You know when you like a movie so much, but after watching it two or three times, it strikes you as kind of boring?
Or when you discover a new and delicious dessert, but after having it three or four times it seems average and you get tired of it?
Beating Argentina is nothing like that.
Every time, oh, it's so sweet... Brazilians canâÂÂt get enough of it!
Brazil's players acknowledge the travelling fans
True, at international level, the Seleção have been hammering the hermanos on a regular basis since 2005. If they were ordinary losers, perhaps at this point we wouldnâÂÂt be bragging so much about yet another triumph.
But, no, they have to keep insisting theyâÂÂre still a match. Every game, they announce: this is it!
Every time, they produce a different weapon ready to inflict excruciating pain on us. Revenge hour has come!
Persistent folks, IâÂÂll give them that. In the end itâÂÂs just added fun.
First, it was Tevez, the New Maradona. DidnâÂÂt tickle.
Then they brought Veron and Riquelme back. Pointless.
Wait: thereâÂÂs Messi! The newest New Maradona. This one is fantastic, youâÂÂll see.
Hmm... Not good enough â at least not to drive Brazil to defeat in the superclásico.
(A quick word on Messi. The ace desperately needs to bring his Barcelona displays to the national team. The last thing he wants is to be tagged a âÂÂclub player,â a curse that has slowly undermined Ronaldinho. Look where Ronie, one of the most talented players of the century, is now. And thereâÂÂs no point in âÂÂeating the ballâ against Venezuela or Peru or in the Olympic squad â you gotta show it against the big boys).
In a desperate effort, the Argentinians called up God to the bench.
The ultimate menace: Maradona himself, in the mousetrap of Rosario. Tevez announced on the eve of the match: âÂÂBrazilians are scared.â Wow.
Banter aside, as everyone saw, it was easy as 1-2-3. Again.
And Brazil sealed their ticket to the 2010 World Cup in the most delightful way: weâÂÂre going to South Africa, theyâÂÂre just going south.
"This isn't gonna go down well"
The win also seemed to take away the last burden of Dunga's squad.
Last year, the crowd booed the team after the 0-0 against Argentina in Belo Horizonte, and the players had go through the humiliation of hearing the mass chanting âÂÂMessi.âÂÂ
That same week, windbag president Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva asked the Brazilian players to get inspiration from the Barcelona ace.
Goalkeeper Julio Cesar fired back: âÂÂIf he likes the Argentinians so much, perhaps he should renounce and go live in Argentina. Brazil would be better without him.âÂÂ
In Rosario, during the post-match interviews with the Brazilian press, the players got their payback. Even the usually non-belligerent Kaka stepped forward.
Asked if he felt sorry for the bad situation Argentina found themselves in after the defeat, the Real Madrid star surprisingly went off-script: âÂÂBetter them than us,â he said, without attempting to conceal a smile.
Football certainly brings out the best of international bad feeling and jealousy. No wonder itâÂÂs so great.
PS: I swear I tried to help Maradona with the advice in my extra-edition Argie Bargy.
But obviously my new colleague Joel Richards, who graced The Noise from Brazil with his own tactical insights, helped Dunga a lot more.
Thanks, man!
----------------------------------------------
FourFourTwo.com: More to read...
The Noise from Brazil home
Blogs home
Latest South America news
News home
Interviews home
Forums home
FourFourTwo.com home
