In search of the beautiful game

Until yesterday, thirteen matches have been played in the 2010 FIFA World Cup. But we are yet to witness sparkling and heart-beating football normally associated with an event like the World Cup. Hence, when five-time champions Brazil, arguably the most “beautiful” team in the history of the World Cup, took the field against the lowest ranked team ever to have qualified to the World Cup, North Korea, the global viewers were anticipating a footballing spectacle of the highest order. However, what transpired was an efficient team with individual geniuses playing effective football with only one mission – to win at any cost.

Sixteen years ago at USA ‘94 when Brazil won the world cup for a fourth time under Dunga’s captaincy, they had been subjected to criticism even from their die-hard countrymen mainly because they compromised on what has been the historical identity of the Samba Boys – “The Beautiful Game”. The press and the people in general were critical of the negative way in which they had played their football throughout the tournament. But in Dunga’s eyes, the end result only justified the means. In the ‘94 World Cup, Dunga was the captain of the Brazilian team. In the 2010 World Cup, he is the coach and he has already made his intentions clear – “Who cares about the process, I care only about the result”?

The great English poet John Keats had once famously said “A thing of beauty is a joy forever”. There is no substitute for beauty – the admiration for beauty has been an integral part of human enjoyment since time immemorial. Sport as a social medium has evolved with time and the manner in which it is played has been instrumental in generating mass appeal for it. Why do we love to watch somebody like Sachin Tendulkar and Roger Federer again and again? It is because of the visual satisfaction, the numerous oohs and aahs we do while watching these legends execute their craft. Somebody might break their records after some time, but nobody can take from them the visual delight that they have given to billions across the world through their craft. The reason they will always be immortal is that they have been able to win by playing beautifully. Not many can do that. And those who can win by playing beautifully compromise on the beautiful part only because they have to win at all cost, that is when they warrant the wrath of even their die hard supporters. The Brazilian team of 2010 is just treading on this path.

A World Cup that is already becoming dull owing to the subdued level of play and the negative effects of the vuvuzela required the dazzling brilliance of the supremely talented Brazilian team to bring it back to life. But instead of bringing in life, they have taken it to even lower levels. The fact that Brazil could only win 2-1 against a lowly North Korean outfit was not important, what was sad was the manner in which they played. Playing the game beautifully — as shown by so many of the Brazilian squads in history mostly the 1970 World Cup-winning team which had Pele, Tostao, Gerson, Jairzinho and Rivelinho among — is certainly not the first priority for Carlos Dunga else he would not have left arguably the greatest Brazilian of this decade Ronaldinho from his squad. The manner in which Kaka played yesterday suggested that he had left his natural instincts at Real Madrid and was virtually a robot playing a mechanized game which is programmed externally. It required two individual brilliances from two of their superstars to secure a win, else North Korea could very well have done the unthinkable act of drawing even beating them.

Dunga says, “It doesn’t matter whether someone likes you or not. What counts is what happens on the field. It’s all about efficiency”. I do not disagree to what the coach of the most successful team in the history of world football has to say. After all winning is the only thing that matters in sport. However, for somebody like Brazilians who have given us dazzling football over so many generations, to play workmanlike football only to win at any cost is something that is not easily comprehendible. Brazil has diehard fans from Kolkata to California from Iceland to New Zealand because they give us enjoyment in watching which consistently very few teams have been able to give us. If they rob us of this very thing, then why do we support Brazil – we can support any other team that wins. There have been many teams, many players who have accumulated titles after titles but are not well accepted by fans mainly because their playing style has not been in sync with what we call as beauty. Beauty can transform sport to an art form – and we all love to appreciate art because of the visual delight it provides. The Brazilians have made football a beautiful game and even this outfit of 2010 has the ability to play beautifully and win. We just hope they listen to all the prayers from their fans and play like the Brazil we know from the next match onwards- if not they might win the Cup but they will lose many many hearts.