I think people are forgetting something Brazil won the World Cup in 1994, Copa America and Confederation Cup in 1997 also. So this time Brazil won even thing it has to win including the under 17's and under 20's.
I adjuted the thread title so it can be more understandable. Yes, we indeed had a clean sweep of titles in the 1994-1998 period just like today. Does anyone think it could be a bad omen?
Personally I do not. There are a number of significant differences between Brazil in mid-1997 and Brazil in mid-2005. Brazil peaked that year. Romario was still outstanding, Ronaldo was an exploding young talent, and guys like Bebeto and Dunga still had some gas left from the 1994 generation. In 2005 Brazil hasn't "peaked." Parreira has now finished a series of experiments whereas Zagallo was nowhere as systematic in his approach to uncover young new talents. Parreira, as well, has done a better job of pruning out the remnants from 2002 and of replacing them. Rivaldo is gone; Luizao, Denilson, Anderson Polga, Ricardinho - we know for sure they won't be there next year. Kaka and Adriano have arrived with a blast and Ze Roberto has been rescued. Parreira, unlike Zagallo, is more of a tactician. Everyone in Brazil went crazy after he returned because they thought he'd repeat that defensive system from 1994. But we've seen otherwise. HE has had his ups and downs, but he has indubitably forged the core of a TEAM, not a bunch of "boleiros," for next year. Whether it's the quartet or something a bit less daring, he has specific notions on how to have Brazil play. Zagallo? I respect the old man but his style was more "vao la joguem bola." In addition, we have humbling memories still somewhat fresh in our minds. THe debacle from France 1998, the struggle to qualify for 2002, and the defeat to Honduras in 2001 taught many a lesson. In 1998 we were superconfident with Ronaldo and Romario, and the Olympic defeat from 1996 was not really well absorbed. Parreira is confident and so are the players, but if there is any one coach from Brazil who will remind them to keep their feet on the ground and to play every game with much seriousness (other than Luiz Felipe Scolari), it's him. As for the players, we have a good mix of youngsters and veterans, and some of these veterans, like the Ronaldos, have gone through some of the humbling times. They have not won EVERYTHING with their clubs in Europe. They know the competition will be hard as hell and will most certainly be Parreira's locker room deputies to patrol morale and give pep talks to the other guys who haven't been there, like Renato or Leo or Robinho. IN summary... the coaching staff and players have reasons to be confident, but they are definitely going to be careful. Parreira isn't an "oba oba" type of coach. He's highly professional, he does not allow (usually) ultrapatriotic passions get the best of him, he is a student of the game, and he is proving that he can assemble teams geared for both offense and defense. Are we going to win it in 2006? We don't know. But I cannot fathom any 1998-type debacle next year. If we lose, we will lose because we will face a team who will, on that day, outplay us. But the odds of Brazil outplaying its opponents during each of its 2006 matches - and winning in the process - are more than just good.
You can say that again... he infuriated me in 98'. He had this attitude of "We are going to win because we are the best in the world." From what I understand, he didn't even watch oponents matches (he also did that in '74 and it cost Brasil very dearly in the match against Holland) while preparing the team.
IN that respect even Vanderlei Luchermboorgu D) is a better coach than Zagallo. Luxa at least knows opposing players and tactics. I saw him on a TV show (I forgot the name, but it's hosted by... Milton Neves? From Rede Record? Someone help me here) right after the 4-2 against Argentina on Independence Day in 1999. ANyway, the guests that night were Zagallo, Parreira, Luxa himself, and .... the king, Pele. Luxa then spoke about how Marcelo Bielsa had deployed Veron and Simeone in the 2-0 we lost in Buenos Aires, and how he re-arranged the team to counter Bielsa's expectation that Brazil would be deployed differently in the rematch in Beira-Rio. The point is, I don't like Luxa but admit he's a great coach. And you would think that someone with a resume as sterling as Zagallo would study opposing players. I guess his patriotism, which borders on the extreme (to say the least), gets the better of him. Carlos Alberto Parreira and Luiz Felipe Scolari are beyond that - thankfully.
Mostly because he's too full of himself, he's a primadonna (and especially in Brazil, noone wants a primadonna coach). But there's no denying that he's a great coach and he may be less antagonistic now than he used to be previous to his tenure as Brazil coach.
I want him back in the hot seat in 2006 after the Copa. Give him 4 years and let someone else be tecnico of the Olympic side this time.