Opinion – Tostão: Why is Courtois not on the list of the best players in the world?

As expected, Liverpool dominated, pressured, created six scoring chances, but Real won, with five exceptional saves from Courtois, which is no surprise as they are the best goalkeeper in the world. Why is Courtois not on the list of the best players in the world? Only those who play from the middle to the front cannot be elected. It was the victory of a balanced, organized team and also with many stars, against an explosive, offensive and daring opponent. Both teams are portraits of their coaches.

Before the match, I thought that Vinicius Júnior was a strong candidate to be, from the middle to the front, in addition to Neymar, one of the great Brazilian stars in world football. He already is. The winning goal was a common move, but as it was in the final, it became a symbol of a spectacular career, even at just 21 years old.

The presence of so many Brazilian players, above any other country, in the final of the European Champions League, is a demonstration that the formation of many good and great athletes continues.

In Europe, Brazilian players become more professional and develop individual and collective strategy and technique. If the main players returned, the Brasileirão would be one of the best championships in the world. The fact also shows that the Brazilian team is at the level of the best on the planet, unlike the great distance between the main European and Brazilian teams.

Politics, society and Brazilian football lack more professionalism and seriousness. In addition to the good squad and the correct way to play, one of the advantages of Palmeiras over the other teams is the more professional behavior of the athletes and the coaching staff.

Today is Fla-Flu day. At Flamengo, Paulo Sousa did many laps and reached the usual 4-4-2. It remains to be defined whether Pedro and Gabigol will continue together. The problem is not scaling both, but scaling both plus Bruno Henrique. Gabigol and Bruno Henrique are not classic strikers, wingers or attacking midfielders. They are two forwards that stand out for playing together from the right and left midfielders to the center, where they meet, in a free space, to define the plays.

Atletico fans, by booing the team and demanding that the team play the same way and have the same results as when Cuca was the coach, run the same risk as Flamengo, who created the ghost Jorge Jesus.

At Corinthians, if the coach selects the best in most matches and doesn’t change the strategies so much, the chances of evolving and being a candidate for the Libertadores and Brasileirão titles will greatly increase. Vítor Pereira said something similar, that he is a rational, scientific technician with his feet on the ground, to justify his attitudes. I think that he, moreover, should be a little dreamy, also follow perception and sensation. It would be even better.

It’s good to see the return of Mano Menezes, Dorival Júnior and Felipão, the only Brazilian coach in the Libertadores round of 16. The three started very well, but it is still too early to make a better analysis. The three always had many virtues, they were victorious, especially Felipão, world champion. I hope that, in addition to their experience and their qualities, they are convinced that there have been important changes in football in recent times and that many things that they did and that worked are no longer used.

Life moves forward, with new challenges.