The draft begins! Please only post selections here and always wait for your turn. You may pick early if everyone ahead of you has picked. The schedule is as follows: Monday: celito, chachafut, tpmazembe, soccerscout, auriverde; Tuesday: kaushik, r9magia, sempre, bennismalls, leonidas; Wednesday: argentine soccer fan, mengão86, redshift, redshift, mengão86, argentine soccer fan; Thursday: leonidas, bennismalls, sempre, r9magia, kaushik; Friday: auriverde, soccerscout, tpmazembe, chachafut, celito; You are not required to post an extensive profile of your selection but it is encouraged. Many players will have readily available ones on bigsoccer or elsewhere. Please post a picture of the player if you can. If you cannot find one or do not have the time just let me or someone else know and we will try to look for one to add to the post. The judges are: ombak; Dark Savante; neovox. But don't worry about judging as much as building a team you like. I will say, for example, that my favored formation is not a modern one so go with whatever formation you want. Basic rules: Pick 11 players: one keeper and 10 field players to make the best team you can with the players available. You may pick your keeper last if you wish - there is no required order for positions. If you miss your day you may pick when you come back online. To avoid this potential problem please PM me or another judge with your selection and alternates if you are going to leave for the day and the drafter ahead of you has not picked. You may pick Brazilians from any era to make your all-time team. If there is an eligibility question please ask me or another judge first. Do NOT discuss unpicked players. Please avoid mentioning them in this thread and the discussion thread. Also, do not open threads for the purpose of coming up with names for the draft. Note: you may discuss unpicked players in private but do not ask the judges to suggest names to you. Any questions, PM me at any time. Good luck! Boa sorte e divirtam-se!
Let's get this thing started. My hands are tied ... Pick #: 1st Round: 1 Player: Édson "Pelé" Arantes do Nascimento DOB: Born October 23, 1940, in Três Corações, Minas Gerais, Brazil Position: Midfielder/Forward Caps/Goals: 92 caps, 77 goals Clubs: Santos (1956-1974), New York Cosmos (1975-1977) Honors: 3 World Cups (1958, 1962, 1970) 2 World Club Championships (1962, 1963) 9 Sao Paulo State Championships (1956, 58, 60, 61, 62, 64, 56, 67, 68) Bio: (from http://www.planetworldcup.com) Edson Arantes do Nascimento, or better known as Pelè was born October 23rd 1940. He went on to become perhaps the best player of all time. He made his senior debut for Santos in 1956, a month before his 16th birthday and ten months later he played for Brazil against Argentina. Pelè missed the first two matches of the 1958 World Cup, before making his debut against Russia. His first World Cup goal came in the 1-0 quarter -final win over Wales and he scored a hat-trick in the semifinal against France and two more in the final over host nation Sweden. At 17, Pelé became the youngest ever winner of the World Cup. Brazil defended the title four years later in Chile, but Pelé was injured early on and missed most of the tournament. Injuries also plagued him in 1966 as Brazil were eliminated already in the first round, but in 1970 he was back on top of his game leading Brazil to a record third title. Pelé was excellent and partnered by Rivelino, Jairzinho and Tostao, Brazil formed perhaps the best team ever. Scoring goals was Pelè's trademark, but he was also a clever, quick-thinking player who could create goals for others. He scored a remarkable 77 goals for Brazil in 92 appearances, and various sources suggest that he netted 1281 in 1363 senior games overall. He played his final game for Santos in 1974, but was persuaded out of retirement the following year when he joined NASL club, New York Cosmos in a $4.000.000 deal. He played his last game for Cosmos in 1977 in front of 75.646 fans. Pele has achieved more than any other player in the World Cup history. Surprisingly he hasn't been topscorer in either of the four World Cups he played in, but he is on third place of the all-time topscorers table with his 12 goals. His proudest record must be the fact that he is the only player who has won three World Cups
Pick by: ChaChaFut Round: 1 Selection: 2 (2nd overall pick) ------------------------------------------------------------------ MANOEL FRANCISCO DOS SANTOS "GARRINCHA" Born: 28.10.1933, Pau Grande, Brazil Position: Right wing / Forward Height: 1.69m (5'-6") ------------------------------------------------------------------ The best dribbler and the most devastating right winger of all time, Mané Garrincha is one of the greatest heros in the history of football. He is one of the most beloved players in Brazil, earning the title "Alegria do Povo" (Joy of the people) because of his love for the game, because he was always a joy to watch. He was spectacular, outrageous, and a genius on the pitch. His moves were beautiful, yet very effective; he would ridicule defenders with his dribbling. He was famous for continuosly repeating the same move: he would fake to cut towards the middle, yet he always dribbled to the outside, often ending with an assist. What's incredible about this is that defender knew this, yet he remained unstoppable troughout his career. His services from the right wing were lethal, as proven in the 2 world cups he won (1958, 1962) with Brazil. He was also a winner, who only lost one game (his last) of the 50 he played with the national team, and is remembered by almost single-handedly winning the 1962 world cup for Brazil. All of this while being born with several disabilities: his left leg was bent inwards and his right leg was six centimetres shorter and curved outwards. His spine was crooked, and he was said to have a low IQ, which almost prevented him from playing at the first level. But he was able to overcome these difficulties, and even use them in his favor (his irregular legs probably gave them his unique dribbling and crossing abilities), to become the best player in the world. Manoel Francisco was born in Pau Grande, a small city near Rio de Janeiro. Little Mané used to hunt little birds (Garrincha means little bird), and even as an adult, he was famous for having a great passion for birds. Garrincha’s career began playing for an English owned textile factory’s team, for whom he worked. Scouts from Botafogo – which would become his life long beloved club – spotted the young Garrincha and he signed his first professional contract on June 21, 1953. Playing his first game, a friendly meeting, against Avelar in which the young winger scored. The "Fogão" idol was first called up to the Seleção by Coach Zézé Moreira on September 18 1955 for a game against Chile in the Maracanã. But it would be at the World cup in Sweden in 1958 that Garrincha would become internationally famous, under the coaching of Vicente Feola. He was such an awkward customer to defend against; in one move he would take the ball under his close control. In the next move, he would tease the defenders with his body movements, making even the coolest defenders to wonder whether it was a feint or not. Then, all out of a sudden, he would accelerate and get passed the one or two defenders marking him, leaving them standing in bewilderment, much to the amusement of the Swedish crowd. In 1962 in Chile, Pelé was wounded in the second game against Czechoslovakia and Aymoré Moreira (brother of Zézé) placed all the hopes of his team on Garrincha. But in the semi-final, Mané was sent off for retaliating for the many fouls the Chilean committed on him. But FIFA decided he could still play in the final thanks to the great influence of the C.B.D. After beating Czechoslovakia 3-1, Garrincha was voted the Player of the Tournament. He was also joint top-scorer, with 4 goals to his credit. In 1964, “the small bird” joined Corinthians in São Paulo where he would stay for 3 seasons. But already alcohol and injury were starting to hamper his game. In 1966 just prior to the world cup finals in 1966 World Cup, Garrincha was involved in a bad car crash that killed his mother-in-law. The Little Bird was no longer the same force. Still picked for the squad in the first match against Bulgaria, Garrincha scored a beautiful free-kick to help Brazil win. But in the next match, Brazil were beaten for the first time since 1954 ironically, by the same nation. 1966 was Garrincha’s last World cup with premature elimination at the end of the first round, Brazil’s earliest exit from the tournament before or since. Garrincha next left Brazil and signed for Colombian side Atlético Barranquilla where he stayed for only one season, before returning to Brazil and joining Flamengo, but by now the osteoarthritis was corroding his knees, more and more he was relying on alcohol to help ease the pain. He spent the majority of his time at Flamengo injured or out of the team. In 1972 Garrincha joined his last team Olaria thanks to an influential friend who realized the importance of staying in the game for Garrincha’s health. But by now the alcohol had taken its toll on his body and he was no longer recognizable as the player who FIFA now regard as the eighth best of all time and the fourth of South America. Garrincha’s career lasted about 12 years with 579 games and 249 goals, winning three carioca championships 1957, 1961 and 1962 and two Tournaments Rio-São Paulo 1962 and (1964 with Corinthians). On the 20th of January 1983, Mané died, aged only 49. His coffin was draped with the colors of Botafogo, and was escorted across Rio, where thousands of people lined the streets and Maracanã to pay homage to him. Twenty Years after Garrincha's death he was elected the best player in the world for 1962. His grave is in a country cemetery about an hour's drive from Rio de Janeiro, a simple slab of grimy concrete squeezed between fancier tombs. The epitaph says only: "Here rests in peace the one who was the Joy of the People -- Mane Garrincha." Sources: http://www.sambafoot.com/en/articles/167_Garrincha_the_joy_of_the_people_page_1.html http://www.rediff.com/sports/2004/oct/04garr.htm http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Garrincha http://www.sambafoot.com/en/players/286_Garrincha.html NATIONAL TEAM STATISTICS Brazil NT record* 1955-1966 Matches played: 50 (43-6-1) Goals scored: 12 *Thanks to Jaroslaw Owsianski @ RSSSF WORLD CUP CAREER STATISTICS Code: Year # GP GS Min G A 1958 11 4 4 360 0 3? 1962 7 6 6 533 4 1? 1966 16 2 2 180 1 ?[B] Total 12 12 1073 5 4?[/B] Note: Assist totals are based on what I could count, and show only the minimum he could have had for each tournament. CLUB CAREER STATISTICS** Season - Club - Games – Goals 1953 Botafogo Rio de Janeiro............Campeonato Carioca….....24 / 18 1954 Botafogo Rio de Janeiro............Campeonato Carioca..