What's the Brazil national team match that in your opinion the seleção played that almost perfect beautiful game and put on a show worthy of the archives of football?
Brazil 4, Argentina 2, September 7, 1999. That was Brazil's most amazing performance in many years. I dare say it outshined anything from the 1994, 1998, or 2002 World Cups. The victory at the Confed Cup comes close - in both we could've ended the game having scored 6 or 7 goals. The difference was that in Porto Alegre, teh referee harmed us; in Germany, it was just bad luck in several plays.
How about Brazil 3-3 Italy in 1997 in France? Or, Brazil 5-2 Sweden in WC 1958? Brazil 5-2 France in WC 1958? Brazil 3-0 Uruguay in Copa America 1999. I might have chosen Brazil 4-1 Italy in WC 1970. But you said 'almost perfect' and Brazil's (Rivelino's) shooting (FKs, corners, shots toward goal) was far from that. If Rivelino did that in recent times, he would be lynched by the critics. I think Brazil 4-1 Argentina in Confed Cup 2005 comes close to 'perfection' defensively and offensively (some goal misses notwithstanding). However, if I could choose one half of a game, I would go with the second-half of Brazil 3-3 Italy in 1997. That was as breathtaking as Brazil have ever played imo.
Tough. I will go with the classic Brazil 4 x 1 Italy. To do that in a World Cup final galvanized what is perceived as the Brazilian football.
Agreed 100%. I didn't know why my dad spoke of that game with so much awe until I saw a video about that WC that after going through the whole tournament had a very good chunk of the final game in the end. Just amazing. Mind you, we're not brazilians, but I think we can also recognise class when we see it .
I'll go against the grain here. I know the 1982 squad didn't win the WC, but the Brazil/Argentina match in that World Cup was to me the "Jogo Bonito" at its finest. The Brazil/Italy 70 match was tied 1-1 and close for quite a bit, but vs. defending World Champions Argentina who'd probably sent their most talented squad ever to a WC, Brazil started out flying. Eder's memorable free kick which Zico scored off of, as well as Junior's run off of a Zico pass, not to mention El Pibe going banana's and getting sent off. This was the perfect match.
Can't pick WC70 since I was too young to appreciate the game...Brazil v Italy in Le Tournio was special but I have plump for all their games in WC82!..each was a demonstration of futebol poetry in tempo to incessant drum beat. Every Brazil game I've seen since is measured according to that template. BG
I went for 1970 - 9 at time but seen the video since. It must be a tournament game to be considered - or we could inlcude the 1st 30 mins o Mexico 1997 (April) whn we were on fire!! USSR 1982 as 2-1 btw.
I picked a game I watched live, as opposed to some of the classics I've only seen thanks to tape. Brazil x Uruguay, 1993 was a ridiculously one-sided affair that probably should have been 238907x0 for us, but for the Uruguayan keeper. Everyone was clicking, the game was at Maracana, Romario put on a show in his first game back and yet for all the chances we had we only broke through midway thorugh the second half. Nonetheless, despite the press' ridiculously pessimistic approach, I never felt like we were in danger in that game and thoroughly enjoyed the domination we exhibited.
A good call - always good to beat them!! I saw live Brazil-England at Wembley in 1981. Now Brazil in the 1st 20 mins there......!!
