prideargentino1958 made a revolution in brazilian football. Brazilian teams used to play in a pure 4-2-4, but this team had Zagallo (left winger) marking in the midfield on his team lost the ball, making a type of a 4-3-3.
04.02.2010
Robert O'CarlosJust an observation on the 4-2-4 system.
:-)
I was interested to read in Pele's autobiography his assertion that Brazil never really played 4-2-4, they considered it was played as a standard 4-4-2 (with defensively lax wingers).
No opinion on it myself, just thought it might interest you.
:-)
04.02.2010
nvrOTOH, the strictest 4-4-2 played by a Brazilian team looks like 2-2-6 to me.
Am I the only one who thinks that Pele is incomplete as a player as he never played club football in Europe?
05.02.2010
prideargentinoNo, man. Pele was as complete as it gets. Could shoot with both feet, playmake, score with headers, free kicks and was fast and strong as hell.
And at Pele's time, no brazilians moved to Europe. All players of the brazil team that won the world cup in 1958,1962 and 1970 played in Brazil. That means brazilian clubs from that time were great. Santos (Pele's team) was considered the best team in the world. They once beat, in the same week, Internazionale and Barcelona (in their homes) by 7 to 1 and 5 to 1. (Pele scored 4 against Inter and to against Barça.
05.02.2010
prideargentinoRobert Carlos, Zagallo was indeed a "defensive" winger, but not Garrincha.
I've seen Pele and others from Brazil say that the 1970 team played sometimes with a 4-5-1 with only Tostao upfront.
05.02.2010
willieDidn't Vava start over Coutinho? Could you make A lineup for the 1986 team? Though they weren't up their w/ these teams, they still had this elegance to them, & fought like a wounded lion against an attacking France. Damn Argentina, if we could just get a lucky break maybe we wouldn't be in this crazy position of knowing we won't win!
07.02.2010
Robert O'Carlos@ nvr
I can understand your point about Pele never having tested himself abroad. Very difficult to judge without that direct comparison.
I'm not sure Pele would have flourished in Europe with the styles being so different. As an attacker within an attacking league tho, he was an amazing talent.
11.02.2010
prideargentinoYes. Vava starded. I made a mistake.
11.02.2010
willieDo you know the lineup Brazil played in 86???
11.02.2010
johnlenninCome on, what are you guys talking about?! European clubs are the best of the world today because they sign the best players of all over the world, specially south-american ones... nowadays the whole Brasil and Argentina's national teams play for european clubs... in the sixties, the brasilian cup was the best national tournament of the world, doubtlessly... if it was like it is today, Tostão would play for chelsea, Jairzinho for juventus, Pelé for real madrid... but they were at cruzeiro, botafogo and santos instead... which were the best clubs in the world by then. And about this "attacker within an attacking league" story, Pelé destroyed wales, england, france and sweden's defensive system in 58, just as he did against england and italy in 70. What else do you need to consider the athlete of the century "complete as a player"?
20.02.2010
