Art Deco: Fluminense's Muted Genius Enjoying an Indian Summer in Brazil

"An incredible talent", exclaimed O Dia. "Impossible to mark", added Marca. Lance! highlighted his "perfect distribution", whilst SporTV commentator Lédio Carmona also heaped praise onto a "spectacular and intelligent player".

Yeah, yeah, I hear you protest. We know about Neymar by now. But this was not Neymar. This was a 34-year-old veteran. This was Deco.


On the face of it, a number of players could have hogged the headlines in the wake of the first leg of the Campeonato Carioca final on Sunday. Former Betis striker Rafael Sóbis grabbed a classy brace as Fluminense thrashed Botafogo, whilst the goal of the game was undoubtedly Fred’s nonchalant bicycle kick in the first half.

Yet both were overshadowed by the unparalleled vision and metronomic passing of Flu's number 20, who turned in a performance that – in this month of relative turmoil in Catalunya – evoked the pomp of his Barcelona days. Playing in an advanced central midfield role, Deco repeatedly set the Tricolor in motion with a range of subtle flicks; eschewing showiness in favour of the elegant utilitarianism for which he was revered in Europe.

Deco's assist for Flu's second, a measured pass of no more than ten metres in length, was particularly noteworthy. A barely-perceptible hesitation between his first touch and the final ball tempted Fábio Ferreira into committing to a challenge, allowing Sóbis the space to curl a shot into the far corner.

It was an act of muted genius in keeping with the man himself. Affable and quiet off the pitch, Deco stands in opposition to the modern footballing archetype. His decision to return to Brazil was motivated in part by a desire to step up the charitable work he undertook whilst playing in Europe. Through the Deco20 Institute, he helps provides educational support for around 300 youngsters in São Paulo, and his celebrity football matches also raise money for good causes.

Whilst such activities have bolstered Deco's reputation, they haven't always protected him from the ire of Brazilian football fans. Until this year, his relationship with the Flu faithful was a fractious one. With the former Chelsea midfielder troubled by incessant injury problems during his first year at Laranjeiras, supporters began to question his value to the squad, particularly given his substantial wage packet.

Deco initially reacted to these criticisms with anger: "I came home and my son had read on the internet that I was "robbing" Fluminense," he said back in August. "I don’t care when people talk about [my] football, but this is annoying." Around this time, it later emerged, Deco considered hanging up his boots for good.

However, a change of strategy signalled the beginning of a more cordial entente between the player and supporters. As a gesture of goodwill, Deco suggested that Flu should not pay him until he returned to full fitness. "He didn’t come to Fluminense for the money," gushed Sandro Lima, the club’s vice president. "He just wants to work hard and end his career with happiness."

The intervening months seem to have provided Deco with exactly the sort of Indian summer he had in mind when he decided to return to Brazil. A series of impressive performances in big matches, including a gala display the Copa Libertadores win over Boca Juniors at the Bombonera, have cemented his place in Abel Braga’s plans.

In an interview last month, Deco indicated that he intends to continue playing until the end of the 2013 season: "I really identify with the club. I like being here," he told Globo. If he continues to turn in the kind of performance that he did on Sunday, Fluminense will be lucky to have him around.


A version of this article appeared on the Guardian Sport Network HERE.

Boom and Bust: Carlos Alberto Looks to Get Career Back on Track at Vasco

Having won the Champions League with Porto at the tender age of 19, Carlos Alberto would have been forgiven for expecting his career to blossom in Europe. A tenacious, dynamic attacking midfielder, his displays caught the eyes of many in the old continent in that 2003-2004 season.


Things didn't quite work out for the Rio native, however. A series of missteps and disciplinary problems saw his star plummet, to the extent that, in 2011, he was struggling to break into the Bahia side that had offered him a loan lifeline in Série A. Luckily for Carlos Alberto, though, he's been granted one last chance at the club with whom he enjoyed perhaps the most stable two-year spell of his career - Vasco da Gama.

