out the world could afford television sets; most of which by that time even being in color. All of which making Mexico 70 the first world cup which most people got to see live.

In Brazil’s first game they defeated Czechoslovakia by a comfortable 4-1 with Pele scoring Brazil’s second goal while the other three came courtesy of a Rivelihno free while Jairzinho added two of his own. Czechoslovakia had been clearly out classed in this game and were definitely not the same team which had gotten to the finals just 8 years prior to this world cup yet Brazil impressed many by beating them by three goals. Pele, for his part despite scoring in this game is mostly remembered for a long distance shot he made when Czechoslovakia’s goalkeeper, Viktor was slightly out of position. This long range effort missing the mark not by much yet I hardly see it as anything phenomenal. Specially since many players have scored from long distances against goalkeepers who were either slightly out position or playing too far off their line. This being the case with Romania’s Haggi who scored a spectacular goal of this nature against Colombia in the 94 world cup.

Brazil next had a harder test against England, the reigning world champions at the time. Brazil and England played each other tightly yet in a match which in my opinion was more conservative. It being as if both teams were sure that it did not matter who won or less, for at the end of it all; they would both qualify to the next round. Brazil and England however despite being played at a leisurely pace and only offering one goal, proved to be entertaining with England hitting the post on one occasion while Brazil’s goalkeeper Felix; made a good save off a Hurst header. This match however perhaps is mostly remembered for a save, England’s Gordon Banks made off a powerful Pele header which he made off a perfect Jairzinho cross. Brazil however would go on to win the game with a second half goal, scored by Jairzinho who not only scored in all six of Brazil’s games but was the only player to score off Banks in the whole of Mexico 70.

Brazil’s next game came against Romania in a game Brazil did not really need to win in order to qualify and could even afford the luxury of losing yet despite this factor ended up wining by three goals to two. This despite a very gallant effort on Romania’s part. Pele in this game seemed like the player of old, from Sweden 58 as he managed to score two goals while the other goal came thanks to Jairzinho. Romania’s goals in this match being scored by Dumitrache and Dembrovschi. Brazil had qualified to the quarterfinals by winning all three of their first round matches. This being something they had never done before even when the world cup had been played in Brazil. It being Switzerland who managed to draw against them at two goals a piece yet this time they got all six points from the group.

As for Pele, he did manage to score three goals in Brazil’s first three games. This to raise his overall total to 11 goals in the world cups and was enjoying a good tournament though in all truth, Brazil had not really faced a team of any real quality with the match against England; almost being played as a friendly. England, in my opinion being a team which won the world cup in 66 simply because they were given a non-existent goal in the final and had an Argentine player unjustly sent off in the quarterfinals. All in a game in which a German served as referee while an English referee worked the Germany-Uruguay game. This creating a situation or the appearance of one in which one hand was washing the other.

Pele as can be expected came back to play with Brazil in the 1962 World Cup which was played in Chile. This time however Pele was much more known to the fans as well as opposing players; who were not really all that eager to see him score another six goals or perhaps more in this world cup. Brazil were defending champions with basically the same players which won the world cup in 58 and who despite the passage of four years were still relatively young. All of which making it easy to see why a second world cup for Brazil in as many tournaments was not out of the realms of realistic possibilities. Specially since there were no other teams which were really strong enough to challenge them. Germany going through a rebuilding period while Italy still did not have the sort of team which could aspire to recapture their glory days of the 30s. Uruguay pretty much being but a shadow of their former selves.

The world cup known as Chile 62 however become a very defensive affair as teams were no longer willing to score as many as three goals or more in loosing efforts as had been the case in Switzerland 54 and Sweden 58. Teams became more eager to hold on to their leads once they had them and not risk them by going forward for more goals. This making most teams play with four defenders and only three forwards where before it had been with two defenders and five forwards.

Brazil for its part got off to what looking back might have been considered a good start in beating Mexico by 2-0 with Pele scoring Brazil’s first goal yet despite this victory; Brazil was severely criticized with much of the blame falling not only on their performance but on Pele. This despite Pele’s having scored one of Brazil’s two goals. This perhaps allowing Pele to see for himself what Mazola had experienced four years earlier when despite having scored two goals in Brazil’s first match; still had people saying he should not be on Brazil’s team. It being a case that Brazilian fans in those days were used to seeing Brazil beat Mexico by much more goals than only two. Brazil, after all had beaten Mexico by 5-0 in Brazil 50 and by 4-0 in Switzerland 54. All of which standing to their reason that a defending world champion should be able to beat Mexico, once again by at least as wide a margin as their teams in the past had done if not by a wider one.

Brazil’s next game came against Czechoslovakia. This a match which ended in a 0-0 draw and with even more criticism aimed at Brazil by their fans and media back home. It was also in this match that Pele left the field injured not to return for the rest of the tournament. Pele had not even been touched by any of Czechoslovakia’s players yet despite this managed to do damage on himself which would take him out of the remainder of the world cup.

For my part, I being skeptical about almost everything, wonder if Pele’s injury was such that he could not have played Brazil’s next game against Spain. Pele after all had not broken anything and had not even been fouled. Was it perhaps an attempt to try another player? Pele had not really played all that well in Brazil’s first two matches or such it was perceived by the fans and the media back home. So I often wonder if perhaps Brazil’s trainer did not exaggerate the gravity of Pele’s injury in order to try another player in his place like he had done with Pele in Mazola’s place four years earlier. It being Amarildo who took Pele’s place against Spain in a game which though not an absolute must win game for Brazil; was one in which they would have to do better than they had in their first two matches. This if perhaps not to qualify, at least to demonstrate to their fans that they were still a team capable of producing great football.

