Can Brazil win gold medal? :
World Champions Germany and hosts Brazil will meet on Saturday for gold in soccer-perhaps this is the first time that these two soccer giants are playing against each other in the final of any major football tournament — to be watched by billions of spectators through out the world.
There is no doubt that crowd’s waves will sweep the Marakana Stadium to celebrate the home team’s first ever triumphant, as their predecessors did in 1950 to rejoice the first World Cup Victory, but returned with tears rolling down the cheeks after surprise 1-2 loss to Uruguay.
The home crowd must remember that German footballers are better in both head and footwork, shooting power, passing and ball control?
I watched Germany to display artistic football what Brazil did in the late fifties and sixties. The team from Europe have no superstar, but every player is aware of his responsibilities, position sense and alertness. On the other hand, the Brazilians are slow, feeble and make silly mistakes while passing the ball to fellow players.
They are shy to shoot the ball into the opponents’ net, fumble and lack conviction to win. It is true that the home side trounced Honduras 6-0 in the first semifinal, nevertheless that does not qualify them to beat Germany to take the gold medal for the first time in their Olympic soccer history.
Yet anything can happen in sports, particularly soccer.
World Champions Germany and hosts Brazil will meet on Saturday for gold in soccer-perhaps this is the first time that these two soccer giants are playing against each other in the final of any major football tournament — to be watched by billions of spectators through out the world.
There is no doubt that crowd’s waves will sweep the Marakana Stadium to celebrate the home team’s first ever triumphant, as their predecessors did in 1950 to rejoice the first World Cup Victory, but returned with tears rolling down the cheeks after surprise 1-2 loss to Uruguay.
The home crowd must remember that German footballers are better in both head and footwork, shooting power, passing and ball control?
I watched Germany to display artistic football what Brazil did in the late fifties and sixties. The team from Europe have no superstar, but every player is aware of his responsibilities, position sense and alertness. On the other hand, the Brazilians are slow, feeble and make silly mistakes while passing the ball to fellow players.
They are shy to shoot the ball into the opponents’ net, fumble and lack conviction to win. It is true that the home side trounced Honduras 6-0 in the first semifinal, nevertheless that does not qualify them to beat Germany to take the gold medal for the first time in their Olympic soccer history.
Yet anything can happen in sports, particularly soccer.
Abdullah Akber
Dhaka
