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O Rey - Pelé

E’ una tiepida serata a Bauru, comune Brasiliano nel popoloso stato di San Paolo. Sono da poco passate le 23, e nell’aria si respira un’atmosfera irrequieta. Milioni di persone si disperano, incredule, per un fatto ritenuto da tutti impensabile. Nella finale della Coppa del Mondo, tenuta proprio in Brazil, the hosts were very strong in the final defeat by arch-rivals Uruguay, in an evening that will later be called " O Maracanaço " , the tragedy of Maracanã, stage where the final has been played. Among these people there is also a distinguished 33 year old gentleman named João Ramos do Nascimento. João, known to everyone as " Dondinho ", was a good footballer, a striker and mobile technician who had a decent career at the club until a bad injury not forced him to retire prematurely from the scene. This evening is also sad for him, crying in despair in front of the radio. His 10 year old son, who was also bitter, and approaches him, holding a hand on his shoulder, whispers " V oce não tem pai-se que worries. Um dia eu vou ganhar a Copa do Mundo - Do not worry Dad, someday I'll win the World Cup . That child's name was Edison (named after American inventor Thomas Alva Edison ) Arantes do Nascimento, but one day he would become famous around the world with a nickname that will be saddled with the elementary schools: Pelé.

"How do you spell Pelé? GOD

The Sunday Times after the victory of Brazil in the 1970 World Cup

O 'Rey - Player

extraordinary upside of "O 'Rey".

The way to play with Pele was the most harmonious imaginable. He did not ever need to force every single play flowed from the coordinates most natural and simple. For this Pelé is still identified as the calcium in its most pure. For this reason, many football coaches say that Pele played football as a child. It 'the only player, according to some historians of the Brera and other great Brazilian football and South American, who was born with football in his blood. At 16, Pele was already a champion through and through. It 'just that that differentiates it from other great football famous players like Diego Maradona, Alfredo di Stefano, Johan Cruyff ... they are all improved in one way or another during their career, there are those who have improved tactically, as Maradona, who in the technique (Di Stefano) and so on. Pelé no. Pelé was already "Pele" in 16 years as it was at 20, 25, or 30. And this fact stands above all the other player in football history.

Pelé in 1958.

Talking about the footballer Pelé groped to describe it as the ability of the piano with Mozart, or Van Gogh with a brush, pure footballing genius. Although it is the inspiration of crystalline Diego Armando Maradona, O Rey seems born to play football, do you have an impressive musculature, which allows sudden accelerations, changes of direction, despite the deadlift exceptional height. His way of playing is the most natural can be. E 'able to kick with both feet with the same, disarming ease. His shot is extremely powerful and accurate. He has an extraordinary eye for goal, his movements are always unmark intelligent and useful to team is very strong head-law action in an extraordinary way. As happened with big players like Maradona and Cruyff, Pele in the field seems to be moving in "early" compared to the same opponents and teammates. Has no weaknesses: it is extraordinary finalizer, assist-man, so lethal in the penalty area as the distance. Mark in every way: right, left, inverted scissor kick, head shots, free kicks, penalties, tactical intelligence in the field is always amazing and the location at the right time. Pelé was born for football.

The Role

The Black Pearl in action.

start with the dispel a myth: Pele NOT 'THE FIRST TIP , a pure striker, or if you prefer. The Brazilian wears the number 10 shirt on his back, which historically belongs to left midfielder, an attacking midfielder. From the tactical point of view Pele could nowadays be defined as a second striker . In the club, Santos , infatti la prima punta è il possente Coutinho, centravanti tanto vigoroso fisicamente quanto letale in area di rigore; in nazionale invece le prime punte che affiancano Pelé sono Vavà nel ’58 e Tostao (che però è un giocatore più completo della classica prima punta) nel 1970. A onor del vero, grazie alla straordinaria intelligenza tattica di cui è dotato, Pelé è in grado di giocare in qualunque ruolo sul fronte offensivo, anche come trequartista offensivo, come accade nei mondiali messicani del 1970. Come accade con tutti i grandi fuoriclasse, è Pelé stesso a decidere la propria posizione in campo, e la riprova di questo è chiara in una partita giocata dalla nazionale verdeoro contro l’Uruguay, la squadra tatticamente più “Europea” del continente Sud Americano: O rey, nel ruolo di seconda punta non riusciva a trovare spazi, continuamente ingabbiato dai ruvidi difensori uruguagi. La perla nera decise così di spostare il suo raggio d’azione, arretrando in campo addirittura dietro il regista, a centrocampo! La sua mossa si rivelò azzeccata, ed egli contribuì alla vittoria finale in maniera decisiva.

