PIC;Fun and creativity, another definition: The Brazilian national team
I have been blessed, why? I have had the opportunity to watch a lot of football (Brazilian, Italian, German, English and Spanish) or soccer in my life on TV especially, but I was always looking for that one player that stands out, the one player that is a maverick that does not follow the conventional. Someone who thinks outside the box and in this case it is literally true for the penalty area is called the box.
A player who can conjure a golscoring opportunity or even score from miles away or even if it is in the box it has to be something special. I remember in the 1982 World Cup when Brazil were playing New Zealand I think it was a corner and though the opponents were New Zealand the box was crowded, but out came Zico to score a spectacular goal when he lashed on to the cross it was a cross-breed of a bicycle kick and a scissor kick.
Even better was that goal against Russia in that same World Cup when a Brazilian player received a pass but he let it run through his legs and Eder flicked it in the air and gave it a volley, to call it beautiful is an understatement it was just breath taking. How about that Champions League goal a couple of years back when Ronaldinho scored against Chelsea from outside the box without even having a drag (pulling his leg back) he swished a goal pass petr czech, a skill he learnt from the futsal courts in Brazil.
I could go on and on and talk about players like Pele, Eric Cantona, Maradona, Michael Laudrup, Platini, Falcao, Cruyff, Ronaldo, Cristiano Ronaldo, the whole Brazilian team of 1970 etc. Pure skill and artistry is what interests me the most and i must say that this team influenced me a lot in how the game should be played. So maybe it is no coincidence that I am now coaching at the Brazil Football Centre.
One of the most interesting things that happened in football happened in the box, but was totally out of the box thinking (Confused? read on). It was in 1982 Dutch League game between Ajax and Helmond Sport.
Ajax were awarded a penalty and the maestro Cruyff put the ball on the spot, but what happened after that was sheer genius and out of the box thinking. He and Jesper Olsen the Danish international who went on to play for Manchester United exposed a loophole in the rule book. Cruyff gave a leftside pass to Olsen and Olsen took one touch and than passed it to Cruyff who was on his right side and the maestro duly scored without anyone moving.
You see everyone was in shock to see what was going on, they were confused and by the time they came to terms with it, it was too late. No guesses to know whose idea this was of course...Cruyff. If you want to catch this gem go to: http://www.metacafe.com/watch/224630/penalty_bunders/ and also be prepared to see how it should not be done when Thierry Henry and Robert Pires of (Former Arsenal players) tried the same thing, don't ask me to explain what they were trying to do for even i don't know and from the looks of the video i think they did not know it too!
There is a player who is now causing a storm in Brazil and is upsetting the rule book by flicking the ball to his head and driblling past players and that is not the only thing he can do, he is equally great with his feet, his name is Kerlon (google him).But my point in this article is all about creativity in its extreme vulgarness! So vulgar in its beauty that you can only look in awe and wonder what the..#%'..where did that come from! it does not have to come from just football, the great Bobby Fisher did a brilliant move on the chess board against Boris Sparsky in 1972 when everyone thought Boris had Fisher against the wall.
According to the New York Times:
"There is some actual historical precedent for this concept. Until the Spassky-Fischer match in Reykjavik in 1972, chess was a game (or sport? art? creative manifestation? substitution for warfare?) in which a handful of exquisitely trained players with extraordinary creative imagination and monomaniacal dedication engaged in tactical and psychic warfare against each other, to the vast disinterest of much of the world. Then Bobby Fischer, the enfant terrible, came along. With his combination of genius, charisma and disestablishmentarianism, he captured the imagination of the world, becoming the chess champion as well as a folk hero".
Creativity can come in all walks of life and creativity is not about doing something illegal or stupid it is all about being original and excellent, but sometimes in order to come to this stage you need a to train and repeat, repeat, repeat, and repeat and practise all the techniques relevant to the subject whether it is football, your education or any other sport. Because once this is established it becomes natural and creativity explodes because you have mastered the basics, this is what is missing in our football, creativity, but in order to achieve this we need dedicated individuals who are willing to sacrifice and practise, but does that guarantee creativity?
Bad news it does not, so how? My Chief Coach Lamartine Fernandes at the Brazil Football Centre said something interesting and i always thought about this and in the end it it is the truth, he said; “A kid during his school days should also do other things to complement his football such as playing the piano, martial arts, painting, writing or any other sport or activity, as this brings something back to the game” bingo!!!
What is that something is for you to find out but when you see the football pitch as your canvas and you as Van Gogh you know that “something” is in you. So go on, seize the day!