…...26 / 09 1955 Botafogo Rio de Janeiro............Campeonato Carioca..…...19 / 03 1956 Botafogo Rio de Janeiro............Campeonato Carioca.......19 / 04 1957 Botafogo Rio de Janeiro............Campeonato Carioca.......21 / 06 1958 Botafogo Rio de Janeiro............Campeonato Carioca.......26 / 06 1959 Botafogo Rio de Janeiro............Campeonato Carioca.......21 / 08 1960 Botafogo Rio de Janeiro............Campeonato Carioca.......21 / 08 1961 Botafogo Rio de Janeiro............Campeonato Carioca.......21 / 06 1962 Botafogo Rio de Janeiro............Campeonato Carioca.......21 / 08 1963 Botafogo Rio de Janeiro............Campeonato Carioca.......03 / 01 1964 Botafogo Rio de Janeiro............Campeonato Carioca.......04 / 00 1965 Botafogo Rio de Janeiro............Campeonato Carioca.......01 / 00 1966 Corinthians Sao Paulo...............Campeonato Paulista......15 / 07 1967 Corinthians Sao Paulo...............Campeonato Paulista......19 / 08 1968 Junior Baranquilla....................Primera Division Colombia.01 / 00 1968 Flamengo Rio de Janeiro...........Campeonato Carioca.......00 / 00 1969 Flamengo Rio de Janeiro...........Campeonato Carioca.......04 / 00 1970 Did not play 1971 Did not play 1972 Olaria AC Rio de Janeiro............Campeonato Carioca.......10 / 01 *Thanks to Gregoriak Garrincha played a total of 581 games, scoring 232 times for Botafogo. CAREER HONORS World Cup champion: 1958, 1962 Rio de Janeiro State League: 1957, 1961, 1962 O'Higgins Cup: 1955, 1959, 1961 Oswaldo Cruz Cup: 1958, 1961, 1962 Roca Cup: 1960 Tournament Rio - São Paulo: 1962, 1964, 1966 Mexico City's Tournament: 1962 Paris Tournament: 1963 Personal titles World Cup top scorer: 1962 World Cup best player: 1962 Other links Garrincha's musical theme (Balada No. 7 By Alberto Luiz with Moacir Franco: http://www.memoriadofutebol.com.br/gcraques/garrincha/garrincha.rm
tpmazembe Round: 1 Selection: 3 (3rd overall pick) Thomaz Soares da Silva, aka “Zizinho” or “Mestre Ziza” Birth Date: Sept. 14, 1921 Nationality: Brasilian Location: São Gonçalo - RJ Death: Feb. 2, 2002 Location: Niterói (RJ) Position: Forward/Offensive Midfielder Height: 1,69 m Playing Weight: 63 Kg First Game: Flamengo 3 x 4 Independiente , Argentina (24/12/1939) Titles Won: Carioca Championship - 1942 - Flamengo Carioca Championship - 1943 - Flamengo Carioca Championship - 1944 - Flamengo Copa Rocca - 1945 – Brasil (vs. Argentina) Copa América - 1949 - Brasil Taça Oswaldo Cruz - 1950 - Brasil Copa Rio Branco - 1950 – Brasil (vs. Uruguay) Taça Oswaldo Cruz - 1955 - Brasil Taça Oswaldo Cruz - 1956 - Brasil Taça do Atlântico - 1956 - Brasil Paulista Championship - 1957 - São Paulo Outstanding Player – 1950 WC Golden Boot Carioca Championship - 1952 - Bangu do (19 goals) The Italian journalist, Giordano Fatori, while covering the 1950 WC for the “Gazetta dello Sport” had occasion to write - “The football of Zizinho reminds me of Da Vinci painting something rare.” Seeing as how Thomas Soares da Silva went from being called by the dimunitive "Zizinho," to the regal "Mestre Ziza" (Master Ziza) for his displays during the mid to late 1940s, it was a fitting description. At 18 years of age, Zizinho’s life ambition was to play for America of Rio Janeiro. However, his frail physique turned off the club’s technical staff. Broken hearted, he then went to try out for Flamengo as a last resort. These amateur tests occurred against stars of the pro team. Early on the great Leonidas da Silva (no relation) picked-up an injury, and the coach Flavio Costa, called upon the teenager to replace him among the pros. After an exhibition of football still commented upon today, Costa calmly advised him to, “Get a hair cut and come back tomorrow.” Thus began the career of one of the most technically gifted and refined players in Brasilian and world football. At 19 he was absolute starter on a stellar Flamengo squad that included Domingos da Guia, Fausto and Leonidas. He pulled the strings on the legendary Carioca championship three-peat of 1942,43,44. He, along with those other craque black players, helped transform a formerly elitist club into one of the most popular in Brasil. He left Flamengo ten years later, deeply hurt for having been traded without consultation. In between the 1949-1950, while widely recognized as the best player in the country, he found out that his pass had been sold to Bangu for a sum then considered a small fortune. In a sign of different times, it is said that he signed his Bangu contract without reading it, stating to the club president, “If you, Sir, paid such a sum for my pass, it must be because you appreciate my game.” In the first game aginst his old team, he exerted his revenge, imposing the most lopsided loss in Flamengo’s history (0-6). Seven years later, at the age of 37, he moved to Paulista championsip to play for FC Sao Paulo, where he also became an idol, helping to winning the championhip in his last year. Curiously, after three years retired from the game, he was asked to play one game with Audax Italiano of Chile by admirers in team management. He accepted the gracious invite, but instead of one game, played the whole season. His last as player. Selecao Zizinho was the star of the Selecao during the decade of the 1940s. He played a total of 53 games, scoring 30 goals. He won the Copa Americal / sul-americano of 1949 and was was universally acclaimed as the best player of the 1950 WC, despite the loss to Uruguay in the final game. Willy Meisl of London’s “World Sports” wrote the following after the Spain game in WC 1950. “We are not talking simply of a great player, one of the many great players found in diverse parts of the world. This is a genius. A man who possesses all the qualities that could be wished for by a professional in order to approximate perfection.” The Spanish referee Pedro Escartin in a book about the 1950 WC (title “"Lo de Brasil fué así...".) captioned Zizinho's photo simply, “Zizinho ou A Arte [Zizinho or The Art].” After that 1950 loss Zizinho was so depressed that he thought of abandoning football. But he later admits that it was only by continuing to exhibit his skills on the pitch that he was able to “free” himself from that letdown. As he once said, “It is absurd the attempts made to place the blame for that defeat on some of my teammates, as they did with Barbosa. No one should ever be condemned individually for that game.” In 1954, despite the whole country wanting him to be part of the Selecao, the coach, Zeze Moreira left him off the team. This caused a national debate. Could it be that Zeze only wished to have one man pulling the strings (Didi)? The reasons to this day are not clear, though Zizinho himself felt that he was blackballed by the writer Jose Lins do Rego, who was the head of the Brasilian delegation of the 1953 Sul-Americano in Peru, and one of the technical directors in the 1954 selections. Zinzinho. “I returned to the Selecao in 1953 [after the 1950 loss], but had some issues with the head of the Brasilian delegation at the Sul-Americano [Copa America predecessor], the writer Jose Lins do Rego. First, the players asked me to speak with him because the quotas ($) were half of what they were the previous year. Afterwards, since I was injured, he wanted me to take an injection to play the final. I would never do this. I often played hurt, but never took injections. When Brasil lost, he wrote in his column in the journal “O Cruzeiro” that we players were mercenaries and fainthearted. I had a weekly column in “Diario da Noite” and responded by saying that I knew quite a bit about the inner workings of the selecao.” Could it be that thanks to politics – always present in human endeavours - European audiences were thus deprived of seeing Zizinho face the Mighty Magyars? As for 1958, he was then 37 years old, playing his last football in Brasil. He was selected 4 days before the Selecao embarked for Sweden. “I couldn’t accept. I wasn’t a youngster anymore. It would not have been right with the players already training. I’m just sad that I never realized my wish to play alongside Pele”, Zizinho commented in an interview in 2000. Idol Distefano was in awe of Pedernera, Maradona looked-up to Rivelino, Cryuff emulated DiStefano, and Pele and Didi both idolized Master Ziza. In Zizinho, Pele saw the mirror image of what he wanted to become, a complete footballer. In Pele’s words when asked about his idol during his playing days with Santos, “Zizinho was the complete article. Played as well in the midfield as he did in the attack. He was offensive, and new how to mark. He wasn’t afraid to get ugly either [reference to the often physical and intimidating nature of games at the time].” Indeed history records that Zizinho dribbled like few others, created like even fewer, and was the complete footballer. Teams Defended: Flamengo: 1939 - 1950 Bangu: 1950 - 1956 São Paulo: 1956 - 1957 Audax Italiano: 1960 – 1962 Selecao: Zizinho International Matches & Goals [ Note: Much of this synopsis comes from the synthesis of various pieces put together by Placar in rememberance of his death (and life). They can be read in complete and original form here: Death of Zizinho, the master of Brasilian football ; Interview with Zizinho..2000]
Round 1 Pick #4 ZICO What can one say about Zico besides him being arguably the Greatest Brazilian player after Pele. A Goal scorer, a marvelous passer, Freekicks were half a goal, World Champ with Flamengo in 81 a true #10. Led Flamengo to Libertadores Championship and various Brazilian titles. Zico, born Artur Antunes Coimbra at Rio in 1953, was the youngest of five footballing brothers. He made his league debut for Flamengo in 1973 and his international debut in 1976, against Uruguay, scoring with one dead-ball shots for which he became famous. Zico netted over 100 goals in his first two seasons and was South American Player Of The Year in 1977 (and in 1981 and 1982). In the 1978 World Cup he suffered niggling injuries and was unhappy with coach Claudio Coutinho's defensive game. In 1982 however, Brazil returned to the attacking style which suited Zico's change of pace, body-swerves and dynamic shooting. His hat-trick against Bolivia clinched a place in the 1982 finals and in Spain his four goals, including the equallizer against Scotland, took his total for Brazil past 50. In 1983 after 650 goals and four Brazillian championship medals, he made a £2.500.000 move to Udinese, returning to Flamengo in the summer of 1985. He played in three games in the 1986 World Cup, all as a substitute. His last match was the quarter-final against France when Brazillian fans chanted for him. Alas, minutes later he missed a penalty. It was a sad end for one of Brazil's most popular players of all time. After 1047 senior games, including 71 for Brazil, he eventually retired in 1990 and was appointed his country's Sports Minister.
Pick #5 Round 1 Vavá Edvaldo Izidio Neto, real name Vavá, (born November 12, 1934 in Recife, died January 19, 2002) was a Brazilian football player. He was a striker for C.R. Vasco da Gama, S.E. Palmeiras and the Brazilian national team. Vava is widely regarded as one of the best strikers ever, and was known for having an uncanny ability to suddenly pop out of nowhere and devastate the opposition's defense with hard shots that were rarely off target. He received 22 caps with the Brazilian national team, and won both the 1958 and 1962 World Cups (with respectively 5 and 4 goals). [edit] Clubs • 1949-1950 : Sport Club do Recife (Brazil) • 1951-1958 : C.R. Vasco da Gama (Brazil) • 1958-1961 : Atlético de Madrid (Spain) • 1961-1963 : Sociedade Esportiva Palmeiras (Brazil) • 1964-1965 : Club América (Mexico) • 1965-1966 : Elche Club de Fútbol (Spain) • 1966-1967 : Club América (Mexico) • 1967-1968 : Toros Neza (Mexico) • 1968-1969 : San Diego Toros (USA) • 1969 : Associação Portuguesa de Desportos (Brazil) Honours • World champion in 1958 and World champion in 1962 with the Brazilian national team • Campeonato Pernambucano in 1949 with Sport Club do Recife • Campeonato Carioca (Rio de Janeiro State championship) in 1952, 1956, 1958 with C.R. Vasco da Gama • Campeonato Paulista (São Paulo State championship) in 1963 with Sociedade Esportiva Palmeiras • Torneio Rio - São Paulo (Rio - São Paulo Tournament) in 1958 with C.R. Vasco da Gama
RONALDO Name: Ronaldo Luis Nazario da Lima, aka Fenomeno Born: Sept 22, 1976 Rio de Janeiro, Brasil Position: Forward Career Span: 1993-Present Nationality: Brasilian 1 x Dutch Cup 1995-1996 1 x Spanish League 2002-2003 1 x Spanish Cup 1996-1997 1 x Cup Winners Cup 1996-1997 1 x UEFA Cup 1997-1998 2 x Copa America 1997, 1999 1 x World Cup 2002 1 x Dutch League Top Scorer 1994-1995 2 x Spanish League Top Scorer 1996-1997, 2003-2004 1 x Copa America Top Scorer 1999 1 x World Cup Top Scorer 2002 3 x FIFA World Player of the Year 1996, 1997, 2002 2 x European Footballer of the Year 1997, 2002 3 x World Soccer Player of the Year 1996, 1997, 2002 Aged just 17 Ronaldo scored 58 goals in 60 games for Cruziero. PSV paid a then record fee of £4 million for the prodigiously talented youngster who was an unused member of Brazil's 1994 World Cup winning squad. After averaging a goal a game in the Dutch league Barcelona won a fierce battle with Inter over Ronaldo's signature. An amazing start to his Spanish career saw him collect the first of his FIFA and World Soccer player awards. He finished La Liga top scorer, scored the winning goal for Barcelona in the Cup Winners Cup final and also scored in the Copa America final for Brazil. One year after missing out on his signature, Inter snatched him away from Barca by paying the £19 million buy out clause in his contract, £9 million more than Barca had paid for him the previous season. His relentless goalscoring rate continued earning him second successive FIFA and World Soccer player of the year awards and for the first time the most prestigious award of them all, the Ballon D'or. Ronaldo completed an unwanted hat-trick of second place finishes following a hugely controversial defeat against Juventus. While Inter were fuming over the referee's failure to award them a penalty for a foul on Ronaldo Juventus promptly went downfield and won one their own with a trademark dive. Del Piero converted and Juventus went on to seal the championship. Ronaldo helped Inter gain consolation weeks later with a goal in a 3-0 UEFA Cup final victory over Lazio. Clearly established as the best player in the World Ronaldo lived up to the hype at the 1998 World Cup. He was outstanding as both goalscorer and goal maker as Brazil marched relentlessly towards a record fifth World Cup with victories over Denmark and Holland in classic encounters. Ronaldo's name didn't appear on Brazil's initial team sheet for the final against France. Rumours that the striker had suffered a convulsive fit on the eve of the finals were later confirmed. A lethargic Ronaldo watched on helplessly as hosts France thrashed them to win their first ever World Cup. Ronaldo ended a frustrating, injury plagued 1998-1999 campaign on a high note by helping Brazil retain the Copa America. He ruptured a tendon in his right knee in November and lasted six minutes into his comeback in an Italian Cup tie against Lazio. Lazio proved to be the striker's bogey club. After missing almost two years with injury Ronaldo returned to action in 2002. Inter needed victory away to Lazio to win the championship. They were crushed 4-2 and Ronaldo left the pitch in tears after being substituted late in the second half. Ronaldo would cry tears of joy in the World Cup that summer. Champions France and arch rivals Argentina fell in the first round and Brazil took full advantage of a weak field to win a fifth World Cup, Ronaldo scored both goals in the final against Germany. An unhappy five year stay in Italy ended with a move to Real Madrid. An overweight Ronaldo was pillared by the Spanish press following indifferent form but finally came good in the second half of the season as Real made up for a champions league exit at the hands of Juventus to win the Spanish championship, his first ever league title. Knee injuries have robbed 'Il Fenomeno'' of his astonishing pace but he still remains one of the deadliest strikers in the game. Has already established himself as one of the all time greats. Key Attributes : Pace, power, dribbling Thanks to Dark Savante for posting the above profile on BS.
Drafter: Sempre Pick: 1 Overall: (*7th) Player: Valdir Pereira, a.k.a. "Didi" Position: Midfield/ play-maker Link to Tpmazembe's profile on Didi (a must-read): https://www.bigsoccer.com/forum/showpost.php?p=7205014&postcount=16
Full name Ronaldo de Assis Moriera Date of birth 21 March 1980 Place of birth Porto Alegre, Brazil Height 181cm Nickname Ronaldinho Ronaldinho Gaúcho Current club FC Barcelona Position Midfield Youth clubs Grêmio Professional clubs* 1998–2001-Grêmio 2001–2003-Paris SG 2003- FC Barcelona National team1999 – present Brazil 60 (27) Honours Team Spanish La Liga: 2004-05 with Barcelona Spanish Super Cup: 2005-06 with Barcelona International Under-17 World Cup 1996-97 Copa America: 1998-99 FIFA World Cup: 2002 Confederations Cup: 2004-05 Individual FIFA World Player of the Year 2004, 2005 current holder Preceded by: Inaugural FIFPro World Player of the Year current holder European Footballer of the Year 2005 current holder Childhood In his childhood, Ronaldinho's skill in football began to blossom due to his particular interest in futsal and beach football, which later developed into a fondness for more standardised football. His first brush with the media came after a 23 goal flurry against a local team, at just 13 years of age.[1] His reputation as a footballer was upheld during most of his childhood, particularly due to the fact he was a prolific goal-scorer in the Egypt under-17 world championship, and to his stylish play. Professional career Brazil He was introduced into the Brazilian national team in 1999. On his first appearance (on June 26) he scored the winning goal against Venezuela which helped the team win the Copa América. Ronaldinho helped Brazil in their succesful 2002 campaign to win the World Cup. One of the highlights of the tournament was an outrageous 35-metre free kick he scored against England in the quarter-finals in Shizuoka, although he was sent off soon after for a foul on Danny Mills. On June 29, 2005, he played a pivotal role as the captain of the Brazilian squad which won its second FIFA Confederations Cup title, where he was named Man of the Match in a 4–1 victory over Argentina in the final. Pelé named Ronaldinho in his 125 Top Living Footballers in March 2004. Grêmio years His professional career began at Grêmio, where his penchant for goalscoring was displayed; generating speculation and interest around his career due to his phenomenal ball control and ability to score. This was followed by his introduction into the Brazilian national team. On his first appearance (on June 26, 1999) his winning goal against Venezuela helped the team win the Copa América. Towards the end of his career at Grêmio, in 2001, many clubs from all over the world, particularly premiership teams in the United Kingdom, were eager to sign him as an attempt to attain a "big name" player, as well as a well performing player. Despite several generous bids from Premiership teams, including a £50 million bid from Leeds, and several requests from Grêmio, Ronaldinho signed a five-year contract for Paris Saint-Germain, and started his contract at the beginning of the following season. Paris Saint-Germain years In 2001 Ronaldinho left Grêmio to play european football, despite bids from much larger clubs, he opted to play for PSG. During his time at PSG, the manager, Luis Fernandez, claimed that Ronaldinho was too focused on the Parisian nightlife rather than on his football. In 2002, Ronaldinho helped Brazil win the World Cup. One of the highlights of the tournament was an outrageous 35-metre free kick he scored against England in the quarter-finals in Shizuoka, although he was sent off soon after a foul on Danny Mills. In 2003, Ronaldinho made it known he wanted to leave PSG after they failed to qualify for any European competitions. That set off a bidding war among the top clubs for his services. Barcelona years On July 19, FC Barcelona snapped him up for €27 million, beating Manchester United to his signature. It was thought that a failure between the English and French club over a fee was the reason behind the deal falling through for Manchester United. Ronaldinho's signing for Barcelona was following in the footsteps of a number of illustrious fellow countrymen who had enjoyed successful careers with the club including Evaristo, Ronaldo, Romario and Rivaldo. Ronaldinho justified their purchase, leading them to a second-place finish in La Liga during the 03/04 season. Together with Samuel Eto'o, Deco, Lionel Messi, Ludovic Giuly and Henrik Larsson, he comprises part of an awesome strike force which reaped the 2004/05 La Liga title for FC Barcelona. On December 20, 2004, Ronaldinho was named FIFA World Player of the Year ahead of Arsenal's Thierry Henry and AC Milan's Andriy Shevchenko. On November 19, 2005, he scored two amazing goals to help FC Barcelona to a 3–0 win over arch-rivals Real Madrid at the Santiago Bernabeu in Madrid. There he stole the ball from the center and scored with remarkable breaks, luring in the process most of Madrid players. After he scored his second goal of the night, his team's third, a large part of the Madrid faithfuls gave him a standing ovation, a rare feat which occurred last when Diego Maradona was in Barcelona. In 2005 Ronaldinho was named as both the European Footballer of the Year and the best striker in the UEFA Champions League tournament of 2004/2005. Ronaldinho is the third Brazilian to win the European Footballer of the Year Award. On December 19, 2005, he was again named FIFA World Player of the Year ahead of Chelsea's Frank Lampard and Barça teammate Samuel Eto'o with 910 votes. In December 2005, he and Mauricio de Sousa, a famous Brazilian comic book author, announced the creation of a comic character based upon Ronaldinho, his brother and his mother. Ronaldinho has a son named João, who was born in February 2005. He was chosen for the UEFA team of 2005 for the third time running in January 2006. He received more votes than any other player in that team. Over 1.5 million people participated in that vote. Ronaldinho, on March 7, 2006 in the 2nd leg of the ECC at Camp Nou, scored a spectacular goal against Chelsea. He received the ball from Eto'o outside the box, dribbled past three defenders and knocked down a fourth player, and hit the ball hard and low past goalkeeper Petr Cech. The next day, in a press conference, Ronaldinho expressed his happiness with Barcelona: "I'm very happy with Barça. I can't imagine being happier anywhere else but with Barça. There isn't enough money to buy my happiness. I see myself being here the rest of my life and I hope to keep on bringing joy to the Barça fans".
Round 1 Pick 9 Romario Romário de Souza Faria (born January 29, 1966 in Rio de Janeiro), better known simply as Romário, is a Brazilian football player. He is one of a select group of players with over 50 goals in international matches and one of Brazil's most famous and outstanding forwards. He is considered to be one of the greatest footballers in the history of the game. Romário is the 2nd highest scorer in the history of professional football, being surpassed only by Pelé. On January 28, 2006, one day before his fortieth birthday, he scored his 950th goal (official FIFA count). He is pursuing the 1.000 "One-Thousand" goal, a mark obtained only by 1 other player in history: Pelé. Career He started his career playing for Vasco da Gama, where he won two State Championships (1987/88). Between 1988 and 1992 he played for PSV Eindhoven, who won the Dutch League in 1989, 1991 and 1992. In 1993 he moved to FC Barcelona and won the Spanish League the same year. As a member of the Brazilian national team, Romário won the silver Olympic medal in Seoul in 1988. Partnering with Bebeto in the attack, he led his country to the 1994 World Cup title, scoring five goals in the tournament. He was voted the most outstanding player of the tournament and captured the imagination of soccer fans everywhere with his incredible skill and touch. Romário was named FIFA World Player of the Year in 1994, after being the runner-up in 1993. In 1995 he returned to Brazil to play for Flamengo, spent the next year in Valencia.. In 1998, he missed out the World Cup due to injury and then returned to Flamengo until 1999. He played for Vasco da Gama again, winning with them the Mercosur Cup and the Brazilian League in 2000. From 2002 until 2004 he played for Fluminense. On October 21, 2004 he was fired from the club after a conflict with the coach. He then went back to play for the team he started in, Vasco da Gama, and has been playing then ever since. He has recently hinted that he might play for the entire season of 2006, and then retire, although his retirement has been announced numerous times before. On April 28th 2005, Romário played his last game with the Brazilian national team. He scored the second goal on Brazil's 3-0 win against Guatemala. In 2005 at nearly 40 years of age, Romário scored an outstanding amount of goals (22) in the Brazilian Championship, making him the league's top goalscorer. Despite rumors stating he would play for Corinthians or Fluminense during the 2006 season, Romário decided to stay for another season at Vasco da Gama. He is the second best scorer of all times in the Brazilian League being leading scorer 6 times. Romário was named as one of the top 125 greatest living footballers in March 2004. Many of Romário's fans, both in Brazil and around the world, feel that he is still, at 40 years of age, good enough to play for Brazil in the World Cup to be held in Germany 2006, demonstrated by the fact he was top scorer in the Brazilian league in 2005 but that appears highly unlikely as Romário has retired from the national side. Source: Wikipedia Clubs: Vasco, PSV Eindhoven, Barcelona, Valencia, Flamengo, Fluminense e Al Nasser Titles and Honors * Rio de Janeiro State Championship (1985-1999) - 7 times leading scorer, 4 titles * KNVB Cup (1988-1991) - 3 times champion * Netherland Honor Division (1991) - champion and three times leading scorer * Seoul Olympic Games (1988) - silver medal * Copa America (1989-1997) - 2 times champion and leading scorer * Spanish League (1994) - champion and leading scorer * FIFA World Cup 1994 - champion and Most Valuable Player Award Winner * FIFA World Player of the Year 1994 * Confederations Cup (1997) - champion and leading scorer * Brazilian Championship (2000) - champion * Leading Scorer in Brasileirao(2005)
With my first pick I choose: Player: Paulo Roberto Falcao Birth: 10/16/1953 Played for: Internacional: 1973 - 1980 Roma: 1980 - 1985 São Paulo: 1985 – 1986 Palmares/Titles: Rio Grande do Sul champion (1973/74/75/76 e 1978) Brasileiro champion (1975/76 and 1979) Coppa Italia winner (1981 and 1984) Serie A title (1983) Sao Paulo championship (1985) Biography: By the time he became known as “King of Rome” Falcao had for many, many years been a midfield maestro. Born to a very humble family, Falcao sold empty bottles in order to raise money to pay for the bus fare to train at the Internacional grounds at 11 years of age. He ascended quickly through the ranks and made his professional debut at 18 years of age. At Inter he became the midfield general of a sensational squad (which included the Chilean Figueroa) which dominated the RS state league and that won 3 Brasileiro’s in the 1970’s. Inter’s championship in ’79 was won without a single game in the loss column for an entire Brasileiro!...and Falcao was acclaimed the championship’s best player. In his 13 years defending Inter he became, and still is considered today, the greatest player in that team’s illustrious history. It was an already established star that moved to Roma in 1981 - a team that had not won anything of note since 1942. He quickly became a Roma favorite, with his masterful reading of the game, his pinpoint passing, tireless galloping, defensive acumen and overall tactical sense. A major contributor to Roma’s titles in the early 80’s, Falcao is cited in all Roma All-Time XI squads. [Rumor has it that at some point Internazionale was negotiating to purchase him from Roma and that John Paul II called the Roma brass to voice displeasure and help kill the deal.] A serious injury at the end of 1984 laid him off for almost a year. Fall-out with an impatient management precipitated a move to Sao Paulo, where he recovered just in time to play in the deciding game of the 1985 Paulistao. That was to be his last title. Falcao only had one WC to show his wares to the world at large. In 1978, the Brasilian football pundits were in an uproar that he was left off of the team by Claudio Coutinho. It’s still a mystery to this day, as he was by then considered easily in the top 3 true midfielders in Brasil (cementing his status as the best a year later). The other side of the coin came in 1986, when still suffering the effects of his injury and no longer the same player, he was the beneficiary of favorable selection by Tele Santana and took the place of another more deserving player. His contributions to that squad were limited. Spain WC 1982…that’s when his class was on display to the whole world. (Profile 'borrowed' from tpMazembe)
Well, I was beginning to wonder whether we'd see any defenders before the first round was up! Thank goodness for mengão86 His first pick is: Djalma Santos ...and wearing "rubro-negro". OK, not Flamengo's though... Here's a good profile of Djalma Santos in another draft thread.
Though I am incredibly envious of two recent picks… it’s made my own decision considerably easier: With my first pick I will take Roberto RIVELINO … and with my second, GERSON de Oliveira Nunes. I have posted links to some good profiles in Portuguese… anyone desiring a profile in English can do a Google search or take a look at the All Time Draft Selection Thread in the “Beautiful Game” forum. Since the whole point of this exercise is to talk about football, I will edit this post when I have a little bit more time to personally comment on the accomplishments/skills of these players, as I think that would be more meaningful than just cutting and pasting someone else's thoughts. =)
Mengão86's second pick is: Sócrates Here is his bio in the all-time draft thread. asf, it's up to you again, leonidas, you're on deck.
With my second round pick I select: ANTONIO DOMINGOS DA GHIA 'El Divino Mestre' (The divine master) Old timers remembered his time at Boca, and they considered Da Ghia the best central defender in the club's history, and in fact many rank his 1935 squad (which had other stars like Lazzati, Cherro and Varallo), as the best Boca Juniors of all time, ahead of the world championship teams led by Toto Lorenzo and Carlos Bianchi, and of the squad led by Maradona. I will offer a couple of fragments from Argentine publications which give an idea of how Da Ghia is regarded in our country, even though he played there only for two seasons. Translated from Boca Juniors 100 year anniversary collection book. 'In 1935 the team adquired Domingos Da Ghia, a defender who was a catalog of class. The Brazilian was a central marker of inmense category. Great with his timing, skillfull with the ball, and never resorting to violence, he had shined with the verdeamarelha - he later played at the 1938 World Cup - and he formed an impassable tandem with Valussi, who was more of a tough guy and a fighter. Da Ghia became a champion with teams from three countries: Brazil, Argentina and Uruguay. The day he arrived to the port of Buenos Aires, a huge crowd was waiting for him. The Ebony statue, as he was known in Brazil, descended from the boat in an impecable suit of white linen, and he put all of us in his pocket forever.' This from other Argentine publications, profiling the attributes of Da Ghia: 'He is considered the best Brazilian defender of all time, and the first to take risks and innovate his position. The way he played led a revolution in football, since the ball didn't 'burn' Domingos. He liked to keep it next to his foot, and he never punted it away, which is what most defenders at the time habitually did. Watching him was true entertainment, and if that isn't enough, he was also solid and consistent in his marking.' ..... 'He was a champion in four cities, Rio, So Paulo, Montevideo, Buenos Aires, and he was worshipped in all four. When he played, he filled the stadium. He abhorred speed and he seemed to play the ball in slow motion. A master of suspense, enjoying every moment with the ball. The word 'Domingada' became an expression for the art of calmly coming out of the penalty area with the ball, as he would do, disposing of it efficiently without running, and almost without wanting to, as if it pained him to get rid of it.' Personal file: Born: November 19, 1912 Died: May 18, 2000 Position: Central Defender Career Span: 1929-1947 Trajectory: Bangu: 1929 to 1932 Nacional Montevideo: 1932, 1933 Vasco da Gama: 1933, 1934 Boca Juniors: 1934 to 1936 Flamengo: 1936 to 1943 Corinthians: 1944 to 1947 Bangu: 1947, 1948 Brazil National team: 30 matches, including 1938 World Cup. Titles: Uruguayan title (with Nacional) 1933 Carioca title (with Vasco) 1934 Argentine title (with Boca Juniors) 1935 Carioca title (with Flamengo) 1939, 1942, 1943 Copa Rocca (With Brazil) 1945
Round 2 Pick 16 Roberto Carlos wait...wrong roberto carlos... Roberto Carlos, full name Roberto Carlos da Silva (born April 10, 1973 in Garça, São Paulo), is a Brazilian footballer. This short, but strong and very fast left wingback is known for his trademark super-powerful low-driving free-kicks. He currently plays for Real Madrid where he has extended his contract until 2007, making him the illustrious club's longest serving foreign superstar. On the club level, Roberto Carlos has played for Palmeiras, Inter Milan, and Real Madrid. He has 105 caps for Brazil, and helped his country win the World Cup in 2002 after finishing second in 1998. He is perhaps most famous for scoring an incredible 25-yard free kick against France in 1997, when the ball seemed to be heading wide before taking an amazing left swerve, leaving goalkeeper Fabien Barthez stunned. In 1988, he began his career on the youth teams at União São João de Araras, where he played for 4 years, passing through the youth and junior teams. In 1990, he made his first appearance for the yellow and green at the youth level, where he finished runner-up in the U17 tournament and champion of the Pre-Olympic tournament. In 1992, he earned his first profesional contract, and started immediatley at the left back position for União. That same year, he was sold to Palmeiras for $500,000. While at Palmeiras, he won two Brazilian titles, two Paulistas, and one Taça Rio-São Paulo and was ultimately sold to Inter Milan for $7 million in 1995. However, his stay there would be short-lived and in 1995 he soon transferred to Real Madrid 10 months later, where he would truly become a world renowned idol. In 1997 he was already considered the second best player in the world by FIFA, having been runner up for the award. In the following year, he won the 8th edition of the EFE Trophy, an award given by the Spanish news agency for the best Spanish/Americas player. Already in his first season for the Spanish club, he conquered the hearts of the fans with his spectular game, offensive skills, and his leadership qualities. At Real, Roberto won La Liga 4 times, the Champions League 3 times, and the Intercontinental Cup twice. For Brazil, his national record is impeccable, despite some disappointments with a Bronze Medal in the Atlanta Games in 1996 and runners-up to France in 1998 at the World Cup. In 1997 and 1999, he won Copa America...and in 2002, his crowning achievment was winning the 2002 World Cup. At the end of the day on June 30th, 2002, the life of this acclaimed player had finally changed. His dream would finally turn into a reality; he was world champion with that Brazilian national team. He was named to the World Cup 2002 all-star team, with a performance known for his attacking, instinct, and heart. His shining moment came on a stunning free-kick against China in the group phase, a game Brazil would win 4-0. He is still going strong, despite a rather average campaign this season for Real Madrid. With all his stunning resume, he is truly a rarity in Brazilian football...an absolute starter for 10+years. Teams and Goals União São João (SP), 68 Games, 2 goals; Palmieras, 184 Games, 17 Goals; Inter Milan, 34 games, 7 Goals; Real Madrid, 538 Games, 66 Goals. Brazil: (95 to present); 126 caps, 10 goals. Titles * 1993, 94 Brazilian league with Palmeiras * 1993, 94 Paulista League with Palmeiras * 1996 Bronze medal Olympic football tournament with Brazil * 1997 Spanish league with Real Madrid * 1997 Copa América with Brazil * 1998 UEFA Champions League with Real Madrid * 1998 Intercontinental Cup with Real Madrid * 1998 Runner-up FIFA World Cup with Brazil * 1999 Copa América with Brazil * 2000 UEFA Champions League with Real Madrid * 2001 Spanish league with Real Madrid * 2002 UEFA Champions League with Real Madrid * 2002 European Supercup with Real Madrid * 2002 Intercontinental Cup with Real Madrid * 2002 World Champion FIFA World Cup with Brazil * 2003 Spanish league with Real Madrid Sources: Wikipedia, Gazeta Esportiva, Roberto Carlos' official website
Re: Brazilian all-time draft - discussion thread. Tostão Many coud score like him. But few, very few had his incredible vision. At the young age of 19 he was called up for the 1966 world cup. He survived the complete failure of the Seleção and even scored a goal against Hungary. After the 1966 cup he would justify his title of Cruzeiro player of the century (voted by PLACAR in 1999). Playing on a tremendous team that had players like Dirceu Lopes, Piazza, Natal and Procópio, Cruzeiro, led by Tostão destroyed the almost unbeatable team of Santos (With Pelé of course) by the score of 6 x 2 and were crowned champions of the 1966 Taça Brasil. Tostão was the leading scorer for the Seleção in WCQ for the 1970 World Cup. In the 1970 World Cup, Tostão only scored 2 goals but opened up spaces and created many plays for Pelé and Jairzinho. To the European press, Tostão was the best player of the 1970 World Cup. After the World Cup, Tostão became a worldwide star. In Asia, where Cruzeiro played some games in 1972, he was advertised as "O Rei Branco" of football (The White King). Despite playing most of his career as a midfielder and being known for his incredible vision for the game, Tostão is Cruzeiro's all-time leading scorer with 249 goals. From 1965 to 1969 Cruzeiro won every state championship and Tostão was the leading scorer for the competition every one of those years with the exception of 1965. For Brasil he scored 36 goals in 65 games. Name: Eduardo Gonçalves de Andrade Born: Belo Horizonte, MG, 25/1/1947 Position: Attacking Midfielder Clubs: América-MG (1962), Cruzeiro (1963 to 1971) & Vasco (1972 to 1973) Titles: Minas Gerais State Champion (1965/66/67/68/69), Taça Brasil (1966) with Cruzeiro; World Cup Champion (1970) with Brasil.