In the week of his first appearance for months, I've written about the 27-year-old over at In Bed With Maradona. You can read the article here.

(Photo credit: Lancenet.)

Animal Magic: Vasco bid farewell to unpredictable idol

His fame in Europe stems from two main instance. The first, a stunning goal against Manchester United in the 2000 Club World Cup, speaks of his on-pitch ability, of instinctive talent beyond the dreams of most footballers. The second is rather less praiseworthy: an infamous photo shows him plying a circus chimpanzee with (what appears to be) beer. (No, seriously.)


Yet the career of Edmundo, which was celebrated with a testimonial game last week, deserves a more nuanced appraisal. Capable of acts of breathtaking beauty, yet beset by personal problems, he came to embody the club with which he enjoyed a fruitful, if intermittent, association - Vasco da Gama.

I wrote a piece on Edmundo, and what he means to Vasco, over at The Score's excellent Footy Blog. Click here to read it.

(Photo credit: Gazeta Press.)

More Money, More Problems: Ronaldinho's Wage Wrangles With Traffic

Ronaldinho's return to Brazil has not been an easy one. Whilst he is probably accustomed to abuse from opposition fans and questions over his form and fitness, this past year has presented a new set of problems. A deal that saw marketing firm Traffic agree to pay around 75% of his wages broke down in 2011, culminating in Ronaldinho finding himself over £1 million out of pocket by January this year.


An article of mine, discussing the messy affair, appears in the April edition of When Saturday Comes. The magazine, which also feature's articles by SKP faves Andy Brassell, Gary Andrews, Matthew Barker, is available now at all good (and probably some mediocre) newsagents, and can also be ordered online from the WSC website. Happy reading!

Prophet Marginalised: Why Menezes Must Reshuffle Brazil Side to Get the Best From Hernanes

There is a phrase in Portuguese, oft-used among Brazilians who live in Europe: "Quem converte não se diverte" - he who converts has no fun. Calculating how much goods and services would cost in reais, says the aphorism, is merely to guarantee the domination of one's decisions by frugality.

The phrase took on an another meaning during Brazil's turgid 2-1 victory over Bosnia this week. Whilst Neymar and - to the disdain of many - Ronaldinho were granted free roles behind striker Leandro Damião, one talented square peg was wedged into a round hole. Hernanes, converted for the night into a right-sided midfielder, was not having fun.


This wasn't the first time that the Lazio man had been played out of position for the seleção. Hernanes' first appearance under Mano Menezes, against France back in February 2011, saw him line up on the left side of a midfield four. O Propheta (The Prophet) struggled to get involved in that game, grew frustrated, and was dismissed for a clumsy challenge on Karim Benzema.

The denouement of Menezes' selection against Bosnia was equally worrying, if less dramatic. After a lively start during which he took up a number of good positions, Hernanes' influence waned, culminating in his substitution in the second period. His role, whilst slightly different to that which he was asked to fulfill against France (against Bosnia, Brazil's formation hovered between a 4-2-2-2 and a lopsided 4-2-3-1, with Hernanes far less attacking than Neymar/Ronaldinho on the left), again failed to suit the 26-year-old.

To clarify: the problem is not that Hernanes cannot do a job as a wide midfielder. He attacks with purpose (if not with pace) and has the tactical nous to provide cover for whichever cavalier full-back happens to be stationed behind him. The issue, rather, it is that his sublime skills are wasted in that position. Hernanes is suffering for his versatility.

Patient and thoughtful, Hernanes is the type of player around which great sides ought to be built. A playmaker in the most literal sense, he brings out the best in those around him, rarely succumbing to needless flashiness or swagger. Hernanes is also brilliantly two-footed - an increasingly rare attribute in the modern game.

This skillset makes Hernanes ideally suited to central roles, in which he has shone at club level. His début season for Lazio - during which he was largely used just behind the strikers - earnt him plaudits from observers, many of whom expressed their surprise that a player of his calibre had remained in Brazil until his mid-twenties. While his form has dipped slightly this term, he remains one of the most watchable midfielders in Serie A.

