World cup 2010 belongs to the South American teams, Brazil & Argentina strong contenders
The world cup may be on Africa’s pitch but quite evidently, it’s overwhelmingly dominated by South America. For the first time since 1930, four South American teams have qualified for the last 8 stage of the world cup.
Back in 1930, only 3 European teams entered the competition, as a gruelling 3 week journey by boat was required to make the trip to the Continent. However, in 2010 there is no such excuse to downplay the achievements of Brazil, Argentina, Uruguay and Paraguay, who will play Netherlands, Germany, Ghana and Spain in the quarterfinals of this year’s world cup.
There exists a conspicuous similarity between the South American teams that goes beyond their shared culture. To varying degrees, they all represent the same football philosophy, the same football ethos. South Americans play the fashionable, stylish version of the game, where ability is given preference over physicality dribbling; improvisation and innovation are the prime aspects of their game. No wonder South Americans produce so many players, who are fast paced and can dribble past a defender at lightening fast speeds. It’s all down to the culture that is prevalent in the continent, the children play their football on the streets, unlike Europe, where they play the systematic football at academies in lush green parks and produce the typical stale academy products.
South Americans play fast paced, attractive version of slick passing football that is so easy on the eyes, it is the type of football that Barcelona and Arsenal emulate in Europe and Spain successfully mastered the art en route to their first ever Continental crown in 2008. There are of course differences and variations with this philosophy. On one hand there is a hunger for possession from Argentina, their players have a love for the ball and believe that giving the ball away is a cardinal sin. On the other hand is the physical prowess of Paraguay and Uruguay. Moreover, in the middle lay Brazil possessing a touch of beauty and a touch of the beast. All the four teams are the graduates from the same school that teaches them to cherish the ball and to hold it as much as possible. It is not only about the tricks and audacious flicks; it is about starving the opposition of possession and opening them up with mesmerizing one touch football.
It is why the exclusion of a player like Joe Cole produced such bewilderment among the South American media and journalists. Cole is a classic number 10 – a number that carries the legacy of Maradona, Pele, Zico, Eusebio and Francescoli. Cole is a type of player that is blessed with the ability and skill to crack open defences, just like Robinho, Messi and Iniesta do for their respective countries. World cup 2010 is a rebirth for this type of football. All the four semi finalists at Germany ’06 were from Europe and none of them produced the kind of display that will be remembered for the years to come. Eventual Champions were praised for their defence, more than their attack and it was a centre back in Fabio Cannavaro, who won the player of the tournament accolade. Just four years on, there are four teams from the same footballing school, five if Spain is also included.
This year it could be an all South American affair in the semi finals and nobody will be putting their house against it. Even if they fail to make it an all South American affair from the semi finals onwards, history is against the Europeans and the solo African flag bearers Ghana; whenever a world cup has been held outside Europe, it has been won by a South American team. Guess we’ll just have to wait and see what Paul; the Prognosticator German octopus has to say!
Tags: