The Hindu : Sport : Can Brazil break the jinx this time?

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Tuesday, Jul 29, 2008
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Sport

Can Brazil break the jinx this time?

S.R. Suryanarayan

A chance for talented footballers to announce their arrival

World Cup football has a certain charm to it but there is a definite aura about the event in the Olympics.

And this is growing as seen from the keenness of top players to use it as a platform to boost their images even as fresh talents seek to announce their arrival on the world stage.

Argentina’s sensation Lionel Messi, considered a successor to the legendary Diego Maradona, and Brazilian top-notcher Ronaldinho are two key players whose names could resound at the Beijing Olympics in the midst of several new stars.

Ironical

Talk of football and the name that springs up first is Brazil, the five-time World Cup winner. Yet it is an irony that this nation is still to win an Olympic gold. It had to settle for silver in 1984 and 1988 and in 1996 it was down to a bronze.

There is added pressure now on Brazil after its arch-rival and former World Cup winner Argentina picked up its first Olympic gold at Athens to end a 52-year wait.

The success has only spurred the Argentines to seek more. Known for a strong junior base, the squad’s additional edge is given by players like striker Messi (hopefully Barcelona will release him), Javier Mascherano and the over-aged midfielder Juan Roman Riquelme.

Add to that names like Nicolas Burdisso, Ezequiel Garay, Fernando Gago, Ever Banega and Sergio Aguero, all doing duty for European clubs, and Argentina has a crop of talent that can be the envy of others.

Coach Dunga stressed that Brazil’s mission this time is ‘Get gold’. “For other teams a silver or bronze medal might be okay but for Brazil it must be gold. That is what is expected,” he said.

Ronaldinho the key

The man on whom he has relied on most in his scheme of things is Ronaldinho. Dunga believes the two-time FIFA ‘World Player of the Year’ award winner will find the Olympic platform ideal to bounce back to form.

Milan’s Kaka and Robinho were Dunga’s other key players in mind. But the former was not released by Milan while Robinho is out with injury. Ramires has replaced Robinho. Rafinha and Diego decided to snub their German clubs Schalke04 and Werder Bremen by putting their country first.

Fans would also look forward to seeing teenager Alexandre Pato exhibiting his skills.

It is tempting to predict an Argentina-Brazil final in Beijing but the Olympics is a different ball game. Of the 16 teams in the main draw, aside from Argentina, Italy, Belgium, Nigeria and Cameroon have all won the title earlier.

Among the rest, Netherlands as the European under-21 champion is no pushover. Royston Drenthe was the star in the under-21 tournament and joining him will be the exciting Rayan Babel.

Belgium had a good outing in the same under-21 championship and has in Sebastien Pocognoli, Maarten Martens and Kevin Mirallas players capable of providing fireworks. Then there are Marouane Fellaini in the midfield and Vincent Kompany in the defence to give the side a sound look. Italy and debutant Serbia add to the European focus.

African challenge

From Africa, Côte d’Ivoire, which is making its debut, has in Saloman Kalou a class player.

Cameroon has experience and worthy youngsters like Stephane Mbia and Alexander Song, both part of the team at the last African Cup of Nations. Still experts believe the team is not as vibrant as it was when it won the gold in 2000.

Nigeria, the 1996 winner, is another key contender hoping to fortify the side with seniors like Samuel Eto’o.

From Asia only Japan has reached some high — a bronze in 1968. Can Korea, host China and Asian newcomer Australia create ripples?

On the eve of the Games the worry on the football front is the club-country feud which if not resolved can jeopardise the chances of some of the stars, mentioned earlier, participating.

Both FIFA and IOC have intervened and the Single Judge of the Players’ Status Committee, based on the request of various parties (clubs and associations), is to give its decision soon on this issue.

The groupings: Group A: Côte d’Ivoire (Ivory Coast), Argentina, Australia, Serbia; Group B: Netherlands, Nigeria, Japan, USA; Group C: China, New Zealand, Brazil, Belgium; Group D: Korea, Cameroon, Honduras, Italy.