Unfortunately for Hernanes, he seems unlikely to be entrusted with Brazil's number ten shirt in the near future. Whilst the aging Ronaldinho should drop down the pecking order after his laughably bad display against Bosnia, competition remains stiff. Paulo Henrique Ganso appears to be the heir apparent despite recent teething troubles, whilst the last man to truly make the role his own - Kaká - could yet come back into contention. Hernanes, for all his class, has yet to convince Menezes of his credentials in this position.

The past, however, provides reason to be hopeful. Fans of São Paulo - the club for whom Hernanes made his name - will fondly remember his performances in a deep midfield role, from which he initiated attacks and distributed the ball with admirable efficiency. Whilst hardly a traditional defensive midfielder, Hernanes made the Brasileirão's 2008 team of the year in precisely that position, thus challenging the received wisdom that all defenses must be screened by a pair of cold-hearted destroyers.

It is in this position that Hernanes could blossom for Brazil. Whilst the likes of Lucas Leiva and Sandro perform an important function, Menezes' tendency to pair them with leggy runners (Elias and Ramires, in particular) has deprived the seleção of technical quality in the centre of the park. With Neymar and Ganso disinclined to drop deep, Brazil's attacks often break down before they even reach the front men, causing frustration among players and supporters alike.

The presence of Hernanes would alleviate this problem, whilst also allowing Menezes to return to the 4-2-1-3 formation of which he initially seemed so fond. By employing Hernanes as a regista in the midfield two, Menezes could improve Brazil's ball retention and take some of the creative pressure off Paulo Henrique Ganso, without sacrificing manpower in front of the back four. The move would also encourage the employment of a natural right-sided player in attack - Hulk springs to mind.

Unfortunately for Hernanes, this ploy is likely to remain filed under "pipe dreams" whilst Menezes has the reigns. The former Corinthians boss continues to offer opportunities to players in the central midfield area (see Ralf and Fernandinho, in addition to those already mentioned), but seems sceptical of the need for passing quality from deep.

Ironically, the situation in which Hernanes finds himself is not unlike that of Elano in Dunga's Brazil side. A visionary central playmaker at his best (see his early performances for Manchester City), Elano was employed on the right of a lopsided 4-2-3-1 formation, charged with providing cover for whenever Maicon charged up the touchline. Whilst he performed admirably, one felt that Elano's skills would have been put to better use in central areas.

All this, of course, reflects rather badly on Mano Menezes. Heralded as the saviour of the seleção upon taking the Brazil job (and after promising displays in early matches), he has since fallen into the same traps as his predecessor: failing to prioritise passing ability in central areas (Dunga's bruisers have merely been replaced by rangy all-rounders) and shunting potential matchwinners into poorly-defined wide roles. Given that Hernanes' potential is even greater than Elano's was under Dunga, one must hope that history stops repeating itself soon.


A version of this article was published by The Guardian HERE.

(Photo credit: AP Photo/Keystone/Ennio Leanza.)

Suárez/Evra: The Poem

In a brief dalliance from my obsession with Brazil, I took it upon myself to put pen to paper (or rather, fingertips to keys to word processor) over the Luis Suárez/Patrice Evra affair. The result won't tell you anything you don't already know. But it does rhyme, which is something.


The poem has been published by the utterly bewitching Run of Play (which recently moved from one corner of the internet to another). To read it, click here.

Follow the Money: On Third-Party Investment in Brazil

Third-party investment is - for better or worse - a fixture of the football landscape in Brazil. Independent firms buy up chunks of the economic rights attached to players, hoping to turn a profit if and when those players are involved in transfers to other clubs.


In my début effort for The Score, I take a closer look at this practice and consider some of the concerns to which it gives rise. Whilst not always problematic, I argue, third-party investment can weaken the ability of players to govern their own careers. I also highlight cases in which the involvement of independent parties has unfairly effected the balance of power within the Brazilian game.

To read the article, click here.

(Photo credit: Renato Pizzutto.)