The famous faces in the canary-yellow strip change. The expectations do not.
They are, after all, A Selecao (The Selection).
"We have to learn to live with the favourites’ tag," declared table-setting midfielder Kaka after Brazil had secured World Cup qualification by trimming archrivals Argentina 3-1 in early September. "We mustn’t let it turn into something negative, as it has done in previous years."
Ho hum. Another quadrennial. Another World Cup. Another No. 1 ranking on the FIFA charts.
Another piledriver worth of pressure.
Not that it’s any great surprise. Comes with the certificate of birth. They know nothing less.
Four years ago in Germany, the Brazilian Dream Team, rolling nicely through its opening four matches while scoring 12 times, came shockingly unstuck at the quarter-final stage, slain by a stubborn French side and a 57th-minute strike from Thierry Henry.
A nation simultaneously mourned and seethed.
Unsurprisingly, given the unshakable standards and unsurpassed talent pool, seven of the starting 11 that deflating day in Frankfurt – goalkeeper Dida, defenders Roberto Carlos and Cafu, midfielders Emerson, Ze Roberto, Juninho and Ronaldinho, along with strikers Ronaldo and Adriano – won’t, through age or selection issues, so much as feature in South Africa.
They have been replaced by a succeeding generation of national icons. Julio Cesar, Dani Alves, Maicon, Robinho and Luis Fabiano are the ones now laden with the sacred trust of delivering a sixth World Cup title.
Such is the ridiculous depth of quality in Brazil that A.C. Milan striker Pato, the mildly resurgent Ronaldhino, Sao Paulo midfielder Hernanes (trumpeted as the most promising under-25 football player in the world by the Times of London a year ago) and Santos wonder-boy Neymar all missed out, too.
The selections and omissions naturally triggered national debate.
"I beg the Brazilian fans that they support us," said Dunga. "If they don’t like me or something, that’s fine, but I want them to support us, to be patriots."
What’s beyond dispute, though, is who will be Brazil’s focal point at this African adventure.
Just as 2002 was Ronaldo’s team and 2006 Ronaldinho’s, this assault on planetary dominance will be led by Ricardo Izecson dos Santos Leite, or Kaka as the world knows him, the Real Madrid playmaker aiming to atone for a frustrating first season at the Bernabeu, when he was slowed by groin and thigh issues.
Eight years ago at Korea/Japan, the 2007 Ballon d’Or recipient was merely a starry-eyed 20-year-old savouring the moment. In Germany he graduated to playing a more vital role but nevertheless still deferred to the old guard, to Ronaldo and Ronaldinho.
The show, sir, is all yours now.
"There’s a big difference," Kaka told FIFA.com, when asked to compare the ’06 side with the one no installed as co-favourites alongside Euro champions Spain. "That was a very successful team that had won a lot of things but was coming to the end of an era. There are many younger players in the team now and we’re very hungry. It’s a side with a lot to prove but I think we’re right where we need to be."
Purists of the Beautiful Game are already salivating about a potential Brazil-Spain final. Should the two superpowers finish atop their groups, as expected, they couldn’t butt heads until July 11 at Johannesburg’s Soccer Stadium.
But the Brazilians have been drawn into this edition’s Group of Death, alongside Cristiano Ronaldo’s Portugal and Didier Drogba’s Ivory Coast. Nothing is going to come easy.
"This is definitely a great opportunity to erase memories of last time," conceded Kaka. "We reached three finals in a row between 1994 and 2002, and in that respect 2006 was sort of understandable. It was the end of a cycle for us. Several players have moved on and we’re all expecting a successful new phase to begin.
"Let’s hope it starts now."
It has to.
They are, after all, A Selecao. The anointed ones.
Failure not being an option.
Comments