I have been blessed, why? I have had the opportunity to watch a lot of football (Brazilian, Italian, German, English and Spanish) or soccer in my life on TV especially, but I was always looking for that one player that stands out, the one player that is a maverick that does not follow the conventional. Someone who thinks outside the box and in this case it is literally true for the penalty area is called the box.
A player who can conjure a golscoring opportunity or even score from miles away or even if it is in the box it has to be something special. I remember in the 1982 World Cup when Brazil were playing New Zealand I think it was a corner and though the opponents were New Zealand the box was crowded, but out came Zico to score a spectacular goal when he lashed on to the cross it was a cross-breed of a bicycle kick and a scissor kick.
Even better was that goal against Russia in that same World Cup when a Brazilian player received a pass but he let it run through his legs and Eder flicked it in the air and gave it a volley, to call it beautiful is an understatement it was just breath taking. How about that Champions League goal a couple of years back when Ronaldinho scored against Chelsea from outside the box without even having a drag (pulling his leg back) he swished a goal pass petr czech, a skill he learnt from the futsal courts in Brazil.
I could go on and on and talk about players like Pele, Eric Cantona, Maradona, Michael Laudrup, Platini, Falcao, Cruyff, Ronaldo, Cristiano Ronaldo, the whole Brazilian team of 1970 etc. Pure skill and artistry is what interests me the most and i must say that this team influenced me a lot in how the game should be played. So maybe it is no coincidence that I am now coaching at the Brazil Football Centre.
One of the most interesting things that happened in football happened in the box, but was totally out of the box thinking (Confused? read on). It was in 1982 Dutch League game between Ajax and Helmond Sport.
Ajax were awarded a penalty and the maestro Cruyff put the ball on the spot, but what happened after that was sheer genius and out of the box thinking. He and Jesper Olsen the Danish international who went on to play for Manchester United exposed a loophole in the rule book. Cruyff gave a leftside pass to Olsen and Olsen took one touch and than passed it to Cruyff who was on his right side and the maestro duly scored without anyone moving.
You see everyone was in shock to see what was going on, they were confused and by the time they came to terms with it, it was too late. No guesses to know whose idea this was of course...Cruyff. If you want to catch this gem go to: http://www.metacafe.com/watch/224630/penalty_bunders/ and also be prepared to see how it should not be done when Thierry Henry and Robert Pires of (Former Arsenal players) tried the same thing, don't ask me to explain what they were trying to do for even i don't know and from the looks of the video i think they did not know it too!
There is a player who is now causing a storm in Brazil and is upsetting the rule book by flicking the ball to his head and driblling past players and that is not the only thing he can do, he is equally great with his feet, his name is Kerlon (google him).But my point in this article is all about creativity in its extreme vulgarness! So vulgar in its beauty that you can only look in awe and wonder what the..#%'..where did that come from! it does not have to come from just football, the great Bobby Fisher did a brilliant move on the chess board against Boris Sparsky in 1972 when everyone thought Boris had Fisher against the wall.
According to the New York Times:
"There is some actual historical precedent for this concept. Until the Spassky-Fischer match in Reykjavik in 1972, chess was a game (or sport? art? creative manifestation? substitution for warfare?) in which a handful of exquisitely trained players with extraordinary creative imagination and monomaniacal dedication engaged in tactical and psychic warfare against each other, to the vast disinterest of much of the world. Then Bobby Fischer, the enfant terrible, came along. With his combination of genius, charisma and disestablishmentarianism, he captured the imagination of the world, becoming the chess champion as well as a folk hero".
Creativity can come in all walks of life and creativity is not about doing something illegal or stupid it is all about being original and excellent, but sometimes in order to come to this stage you need a to train and repeat, repeat, repeat, and repeat and practise all the techniques relevant to the subject whether it is football, your education or any other sport. Because once this is established it becomes natural and creativity explodes because you have mastered the basics, this is what is missing in our football, creativity, but in order to achieve this we need dedicated individuals who are willing to sacrifice and practise, but does that guarantee creativity?
Bad news it does not, so how? My Chief Coach Lamartine Fernandes at the Brazil Football Centre said something interesting and i always thought about this and in the end it it is the truth, he said; “A kid during his school days should also do other things to complement his football such as playing the piano, martial arts, painting, writing or any other sport or activity, as this brings something back to the game” bingo!!!
What is that something is for you to find out but when you see the football pitch as your canvas and you as Van Gogh you know that “something” is in you. So go on, seize the day!
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