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Brazilian former soccer star Edson Arantes Do Nascimento, better known as Pele, holds the FIFA World Cup soccer ball before an interview with Reuters in Sao Paulo June 25, 2010. [Agencies] |
In 2002, I asked Pele if China could make it to the second round of the World Cup and the Brazilian legend assured me with great confidence, "of course, China will make it to the second round".
The outcome: China finished bottom of Group C with no wins, no draws, no points, no goals, as well as -9 in their goal-difference column, against Brazil, Turkey and Costa Rica. They ranked 31st in the 32-team tournament. Saudi Arabia had a -12 differential. Now, his home country has fallen victim to the Pele prediction curse.
Brazil's dreams of a sixth World Cup title were shattered as the Netherlands came from behind to claim a stunning 2-1 win in an enthralling quarterfinal on Friday night.
An own goal by Felipe Melo - who was to be sent off later - and a Wesley Sneijder header enabled the Dutch to overturn Robinho's early opener for Brazil.
Brazil played so well in the first half and seemed to be coasting to a comfortable victory before the break. However, after the Netherlands equalized, Brazil fell apart and the Dutch took advantage of its weaknesses.
Still, to make Melo the scapegoat is not fair. The Brazilians lost because anything can happen on any given day and particularly so when you reach the quarterfinals of the World Cup and the best teams are playing.
No country can win all the time and beat every country all the time. Humans are not perfect and that's the law of nature.
In a game as big as this, one has to have a clear mind and keep cool. On July 2, the Dutch kept their cool while the Brazilians lost theirs. Yelling at each other and picking up needless fouls in the second half demonstrated that the Brazilians can also lose emotional control at crucial moments and discipline when things turn against them.
Brazil is known to play the samba style - touch and go - give and go, moves, dribble, control - they did some of that but not enough. The Netherlands held the ball in midfield where it was strong. Brazil could not keep pushing forward in the second half and that made the difference.
Blame it on Pele! He once said Brazil is the best of the best and that while the other teams' roads were hard to predict, Brazil would make it to the final without any suspense.
Ironically, Pele also expected Brazil to play an African team in the final. The only African nation remaining in the tournament, Ghana went out, a few hours after Brazil's fall, in a penalty shootout to Uruguay.
I believe the Pele curse has worsened. Brazil had been teflon to the 65-year-old legend's comments until World Cup 2010. At the 2002 World Cup, he predicted Brazil would beat Germany in the final.
