Opinion – Tostão: Talent and chance can go together in football

In football, there are many doubts and very few certainties, although we find explanations for everything. What we don’t see or measure is just as important as what is visible.

Despite the excessive number of games, the fact that the coaches frequently select reserve or mixed teams, of several weak matches, of expensive tickets, of so much homophobic and racist behavior, of many bad lawns and the risk of catching Covid, the stadiums are full and the fans have never been as excited as they are now. Was nostalgia, after a long isolation, a catharsis, an emotional reunion with something lost, with a great love? Or would it be a natural evolution of football?

Even with so many players spared, there are an excessive number of muscle injuries, without trauma. Wouldn’t the players be running too much, over the physical limit? Coach Vítor Pereira, from Corinthians, said that he is stressed and that he has not been sleeping well. The same must happen with many athletes. Could this be another reason for so many bruises?

In Europe, even considering that there are fewer matches, the main players play a large number of games in a row, during the 90 minutes, and, from what I observe, the number of muscle injuries is lower. The presence of the main players improves the efficiency of the teams and the quality of the matches.

I thought that, after the 7-1 over Tolima, Dorival Júnior would start all the holders against Corinthians, to take advantage of the momentum, to gain more confidence and to improve the placement in the Brasileirão. The coach, because of this Wednesday’s game (13), against Atlético, for the Copa do Brasil, put several reserves, and the team lost. The mighty Flamengo runs the risk of being eliminated from Libertadores and the Copa do Brasil and not getting a place in the Brasileirão for next year’s Libertadores. It would be a total disaster.

Corinthians, after the arrival of a new coach and several prestigious players, thought about forming an exceptional, offensive team, with control of the ball and the game. Today, the team scores very few goals and is supported, in all competitions, by the good and disciplined defensive positioning, in addition to having the important help of the great goalkeeper Cássio, the center forward Benedetto, from Boca Juniors, and the right-back Rodinei, from Flamengo. Would it be a passing luck or will the team continue well in the three competitions?

The doubts remain. Has Atlético been having more difficulty involving the opposing defenses because of collective problems, because of the coach’s misconduct or because Hulk has decided less games?

Would Palmeiras’ three games without a win be indicative of a team downfall? Inter, Athletico, Fluminense and São Paulo have chances, even small, to fight for the title of the Brasileirão? Will Fortaleza’s good team manage to get out of the last places of the table?

Is the fact that Inter scored so many goals at the end of the matches incidental, or is it the technical and emotional strength of a team? Talent and chance can go together.

Is the very low number of points of the Brasileirão leader, Palmeiras, in relation to previous years, a sign of balance or is it a demonstration of the technical fall of the teams?

Football, science and existence are full of doubts. The only absolute certainty is the finitude of life, although we live as if we were eternal. The visionary Darcy Ribeiro, asked what he wanted to be in life, replied: “I want to be God”.