The day Samba overcame Tango

I want to put the Copa lost behind and start thinking about the big thing in 2010. After all, first qualifier match is just 2 month away.

First, let me finish up where I left off with an interview by Kaveh Mahjoob from Last Kick. The interviewee was Brazilian football manager Edson Araujo Tavares.
I picked this one because it's from a professional point of view, and it gives us insight instead of brochures.

The 2007 version of Copa-America was exiting, displayed fantastic attacking football and at the end predictive. Brazil and Argentina have been the top two teams of South America continent for many decades and not surprisingly, these two teams made it to the finals. Although Brazil football has been world number one for many years, in this tournament, we witnessed the great class of Argentina and looking through the entire tournament, Argentineans demonstrated the most exciting style of play that have been witnessed for many years. At the end though, it was Brazil that once again for the third time over the last eight years defeated Argentina and won the championship.

At the end, it was Brazil that was victorious once more although most fans were satisfied with how Argentina played all the way until the final match.

Brazilian Edson Tavarez has been coaching for a long time and Iranian football fans remember him from his days two years ago at Sepahan. I had an opportunity to ask Mr. Tavarez a few questions about Copa-America.

Kaveh – Once again we found the two South America powerhouses in Copa-America’s final. Your thoughts?

Edson - During the last few years Argentina and Brazil have been the dominant teams in South- America and especially in Copa America. This was the 4th time in five Copa America that Brazil and Argentina faced each other in the finalists. Once again we witnessed Brazil against Argentina and once again we saw the Tango dancers of Argentina came out short against the Samba dancers of Brazil and this time, the Venezuelans were the host for the final dance. Also note that no matter where these two countries face each other, the rivalry is alive on the field.

Kaveh – Fans love to watch Brazil and Argentina perform. This time around though, overall the playing style of Argentina seemed more in sync than Brazilians. What is the current state of football at these two countries and do you agree with this observation?

Edson - EL TANGO of Argentineans Zaneti, Cambiasso, Veron, Riquelme and MESSI is really a well orchestrated dance. Their coordination between the lines is just tactically perfect. Also the quality of the new generation’s TANGO is unbelievable.

In this group of players from Argentina we can see exiting players such as Lucho Gomzales (FC Porto), Gago (Real Madrid), C. Tevez, Palacio (Boca Juniors) and Aimar (Zaragoza). Think about it, they are all of reserve players…

Can you imagine that? Can you imagine such quality of human being on the bench?

This team was based on Argentina’s U 21 Champions and many of them moved to abroad for club play for better financial conditions.

The SAMBA of Brazil on the other hand actually has many problems. First the President of CBF ( Brazilian Federation ), Ricardo Teixeira, appointed `Dunga ` and Jorginho as coaches of the Brazilian team, despite all complains in Brazil Coaches Association, Union of Coaches, Ministry of Sports.

Even the President of Brazil LULA tried to interfere in CBF but since the football federation is a private organization, the decision was stood.

Kaveh – Dunga is another one of great Brazilian players turning quickly to a head coach. At least in this one example, it seems like Brazilians are following Klinseman and Germans.

Edson - DUNGA never worked as a coach before this tournament and has not even coached in U15 (Under 15 years of age).

Jorginho had only 3 months of experience as a coach.

In 1991, we made the very same mistake when in 1991 when FALCAO coached and led the Brazil National Team with a Titanic like experience.

Many of the current Brazilian players in the National Team have no qualification to dance our SAMBA with our yellow shirts. More than 9 players are not in this team for different reasons but we all know the true.

Ronaldo, Ricardo Oliveira, Julio Cesar (Inter-Milan), Ronaldinho, Edmilson (Barcelona), Lucio, Ze Roberto ( Bayern Munich ), Kaka ( Milan ), Lucar ( Liverpool and U21 Brazil), Cicinho (Real Madrid) and others should not have refused to play.

Kaveh – Why did these players refuse to play?

Edson – Ronaldo is from the south of Brazil and his former team Gremio is the enemy of Internacional club where Dunga played.

In the end of Dunga’s playing career, Ronaldinho played against him and humiliated Dunga in the front of more them 90,000 people. Dunga then went on to finish his playing career with Internacional.

This event is vital in the south of Brazil. When Dunga becomes coach of Brazil natioan team, he could not shake these memories. As a result, he has benched Ronaldinho many times. Dunga’s excuse is that "Ronaldinho has to earn his spot in the national team. It is therefore easy to undersant why Ronaldo doesn´t want play for the national team.

As far as Ka Ka is concerned, the problem is tactical. In Milan Ka Ka plays as a free player but in Brazil he can’t have that role. So he chose to get some rest and watch the matches and wait for the results.