Rivaldo, full name Vitor Borba Ferreira, (born April 19, 1972 in Recife, Pernambuco) is a Brazilian Football (soccer) player. He was part of the winning team of the 2002 World Cup, and was honoured as World and European Footballer of the Year in 1999. Beginnings in Brazil Rivaldo signed professional terms at the age of 16 in 1989 with Santa Cruz FC. Two years later he moved to the state of São Paulo where he played for Mogi Mirim EC in the second tier of Brazilian football. In 1993 the tall - 186cm - forward got an engagement in the state capital to play for SC Corinthians in the first division. in the same year he debuted for the Brazilian national football team, scoring the only goal in the friendly match against Mexico. In the next year he switched local allegiances and moved to SE Palmeiras helping the club defending its league championship. In 1993 and 1994 he was also honoured by the authoritative publication Placar with the Bola de Prata for the best player in his field position. Transfer to Europe In 1996 he joined Deportivo La Coruña in the Spanish first division, where he stayed only for one season before moving to the Catalan giants FC Barcelona - the transfer fee was an enormous € 24m. Brazil contiued to call him up for their national side. With the national team he won the Copa América in 1997 and participated in the 1998 World Cup. In the successfull defence of the Copa América in 1999 Rivaldo earned himself the distinction as top scorer of the tournament with 5 goals, two thereof in the 3-0 victory over Uruguay in the final. In 1998 and 1999 he won the Spanish league title with Barcelona, In 1999 Rivaldo also won both, the FIFA and the European Footballer of the Year, honours. In 2002 he signed a three-year contract with the Italian Serie A club AC Milan, where by the end of the 2002/03 season he won the Italian Cup and the European Champions League, where he did not play in the final. As his time in Milan proved a mutually disappointing affair, also due to injury issues, he briefly returned to Brazil playing for Cruzeiro in Belo Horizonte. In 2004 he returned to Europe joining Greek first division club Olympiakos CFP where he won with the team the national championship and cup.\ more statistics to come...
Drafter: Sempre Pick: 2nd Player: Leonidas da Silva ("the black diamond") Position: Center-forward Caps: 23 Goals: 21 (Profile courtesy of Condor11's All-Time Draft post): Background Leônidas da Silva was a Brazilian striker born on September 6, 1913 in São Paulo, and died at the ripe old age of 90 in 2004. He was affectionately known as the ‘Black Diamond’ or the ‘Rubber Man’ and perfected the nifty ‘bicycle kick’ move. Football career Leônidas began his career at local teams in Rio de Janeiro before joining Peñarol in Uruguay in 1933. He stayed here for one season and then moved back to Brazil to play for Vasco da Gama, where he won the Brazilian Championship. In 1934, da Silva moved onto Botafogo and again won the Brazilian Championship in 1935 before moving on to Flamengo, where he would remain until 1942. Leônidas eventually settled with São Paulo in 1942 and stayed until his retirement in 1950. World Cup history Da silva played in the 1934 and 1938 World Cups and was the top goal scorer in the ’38 cup, with eight goals; four coming from a single game against Poland. Post playing career Although Leônidas da Silva retired as a player in 1950, he became manager of São Paulo in 1953 and then went on to become a radio reporter, followed by a furniture store owner in São Paulo. Link to Guardian Obituary: http://football.guardian.co.uk/News_Story/0,1563,1132235,00.html
Plaque of one of the most beautiful goals ever scored in the Maracanã ROBERTO DINAMITE The greatest goalscorer in the history of Vasco When talking about goalscorers, at least to vascaíno fans, the first name that comes to mind may be Romário. However the greatest goalscorer in the history of the club is, with ease, Roberto Dinamite. The player who gave pure joy to Vasco fans in the 70's and 80's, and the player who is also the highest goalscorer in official games in the history of the Campeonato Brasileiro. Dinamite scored over 700 goals in a career that lasted a little over 22 years. The beginning of "Dinamite" On November 25 1971, Roberto appeared in his first game as a professional with the Vasco shirt, against Internacional, In the Maracanã. Vasco was winning 1-0 and the game was almost over when Roberto, a skinny 17 year old forward took advantage of a rebound by the defence. With tremendous ability, Roberto controlled the ball and unleashed a violent shot giving the goalie no chance and scoring the first of his hundreds of goals. The next day newspapers all over Rio talked about the impressive power in Roberto's shot. "The Dynamite Kid explodes" wrote Jornal dos sports. From that day on the player would be known in Brasil and to the entire world as Roberto Dinamite. The beginning of a love story with Vasco From that day on, it would be the beginning of a long love story with Vasco fans. Tall and strong, Dinamite used his body with extreme intelligence and rarely lost the ball to an opponent which made him a constant danger to the opposition. In his 22 year career, he was able to average an impressive 36 goals per season. His best year was 1981 when he scored 62 times breaking the record of rival Flamengo's greatest rival Zico who had netted 45. He participated in five state championship wins 77, 82, 87, 88 & 92. In 74, he participated in Vasco's victory of the Campeonato Brasileiro which they achieved by defeating Cruzeiro in the finals 2-1. Despite not scoring in the finals, Roberto Dinamite was the artilheiro of the competition with 16 goals and was without a doubt the main factor in Vasco title run. In 1980, Dinamite briefly left Vasco to play for Barcelona but things did not work out in Spain. Roberto's comeback to Vasco was against Nautico, but the game that truly established him as being back and as good as ever was a game against Corinthians. 110,000 fans watched as Roberto exploded for 5 goals which gave Vasco the victory 5 x 2. It was the triumphant return of the greatest Idol in the clubs history. Roberto and the Seleção Roberto was called up to the Seleção for the first time in 1975 and was also on the squad in the 1978 and 1982 World Cups. In the 1978 World Cup, Dinamite started on the bench for the first 2 games scored the goal that allowed Brasil to move on in the tournament. He than scored two goals against Poland in a game that could have put Brasil in the finals had Peru not disgraced themselves by losing 6-0 to Argentina. In 1982 he was called up only after an injury took Careca off the squad. He did not play a single game because unfortunately Tele opted for Serginho. To this day many believe the fact Roberto did not play a bigger part in the Seleção was for "political" reasons and problems between the player and the CBF. Name: Carlos Roberto De Oliveira Born: 23-4-1954 Position: Center-Forward Clubs: Vasco Da Gama (1971 to 1993) with short stays in Barcelona and Portuguesa Titles: Campeonato Brasileiro: 1974 Camp. Brasileiro de Seleções: 1987 Campeonato Estadual: 1977,1982,1987,1988,1992 Taça Guanabara: 1976,1977,1986,1987,1990,1992 Taça Rio (2º turno - Estadual) 1975,1977,1980,1981,1984,1988 3º turno - Estadual 1975,1988 Copa Rio: 1992 Artilharia (leading goalscorer) 1974 Campeonato Brasileiro: 16 goals 1978 Campeonato Estadual: 19 goals 1981 Campeonato Estadual: 31 goals 1984 Campeonato Brasileiro: 16 goals 1985 Campeonato Estadual: 12 goals Total Goals Scored:774 Vasco da Gama: 698 goals Seleção Brasileira: 26 goals Barcelona: 3 goals Portuguesa: 11 goals Friendlies: 36 goals Video: http://www.robertodinamite.com.br/paginas/esporte/carreira/videos/bonitobota76.rm Beautiful Goal http://www.robertodinamite.com.br/paginas/esporte/carreira/carreira/videos/arrancada.rm Confirm Roberto's explosiveness http://www.robertodinamite.com.br/paginas/esporte/carreira/carreira/videos/arrancadamengo76.rm Against Flamengo in 1976 http://www.robertodinamite.com.br/paginas/esporte/carreira/carreira/videos/faltas.rm Fk's to Roberto was like taking a PK (if these don't work, go directly to the site: http://www.robertodinamite.com.br/paginas/esporte/carreira/default.htm. Goals are at the bottom)
