Sunday, December 4, 2011

Coolest facial hair in footie - Socrates RIP



"That's how you play when under pressure. Brazil have replied."

Even though me was a wee lad during Espana 82, me can still remember the commentator's words when Socrates strode into the Italian penalty box & slid in that goal.

Though Brasil lost that classic tussle with the Italians, many football fans of a certain vintage will always have very fond memories of that team. Classy & reckless in equal measures, they were the closest thing to the great 1970 side that truly played football as a "beautiful game'.

And with his 70s style neo-Afro & headband, Socrates looked like the coolest thing on planet footie. Socrates famously sat fer his medical exams whille being a full time pro & he is also famed fer his pro-democracy campaigning whihc helped overthrow a dictatorship.

Alas, the Smoking Doctor who captained Brasil passed on today at the age of 57.

And to quote a narrator on one those 'great Brasilian world cup' videos who said, "these men have truly bestowed on us a golden almanac of memories."

RIP.

7 comments:

Anba said...

A Superb team too bad in 1982 they lost to italy 3-1 and in 86 they lost to france(penalty shoot out) in a thriller also ...
the coolest name ever for a footballer second goes to Zico...

anfield devotee said...

Socrates always seemed to have time on the ball. Languid . . .

Kerp (Ph.D) said...

It was Mexico '86 that i first learnt of the greatness of Socrates and his '82 team mates. Maradona's 'Hand of God' was the last straw for me dad that he started to compare the genuine greatness and the fake ones. I was in 2 minds back then, either the Argies or Brazil, and glad i made the right choice.

Kerp (Ph.D) said...

And by the way, it was only after 8 years since i started to support Brazil that they went on to become world champions (USA 94)

anfield devotee said...

kerp: The 82 team is one reason why so may footie fans have a soft spot fer Brasil.

Utterly brilliant.

Kerp (Ph.D) said...

Yea man, dubbed the best team ever not to win the world cup.

Talking about facial hair, Ricky Villa, the former player of the MIGHTY Spurs had almost similar jambang n janggut...haha

Kerp (Ph.D) said...

And so was a certain Zoran Nikolic....kahkahhh