Forte contro i deboli ?

Una delle accuse che i pochi – fortunatamente - detrattori del Brasiliano adoperano è quella di sminuire il giocatore affermando che i suoi grandi numeri in zona goal derivano dal fatto di incontrare per lo più difensori mediocri e squadre poco organizzate tatticamente.

E’ veramente così ? Pelé è stato grande solamente perché ha giocato in un campionato mediocre che ha esaltato le sue caratteristiche ?

La risposta è no. Un giorno il Santos di Pelé incontrò lo Stade de Reims di Kopa , squadra francese che era una delle migliori formazioni d'Europa all'epoca e venne travolta 3-0 dai Brasiliani. Pelé giocò una partita meravigliosa, ergendosi nettamente su compagni e avversari, dominando contro la difesa francese nella stessa identica misura in cui dominava contro le difese sudamericane.

Straordinario stacco di Pelé, che sovrasta Burgnich.
1970

Oltre a questo , alcuni osservatori definiscono la gara di ritorno dell'Intercontinentale del 1962 contro il grande Benfica (squadra più forte dell’epoca) a Lisbona la miglior prestazione di sempre del Brasiliano. Il Santos won 5-2. Pelé had 3 goals and 2 assists. Lisbon sat in the stands and Nereo Rocco Gianni Brera. Rocco said, "I came to see a midfielder, but I say that with this Pelé would not need other players ... a terrifying monster ... the worst nightmare that could disturb the dreams of a coach opponent." The comment by Gianni Brera instead was "it takes 5 Eusebio top of each other to do Pelé seen in Lisbon " .

In the 1958 Swedish World, to only 18, Pele was the undisputed protagonist of the competition, scoring six goals in well 2, decisivi, in finale contro i padroni di casa. Nelle Coppe Intercontinentali, che il Santos giocò contro le migliori squadre Europee dell’epoca, o Rey fu il terrore delle difese avversarie, siglando goal strepitosi e offrendo prestazioni perfette. Lo stesso accadde nelle partite che il Brasile giocò contro le squadre Europee. L’arcigno difensore Tarcisio Burgnich (marcatore del brasiliano) dopo la sconfitta Italiana contro il Brasile nel 1970, affermò “prima della partita mi ripetevo che era di   carne ed ossa   come anyone, but I was wrong. "

This will give further confirmation to the fact that Pele Pele was against any kind of marking.

The Goal and other numbers

really Pele scored many goals? 1000? 1200? 900?

From counting total goals begin with the 'friendly exclude, for obvious ragioni.

Calcolando solo il campionato nazionale, Pelè ha giocato 496 partite segnando 504 goal (una media di 1 partita).

Nelle Coppa Nazionale Pelé ha segnato 30 goal in 33 presenze.

Nelle Coppe Internazionali (Intercontinentale) il brasiliano mise a segno 28 goal in 27 partite.

Nei Tornei Nazionali (Torneo Rio-San Paolo, per lo più) le presenze sono 110 e i goal 86 .

Il Santos di Pelé. 1962

Se andiamo a sommare le presenze ed i goal in tutte queste competizioni, UFFICIALI, le presenze totali di Pelé sono 663 , ed i suo goal 648 (media di 0.97 a partita).

Lo strabiliante calcolo degli oltre 1000 goal comprende, in realtà, le amichevoli (quindi partite NON OFFICIALI) , la maggior parte delle quali giocate contro squadra di infimo livello.

Alcuni numeri strabilianti: Pelé fu cannoniere del campionato Paulista ben nove volte, 3 volte di una Coppa Nazionale (Taca Brasil), 1 volta del torneo Rio-Sao Paulo, 1 volta della Copa Libertadores, 1 volta della Copa America.

Il campionato più prolifico fu quello della stagione 1961: 27 le presenze, ben 47 i goal (quasi 2 per game). As the number of goals but the most prolific season was that of 1965, where the goals were well 49.

Even in the Brazilian national numbers are impressive: 77 goals in 92 games. And 'he the leading scorer of all time the national team.

