“That is how determined we were”

Carlos Dunga, Brazilian national team coach:
“That is
how determined
we were”
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No. 34 – August / September 2009
Cover story
They are the most successful nation in World Cup history. Their
title for the 2009 FIFA Confederations Cup should therefore not
come as a surprise even though it is a record third crown. What
is the secret behind the success of the Brazilian national team
and how does coach Carlos Dunga utilize this to the maximum?
By: Guy Oldenkotte
best
With players contracted by the
need
clubs in the world, there is no
re.
to teach them anything anymo
Dunga would rather establish
a perfect environment
Being coach of Brazil is certainly a difficult
job, Dunga claims, as the whole world is
looking over his shoulder.
Name a particular era and you certainly will be able to link a
Brazilian football player that dominated international football at
that time. From Pele to Romario, Ronaldo, Ronaldinho or Kaka;
they thrilled the international soccer world on the field and, more
recently, they are thrilling many off the field thanks to players
having become big business. Much was therefore expected in
South Africa from Kaka, who secured a multi-million dollar deal
with Real Madrid just before the start of the FIFA Confederations
Cup. But asked for the reasons for his success, after he was
announced the ‘Budweiser Man of the Match’ in the FIFA
Confederations Cup final against the US, Kaka’s answer is plain
and simple. “Our achievement tonight is the collective
achievement of the entire team. Without the support of the team
I can’t be man of the match,” was the frank answer. Or, as coach
Dunga described it; “I have never seen a team together without
any problem for 30 days. Yet you still didn’t manage to write a bad
story,” he told reporters in the post-match press conference while
looking back at the event. “That is how determined we were”.
No. 34 – August / September 2009
5
Cover story
Willingness to sacrifice
It is believed that over 2000 Brazilian players
leave the country annually to play for teams
in overseas competitions. And as they tend
to be contracted at a very young age the
Brazilian FA and FIFA have started working on
plans to bring this to a halt to avoid soccer
becoming ‘the modern slavery’. Yet Dunga
believes the international experience is
important. “All players of the national squad
have contracts with great clubs. But they
have all been locked in their hotel for the past
22 days. That makes them are very eager to
win,” he says. “Our players are always
motivated and they smile a lot,” the coach
describes the mood in the team. It seems to
be the national mantra. “All Brazilian players
are anxious to play in the Brazilian national
team. But they all respect each other.”
With these few words he describes exactly
the balance the team has found. “Of
course the whole world will talk about
players that will make the headlines for
whatever reason. But you need to have
players that will make the headlines on the
field. And very often they do so without
grabbing the world headlines.
You will need players that will sacrifice
themselves for the team,” Dunga explains.
A per fect example of this philosophy is
Gilberto Silva. Dunga’s loyalty to the
Panathinaikos midfielder was questioned
by many Brazilians when he called Silva up
for duty for the FIFA Confederations Cup.
He had always been the kind of player
whose value is dismissed by super ficial
consumers of the game. But the 32-year
old certainly made the difference.
While he may not be as fier y or visible as
Dunga was at his time, he per forms the
same critical function; providing ballast
and security for the ball players around
him. With Felipe Melo alongside him, this
robust, pragmatic Brazilian midfield
resembles the one Dunga anchored when
Brazil won the World Cup in 1994. Other
Players like Maicon and Daniel Alves have
fur ther complemented the exceptional
talents of Kaka and Robinho, allowing the
Brazilian squad to be patient and wait
until the moment is there to score. And
never mind how much Real Madrid paid
for their acquisition, the Brazilian was
never seen doing funny tricks on the ball.
Brazil played football that was very direct.
Players would only have one or two
touches and then release the ball to a
teammate. “There is always room for
individual per formance but the game is a
collective effort.”
New line of thought
Dunga has also sacrificed the standard of
the game, a move by some regarded as
disrespect to the Brazilian tradition of
fluency and enterprise. But Dunga is not
impressed. “I want to do good work, which
is my work,” he says. The Samba Kings
have become in favour of devastating
counterattacks and scoring from set
pieces. Brazil is perhaps the only team that
can convert a corner against, into a score
of their own.
“Our players are always motivated
and they smile a lot” (Carlos Dunga)
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No. 34 – August / September 2009
They didn’t even post a player next to the
goal post while defending a corner; they
knew their defense wouldn’t be penetrated
in the first place! Making corner kicks and
free kicks count as the team did in the
game against Egypt and South Africa is the
key to Dunga’s new soccer formula. Most
of the 16 goals the Brazilians scored in the
tournament came from set pieces.
Countering from the opposition’s half has
been the Confederations Cup defending
champions’ trusted weapon in South
Africa. Dunga has also reduced the three
creative midfielders that the world had
come to associate with Brazilian soccer to
just two quick ones on the flanks; Kaka
and Robinho. This perhaps explains the
absence of Ronaldinho who has been
replaced with the more combative Gilberto
Cover story
Brazil is perhaps the only team that
managed to convert a corner they
defended into a successful attack.
Silva in the somewhat ultra-defensive mid. Silva is supported by
Felipe Melo, who has ball-winning and distribution skills as well
as being a significant aerial threat. After testing Anderson,
Ednilson, Fernando, Hernanes, Josue, Mineiro and Tinga in his
efforts to fill the holding midfield position, it seems to be unlikely
there will still be space left in Dunga’s squad for Ronaldinho. “I
would like Ronaldinho to come back but that is his
responsibility,” Dunga says, leaving the door open to one of the
world’s greatest attacking mid-fielders. But the defensive
approach seems to be the new Brazilian football school of
thought with fellow countryman Joel Santana, coach of the South
African national squad, adopting the same approach. And in this
development chances are slim that Ronaldinho will ever be
included again.
One year to go
After a slow star t Brazil is now on track for qualifying for the
2010 FIFA World Cup in South Africa. But the problems the team
faced in their qualification emphasize the need to continue
building. Par ticipating in the 2009 FIFA Confederations Cup
therefore provided Dunga with a good opportunity to set some
records straight. “This tournament has been so important for
us. We are building a great team for 2010. When we have time
to train together for three weeks, it is totally different than
training for one game.” Knowing that his players will soon return
to their employers all over the world, it will be weeks or even
months before the coach will see his team again. Dunga hopes
that their eagerness will not have faded away when they return.
“When they get on the field, players must be willing to win.” At
the level of which most players per form as a coach Dunga is
not worried about improving their skills. He rather focuses on
establishing an environment. “We tr y to transmit a spirit of
tranquillity. But the players know what to do.” But if they fail, he
is not afraid of taking decisions. “The truth has to be stated.
There is healthy competition in the team and we only want the
best.” And with training and exporting soccer players from Brazil
becoming big business Dunga has a whole array of players he
can select from.
No. 34 – August / September 2009
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