After completing the second phase of the World Cup tournament in Russia, from today the third phase of second knock-out stage is going to start where 8 teams will be vying for the penultimate spot in the cluster of 4 teams. In the first phase where all the 32 qualified teams participated, who ever thought that the giants of foot-balling nations like Argentina, Germany and Spain will collapse like a pack of cards in the first round itself while Portugal in the second round? Other than Portugal the remaining teams are previous World Cup winners not only once but more than once like Germany and Argentina.
That in this tournament organized by Russia, giants will collapse came to be known when another giant Italy was thrown out in the qualifying stage only thereby giving an impression that some “Surprise Teams” will unexpectedly come to the fore and rule the world. In fact, almost in every World Cup tournament there is bound to be a Surprise Team which may reach to the penultimate stage or not but these teams create surprises especially for the giants as North Korea created in 1966 World Cup, good that the Mozambican born Black Panther, Eusebio D’Silva of Portugal produced a class of a hat-trick when they were down by 3 goals and went on giving a magnificent victory of 5-3 to our former masters. Earlier North Korea ousted Italian giants from that tournament.
The 2 of the giants knocked out of this tournament in the first stage Argentina and in the second stage Portugal were under the impression that their 2 World best heroes namely Messi and Ronaldo respectively will win them the Championship for their countries. But I pity their soccer wisdom because foot-ball is not an individual sport where one relies on individual but foot-ball is a TEAM Sport where every individual is as important as the other, where every team member plays his individual role in co-operation with the other. What Messi and Ronaldo with all their individual brilliance can do without the excellent support of their other colleagues? In 1986 W.Cup, Maradona though excellent as an individual player yet he attained the success only because of the presence of his other colleagues like Valdano in his team. Even during Pele’s time from 1958 when he first time played for Brazil in the World Cup at the baby age of 16, Pele was not the only player responsible for Brazil to win them the World Cup though he was highly skillful and important member of the Brazilian squads in both the winning World Cups in 1958 and 1962.
In fact along with Pele there were other giants in their squad namely Garrincha, Zagallo, Vava and others who could change the outlook of their game at the spur of the moment and put their opponents into total disarray. In fact according to some soccer experts during that period, it was commented that Garrincha could be much better than Pele if he was not after Drinks. With his bended legs he was scoring goals directly from the corner kicks. Poor guy at the time of his death he died a very miserable death as unsung and forgotten hero deserted by his wife and others, even Pele did not attend to his funeral where his Funeral Cortege was brought to the Maracana Stadium in order to respect him for his excellent display of artistic soccer he played at the Maracana Stadium where thousands of his fans and spectators and well wishers too thronged to have his final glimpses. He played his last World Cup in 1966 in England where he even scored one of his trademark magnificent goals. HE spoiled his life at the early age itself by going after excessive women and Drinks.
From 1978 I am watching the live coverage of every World Cup, thanks to Kuwait that afforded me so many opportunities to see and to enjoy so many things, of course without missing a single match. Only this time I missed a few encounters in the first round because of my hospitalization. Besides, to supplement my thirst for more information on these World Cup tournaments I was regularly reading some of the World renowned soccer Magazines either as a subscriber or as a member of British Council Library. In fact when I got myself registered as a subscriber of World Best Soccer Magazine “WORLD SOCCER” from England in 1975 the year I landed in Kuwait, I was told that I was the only subscriber of this magazine in whole of Kuwait. From my first meager salary in Kuwait I purchased the most expensive and the MOST Best book on soccer written by Pele, the title of that Book was “PLAY FOOT-BALL WITH PELE” where Pele gives 11 different lessons to the 11 different players on 11 different positions.
When I saw this Book in one of the Showcases in the topmost Book Shop in Kuwait, I asked the price of that Book with the Palestinian Counter Salesman there who not only in his traditional prideful discipline downgraded my capacity and willingness to purchase it but more than that he scorned at me by posing a counter question,” you will buy such world renown books? And what is your foot-ball quality to buy such books? You are an Indian who does not know to play the game of soccer" and concluded by saying insultingly of course, “please get lost from here and don’t waste my time”. I remained cool and removed my purse from my pocket”. Surprised he became told me in a defeated tone that this is the only book we received for Sales Promotion and it is still lying in our Showcase for over a year. But you being an Indian you surprised me, said he, but I did not utter a single word because I wanted that book to come in my hand first before somebody a crazy person like me, after foot-ball, could purchase it.
After watching so many World Cup Tournaments, I feel this is so far one of the best tournaments where in every aspect of the game all the teams rose up and displayed the same type of soccer standard as displayed by the best in the World though some of them may be losers. The attacks were initiated from both the flanks keeping the space in the middle for both the outers and inners to mount pressure on their opponents near the goalmouth of their opponents thus creating goal scoring opportunites.
The other most important aspect I noticed in this tournament was the accurate passing, pushing the ball even thru the small gaps and openings and these passes were very hard hitting. Erratic long distance shooting was avoided and most important improvement was the physical fitness where every player runs like a sprinter and exchanges his position without anybody’s notice.
The other major improvement was the skill of goalkeeping where the goalkeepers use not only their hands but their entire bodies from heads to the toes for stopping the ball from entering into the nets.
Regarding the one and the only remaining super footballer in this tournament, the Brazilian Neymar, I feel it is our luck that we got an opportunity to see more of his excellence which is really fantastic especially running with the ball even thru the wall made by the defenders and feeding his colleagues who are really exceptional and whom I can rate much higher than those of magnificent Brazilan squad of 1982. Especial mention must be made for the rocky defense Brazilian are creating with sure footed goal line clearances. It is going to be a thriller to watch the Brazilians entertaining the spectators and viewers all around the globe.
Meantime, watch out Uruguay and Croatia for producing Surprises in this tournament.
Good Luck to all the Quarter finalists.
A.Veronica Fernandes.