i agree with you, that was the most amazing perfomance is years.. i cant never forget that game, it was on brazil's independence day
One would point to all the offensive showings previously listed as worthy candidates. We should also pay homage to a game that I never tire of watching (I'm at a dozen to date)....not an offensive show, but a game that will definitely take its place in the archives of great performances is that 2x1 victory over England in Japan/Korea. It had a bit of everthing. The defensive mistake to go down early (all due credit to Owen for capitalizing), the awakening of the genius within R.Gaucho (with the clinical finishing of Rivaldo), and the 2nd half. As we all remember, the second half began with Gaucho's audacious free kick to gain the lead. [Any doubt that had he not been sent-off he would have had a game for the ages? ]. But what sets this game apart are the last 33 minutes of masterful posession, ball control, and clock-management. Brilliant. I've seen many England fans attribute this performance to Sven not making the right substitutions; or to Sven being too passive (someone even complained of his lack of a rousing half-time speech); or to it being too hot; or to the players not being as motivated as they were against Argentina; blah blah blah. Hogwash. The reason was that the Selecao never let them back into the game. Fact is, they had seasoned pros on that England team who played in one of the acknowledged three best leagues in the world; many of them with CL experience (the ManU crowd having won in '99) and Euro '00 experience. They knew they needed to score, and they knew they had a man advantage; they didn't need Sven to motivate them to do their job on the field. Its easier to claim those excuses than to acknowledge the fact that the Selecao played the best half of keep-away ever seen at a WC. The 3 CBs kept compact, with G.Silva and Kleberson providing defensive help and serving as outlets to pass the ball out of danger; Cafu and Roberto Carlos (a monster in this game) showed all of their leadership skills and ability to hold on to the ball; and the forwards (especially Rivaldo) could be found deep in their halves helping out defensively. What impresses is how infrequently the Selecao had to resort to chutaos; instead passing their way out of danger. After about the first 10 minutes of playing with ten men, my dad said to me, "They're not going to lose this game." I felt it as well. They looked so composed and serene it was remarkable. This tape should be used as a clinic for how to defend with a man down a la Brasilian.
To add to the "clinic", the game was a coaching clinic of sorts: Scolari had actually practiced playing with only ten men and had been made fun of for doing so. Scolari, as it usually turns out, knew what he was doing.
Yes, because of Emerson's extreme agressiveness and red card magnetism, Big Phil spent much time rehearsing play without him. That's just brilliant. My favorite game was the 5x2 game against Costa Rica in WC 2002. Very, very open on both sides, almost a throwback, the opposite of the England game. I still cannot believe the audacity of Edmilson's run, give and go's down the left side, and bicycle kick. He's a defender!
That's one fact I was not aware of. That is weird since our players rarely get sent off. Scolari is also almost always very fortunate on his substitutions. O Scolari tem uma presenca de espirito espetacular.
The spanking of Argentina last week...in the Confed. Cup Final(4-1)......Brasil had to make a STATEMENTand sure as hell they did! The 1970 FINAL showpiece against Italy was to me a culmination of a good job that had started with the earlier games......the crowning glory!
ALL OF 1982 WC matches were a cut above the rest. From the first game vs USSR ( Who can forget Socratese equaliser)..Then the scotland game where Brazil danced.....All of their games were great.... Even their tour of Europe during 1981 had many most beutiful moments... with Zico,Eder,Socratese ,Junior,Falcao and Sereso killing the opponents with their majestic soccer.Will there ever be a team like that ?? It's a NO with a capital N. It's so sad zico and his team did not win the worldcup but for neutral viewers they were the winners.I still remember that worldcup was revolved around Zico even though there were other superstars like Platini ,Maradona ,Rumenigge and BrianRobson.I still have the old news paper cutings from those days before and after the tournament.Zico was so unlucky.. Even the 1986 worldcup game between Brazil and France is considered a classic.. Other games all of us forget is the 1994WC game between Brazil and Holland.Who can forget Branco's Freekick ..
So very true. In 1982 I was not rooting for the Selecao (please don't kick me off the Brasil boards ), but marveled at the sheer beauty of that team. I remember that USSR game like it was yesterday (well, I did rewatch it this weekend after DerMongerers, O-Point and Denilson70's posts), and the second goal is so amazing......Paolo Isidoro on the right flank, passes it on ground to Falcao, who lets it go between the legs, to an unrushing Eder, who "scoops" it up and hits it mid-air, with power and bend, and Daseav can only watch as it sails past him. That goal gives me goose-bumps every time I see it. Magic.
I do own all the games listed above other than Brazil - Bolivia WCQ'94. Might as well share. If you guys are really interested, I'd willingly copy a couple 3-4 games for the galera and follow a process similar to what Gregoriak is doing for the Germany/Bayern boards. Please read up on their process for distribution..no need for us to reinvent the wheel. [PS - rep Gregoriak for his idea]. Great Bayern & Germany... I like the way they are approaching it because it makes everyone equal contributors in terms of effort. If we are going to do it, let's take time to do it right. I'd rather plan for success than rush into something that leaves people unstatisfied. Plus, we need to give our regular contributors a chance to sign up.