Analysis on why Brazil did not win the 1982 World Cup

Bill

Abang2 dan pakcik2 yg sempat hidup masa zaman ni share la sikit info pasal this Brazilian team yek, aku tak lahir lagi pada masa tu....


Brazil in the 1982 World Cup
Brazil in the World Cups
Brazil in the World Cup 2006 - Germany

Check out also: Brazil in the World Cup 2010 and World Cup 2014.

Photo: Brazil Federation

Valdir Peres, Leandro, Oscar, Falcão, Luisinho and Júnior;
Sócrates, Cerezzo, Serginho, Zico and Éder.

The team: Valdir Peres, Leandro, Oscar (C), Luisinho and Júnior; Toninho Cerezzo, Falcão, Sócrates and Zico; Serginho and Éder.
Reserves: Paulo Sérgio (G), Carlos (G), Edevaldo, Juninho, Edinho, Pedrinho, Batista, Paulo Isidoro, Renato, Roberto Dinamite and Dirceu.
Coach: Telê Santana.

The matches:
Brazil 2 x 1 Soviet Union
Brazil 4 x 1 Scotland
Brazil 4 x 0 New Zealand
Brazil 3 x 1 Argentina
Brazil 2 x 3 Italy

The Preparation
All results of the South America Qualifyings for the World Cup 1982. Brazil played the qualifyings against Venezuela and Bolívia; as it was the norm those times, Brazil won all four matches.

The team of 1982 usually appears in surveys as one of the best Brazilian teams of all time (other candidates are the team of the World Cups of 1970 and of 1958). The team had a combination of talented players and an offensive coach.

Naranjito
Mascot 1982

Telê Santana assumed the command of the Brazilian team in 1980. His philosophy was that football should be a show, both for those playing and for those watching the matches. He was radically against violence. For Telê, his teams should always be seeking to score goals.
And he had some players to help him. Zico is one with highest number of matches for Brazil and most goals scored. Falcão had led his team Internacional to the tri-champíonship in Brazil, and became known as "King of Rome", for having led the Roma, from Italy, to the scudetto. Sócrates, a physician with name of philosopher, combined talent and intelligence. Toninho Cerezzo, besides skillful, was said to have an extra pair of lungs. Falcão, Zico and Sócrates appeared in the list of 10 best players of the 1982 Cup.
The team had still the powerful shots of left-forward Éder, the abilities of Júnior, the experience of Oscar.

There were a few weak links. The goalkeeper, Valdir Peres, didn't inspire much confidence even among fans of his team, São Paulo. Many defended that Leão, who had played in the cups 1974 and 1978, and would still play in 1986, should have played in Spain.
The center-forward, Serginho, was tamed by Telê Santana; Serginho was more a kind of bad boy, used to playing tricks with the nerves of the adversaries to create goals opportunities; in the team of Telê, this kind of attitude was prohibited; Serginho, one of the best strikers of his time, lost much of his potential. The favourite of Telê for the position was Careca, who would play later in the cups of 1986 and 1990; Careca suffered a serious injury already in Spain, and had to be substituted by Roberto Dinamite, who had been Brazil's striker in the 1978 Cup; rumours of the epoch said that Roberto's wife had links with black magic, and had arranged for Careca's contusion.


Emblem 1982

Before the Cup, there was some discussion in Brazil whether the four cracks should play together, as they were all offensive. Matters were complicated by the fact that Cerezzo could not play the first match (he had been expulsed in a previous official match); his substitute, Paulo Isidoro, was doing a good job in occupying the right-forward position; by putting all four together, there would be no one occupying that position.

Telê stick to his philosophy, and Brazil would play an as offensive as possible scheme.
In 1981, after winning all matches of the qualifyings, Brazil did an European tour, and won England, France and Germany at their homes; the team would not lose any match until the Cup kicked off; Brazil arrived to Spain as the favourite.


The matches
Brazil won the first match, 2 x 1 against Soviet Union. The Soviets didn't shoot much, but in one of the few times, Valdir Peres failed and let the ball in. Sócrates scored at 28' of second half, and Éder at 43'.  The team played well, but the victory had not been easy.
For the second match, as planned, Paulo Isidoro left and Toninho Cerezzo entered. Brazil won Scotland by 4 x 1, and indeed played well; Zico, Oscar, Éder and Falcão scored. Fans and media approved the scheme, and Paulo Isidoro was already forgotten.
Next, a very easy match against New Zealand. The kiwis were more concerned in soliciting autographs than beating Brazil. Zico scored twice, Falcão once and Serginho, at last, score a goal. Fans and media became euphoric.

