Brazil & Soccer

Brazil has been part of these competitions for years, bringing always wonderful players.

Brazil mens team is not the only one that is doing well. The women's soccer team is doing really well too. In Women's soccer, major changes in the domestic scene are now happening, but Brazil is already the major foce in South America. At the world level, the girls have proved that they can get close to the reputation of the boys from Brazil. The women's team had a good perfomance at the Atlanta Olymics. reaching the semi-finals to secure fourth place overall.

All these achievements are a natural consequence of the undoubted quality and techinique of the Brazilian players. Since the game was established in Brazil, good players appeared from all corners of the immense country. These country has so many wonderfull players Some of the best players today are Ronaldo, Romario, Rivaldo, Roberto Carlos, Dunga, Bebeto, and in the past Zico, Falcao, Socrates, Roberto Dinamite, Reinaldo, Jairzinho, Tostao, Gerson, Carlos Alberto Torres, Pele, Garrincha, Nilton Santos, Zito, Vava, Djalma Santos, Didi, Zagallo, Julinho,

These are some of Brazil's best players throughout the years.

Garrincha

. His real name was Manoel Francisico dos Santos. As Nilton Santos say:" He had the ability of beating twenty players before scoring a goal". He was Brazil's defender. He played in 1958 World Cup, where he appeared in 11 games. He played against the Soviet Union, beating the Soviet full-backs with his accelaration and body swerve again and again. He would move very fast teasing the defenders with his body movements. He was wonderfull until his car accident. After that he was no longer the magic player that he once was. Because of that in 1966 Brazil was beaten for the first time since 1954.

Gerson

He was the greatest midfielder of 1970 World Cup. He was a great passer which is why Didi was such a great gold scorer. He would be the orchestrator of the game he would organize most of Brazil's most famous goals of 1970's Cup. But these was not such a good idea because without him the team would not work so that's what happen in the game against Hungary he was strictly marked Brazil struggled to create attacts without him. He combined with Pele and Rivelino and Codoaldo. Gerson scored the most important goal in the game against Italy, which lead later to the winning of the game with the pass to Pele and a set up for Jairziho who scored. He perfomed only in the 1970's World Cup.

Vava

His real name was Edvaldo Izidio Neto. He played in 10 World Cup games, scoreing 15 goals in 20 games. Vava was Brazil's best attacker, he would always score at the most crucial moments. Richard Henshaw a soccer journalist said: "Vava ranked close to Pele as an intuitive goal scorer". He scored in almost every game in the second round, and the semi-final. Vava combined with Garrincha and Didi. After 1958 Vava moved to Spain playing for Atletico Madrid, but he returned in the Chile World Cup. He still remains one of the best scorers in the world.

Didi

His real name is Waldyr Pereira. He has been a two time World Cup player and one to the world's greatest playmakers. He played as a midfilder, he was a star before Garrincha and Pele came in the picture. Didi discovered the banana kick or the folha seca, know in English as the dry leaf. But even though he was a great player, his place in the cup was not sure because he was beeing criticized for not being motivated enough and too old to play compared with the other midfilders in the game. Even though he was old he got in and as a result Brazil won the game gainst Sweden. Four years later he left Brazil to go and play for Spain, came back in 1962 to combine with Garincha brought Brazil to their second World Cup. Didi got out of the World Cup as one the greates players.

Jairzinho

Real name Jair Ventura Filho. He played as a right-winger in the World Cup history. He played for the first time in the World Cup at age 22 alongside with Garrincha and Vava, which they lost to Hungary. He played really good in the 1966's Cup therefore his place in the next Cup was sure and so it was. In the 1970's Cup he played again, scoring with Pele the opening goal in the final. Scoring 7 goals in 6 games brought Brazil to win the third World Cup (1970).

Rivelino

Robert Rivelino was the world greatest player in the seventies. He was part of that legendary 1970 World Cup winning team, famous for the free-kicks and left-foot shots. He played as the midfield on the far left, being in this position he scored 3 goals in 7 games. He was one of the most feared free-kick expert. He was not just a player he was the teams inspiration. After the retirement of Pele, Rivelino succeeded Pele's shirt. He played in three Cups '70, '74 '78. He was the one that inspired the team to win the 3th place in the '78 Cup.

Pele

Pele is still the greatest player in the world and he is a legend. Peles father was a soccer player too only not as good as his son. Pele started playing since he was a little boy with his neighbors. He and some other kids formed a club that they called November 7 which was their streets name. Their team attracted a soccer coach that took the team and called the "Little America". Is in here that Pele took is first lessons. Then he continued with his father, who later took him to his previous coach when he played with them, at club Sontos. He played for Sontos when he was 14 and had his first game at age 16. At age 17 he had 36 goals, the same year he played for the first time in the World Cup. Thanks to him Brazil won that cup giving to Brazil's people something to be proud of. He became a national hero at age 17. Playing like he did his reputation in the world grew and he became the best player ever. In 1969 in the statium in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil fans from all over the world were gathered to see Pele's 1,000 goal, when he scored his 1,000 goal the crowd exploded in chears. Pele retired in 1978. After that he came to the United States as the coach of the United States national team. "Pele's Career with the Santos, the Brazilian World Cup team, and the New York Cosmos he produced some of the most memorable moments in soccer history. Pele the soccer player continus to inspire young player, and now as he turns to politics, perhaps Pele will become another kind of hero as well." (Caroline Arnold)

Brazil's men team is the only team that has been World Champion four times and holds a lot of other medals like silver and bronze. This country has brought to the world the best players in the world that have been shining and will shine in the history of soccer. It is always a pleasure to see this team play. Based on this information i hope you have more knowlege of this team to see it the way I do.