Round 2 Auriverde: 2nd pick BEBETO José Roberto Gama de Oliveira, known as Bebeto, (born February 16, 1964 in Salvador, Brazil) is a football forward, a World Champion for Brazil in the 1994 World Cup. Bebeto started his career in 1983 with Vitoria and would go on to play for Flamengo, Vasco da Gama, and Botafogo in Brazil, Deportivo La Coruña and Sevilla in Spain, Toros Neza in Mexico, Kashima Antlers in Japan, and Al Ittihad in Saudi Arabia. He retired in 2002. For Brazil, Bebeto scored 39 goals in 75 caps after making his debut in 1985. He played in three World Cups: 1990, 1994, and 1998. In 1994, he was one of the best players of the tournament, scoring three goals for the eventual champions, and then repeated the feat four years later as Brazil finished second. Bebeto became a household name for his goal celebration in the 1994 World Cup. His wife had delivered their third child just days before a quarterfinal match against Holland. After the striker pumped the go-ahead goal into the back of the net Bebeto ran to the sideline, brought his arms together and began rocking an imaginary baby. Teammates Romário and Mazinho quickly joined in to create one of the most lasting images in World Cup history. He also was nominated South American Footballer of the Year 1989 *Silvermedal 1988 Seoul FootBall Men's Team Competition *Bronze medal 1996 Atlanta Football Men's Team Competition
JAIRZINHO Soccerscouts comment: Jairzinho upfront is a perfect complement to Zico in midfield. As in the 1970 WC, Zico would easily serve Jairzinho on a continual basis and the other way around also. In 1970 , Jairzinho scored in each of Brazils 7 games. He is the only man to ever score in all games at a World Cup. He was alsoa legendary player on Cruzeiro and Botafogo. Brazil, Midfielder World Cup Record: 1966, 1970 (winner), 1974 (4th) Jairzinho is the only man to have scored in every round of a World Cup competition. Jairzinho grew up at Botafogo in the shadow of Garrincha, the man he would eventually replace in the Brazilian team and spent the early years of his career playing out of his preferred position on the right. At the 1966 World Cup he was stuck out on the left, but following Garrincha's retirement Jairzinho was finally able to make his mark and by the 1970 finals he was a crucial presence on Brazil's right, despite having twice recovered from a broken leg. Jairzinho's main strength was his powerful shooting, which brought him seven goals during the tournament, and he remains the only player to score in every round at a World Cup. In the first round he struck a memorable freekick against Czechoslovakia, he grabbed the winner in Brazil's 1-0 win over England and was also on target against Romania. Further goals followed against Peru, Uruguay and Italy as Brazil strolled to the title, but Jairzinho's driving runs and subtle passing were just as significant factors in Brazil's victory. Jairzinho also played at the 1974 finals. He scored against Zaire and Argentina but neither Jairzinho nor Brazil could re-create the magic of Mexico. MORE: English Translation Below: O Furacão da Copa Por Rodrigo Almeida Já estamos na 17ª Copa do Mundo e, até hoje, apenas um homem conseguiu marcar gols em todas as partidas de uma delas. Trata-se do brasileiro Jair Ventura Filho, o Jairzinho, que, com sete gols em seis jogos, ajudou o Brasil a conquistar o tricampeonato mundial em 1970. Ao lado de craques que desfrutam, até os dias atuais, de maior reconhecimento, como Pelé, Rivelino, Gérson e Tostão, o camisa 7 brasileiro fez história ao marcar mais gols do que todos eles, e sair da Copa do Mundo com o apelido de "Furacão". O matador é, também, um dos maiores craques da história de dois grandes clubes brasileiros: Botafogo e Cruzeiro. Primeiros passos: No final da década de 50, a família Ventura trocou o município de Duque de Caxias pelo Rio de Janeiro. O endereço escolhido acabou influenciando no futuro de seu membro mais famoso. Morando na rua General Severiano, nada mais natural que o menino Jair começasse a freqüentar o Botafogo, que ficava ao lado de sua casa. Não demorou muito para que ele fizesse um teste nas categorias de base do Glorioso e começasse a defender as cores alvinegras. O substituto: Em 1965, acabando de sair do juvenil, Jairzinho recebeu uma missão praticamente impossível: ser o substituto de Garrincha no Botafogo. No entanto, ao invés de tremer ou decepcionar, o garoto de 19 anos encheu os olhos dos torcedores. Com a mesma camisa 7 às costas, Jairzinho não mostrou o talento de Mané para os dribles desconcertantes, mas seus gols e suas arrancadas também deixaram seu nome na história do clube. Se substituir Garrincha no Botafogo já não era tarefa para qualquer um, imagine então ser o substituto do craque na seleção brasileira. Pois foi exatamente o que aconteceu com Jairzinho, no mesmo ano em que estreara nos profissionais do Alvinegro. Mais uma vez, o faro para o gol não falhou e, em 1966, na Inglaterra, disputou sua primeira Copa do Mundo, aos 20 anos. O Furacão: Mesmo após o fracasso brasileiro em 66, Jairzinho permaneceu com seu status inabalado. Na volta para o Botafogo, já usando a camisa 10, o craque levou o Glorioso ao bicampeonato estadual em 67 e 68. Em 1970, veio a consagração. O ponta direita foi um dos principais jogadores da melhor seleção brasileira na história das copas, e deixou o México com o apelido de Furacão, devido às suas arrancadas e chutes fulminantes. Além de Jairzinho, nunca, em todos os Mundiais, outro jogador conseguiu marcar gols em todas as partidas da competição. Logo na estréia, contra a Tchecoslováquia, Jairzinho mostrou seu poder de fogo e balançou as redes duas vezes. Nos outros cinco jogos, Inglaterra, Romênia, Peru, Uruguai e Itália também foram alvos do Furacão, que marcou sete vezes na competição. A Taça do Mundo era nossa e o planeta inteiro reconhecia o futebol do craque. A mudança de casa: Quatro anos após o Mundial do México, Jairzinho fez parte da seleção brasileira que ficou em quarto lugar na Copa da Alemanha e, logo em seguida, deixou o Botafogo. Depois de mais de dez anos defendendo as cores alvinegras, e sendo um dos maiores salários do futebol brasileiro na época, o Furacão trocou General Sevariano pela Europa, e foi jogar no Olympique de Marselha, da França, ao lado do também brasileiro Paulo César Caju, ex-companheiro de seleção e Botafogo. A troca acabou não se tornando um bom negócio para Jairzinho e o craque disputou apenas uma temporada pelo time francês. Acusado de agredir um bandeirinha, o Furacão decidiu deixar o Olympique e retornar ao Brasil. A última conquista: Aos 31 anos e com o passe livre nas mãos, o craque assinou contrato com o Cruzeiro. Defendendo a Raposa, Jairzinho foi, mais uma vez, incomparável. Na época, ele já era um veterano, mas continuava dando trabalho aos zagueiros. Em 1976, o craque foi um dos principais nomes no título mais importante da história do time mineiro: a Taça Libertadores da América. Esta seria a última grande conquista do Furacão, que já estava prestes a e despedir dos gramados. Andarilho: Assim como acontece com vários outros craques, Jairzinho demorou a se acostumar com a idéia de abandonar a carreira de jogador. Ao sair do Cruzeiro, o Furacão já não era mais o mesmo e passou a atuar por equipes pequenas do futebol brasileiro e internacional, antes do adeus definitivo. Fast Clube, do Amazonas, Noroeste, de Bauru e Portuguesa, da Venezuela, são clubes que hoje ostentam o orgulho de terem Jairzinho como um dos jogadores de sua história. Quando se aposentou, o Furacão tentou iniciar a carreira de treinador, mas não obteve sucesso. Acabou se tornando empresário de jogadores e, mesmo longe dos gramados, ainda deu mais um presente para o futebol brasileiro: foi um dos descobridores de Ronaldo, o Fenômeno. A Google Translation: The Hurricane of the Cup by Rodrigo Almeida Already we are in 17ª Pantry of the World and, until today, only one man obtained to mark gols in all the departures of one of them. Happiness is about the Jair Brazilian Son, the Jairzinho, that, with seven gols in six games, helped Brazil to conquer the world-wide tricampeonato in 1970. To the side of craques that they enjoy, until the current days, of bigger recognition, as Pelé, Rivelino, Gérson and Tostão, 7 shirt Brazilian made history when marking more gols of that all they, and to leave the Pantry of the World with "the Hurricane" nickname. The killer is, also, one of the greaters craques of the history of two great Brazilian clubs: Botafogo and Cruzeiro. First steps: In the end of the decade of 50, the family Happiness changed the city of Duke of Caxias for Rio De Janeiro. The chosen address finished influencing in the future of its more famous member. Liveing in the General street Severiano, nothing more natural than the Jair boy it started to frequent the Botafogo, that was to the side of its house. It did not delay very so that it made a test in the categories of base of the Glorious one and started to defend the colors alvinegras. The substitute: In 1965, finishing to leave the youthful one, Jairzinho he practically received a mission impossible: to be the substitute of Garrincha in the Botafogo. However, instead of trembling or disappointing, the boy of 19 years fulled the eyes of the torcedores. With same shirt 7 to the coasts, Jairzinho did not show the talent of Mané for dribbles them baffling, but its gols and its also pulled out had left