Opinion – Tostão: I played alongside Pelé and was interviewed by Jô Soares

When I want to feel important, I say that I played alongside Pelé and that I was interviewed by Jô Soares. Of Jô’s characters, the one I liked the most was Reizinho. Another was Zé da Galera, who would call Telê, coach of the Brazilian team, from the pay phone and say: “Bota Ponta, Telê”!

Some time later, I interviewed, for ESPN Brasil, the genius of the chronicle, Luis Fernando Verissimo, who is more shy than me. In an interview between Jô and Verissimo, he said: “I saw your interview with Tostão. You started out silent and ended up silent.”

Regardless of the performances and results of yesterday’s matches, for the Brasileirão, we had, in the middle of the week, great and important games for Libertadores, which deserve reflection. In the next few days, we will know the qualifiers for the semifinals.

Corinthians and Flamengo showed different tactical models, well executed, but Flamengo’s clear individual superiority prevailed, although the two beautiful goals had the collaboration of unpredictable details, such as the slip by defender Balbuena and the ball hitting the arm of the player of the Flamengo, to stay the way Arrascaeta wanted.

While Vítor Pereira followed the strict European model of having players on both sides who attack and defend, Dorival Júnior once again selected the best players to play where they prefer. Football involves several strategies, as long as what was planned is well executed and there are talented athletes.

In the diamond formed in the midfield by Dorival Júnior, Arrascaeta is the winger, close to the two forwards, where he likes to be, where he knows how to play well. Thiago Maia is the other end, more back and centralized, and the two midfielders, Éverton Ribeiro, on the right, and João Gomes, on the left, attack and participate in the marking from the sides.

Arrascaeta has evolved a lot and will probably be one of the highlights of the Uruguayan team in the Cup, although he will hardly play in the same position as he does at Flamengo, as almost all the coaches do not give up players on the sides, who attack and who defend.

Athletico and Estudiantes had a good and balanced game, a 0-0 draw. Midfielder Fernandinho was the highlight of the match, for his talent, clarity, lucidity and accurate passes. He, who was a reserve at Manchester City, has everything to be one of the stars of football in Brazil.

At Mineirão, Palmeiras managed a good draw, after losing 2-0, thanks to the competence of the coach, the rehearsed plays, mental strength, professional seriousness and, above all, the enormous talent in free-kicks and corners. by Gustavo Scarpa.

Atletico played as well as last year and dominated the game most of the time. Cuca climbed the team the way he did, with two open ends, who mark and attack, and a midfielder in the center, Zaracho, next to Hulk.

After the match, a large number of reporters wanted to know from Cuca the reason why Galo conceded two goals in the end. According to the questions, each one had a preferred answer, which could be technical, tactical, emotional or physical. Cuca, with wisdom and simplicity, replied: “All this, plus Palmeiras and other things I don’t know”. Many were frustrated by the answer, as they wanted a single explanation, the key to the riddle.

Football and life are complex. We are the ones who try to simplify them, with our rationalizations and pretended wisdom.