I must admit, I was a crazy Brazilian fan and then 1998 happened. That year after gracing the world with the Ro-Ro combination of Ronaldo and Romario, Brazil went to the World Cup in France without Romario. As a fan who stayed glued to the TV 4 years earlier when Brazil won, I felt betrayed and was bitter about that. I have never forgiven Brazil for shunning Romario and turned to Europe and cheered for England instead. Come 2010 and the England team crumbled spectacularly before my eyes, again.
The 2010 FIFA World Cup is about to end and the semi-finalists have been decided. If there was something missing from these games, it was the flair. Portugal, Spain and Brazil have either failed to progress or even show up. The Spanish are still waiting for Torres to show up and he may never wake up. Lionel Messi and his magic has wilted under pressure and instead players like David Villa, Klose and Podolski are now synonymous with winning. But most importantly, the departure of Argentina but more importantly Brazil has taken the flair away from the tournament. Now grit, determination and tact; very structured football will win the World Cup. Like 2006, a composed, well balanced team will win the tournament not a team relying on the individual brilliance of stars like the 2002 winners Rivaldo and Ronaldo.
Two men have attempted to continue the tradition of former players who win the World Cup as coaches. The two most prominent ones were Argentina’s Maradona and Brazil’s Dunga. I have a feeling the latter may simply disappear into oblivion while Maradona has in many ways vindicated himself. After a troublesome after life from soccer, Maradona has established himself as viable coach and I believe his rebirth will continue. He may never climb to the same heights as leading Argentina again but he has certainly erased some of the memories of his recent troubled past with this World Cup campaign.
Brazilians, however, are viciously unforgiving and Dunga unlike Maradona may simply find himself out of a job, out of the spotlight and crucified by Brazilians from all works of life. His approach has been controversial and the attempt to adopt the European game has failed miserably. True, Brazil were efficient, ruthless at times but they only have the Confederation Cup to show for it. That is hardly something worth anybody’s time in Brazil; what they wanted was this World Cup and now they don’t.
For me, the flair is gone from the World Cup. It was excruciating for me to watch the “boring” Italians lift the 2006 World Cup but I take heart in the fact that if the well organized but excitable Germans continue their form to claim the ultimate prize; it may be worth my time. But let us face it; once the Brazilians exited the tournament it seemed like they took away a huge part of the World Cup.
2014 is the year Brazil hosts the World’s greatest show and it may just allow every Brazilian fans the chance to win the World Cup with flair in the most beautiful way. Who knows, I might have come to terms with the fact that I am a Brazilian fan through and through after all.