Childhood and Youth

Pele was born in the city of Três Corações, Brazil. His father is former player Fluminense Dondinho (al secolo João Ramos do Nascimento), sua madre è Maria Celeste Arantes.

Un giovanissimo Pelé, ai tempi del Bauru

In onore dell’inventore americano Thomas Alva Edison , Pelé viene chiamato Edson (senza la i, quindi), ma nel momento di stilare il certificato di nascita un errore di battitura riporta il suo nome come “ Edison ”, e non “Edson”. In brasile c’è una moda di dare soprannomi fin da piccoli, e il giovane Edson is no exception. Uncle Jorge calls it "I say," by which nickname Pelé is still called by the immediate family. Teammates call him of Santos "Gasolina" in honor of a Brazilian singer of the time.

is saddled with the name Pele Edson at school, in consonance with the name of the port of Vasco de Gama " Bile." Edson, still does not like the name Pele. He declares that it even beat their classmates to have it named.

Pelé grew up in an extremely poor, in Buru, in Sao Paulo region. The first money they earned working as an assistant in tea shops. From an early age his talent is undeniable, and his first coaches to train the hand over as much as possible. Unable, for economic reasons, to buy a real ball, Pele is training for years and plays with a sock filled with newspapers and kept closed by a cornicina. At the age of 15 years, however, his life changed forever.

career, between Santos and National

La carriera di Pelé è straordinaria sotto qualunque punto di vista: basti dire che prima e dopo di lui il Santos è stata una squadra “normale”. Pelé rese grande il Santos, non viceversa.

In 18 anni di onorata carriera “ La Perla Nera ” vinse 10 campionati Paulisti, 3 Tornei Interregionali, 5 Taca Brasil, 2 Copa Libertadores, 2 Coppe Intercontinentali e 1 Coppa dei Campioni Intercontinentali. Nei primi anni ’60 il Santos era sulla vetta del mondo.

Waldemar de Brito (estrema dx) youth coach gives instructions. Pele,
sat down, smiling.

As in all things even the team's debut in Edison was premature: only an observer 15 years of Santos (Waldemar de Brito, a former player) this kid looked phenomenal at the time the local team Bauru, and proposed to be affiliated directly to the president immediately, spending incredible words of praise for him. The first year he played in the youth of the Pelé Santos, scoring, it seems, almost 100 goals in 30 games, an average of more than 3 per game. At 16, a year later, Pele signed his first professional contract and made his debut in the first making team in a short time, the proprietor. At the age of 16 years became the top scorer of the Paulista Championship. O Rey's career accelerated when it undergoes a sudden, just ten months after signing his first contract, was summoned for his country.

The world's first Pelé, 18 years, now sees a great protagonist. Hailed by the press and teammates Pele is the first attacker, with Vava, in the hierarchy of the coach, but improbable theories "racist" Garrincha and push him off the team for the incredible first few games.

Pelé e Zito festeggiano la vittoria mondiale del '58

La partita di esordio del fenomeno avviene contro il Galles, squadra quadrata e aggressiva. E’ Pelé a condurre alla vittoria la squadra con un goal decisivo, facendo ammattire la difesa avversaria con serpentine e grandi giocate. Se quello contro il Galles fu “solo” un lampo, nella partita contro la Francia Pelé si scatena. Il risultato finale sarà di 5-2 per i verdeoro, con il giovanissimo Pelé autore di una tripletta straordinaria, oltre un assist decisivo e grandi giocate. Il mondo comincia a mettere gli occhi su questo ragazzo, e i primi osservatori iniziano a segnarsi il suo nome sul loro taccuino.

Superata la semifinale, la finale si giocherà il 29 Giugno 1958 contro i temibili Svedesi, che inoltre giocano in casa sostenuti dal loro pubblico. La Svezia di quegli anni è una squadra fortissima, con  grandi giocatori del calibro di Bergmark, Liedholm, Gren, Hamrin, Simonsson e l’estroso Skoglund. Poco prima della partita i giocatori Brasiliani sono rinchiusi nello spogliatoio, tentando di concentrazione. Alcuni piangono dalla tensione, altri sono seduti in un angolino a fissare il vuoto, altri ancora, come l’esperto Nilton Santos, camminano su e giù per lo dressing to calm the situation. Pelé no. He lay on a bench, slept. The companions are incredulous: how can a kid just 18 years old, his world debut, sleep and half an hour from the start of the final of the matter? No one can comprehend.

