Cream rises to top

Brazil beats Germany, ends long journey with deserved title

	Hero of the Day Goal of the Day Talking Point Mailbag

CNNSI.com's World Cup analyst Gabriele Marcotti is covering every kick of the tournament, with a "91st Minute" column filed each matchday. Click here to submit a comment or question to Marcotti's mailbag.

Pentacampeao! Five-time champion: the roar of the word will echo around Brazil and every corner of the world where the Selecao is the paragon of excellence.

Luiz Felipe Scolari's men overcame suspicion, criticism and the overwhelming weight of the proudest tradition in the sport on Sunday to snatch the title following a 2-0 victory over Germany. The final act was the culmination of a journey that began a year ago in difficult circumstances, when Brazil's very participation in this tournament was in serious jeopardy.

Germany boss Rudi Voeller knew he would have to get things right tactically against Brazil, because if the match turned into a straight contest of ability, the South Americans would be streets ahead, especially given the absence of the suspended Michael Ballack.

So he relied on teamwork, workrate, experience and the intuition of Bernd Schneider, a man often overshadowed by Ballack (at both club level and with the national team) but capable of opening opposing defenders.

On the other end, Scolari had all his big guns at hand: For Brazil it was just going to be a case of waiting for the cream to rise to the top.

And yet, for much of the first half, it was Germany that held the reins of the match, not by outplaying the opposition, but by outrunning them.

The constant work of Christian Metzelder, Torsten Frings, Oliver Neuville and Schneider ensured that Germany regularly had an extra man in every area of the pitch. Brazil's slow buildup played right into the hands of Voeller's men, whose superior workrate allowed them to control the flow of the game for long stretches.

Germany's problem was that keeping the ball doesn't do you much good if you lack the players to do something productive with it. Schneider was the key in this department: On two occasions his clever balls found the likes of Miroslav Klose and Marco Bode in the area, but both failed to capitalize with poor first touches.

Brazil seemed to be sleepwalking through the first half hour. Ronaldo, of all people, failed on two solid chances. Only toward the end of the first half was Oliver Kahn in serious danger. First, Kleberson hit the crossbar, then Ronaldo forced Kahn into one of his trademark miracle saves.

It was as if Scolari's men knew they did not need to change their gameplan and that sooner or later they were going to get a break. And yet, it was Germany that was creating chances, none more dangerous than Neuville's blistering shot early in the second half, which the excellent Marcos parried off his own post.

Then, in the 67th minute, Brazil finally got the break it deserved. Ronaldo won the ball from Dietmar Hamann and knocked it to Rivaldo who rifled a shot on goal. It was hit hard, but it was straight at Kahn, and yet the German No. 1 made perhaps his only error of the World Cup, failing to hold the ball. It bounced a few yards ahead of him, straight into the path of the onrushing Ronaldo, who slipped it in the back of the net.

Germany reacted as best it could, but 10 minutes from time, Ronaldo again put the final nail in the Europeans' coffin. Rivaldo's brilliant dummy off Kleberson's cross let the ball run through to the Inter Milan striker, who nailed Kahn for the second time. This time there was nothing he could do, and it sealed the victory.

Brazil deserved the win, not just on the day but for what it achieved throughout the competition. Germany honored the match with an outstanding team performance, but the technical gap between the two was simply too big. Rudi Voeller can only wonder what might have happened if the likes of Ballack, Sebastian Deisler, Jens Nowotny and Mehmet School had been available.

Kleberson (Brazil) . A tight choice ahead of Ronaldinho, Ronaldo and Schneider. Kleberson matched his German counterparts in terms of workrate in a midfield that was often outmanned. He also managed to hit the crossbar and he helped set up Ronaldo's second. A top-drawer performance from an unselfish player.

Ronaldo's second (Brazil) . He knew he was a little fortunate on the first one and that perhaps he needed to make amends for his two misses in the first half. The way he smacked the ball home following Rivaldo's clever dummy was pure class. His eight goals in the tournament are the most since 1970, and he finishes as a fitting top scorer, equaling Pele's Brazilian World Cup record of 12 goals.

Brazil and Germany are not just the two most successful soccer nations of all time -- one or the other has appeared in every single post-war World Cup final except 1978, when Argentina defeated Holland. They represent two different soccer philosophies, but it's interesting to note how both have evolved and incorporated outside influences. Scolari's use of the 3-5-2 formation, his demand that strikers such as Rivaldo and Ronaldinho press opposing defenders and move to create space, and the introduction of occasional quick, direct balls to the front men (rather than the traditional slow buildup) are all elements that have been introduced to the Brazilian game from abroad. By the same token, Rudi Voeller's Germany incorporates the physicality and strength of Northern European teams, with the tactical awareness typical of Serie A soccer (where Voeller spent many years). This German squad was not long on talent, but it boasted a number of players who were unusually well-rounded, such as defenders Christoph Metzelder and Sebastian Kehl, both more comfortable on the ball than many of their colleagues, and striker Oliver Neuville, who pressed intelligently and could transform himself into several different roles in the same match. Coupled with eclectic players such as Bernd Schneider, Marco Bode and Carsten Ramelow, it gave Voeller a vast array of options and the ability to change shape and formation several times during a match.

Do you think the winner of the World Cup determines the style of play of football over the next four years? I ask this because on one end we have German efficiency and the other Brazilian brilliance. The former could be to the detriment of the sport (no disrespect to their accomplishments so far); the latter, the elevation of the sport to fascinate new fans and travel new roads. -- Randy Joseph, Trinidad Answer: World Cup winners have traditionally led to new trends and styles in the sport. After the success of Holland in 1974 and 1978, many tried to emulate its "total football." Many teams adopted a three-man central defense in the late 1980s and early 1990s following the success of the German model. However, there is only so much you can do with the players at your disposal. Brazil can play a certain way because it suits the qualities of its players -- England or Uruguay could not because they have different personnel. The same works in reverse of course. It seems pretty clear from your note that you much prefer the Brazilian style to the German one. Keep in mind though that Germany is without several of its best players (Mehmet Scholl, Jens Nowotny and Sebastian Deisler) and also that you can play an attacking entertaining style of soccer without replicating what Brazil does. Denmark in the early 1980s, for example, was as entertaining and as offensive-minded as any team I have seen, but it dazzled while playing a very different style to Brazil's. Click here to read Marcotti's most recent mailbag, and here to submit a comment or question. Check back on Monday for Marcotti's tournament wrapup.

 

Related information

Stories

Marcotti's 91st Minute: Turks win, set table for final

Multimedia

Visit Video Plus for the latest audio and video