1.The selecao were again overrated; remember this team never had to meet any top 10 team throughout this tournament and this was supposedly essentially the full national side as per Mano Meneses. They were saved by refereeing decisions in the match against Honduras and again against South Korea..they finally met their waterloo against a significantly understrength El Tri side that had only one player in the entire team playing outside Mexico..that player Gio Ds Santos who has been languishing on the Spurs bench for the last 2 + yrs didn`t even get to play in the final match.
2. Neymar is a good player but to those who like Pele insist he is the best player on the planet or others who feel he is the next coming of Messi and Ronaldo..after the Coppa America showing I present to you exhibit b that shows he is far more flash than substance.
3.Oscar is quality?I think we got a great signing in him..he has been a top performer in every game the Selecao played..the problem now is where we will play him in a side that already has mata and hazard available for his preferred position of play.
4. Hulk is a good player..he was in my mind the best player on the selecao in the final game but worth 46m pounds?are you kidding me? If Zenit St Petersburg want to be the fools who serve as Pinto Da Castos next major financier then best of luck to them..i am glad we passed on him at that ludricous prize tag.
5. Solid defense with a quality goal keeper are still critical pieces to winning any silver ware..Mexico spent one of their critical overage spots in getting a top level goalie..Brazil lost their preferred goalie Rafael just before the tournament began and replaced him with probably the weakest goalie in the entire tournament in Gabriel..they were eventually found out by El tri.
6. The value of top notch coaching cannot be overemphasized. As important as talent is coaching nous is just as important if not more important..i had been telling all my Brazilian pals that Mano Meneses would be the death of Selecao and even after the debacle at the Coppa America they stuck with him?it may actually be a blessing in disguise that they lost this final Olympic match because clearly he had the more talented side but the mexican Olympic coach (who is not even their senior team coach unlike Meneses who is the Brazilian senior team coach) out coached him in the finals game by a mile?The lesson..actual ability rather than big reputations and name recognition count for way more when it comes to sideline generals.
7. We really need a lot of work on our designated penalty taking beyond lamps..the only Chelsea players who took penalty kicks at the Euros (Ashley Cole) and in the Olympics (Danny sturridge) both missed them with miserable consequences for team GB and the England national team
8. The need for clinical finishers cannot be emphasized enough..El Tri barely had 5 chances in the final game and converted 2. But for hitting the cross bar it should have been 3 goals for them. Brazil on the other hand for all the chances created could only put one away and their profligacy in front of goal was a recurrent theme throughout the tournament. We all remember similar types of stats in our games against Bayern Munich and Barca..the issue for concern now for us is I don`t think we have the sort of clinical finisher we did last season on our side and I think we need to find one either from within our ranks (Sturridge??) or get someone that meets that description from outside before the transfer window closes.
9.In the final analysis winning is the name of the game..the signature of a great team is the ability to win on the greatest stage no matter the handicaps faced. El Tri entered this final game missing their most influential senior player Gio Di santos..the Selecao had no such excuse..the results speak for themselves.
10. Money is important but not everything. Money cannot buy determination, heart or drive..the on market value of the entire El tri goal medal team is probably less than the estimated on market value of just Neymar..we now know who can actually deliver when the chips are down. It is just like the last BPL race..though Manu came in second remember they lost just on goal difference and yet the on market value of the city squad compared to Manus was such that it really should not have been close at all..the big difference ..heart, determination and the extra “x” factor that the best coaches impart to their teams.
11. Being the pre tournament favorite can be a burden too heavy too carry..la roja carried it to glory in the euros but the Selecao could not handle it in the Olympics..i personally prefer the under dog role and I for one am glad that both in the BPL and champions league (though we are the defending champs) virtually no one sees us as favorites in either tournament..it removes that burden of expectation and allows us the chance to once again over achieve. i would rather play the role of El tri than of the Selecao coming in to any tournament.
12. A team that plays as a collective where everyone knows his job and does it well..supporting each other ..even if less talented will invariably out do a team of individuals with superior talent who are more interested in showcasing their own individual talent. Play for the team and play your designated role therein rather than being more concerned about your own glory?I hope our boys saw how that held El tri in good stead against the glamor boys of the Selecao.
The floor is yours Blue nation.
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