Then, Brazil would face the most traditional rival, Argentina. The Argentinians were the title holders, and most of the champions of 1978 were in Spain. Moreover, they had brought to Spain a young player who promised to shake the world of football, called Maradona. The Argentinians had already lost to Italy, but, for Brazilians, Argentina was the only rival which could prevent us from reaching the final.

Poster 1982

The match was easier than anticipated. Zico scored 1 x 0, early in the first half. Brazil dominated the whole game, Serginho and Júnior scored 3 x 0. Argentina scored their at the last minute. Maradona was sent off for violent play.
Now, the entire world was euphoric with the Brazilian team. Who could stop us? The adversaries could mark Zico and Sócrates, but then Falcão and Éder would score. Cerezzo had a powerful long distance shot, and Júnior could appear by surprise at any time. The team had an impressive fitness shape. The coach, Telê, made it clear that Brazil should keep an offensive scheme.

Bill

On July 5th 1982, the Brazilian team entered Sarriá Stadium, in Barcelona, thinking they should fullfil a formality: win Italy. Actually, even if the match finished tied, Brazil would move ahead. The adversary in the semi-finals would be Poland, and his main player, Boniek, had been expulsed and wouldn't play the next match; the path to the final was paved.
The Italians had had three ties in the three matches of the first stage (against Poland, Cameroon and Peru), and only qualified to the next stage because they had scored two goals, one more than Cameroon. Right, they had been lucky to win Argentina, but a lightining never strikes twice the same place. Italy had hosted the Eurocup 1980, and finished fourth. Italy finished the qualifyings for the World Cup in second place, after Yoguslavia. It seemed very unlikely that they could beat Brazil.
Italy had scored only four goals in four matches (Brazil had scored 13). Italian striker was, supposedly, Paolo Rossi; Rossi had been involved in a lottery scandal, and spent two years off football fields before the cup; he had not scored any goal until the match against Brazil. Brazilians were not much concerned with Rossi.
Instead, Brazil were a bit worried about Gentile. He marked Maradona, and set a new record of having commited 23 fauls on the same player during a single match. Probably Gentile would try to do the same with Zico, but, why care? Brazil would still have Falcão, Sócrates, Éder,...

It didn't take long after the match started for reality to crash on Brazilian heads. At 5', the Brazilian defense gets confused, Paolo Rossi shoots from outside the area, and scores the first Italian goal. To save that shot would be difficult for any good goalkeeper, but it was impossible for Valdir Peres. Brazil had taken few goals along the Cup, but truth is that the adversaries had not shot many times; Brazil was so proud of their offensive power, they would realize (too late) that a good goalkeeper is fundamental.
Seven minutes later, Zico passes to Sócrates, who scores; things seemed to be going back to normality.
Photo: Ag. Estado
Falcao
Falcão scored
the 2nd goal

However, at 25', the ball is crossed into the area. Valdir Peres was not specialist in high balls, either. Paolo Rossi doesn't even have to jump to head the ball into the goal and put Italy ahead again. Until the end of first half, Brazilians had enough time to realize that the match was very far from being easy; rumours go that Cerezzo and Leandro had nervous breakdown during the time out.
The game continued tough in the second half. The Italians had an exceptional defensive scheme; possibly, a wild Serginho would be more efficient now than a tamed one. Besides, the Italians were very swift in counter attacks, and any shoot seemed dangerous for Valdir Peres.
Then, at 23', when despair was already building, the relief: Falcão kicks the ball like a cannon and beats Italian goalkeeper Dino Zoff. The usually elegant Falcão celebrated the goal like a crazy.

Now, what was the best thing to do? The match was tied, the time was short. A draw was good enough for Brazil. Now it was the Italians who should face despair.
Brazil had excellent players to reinforce the defense. Edinho, for example, was so good that he would be captain of the team in 1986; or Batista, who had stopped Maradona in the Argentina match. If they had substituted Serginho or Éder, the Italian's job would be much more difficult.
But, the Brazilian coach was Telê Santana. He did not substitute anyone, and he did not even tell anyone to retreat. The Brazilian team continued with the same plan: being offensive and win the match.
At 30', Paolo Rossi scored his third goal in the match.
Italy won by 3 x 2. Brazil returned home.
FIFA considered Italy 3 x 2 Brazil one of the classic games of all World Cups.

This was the Italian team that won Brazil: Zoff; Gentile, Scirea, Colovatti (Bergomi), Cabrini; Tardelli (Marini), Oriali, Antognoni, Graziani; Conti, Rossi.
Photo: FIFA
Brazil x Italy

It was a hell of a good team. It should not be so surprising that they would win any other team, including Brazil. Zoff was aged fourty, and was present when Italy needed. Cabrini, Tardelli, Antognoni, Graziani, Conti are all good individually, much more as a group. Paolo Rossi did what is expected from a striker: score goals when opportunities arise.

