Today experienced announcers who have been covering World Cups for years and years lost their voices, had no words, were momentarily speechless. There was no way to explain what happened -- it had never happened before quite like that! It defied World Cup history and peoples expectations, all at the same time!
And what could we say to our boys? Particularly the 10 year old who really likes soccer? "Son, this has never happened before, they've never played so badly!" "Don't be upset, there will be other World Cups, maybe they'll do better in the future!"
I was ten years old as well back in 1982, the first World Cup I remember watching. We cried and felt traumatized when Brasil lost to Italy in the quarterfinals. My little brother was inconsolable, poor thing! But there was a crucial difference! (Many, in fact) That team was absolutely wonderful! They played marvelously, artistically, beautifully and reminded he country of he team from the 70s. Zico, Eder, Sócrates, Falcão, Cerezo, were great!!!
This year we had no team, really. A few good players, but they were not a cohesive unit, with technique as well as talent. Utterly frustrating! Add to that a coach who prized emotion above all and used really bad techniques to try and motivate the team (like playing videos of poor orphaned children and saying that they were going to "save" the country and it's people). The pressure of playing at home was too great and they were ill prepared!
Yeah... They'd barely made it to the semifinals, that's the truth, but that still doesn't explain he humiliating defeat 7 X 1. My personal explanation has to do with lack of training and, particularly, nerves! I kept joking that While the German have nerves made of "titanium" Brasil has nerves of tissue paper!
My brother thinks it was a sinister fluke that led them to suffer 4 goals in literally SIX minutes!! Fluke or no fluke, it was pretty embarrassing!!
And I hope that it never happens again!
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