Reread, review and relive – 02/24/2024 – Tostão

I love reading books, films, poetry and facts that I have seen, experienced and that gave me pleasure and moved my soul. I watched the movie “Casablanca” several times. I know a doctor who has seen the film 26 times. What would be the mystery? The enigmatic look of the artist Ingrid Bergman, like that of the Mona Lisa, the virile and seductive posture of Humphrey Bogart or the beautiful song, “As Time Goes By”, sung on the piano by Dooley Wilson?

I read the book that inspired it and watched the film “Man of La Mancha” several times, a masterpiece of literature, written by Miguel de Cervantes, starring Peter O’Toole and Sophia Loren. The song “Sonho Impossível” is masterful, written by Laurence Rosenthal, which is even more beautiful sung in Portuguese by Maria Bethânia. We all need impossible dreams, because reality is sometimes boring.

I would like to see Didi catch the ball inside Brazil’s net after Sweden’s goal in the 1958 World Cup final, put it under his arm, raise his head, stick his nose in the air and walk to midfield, like an Ethiopian prince, as Nelson Rodrigues liked to call him. Didi’s triumphant stance gave everyone confidence and encouraged everyone to win the title.

I would like to review the pass I gave to Clodoaldo to score Brazil’s equalizer against Uruguay in the 1970 World Cup. I waited a fraction of a second to place the ball at the right time according to Clodoaldo’s speed. As you can see, I’m not modest at all.

I would like to revisit Romário’s goal in the 1994 World Cup against the Netherlands. Bebeto made the pass and Romário arrived a little far from the ball. If he stretched his leg he would miss the goal. He jumped up and with both legs in the air, he hit the corner with his right. Master Armando Nogueira and I went after the game to the TV Bandeirantes studios to see the game from different angles and try to understand Romário’s genius.

I would like to revisit Ronaldinho’s goal against the English in the 2002 World Cup, when he, from midfield, threw the ball over the goalkeeper. It was not by chance as many say to this day. I, who had been world champion as a player, witnessed and thrilled, inside the stadium, as a columnist and fan, with the title won by Brazil.

I would like to see so many spectacular moments again, like Maradona’s against England in the 1986 World Cup, the most beautiful goal of all World Cups. I would like to review plays by the great stars in the history of Brazilian and world football.

I would like to review Cruzeiro’s two victories against Santos in winning the 1966 Taça Brasil. At Mineirão, in the 6 x 2 victory, the king of the game was the star Dirceu Lopes, and not Pelé.

Football, before being a competition, a game of technique and tactics, is a playful, beautiful, exciting and surprising sport. Football is an example of the relativity of things and the world.

In the previous column, I wrote that one of the main reasons for the superiority of European football over that of Brazil and South America is the greater economic, social, cultural and technological development, which leads to the formation of better structures and better prepared professionals . Evidently there are exceptions, there are sectors of great progress in Brazil.

The teams, in addition to hiring the best players from other continents, have had important help in recent decades from a large number of immigrants. Among national teams, the superiority of Europeans diminishes a lot or does not exist, even more so when a Messi appears.

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