Brazil desperately need a new phenomenon
‘O Fenomeno’ echoed the Argentinian journalist beside me, before adding, with real feeling: “The best player in the world in the last 20 years...”
Coming from a native of Brazil’s deadliest rivals, this was praise indeed. But then the new addition to our little band of suddenly dumbstruck hacks and volunteers was none other than the man who, like Ali (‘Champ’) and Pele (‘The King’), is known simply to one and all in these parts by an instantly recognisable superlative — ‘The Phenomenon’.
This was Ronaldo Luis Nazario de Lima, — Ronaldo The First — his mere arrival in our confined space instantly altering the temperature and, after an awed silence, prompting staff and journos to stick mics and cameras into the poor man’s face.
He is still, unmistakably, ‘O Fenomeno’, and just to share a few seconds of elevator time with the great man gave all of us who were there a bit of, well, a lift.
Nor was he the only Brazilian star of yesteryear on hand for the Argentina-Belgium game that day. Roberto Carlos is also busy beaming it down the cathode tube at this Copa Do Mundo, and it was quite a hoot to suddenly come upon old thunder thighs himself having to queue up at the media snack bar like the rest of us mere mortals for his hang sangwich and aqua con gas.
As a depleted Brazil prepare to crank it up once again for their semi-final collision with Germany here in Belo Horizonte this evening, what the nation wouldn’t give to have Ronaldo and Roberto Carlos booted, not suited, and back in the canary yellow and cobalt blue. Hell, you suspect even their respectively chunky and spectacle-wearing 2014 versions would be some kind of a useful addition to a cause which is now almost wholly devoid of superstar magic dust.
The loss of Neymar, of course, continues to convulse the nation, even if the incurably optimistic are never slow to point out that, despite losing Pele to injury in their second game, Brazil went on to win the World Cup in Chile in 1962. However, Amarildo, the then 22-year-old who had the unenviable task of filling Pele’s boots, reckons the comparison is misplaced in one important regard.
“At the time, we had Pele, who was unique, whom everyone thought was irreplaceable,” he said in a radio interview here. Then, however, Brazil had a barn full of aces — we could have fielded 10 different teams all equal to the other. We don’t have another player like Neymar. We could have if they had called up Robinho. He has the same style as Neymar and, if he could play, the team wouldn’t have to alter its style at all.”
The not so veiled criticism of Felipe Scolari’s original squad selection is a reversion to the unhappy noises which were widely heard before this tournament began. However, such early disenchantment has long since been almost totally eclipsed by the popular fervour which has intensified with every game in the team’s madcap run to the semi-finals. And, post-Neymar, you can now add into the mix elements of injustice and even martyrdom, with the result that Brazil will go into the game against Germany tonight riding the crest of a national tsunami of wild emotion.
With suspended skipper Thiago Silva also out, David Luiz now takes centre-stage. Footage of his spectacular free-kick against Colombia is on a permanent loop here and — a sure sign of his elevation from mere household name to nation’s favourite son — his Mum was even interviewed on the telly the other night. The embodiment of the team’s split personality, Luiz simultaneously defines its raging warrior spirit and encapsulates its ragged deficiencies, one moment illuminating the scene with one of the greatest goals in World Cup history, the next dawdling too long in possession, as if in a trance, and exposing his team to the counter-attack.
And, to make matters worse for Brazil, if there is one national team more capable than any other of drawing the opposition’s sting and turning it to their advantage, it is Germany. Going into the quarter-finals in the unaccustomed role of underdogs against a buoyant French side, they did precisely that with, by some distance, their most composed and coherent performance of the tournament.
Joachim Low’s belated decision to reshuffle his pack — returning Phillip Lahm to his right-full and rightful position — paid handsome dividends, and there’s a sense that, while not a team for the ages, this side are getting it together at just the right time.
Frankly, tonight’s is an almost impossible game to call, especially in the context of a tournament which has already defied logic at every other turn. The head certainly says Germany but the heart — and it’s almost all about heart now with Brazil — says Big Phil’s boys can stumble and stagger and steamroll their way through again.
And that’s just today’s inviting menu here in Belo Horizonte. Tomorrow, it’s another tasty pairing, Argentina against the Dutch, a match which — with James Rodriguez and Neymar out of contention — can almost be reduced to a head to head between the two best players still in the competition, Messi and Arjen Robben. And, of course, for Argentina in particular, there will now be a significant emotional overlay, following the death yesterday of Alfredo di Stefano.
But, first up, it’s the Selaceo — and a supporting cast of 200 million — against Die Mannschaft.