its name in the history of the club. If to substitute Garrincha in the Botafogo already was not task for any one, imagines then to be the substitute of craque in the Brazilian election. Therefore it was accurately what it happened with Jairzinho, in the same year where estreara in the professionals of the Alvinegro. One more time, faro for the goal did not fail e, in 1966, in England, disputed its first Pantry of the World, to the 20 years. The Hurricane: Exactly after the failure Brazilian in 66, Jairzinho remained with its inabalado status. In the return for the Botafogo, already using shirt 10, craque took the Glorious one to the state bichampionship in 67 and 68. In 1970, it came the consecration. The right tip was one of the main players of the best Brazilian election in the history of the pantries, and left Mexico with the Hurricane nickname, which had to its pulled out and sudden kicks. Beyond Jairzinho, never, in all the World-wide ones, another player obtained to mark gols in all the departures of the competition. Soon in the estréia, against the Tchecoslováquia, Jairzinho showed its fire power and balanced the nets two times. In the others five games, England, Romênia, Peru, Uruguay and Italy had also been white of the Hurricane, that marked seven times in the competition. The Goblet of the World was ours and the entire planet recognized the soccer of craque. The house change: Four years after the World-wide one of Mexico, Jairzinho was part of the Brazilian election that was in room place in the Pantry of Germany and, then after that, left the Botafogo. After more than ten years defending the colors alvinegras, and being one of the biggest wages of the Brazilian soccer at the time, the Hurricane changed General Sevariano for the Europe, and was to play in the Olympique of Marseilles, of France, to the side of also Brazilian Pablo Cesar Cashew, former-friend of election and Botafogo. The exchange finished not if becoming a good business for Jairzinho and craque disputed only one season for the French teams. Defendant to attack one bandeirinha, the Hurricane decided to leave the Olympique and to return to Brazil. The last conquest: To the 31 years and with the free pass in the hands, craque signed contract with the Cruise. Defending the Fox, Jairzinho it was, one more time, incomparable. At the time, it already was a veteran, but he continued giving work to the zagueiros. In 1976, craque was one of the main names in the heading most important of the history of the mining teams: the Goblet Liberating of America. This would be last the great conquest of the Hurricane, that already was gives and to fire to the lawns. Andarilho: As well as craques happens with several others, Jairzinho delayed if to accustom with the idea to abandon the player career. When leaving the Cruise, the Hurricane already was not more the same and started to act for small teams of the Brazilian and international soccer, before definitive good bye. Fast Club, of Amazon, the Northwest, of Bauru and Portuguesa, of Venezuela, is clubs that today exhibit the pride to have Jairzinho as one of the players of its history. When one retired, the Hurricane tried to initiate the trainer career, but it did not get success. It finished if becoming entrepreneur of players and, exactly far them lawns, still it gave plus a gift for the Brazilian soccer: he was one of the finders of Ronaldo, the Phenomenon.
Nilton Santos (Defender) In an age when defenders were discouraged from crossing the halfway line, Nilton Santos revolutionized the fullback's role. With the freedom of movement encouraged by Brazil's novel 4-2-4 formation, Santos could be found charging forward at the World Cups of 1954, 1958 and 1962, collecting winner's medals at the latter two competitions. Santos was a non-playing member of the squad that suffered the trauma of defeat to Uruguay in 1950. By 1954 he was a Brazilian regular, but his World Cup ended in controversial circumstances when he was sent off for brawling with Hungarian captain Joseph Boszik in the notorious "Battle of Berne" quarterfinal. Brazil lost 4-2 and the fight on the field continued into the dressing rooms. In 1958 Santos scored his only World Cup goal, dashing to join the attack in characteristic style in Brazil's first-round win over Austria. As a senior member of the team, Santos was also instrumental in persuading coach Vicente Feola to choose his Botafogo teammate Garrincha and the young Pele. Incredibly, Santos was still a careering presence on Brazil's flanks at the age of 37 for the 1962 finals in Chile as Brazil rolled to the title once again. World Cup Record: 1950, 1954, 1958 (winner), 1962 (winner)
[FONT=Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif]Round 2 Pick[/FONT] [FONT=Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif] ADEMIR DA GUIA ---- "O Divino" Position: Midfielder Nascimento: Rio de Janeiro, RJ, 3/4/1942 Clubes em que jogou: Bangu (1960 a 1961), Palmeiras (1961 a 1977) Títulos: Campeão paulista (1963, 1966, 1972, 1974 e 1976), Brasileiro (1972/73), Robertão (1967 e 1969), Taça Brasil (1967) e do Torneio Rio-São Paulo (1965) pelo Palmeiras One of the greatest midfield generals of Brasilian football. Lead the "“Academia de Parque Antártica" as the only true foil to Pele's Santos' hegemony in the Paulista League. Son of Domingos da Guia [more complete bio to follow][/FONT]
Pick by: ChaChaFut Round: 2 Selection: 12 (25th overall pick) ------------------------------------------------------------------ CARLOS ALBERTO TORRES Born: 17.07.1944, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil Position: Right back Height: 1.80m (5'-11") [other sources list heights ranging from 1.77 to 1.82] ------------------------------------------------------------------ An player of great technique, elegancy, and strong character, "o Capitão do Tri" is considered one of the most complete right defenders ever to come out of Brazil. He was talented as a right back and central defender, and his attacking abilities were great assets for his teams. He In 1962, at only 17, he was given his first chance to play in the first team of Fluminense, by coach Zezé Moreira. He was an improvised central defender, where he left a good impression. Three years later he was considered the best right back in Brazil and started collecting titles along with Pelé at Santos, where he became captain. There is no reasonable explanation for him not being called to the national team to play in the 1966 world cup, to the point that when the list of players was revealed, he tought there was a mistake by not having him on it. It was not, and Carlos Alberto only got to play in one world cup, 4 years later. However, he had a great cup, being Brazil's captain. In the final match against Italy, he scored the fourth goal. It was the last and most memorable goal of that brilliant tournament, a thunderous finish to an outstanding collective play that symbolizes the dominance of Brazil during that tournament, and that is to this date one of the most replayed goals in television, an all-time world cup highlight. After the 1970 world cup, he had a spell with Botafogo-RJ. Then he returned to Santos in 1973. The following year, he was left out of the world cup squad. In 1974 he went back to Fluminense, helping the team win two consecutive Campeonato Carioca titles. In 1977, he moved to Fluminense's arch-rivals Flamengo before transferring to the New York Cosmos where he was reunited with Pelé, and won 3 NASL titles. He played his farewell game on September 28 1982 in an exhibition match between the Cosmos and his former club Flamengo. After his retirement he became a Coach. Sources: http://www.futnet.com.br/craques/craques.asp?codigo=005 http://www.santosfc.com.br/historia/idolo.php?cod=66 http://www.sambafoot.com/en/trainers/239_Carlos_Alberto.htm http://www.soccerhall.org/famers/Carlos_Alberto.html http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Carlos_Alberto_Torres NATIONAL TEAM STATISTICS Brazil NT record Matches played: 73 () Goals scored: 9 WORLD CUP CAREER STATISTICS Code: Year # GP GS Min G A 1958 4 6 6 540 1 -[B] Total 6 6 540 1 -[/B] CLUB CAREER SUMMARY Season - Club - Games / Goals 1962 Fluminense 1963 Fluminense 1964 Fluminense 1965 Fluminense 1965 Santos 1966 Santos 1967 Santos 1968 Santos 1969 Santos 1970 Santos 1971 Botafogo-RJ 1972 Santos 1973 Santos 1974 Santos 1975 Santos 1976 Fluminense 1977 Flamengo 1977 NY Cosmos ------- 4 / 0 1978 NY Cosmos ------- 25 / 2 1979 NY Cosmos ------- 28 / 2 1980 NY Cosmos ------- 23 / 2 1981 California Surf ---- 19 / 2 1982 NY Cosmos ------- 20 / 2 Carlos Alberto played a total of 445 career matches, scoring 40 goals, a remarkable figure for a fullback. CAREER HONORS World Cup champion: 1970 Campeonato carioca: 1964, 1976 Campeonato paulista: 1965, 1967, 1968, 1969, 1973 NASL champion: 1978, 1980, 1982