The final Brazil plays it openly, as indeed it always used to. Pelé once again shows he is made of: over the 90 minutes the young Edson rises sharply on teammates and opponents, scoring two wonderful goals, serving a crucial assists, playing one of the best games of his career. Brazil is campione del mondo, e il merito è in gran parte di quel 18enne dalla muscolatura felina e dal senso del goal degno di un fuoriclasse navigato. Alla fine dei mondiali Pelé avrà segnato ben 6 goal, di cui almeno 4 di splendida fattura.

Pelé con l'amico e compagno in nazionale Garrincha

Dopo i mondiali, tornato nel Santos, la carriera di Pelé continua. Insieme ai compagni Zito, Coutinho e Gilmar (su tutti) il Santos diventa la squadra da battere, e Pelé è la sua stella più lucente.

In May '62, just before the World Cup, the biggest teams of the time (Real Madrid, Internazionale, Juventus, Manchester United) are trying in every way to rip Pelé to Santos, but you have to pull back when the star of Santos was declared "National Heritage" and is, in fact, prevented from moving abroad.

In 1962, although just 23-year-old, Pele is already a star in world football scene, and as such is treated "special" by the opponent's defenders. Brazil starts great, but already in the first game la perla nera viene sistematicamente falciato dai difensori avversari. Alla seconda partita, contro la Cecoslovacchia, Pelé è costretto ad uscire per un brutto infortunio, senza mai poter rientrare. Il Brasile, complice un Garrincha straordinario ed autentico trascinatore, vincerà comunque il suo Mondiale, dimostrando alle malelingue che è tutt’altro che Pelé-dipendente.

Due anni dopo il trionfante mondiale, nel 1964,  accade un fatto curioso: Pelé rischia per la prima volta di perdere il titolo di capocannoniere, che ha vinto tutti gli anni dal 1958. L’ultima partita il Santos la gioca contro il Botafogo de Ribeirão Preto . Pelé will mark eight of the eleven goals in total, with the teeth regain the title of top scorer. The coach of Botafogo, Osvaldo Brandao, was fired immediately after the resounding defeat for the coming few weeks, taken a strong Corinthians. The debut with his new club is, curiously, just against Santos of Pele, to score four goals to the opponents. A curse.

Pelé signs the opening goal against Italy. 1970.

In 1966 things do not go well for the Brazilian phenomenon: the English world was characterized by a very hard game, and the star was a green and gold of the players to suffer. A rude, to say the least, intervention by the Bulgarian defender Pele Zekov forced to leave prematurely. This time the injury was less severe than expected, so he bravely decided to return as early as the third group match against Portugal's Eusebio strong. In the game against Portugal, the Lusitano coach builds a real cage around players Pele, with only one goal: to hurt him. After a few minutes of game action split a Portuguese defender Pele puts back ko, which is another Once forced to miss the rest of the world competition. The Portuguese won 3-1, virtually eliminating Brazil from the tournament.

In the 1970 Mexican World Pele, now 31 years old, was again the protagonist. In Brazil, stronger (and spectacular) of Pele always now no longer second toe as in the previous edition, but plays as offensive playmaker behind tostão, showing great tactical intelligence. Brazil also will win this World Cup, and The Black Pearl is one of the best along with Jairzinho, gunboats, and tostão. In 1974 O Rey you decide to spend the last years of his career in the New York Cosmos, the American team. Despite to 37 years, the phenomenon will mark two years in 31 goals in 50 matches.

Fame

Between the mid-60s' and early 70 the name of Pele is on everyone's lips, and Brazil, although still active, is unanimously considered as the strongest player ever. To understand his reputation is enough to mention the episode, very strange, happened in the Congo in 1969: In those years a bloody civil war splitting the country into two. During a tour of African Santos, however, the whole country stopped and gathered to admire the Brazilian athlete in action at the stadium. During his extraordinary career, but especially after, Pelé received prestigious awards around the world, was one of the few players to receive the prestigious appointment of " Knight Commander of ' Order Empire British " .

At the end of the 90 different organizations (IFFHS, L'Equipe, France Football, FIFA, IOC, Reuters) recognized Pelé to the prestigious status of "Athlete of the Century ", consecration - in fact - as the best player in football history.

Some photos are taken from the site GettyImages. Some excerpts of the article are the work of the people of Marco Bode and epic-soccer forums.