The game started with Spain taking a 1-0 lead when Adelardo scored 35 minutes in to the game. Spain would even take a 1-0 lead in to the second half. This something which had not happened in a very long that that Brazil ended the first half behind on the scoreboard. Brazil at this point even finding themselves in danger of being eliminated in the first round. This being the case that Spain with a win would have had four points which would have put them first in the group. Brazil with a loss would have had three points which would leave them depending on what Mexico (who was already out of the competition) could do against Czechoslovakia. Naturally a Czech victory or even a tie would have left Brazil out had they lost.

All however proved to be academic, as Brazil came back in the second half to win the game by two goals to one with both goals being scored by Amarildo; who just happened to be the man playing in Pele’s place. Obviously Pele’s replacement was doing his duty so I wonder if Pele would have been able to return to the starting team even if he had been healthy or if his injury was such that it was the real reason he was kept out of the starting lineup.

Amarildo had played well against Spain, this there was no doubts about and specially in a world cup in which defensive play was the order of the day unlike it had been in the last two previous world cups. Spain, in fact having a strong team back then which two years later went on to win the European nations cup.

Brazil went on to win their next two matches with relative ease. First against England by 3-1. This in a game which Garrincha scored two truly amazing goals. First one off a header and the next one of a free kick which could not have been better placed. Brazil’s other goal being scored by Vava, who continued where he left off in Sweden 58. Brazil’s next win came in the semifinals against the home team, Chile whom they defeated by a score of 4-2 with once again; Garrincha and Vava doing the scoring for Brazil. It being Garrincha who scored Brazil’s first two while Vava scored Brazil’s third and fourth.

Brazil was clearly playing well and was in top form and all without Pele. It was a case of this team being of such a high quality that even the absence of Pele did not disturb anything. Apparently Amarildo had been more than capable of filling the void left by Pele while the rest by just keeping up their level allowed Brazil to easily get in to the final. Of course, one could always say that this world cup did not really have very strong teams and those which were in fact solid such as the Soviet Union (winner of the 1960 European Championship) and Hungary did not really live up to expectations; apart the fact that Brazil did not have to face them anyway. Brazil was in the finals however and to their credit deservedly so and all without the man who many would later call the best player of all time.

In the finals Brazil met Czechoslovakia for the second time in the tournament yet unlike in their first match; this one could not end in a draw. Czechoslovakia, for its part like Sweden four years earlier also scored the first goal though not as early in the match as Sweden. Czechoslovakia in fact having to wait till the 15th minute of the game when Masopust slipped past Brazil’s defense to give his team a 1-0 lead. Brazil however being the solid team they were did not take long to reply. Brazil in fact having to wait but two minutes till Amarildo (Pele’s replacement) scored to level matters at one a piece. Amarildo, scoring a brilliant goal from a very tight angle which perhaps Czechoslovakia’s goalkeeper; Schroijf should have saved yet the score none the less was tied at one all.

Czechoslovakia for what concerned them, were playing well and went in to the half time break tied at one though it is my opinion that they perhaps celebrated too much after scoring. This allowing Brazil to get back in to the game after only two minutes of having gone down by a goal to nil. Czechoslovakia had its chances in the first period and had it not been for their lack of concentration after scoring and Schroijf’s error perhaps would have gone in to the half time break with a one goal lead or perhaps a two goal lead. This if they had continued with the solid play which had gotten them to the final in the first place.

Brazil however regrouped at the half and came out strong with Zito scoring his first world cup goal and Brazil’s second in the final to put them up by 2-1. Brazil perhaps was not dominating as strongly as they had in 58 yet were definitely in the drivers seat. It being in the 78th minute of the game that Garrincha sent up a high ball which in all honesty should not have given Czech goalkeeper, Schroijf any problems what so ever yet he somehow managed to drop it. The ball falling straight in to the path of the ever opportunistic Vava, who scored his first goal of the match and Brazil’s third to make the score 3-1; which is how it would end.

This last goal making Vava the first player to score in two finals. Brazil had won the world cup and became just the second team, after Italy to win two in a row and to a certain extent Pele had picked up his second world cup win though in all truth, as I have clearly pointed out; he hardly played. Naturally, to many at the time this did not really matter as Pele was a man who at the age of 21 had already won two world cups even if the second one was just for being on the team and little else. This perhaps making it possible for Argentina to say that Pasarella won two world cups with Argentina, who as a matter of fact only played in their first game against South Korea but I ask is this enough to say he is a double world champion? I would go one step further and ask if Brazil had beaten France in 98 then could Ronaldo claim to have won three world cups as well since he was on their world cup winning team in 94 though did not play at all? This being a matter of interpretation of course.

As an added comment, I would like to say that I feel it is sad that Amarildo did not really get the credit he earned for his performance in Chile 62. It being Amarildo, who to a certain extent with his two goals against Spain saved Brazil from the humiliation of being eliminated in the first round. Amarildo even scoring in the final when Brazil was loosing by 1-0 yet despite his efforts which were important in Brazil’s second world cup win, is rarely if ever mentioned amongst the great players of all time though he undoubtedly was.