As for other players who didn’t join the team, they had different reasons but the common thread was their differences with the coach.

Kaveh – How do you evaluate Brazilians’ performance?

Edson – In this tournament, Dunga’s team was lucky. They lost the first game against Mexico, and then defeated Ecuador with a penalty kick. Then Brazil faced Chile that was already qualified.

By Luck Brazil faced Chile once more. Based on the way Chileans played, I guess they got drunk before the match otherwise how do you justify a 6 – 1 result.

As you heard, several key players went drinking the night before the match. Check the Chilean Football Federation’s site. They banned 8 players including Valdivia who was one of their better players.

In the second round we played Uruguay and we won in the penalty stage after a 2-2 regulation result. The results are not as important. What’s important is how we played and what system we used.

Kaveh – In terms of style of play, how different are these two countries?

Edson - Brazil and Argentina play a similar system on the field and play a 4-4-2 game.

However, the TANGO’s team placement of players is different them SAMBA’s team.

Argentina’s midfielders, Mascherano, Veron and Cambiasso, have more quality to build-up from behind the offensive situation. Their passing quality is better and in fact is much better.

Brazil´s Gilberto Silva, Josue and Mineiro, are 3 permanent defenders. For Brazilians, the key of the strategy in Losango system approach is the one of the strikers… in the TANGOS team this job is for Riquelme and Brazil has not found yet player to do this job.

Kaveh – Please explain the Losango system.

Edson - Losango is the disposition of the players inside the field and the 4-4-2 is the system, but the 4 players in the Midfield are used in different ways or dispositions. For example, we may have two defensive midfielders and 2 offensive ones. Arsenal plays the same system. We call it QUADRADO or QUADRATE. If you remember in last World Cup, Brazil played with Magic Quadrado (quadrant).

Losango in its traditional way has 1 defensive midfielder, 1 midfielder on the right side, 1 on the left side and 1 as the offensive midfielder. That is Losango.

Kaveh – Thanks. Now let’s go back to your comparison of Argentina and Brazil.

Edson - Defensively, Argentina plays with libero in the diagonal of the ball position, like I did in Sepahan, sometimes with Ayala and sometimes with Milito. Brazil also plays with the line approach in defense.

Offensively, Argentina without Crespo (out due to injury), plays with Messi in the sides and also as MD offensive sometimes and Tevez or Palacio between the 2 opposite defenders… Brazil with Robinho moving in the sides and comes from behind is the only option for creative movements… W. LOVE is not ready to be the key striker for Brazil team.

TANGO’s team has more coordination meaning that when they have the ball they all attack and when they don’t have the ball they all defend.

In TANGO, Alfio Basile gave to Argentina the look of his mentor CARLOS GARDEL

Despite Brazil not playing well in several games, no tactical organization, Physically bad we all knows that when Brazil reaches the final it would become the same Brazil we have known … and Argentina trembles when they face Brazil as they did. We Brazilians prefer to play against Argentina in final … better then Mexico, in my opinion the surprise team in Copa- America.

Kaveh – Last thoughts on Copa-America?

Edson – I believe that the level of competition still remains good … just good … but tactically only Brazil and Argentina have shown improvement. The performance of Mexico was a big surprise, especially if we consider that Mexico played the Copa America without 6 or 7 key players. Castillo was the best scorer. He in only 21 years old and is a very talented player.

The final was especially good for the Venezuela organization. Can you imagine if Venezuela had played in the final?

In the last few finals, Brazil has never lost to Argentina and this time was no exception.

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In the interview, Edson mentioned Carlos Gardel, making it the 3rd time that name had appeared on this blog. There had been a request from last time I posted Gardel's music, so here's the most famous Gardel piece, Por Una Cabeza. This song is about losing a bet by a head (of the horse).



Losing by a head, of a noble horse,
who slackens just down the stretch.
And when it comes back, it seemed to say:
don't forget brother,
You know, you shouldn't have bet.

Losing by a head, instant violent love,
of that flirtatious and cheerful woman.
who, swearing with a smile,
a love she's lying about,
burns in a blaze, all my love.

Losing by a head,
there was all that madness;
her mouth in a kiss,
wipes out the sadness,
it soothes the bitterness.

Losing by a head,
if she forgets me,
no matter to lose,
my life a thousand times;
what to live for?

Many deceptions, loosing by a head...
I swore a thousand times not to insist again.
But if a look sways me on passing by,
her lips of fire, I want to kiss once more.

Enough of race tracks, no more gambling,
a photo-finish I'm not watching again.
But if a pony looks like a sure thing on Sunday,
I'll bet everything again, what can I do?