Latest update March 29th, 2024 12:59 AM
Jul 14, 2021 Features / Columnists, Peeping Tom
Kaieteur News – Euro 2020 and COPA America 2021 have just concluded. The former was the most absorbing football tournament seen for decades, despite the fact that the early rounds of the tournament was devoid of spectators because of the COVID-19 regulations.
What both tournaments showed was the large gap, which exists between Europe and the rest of the world. Europe is now far ahead of South America when it comes to the beautiful game,
EURO 2020 produced football of an exceptionally high standard. The standard of play was far superior to that of the last FIFA World Cup, which was held in Brazil. In fact, it is hard to deny that the European Cup is now the world’s premier international football tournament. The World Cup by trying to attract teams from all over actually reduces the overall standard of the tournament.
While European football is surging ahead, the South-American version of Euro 2020, COPA America, was a major disappointment. The football was pitiful and the tournament was a damp squib.
It produced no fireworks, little excitement and no new superstars emerged. This has to be worrying since there seems no one in the wings to take the place of the great Diego Maradona or Socrates, Zico, Enzo Francescoli and even Radamel Falcao. The European scouts who turned up looking for potential signings must have been disappointed.
The pitches used in many of the games were not up to standard. Even before Brazil and Argentina had reached the finals, officials of both teams had reason to lament the condition of the pitches used.
But the poor pitches cannot excuse the abysmal standard of football in that event. There was hardly a standout performance in the tournament. Turnovers were rapid and tactically the teams were poor.
This was in stark contrast to Euro 2020 where the football was exciting and the tactical and skills levels were far superior to what was on display over the last two FIFA World Cups. The quality of the football at that tournament made the standard of play in COPA America look like a schoolboy’s scrubby. It was a joy to watch EURO 2020 but an agony to endure COPA America
It shows how far ahead the standard of football is in Europe. South America, the CONCACAF Region, Africa, and Asia are straggling far behind. Europe is going to dominate international football at the next tournament and the European Cup is going to become the standard-bearer of international football.
Brazil and Argentina, long the footballing giants of South America, have suffered a setback in the quality of their teams. These two teams, which reached the finals, would not have been able to reach the round of 16 in Euro 2020.
South Americans are proud of their footballing heroes. But what passed for football during the COPA America would not get far in any of the European Leagues. It is not that there is no talent. Quite a few players are good, but not good enough and not plenty enough.
The best team does not always win. And that is what made Euro 2020 so absorbing. Belgium, prior to the quarter finals seemed to be unstoppable but they were dethroned in a penalty shootout. France, the defending champions suffered a similar fate.
England did not always play the most attractive football. However, they reached the finals because of the tactical shrewdness of their Manager. This was a tournament not of skills but of tactics. And this is where South American football will suffer even more because it does not have the quality of coaches, which exist in America.
International football is no longer about simply putting the best players together and forming a national team. Matches are not going to be won solely on the basis of the performance of the superstars. It is going to be won primarily by the tactics on the field. And when it comes to team tactics, South American football has hit rock bottom.
It is time for FIFA to consider a pre-World Cup qualification tournament, which would weed out some of the weaker teams, which usually make it to the FIFA World Cup Finals. Based on their performance at COPA America, none of the South American teams deserve to be in Qatar next year!
(The views expressed in this article are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the opinions of this newspaper.)
THIS IDIOT TELLING GUYANA WE HAVE NO SAY IN THE 50% PROFIT SHARING AGREEMENT WE HAVE WITH EXXON.
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