Where does the talent come from?

Gabriele Marcotti covers international soccer for CNNSI.com. He will answer questions from users in his mailbag periodically.

I wonder where Brazil gets all these talents from. They always seem to get new stars when you think you've seen the very best of them. I think Robinho and Diego should stay in Santos and gain some more experience at least for one more season. After all they are too young to go out of their own. What do you think?
--bismark adu, new york

I doubt Robinho and Diego will move this summer. It's not really in Santos' interest to let them go now, especially since the transfer market is currently somewhat depressed. Once the cash crunch is over, and once we've seen them in action for another whole season, it's more likely that they'll come to Europe.

As for Brazil's production of talent, there is no question that the country produces more great players than any others. The reasons behind this are many. First and foremost though, I think it's because it's a huge nation (160 million plus) where everybody plays soccer and which boasts an unrivaled tradition in the sport. The level of coaching and competition is very high from an early age and this is reflected in the players it produces.

Mr. Marcotti, I don't understand what you mean about the English football being physical. The way I see it, English soccer is all about long balls. I don't see any physicality in that. Maybe your definition of physical is different from mine, though. Please enlighten me.
--Rob, Chicago

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If you think the English game is all about long balls, you must be stuck in the 1970s! A lot has changed, what hasn't is that the game is played at a very fast pace (and sometimes out of control). Referees call fewer fouls (the fewest among the top leagues in Europe) and this, combined with the speed of the game, makes it one of the more physical leagues around.

Do you think the Oceania Football Confederation should be merged with the Asian Football Confederation? As far as I'm concerned, every confederation should get at least one automatic bid to the WORLD Cup. If OFC odes not merit an automatic place (an opinion shared by you and many others), then it should not be its own continental confederation.
--Brian Farenell, Glens Falls, NY, USA

I guess it's a moot point now, since Oceania is getting an automatic spot (which means that Australia may as well book its flights to Germany right now). Combining Asia and Oceania would have been an option. However, it would also have been very expensive. Many of the OFC nations are small with very limited populations -- logistically it would be very difficult for them to fly all the way to say, Iran. As far as I can tell, that is the only reason the two confederations were not combined.

Dear Gabriele, do you think that Lazio will really be a contender for the title after stunning Juventus at Delle Alpi, or will they fall back after half of the season, perhaps because of the funding problems?
--Andreas, Ghent, Belgium

If Lazio won Serie A it would be a tremendous story, but, frankly, I don't see it happening. Even if the club survives the January transfer period without being forced to sell anyone (which doesn't seem as unreasonable today as it did a few months ago), I don't think Roberto Mancini's squad is as deep or as strong as those of Juventus, Milan or Inter.

Why do you praise Hiddink so much when the only managing he did for Korea was with referees? If it wasn't for all the questionable, no, BAD calls, he would have looked like another Van Gaal.
--Lee, Sevilla, Spain

Hiddink's South Korea team played very well throughout the World Cup, regardless of the officiating against Spain and Italy. His up-tempo game caused huge problems for opponents, and it's only right that he get credit for it.

Hello Gabrielle, maybe you could help me out and show me why everyone is talking about Wayne Rooney! I don't think he even qualifies to be a great player!
--Maurice Barigye, Kampala, Uganda

I actually think Rooney has all the skills to succeed. He looks a little clunky off the pitch (as do many teenagers), but with the ball at his feet, he is something special. For a 17-year-old, his instincts are excellent and his maturity is surprising. Throw in the fact that he has a rare combination of speed, quickness, physical strength and, of course, technique and you've got one of the most exciting prospects in the recent history of the English game.

How come Thierry Henry and Ruud Van Nistelrooy, and not Alan Shearer, are pretty much the only two strikers considered for the title of "best in the Premiership"? I am an Arsenal fan, and consequently a fan of Henry. However, it seems to me that Shearer is more of a striker than both Ruud and Henry. Henry's inability to score with his head is a serious liability at times. Shearer is the most prolific striker in the Premiership at the moment; he trailed Henry by one goal in the Premiership last season, is the Premiership's all-time leading scorer, and with a markedly weaker midfield supplying him as well. If Shearer is not quite as good as Henry and Nistelrooy, I have yet to see why. Perhaps you could fill me in
--Stephen, Rochester, N.Y

Alan Shearer is a veritable goal machine, and he deserves a lot of credit. Having said that, Newcastle's game is geared entirely towards him, more so than Arsenal's towards Henry or United's towards Van Nistelrooy. I agree that Henry is not a genuine centerforward the way Van Nistelrooy or Shearer are; in my opinion, he's more of a second striker, which makes his scoring record all the more remarkable. It's hard to argue with numbers, but Van Nistelrooy and Henry (heading aside) are probably better-rounded players in that they can take people on and are better providers than Shearer.

 

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