Italy won Poland by 2 x 0 in the semi-finals, two goals of Paolo Rossi.
Italy won Germany in the final by 3 x 1 (first goal by Rossi) and deservedly became the champion of the 1982 World Cup.


World Cup 1982 - More info
FIFA Archives of the 1982 World Cup.

After the match, Telê embraced each and every player, as they left the field. Telê took all responsibility for the defeat. He quit the National team after the 1982 Cup; the Brazilian Federation tried other coaches, but Telê, by popular request, returned to command the team in the 1986 Cup.
Along with Telê, some players who had planned to retire after the championship in 1982 decided to give another try in 1986: Zico, Falcão, Júnior, Sócrates and others.
If any player was stigmatized for the loss, this was Toninho Cerezzo. He was responsible for the first Rossi's goal; he broke down during the match. Thanks to his excellent physical conditions, he continued playing until early 1990s (he helped São Paulo FC become world champion in Tokyo), but he was not called to the 1986 team.

Brazilian fans and journalists recognize that this team was excellent. What happened to Brazil in 1982 was similar to what had happened to Holland in 1974 and Hungary in 1954: the best team had not won. However, much of what was written above was also written in the newspapers of the epoch: Brazil had underestimated Italy, a bit more of caution would be useful.

Some of the Italian players, including Zoff, Cabrini, Gentile, Antognoni and even Paolo Rossi had played in the match of the World Cup 1978, when Brazil won Italy by 2 x 1 in the match for third place.

There was a Brazilian present in the final match: the referee Arnaldo César Coelho. Arnaldo is probably the best ever Brazil's referee. Today he is a commentator in TV Globo. In 1986, another Brazilian referee was in the final match: Romualdo Arpi Filho.

prototaip

Sebab Pele dah takde masa tu.Brazil setahu aku mmg bercorak offensiv manakala Italy bermain gaya Catenaccio.Corak permainan Italy sentiasa sama untuk 1982 dan 1970.Cuma bezanya team Brazil ada seorang legend yg boleh tahu bagaimana nak mengatasi defensive line team lawan.Menurut hukum bolasepak ciptaan aku:
--------------------------------------------------------------------
Apabila team yang offensiv bermain tanpa pemain legend,maka team offensiv akan kurang menjaringkal gol apabila melawan defensiv team.-->hukum bolasepak prototaip
------------------------------------------------------------------
Tetapi hukum tu agak tidak tepat untuk Brazil ketika tahun 1958,1962 dan 1970 sebab Brazil mempunyai seorang legend bernama Pele.Brazil 1982 hanya mempunyai pemain yg hebat,tetapi tiada legend.Sebab tulah Brazil kalah.Sekian.

alphawolf

Pele  cuma main dua game aje tak salah masa WC1962...Brazil menang gak kan?

Bill

Sebab Pele dah takde masa tu.Brazil setahu aku mmg bercorak offensiv manakala Italy bermain gaya Cat ...
prototaip Post at 8-5-2010 15:18

Habis Zico tak cukup legend lagi ke?

Bill

Pele  cuma main dua game aje tak salah masa WC1962...Brazil menang gak kan?
alphawolf Post at 9-5-2010 12:21

Yup, exactly. Team tu dah cukup solid...

sayapghaib

Habis Zico tak cukup legend lagi ke?
Bill Post at 9-5-2010 12:30

Ntah.Pele sendiri pernah kata skill Zico lebih hebat dari beliau.Tak pasti kenapa Brazil gagal dalam kempen WC1982.Kalau Argentina iaitu juara bertahan gagal pada WC1982 agak jelas sebabnya iaitu perselisihan diantara pemain terbaik final 1978 iaitu Mario Kempes dengan Team 1982 dan Maradona dibuang padang ketika perlawanan bertemu Brazil.

Nesta13

jawapan mudah..

team itali lagi bagus daripada brazil..

attacking brazil was weaker than Italian catenaccio.. full stop

apa susah.. credit to italians laa.. napa susah sgt nak acknowledge the better team..?

freebird

ni aku nak jawab. that Brazilian team of WC82, to me, was the BEST Brazilian team EVER!!!!

..tapi biasa lah, Tele Santana tak macam Jose Mourinho....main attack, attack, attack, tak ada Plan B, macam Arsene Wenger jugak...
...kena dengan penangan Paulo Rossi, who played the game of his life, terus tergolek dog pasukan Brazil.


...

Azrai

ni aku nak jawab. that Brazilian team of WC82, to me, was the BEST Brazilian team EVER!!!!:lovelines ...
freebird Post at 10-5-2010 19:52

Yup, Tele Santana is not strategically solid, tak macam Jose Mourinho or Luiz Felipe Scolari...

sayapghaib

Sebab the best goal keeper Dino Zoff ada kat gawang Italy.