Opinion – Tostão: Maradona wanted to pass the ball, but there was always an Englishman in front of him

In football and in all activities, making diagnoses and prognoses based only on statistics, information and tactical schemes is as flawed as discovering diseases in symptom lists that are on social networks, without the presence of a doctor. Google is not a good doctor.

As José Miguel Wisnik wrote, in the book “Veneno Remédio”, there are, in football, several logics that intersect, alternate and complete each other. Chance also has a logic, that of being common, although we do not know where and when it will occur, nor in whose favor. These are random, technical, physical and emotional facts.

There are many other inexact logics, such as the conduct of field and video referees, which deceived us that it would be a precise, unquestionable, quick and definitive solution. The VAR arrived to confuse, as Chacrinha would say.

I talk a lot about the imponderable, but I am passionate about science, an admirer of coaches and technical and tactical details. Chance and talent can walk together.

In the 1986 World Cup, according to Maradona’s reports, when he received the ball in Argentina’s field, he thought about passing it to his teammate, but an Englishman appeared in front of him, and he had to dribble it. So, successively, Maradona wanted to pass the ball, but he always had an Englishman, including the goalkeeper, to be dribbled over, until the most beautiful goal of the Cups was scored. It was the union of genius with a series of accidents.

In football, in all professions, in society and in life, technical, tactical details and unexpected moves often change the story of a game, an athlete, a team, a championship, a country and the world. Life is the meeting of desire, possible, emotional and biological facts and the unpredictable.

In the middle of the week, for the Copa do Brasil, details decided the matches. Flamengo, in the 0-0 draw with Athletico, had five clear chances to score and did not score, due to technical errors and because the balls passed inches from the target.

Athletico achieved a great result, as they are very strong at home. No more favorites. The team from Paraná scored far back, as expected, and then counterattacked, which they failed to achieve.

The quality of the matches has been inferior to the enthusiasm of the public and full stadiums. São Paulo plays intense football, but there is little exchange of passes and ball control. If America hadn’t missed a penalty, the São Paulo team would be criticized today. In BH, Coelho has a chance to qualify. Fluminense, on the other hand, with a 1-0 victory, away from home, over Fortaleza, has a big advantage to reach the semifinals of the Copa do Brasil.

After the matches, there are always dozens of explanations for the performances, the victories and the defeats. Coach Vítor Pereira, after Corinthians lost 2-0 to Atlético-GO, said that the victory, days ago, over Atlético, harmed the team, which would not have had the greed that it had at Mineirão. If Corinthians had won the Goiás team, the coach could say that the victory over Galo would have increased the team’s confidence. All explanations are welcome. Long live diversity!

Strategy and individual talent are essential. However, with the development of sports science, there is an increasing tendency to value the way of playing and the decisions of coaches. It is necessary to give more value to the beautiful shots and to train more complete and inventive athletes, the protagonists of the show.