Netflix documentary on Pelé

Lovebitesandeveryfing

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Ok, I don't want to flog a horse that's probably long dead about who has been the greatest footballer of all time. It's good to debate, but impossible to resolve. Pitches have changed. Radically. Football has changed, radically. There's also a question of perception. Just about every one of Messi's matches, whether for Barca or Argentina, over the last twelve years or so, are documented and available for perusal. Frame by frame, if you want to do it that way. Less true for Maradona, but there's still a mass of footage available for him. Both wonderful players, arguably the GOAT, for different reasons.
But for those who don't really understand why those of my generation, by and large, will always consider Pelé the most astounding footballer they've seen, the one in whom the beautiful game is incarnated, you might do well to get a look at the documentary on Netflix.
Set aside what he did for Santos. It's pretty staggering — more than 1000 goals? say that again? and Brazil was not a joke league at the time — but let that go. Leave aside the stuff in the States. It was exhibition football. I'll concede that.
To have delivered in two World Cups, to have dominated them in fact, at a distance of twelve years is astonishing. The World Cup puts a pressure on a player that's hardly imaginable. The weight of an entire nation is on his shoulders. No one more so than Pelé, a messiah for Brazil at a time when it was going through a shitty time in its history (as now). He had to win the World Cup in 1970. And he did. He didn't have to in 1958. But he did, as a teenager, and the unquestioned star of the tournament. He played a small role in the 62 World Cup, but he still has a winner's medal for it. Wonderful players around him, of course. No player wins anything on his own in a team sport. He is the first to say that.
Garrincha is possibly the brightest shooting star in the firmament of football. Some would argue that. My stepfather used to. But he is exactly that — a shooting star. And we really don't have much documentary evidence on him.
Messi, Maradona, Péle. Natural skills, the skills you're either born with or not? I wouldn't want to call it, frankly. Sheer athleticism? For me, it's the Brazilian, all the way. Longevity? Close between Messi and Pelé, but for me the Brazilian edges it.
Anyway, if you love football, watch the documentary, just for the pleasure of it. You will see a few things you will not find easy to believe.
Disclaimer: I don't have shares in Netflix and I'm not on commission.
 
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Garrincha is possibly the brightest shooting star in the firmament of football. Some would argue that.
I wouldn't! I'm often heard to say, when we have a free just outside the box - "Top corner! Just like Garrincha!" And one day Elano did just that!
 
We never got to see the best of Brazil in 1966 . The team was over the hill Pelle joined them there but he was kicked over the hill. Sheer brutality of the type you will never see again. People say he never played in Europe but Santos played the best teams in Europe and smacked every one of their arses. Personally after Pele I would put Puskas. He had been a refugee in Austria for nearly 2 years before he signed for Real madrid at (I think) the age of 31. The rest is history
 
Ok, I don't want to flog a horse that's probably long dead about who has been the greatest footballer of all time. It's good to debate, but impossible to resolve. Pitches have changed. Radically. Football has changed, radically. There's also a question of perception. Just about every one of Messi's matches, whether for Barca or Argentina, over the last twelve years or so, are documented and available for perusal. Frame by frame, if you want to do it that way. Less true for Maradona, but there's still a mass of footage available for him. Both wonderful players, arguably the GOAT, for different reasons.
But for those who don't really understand why those of my generation, by and large, will always consider Pelé the most astounding footballer they've seen, the one in whom the beautiful game is incarnated, you might do well to get a look at the documentary on Netflix.
Set aside what he did for Santos. It's pretty staggering — more than 1000 goals? say that again? and Brazil was not a joke league at the time — but let that go. Leave aside the stuff in the States. It was exhibition football. I'll concede that.
To have delivered in two World Cups, to have dominated them in fact, at a distance of twelve years is astonishing. The World Cup puts a pressure on a player that's hardly imaginable. The weight of an entire nation is on his shoulders. No one more so than Pelé, a messiah for Brazil at a time when it was going through a shitty time in its history (as now). He had to win the World Cup in 1970. And he did. He didn't have to in 1958. But he did, as a teenager, and the unquestioned star of the tournament. He played a small role in the 62 World Cup, but he still has a winner's medal for it. Wonderful players around him, of course. No player wins anything on his own in a team sport. He is the first to say that.
Garrincha is possibly the brightest shooting star in the firmament of football. Some would argue that. My stepfather used to. But he is exactly that — a shooting star. And we really don't have much documentary evidence on him.
Messi, Maradona, Péle. Natural skills, the skills you're either born with or not? I wouldn't want to call it, frankly. Sheer athleticism. For me, it's the Brazilian, all the way. Longevity? Close between Messi and Pelé, but for me the Brazilian edges it.
Anyway, if you love football, watch the documentary, just for the pleasure of it. You will see a few things you will not find easy to believe.
Disclaimer: I don't have shares in Netflix and I'm not on commission.
Great post mate
 
We never got to see the best of Brazil in 1966 . The team was over the hill Pelle joined them there but he was kicked over the hill. Sheer brutality of the type you will never see again. People say he never played in Europe but Santos played the best teams in Europe and smacked every one of their arses. Personally after Pele I would put Puskas. He had been a refugee in Austria for nearly 2 years before he signed for Real madrid at (I think) the age of 31. The rest is history
Puskas and Di Stefano are often overlooked in most GOAT debates. Probably because they were at the height of their powers and achievements just before the TV age, and hence they were not widely recognised outside their native countries .
 
Puskas and Di Stefano are often overlooked in most GOAT debates. Probably because they were at the height of their powers and achievements just before the TV age, and hence they were not widely recognised outside their native countries .

At school they showed us a film of the European Cup final against Eintracht Frankfurt. Must have been in about ’66, ’67 that I saw it. We just sat and gasped.
People who saw Duncan Edwards say that he was going to be something very, very special. Not just United fans, either.
 
We never got to see the best of Brazil in 1966 . The team was over the hill Pelle joined them there but he was kicked over the hill. Sheer brutality of the type you will never see again. People say he never played in Europe but Santos played the best teams in Europe and smacked every one of their arses. Personally after Pele I would put Puskas. He had been a refugee in Austria for nearly 2 years before he signed for Real madrid at (I think) the age of 31. The rest is history

One of my stand-out memories of that 1966 WC was the Brazil v Portugal group match at Goodison. Pele was already carrying a knee injury and the systematic fouling had to be seen to believed. In short, he was hacked out of the game. For such a wonderful football team as Portugal it spoke volumes that they feared Pele so much that they chose to resort to such brutal tactics. He was a great player, the GOAT in my opinion. He had everything in his locker.
Whilst we're on the subject of that World Cup and also Portugal, Eusebio wasn't a bad 'un either - certainly in my top ten GOAT list.
 

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