PROBLEMA DE BRAZILEIRO
19 de Julho de 2001

Pouco importa que estudos recentes tenham revelado que 50 milhões de brazileiros são indigentes e vivem abaixo da linha de miséria absoluta. Isto não é assunto importante e não merece atenção. Importante, aliás, vital para os brazileiros é a cor da camiseta da seleção futebolística daquela republiqueta, conforme registra o jornal The Independent, da Inglaterra, em sua edição de ontem.

O jornal The Independent comenta que, desde a vitória do Brasil contra o Peru na Copa América, a imprensa brasileira não fala em outra coisa que não seja a "Revolução Cromática" de "Felipão". "O maior dilema do técnico brasileiro, Luiz Felipe Scolari, para o jogo desta noite contra o Paraguai parece ser a cor da camisa de seu time. Os atuais campeões usaram seu segundo uniforme, azul e branco, na vitória por 2 a 0 contra o Peru, no domingo - mesmo que sua tradicional camisa amarela não fosse nada parecida com a branca e vermelho do adversário - e encerrou uma série de seis partidas sem ganhar.

Desde então a imprensa brasileira se dedica a pouca coisa que não seja a chamada 'Revolução Cromática de 'Felipão', esquecendo até do ultra-defensivo esquema 3-5-2 que é um tapa na cara das tradições futebolísticas do país. 'O professor Scolari é muito supersticioso e eu também', disse o capitão do Brasil Emerson. 'Daqui para a frente acho que deveríamos usar o azul. Scolari se recusou a adiantar com qual uniforme o Brasil jogará contra o Paraguai, que estará com as cores vermelho e branco".

Veja abaixo a reportagem completa:

Wanchope sends a wake-up call By Leon Price in Medellin, Colombia 18 July 2001 Paulo Wanchope, a frustrating enigma at Manchester City last season, displayed the brilliance that fitfully illuminated his tenures at both Pride Park and Upton Park when he breathed some life into a third-rate Copa America with a thrilling performance in Costa Rica's 1-1 draw with Uruguay on Monday night. Wanchope opened the scoring with a solo goal of glittering style in the 28th minute. The gangling forward left three Uruguayans in his wake, saw his first shot blocked by a defender but still managed to reach the rebound first to fire Costa Rica ahead. Uruguay, like many teams in the event, are fielding their reserves, but equalised through a Carlos Morales header in the 53rd minute. However the former West Ham and Derby County striker, who is seeking an exit from Maine Road, continued to give the South American defence a torrid time. In the 64th minute, another piece of brilliant play by Wanchope set up an opportunity which was wasted by Rolando Fonseca. The 1-1 draw left both teams with four points from two games in Group C and the two countries were guaranteed a quarter-final place when Honduras beat Bolivia 2-0 in the match which followed. Amado Guevara scored twice in the second half for Honduras while Bolivia finished with nine men after having Marco Sandy and Milton Coimbra sent off in the second period. Honduras, fielding fewer than half their regular first team, have three points from two games while Bolivia's experimental side have yet to claim a point but either nation could still make the last eight as one of the best third-placed teams. The Brazil coach Luiz Felipe Scolari's biggest dilemma before today's Copa America match against Paraguay appears to be over the colour of the team's shirts. The defending champions wore their second strip of blue and white in Sunday's 2-0 win over Peru – even though the traditional yellow would not have clashed with the opposition's white and red – and ended a run of six games without a win. Since then, the Brazilian media has talked of little other than "Big Phil's" so-called "Chromatic Revolution", even overlooking an ultra-defensive 3-5-2 formation which is a slap in the face of the country's footballing traditions. "The professor [Scolari] is very superstitious and so am I," the Brazil captain, Emerson Ferreira, said. "For the time being, I think we should stick with the blue." Scolari refused to be drawn on which strip Brazil would wear against Paraguay, who play in red and white stripes.