BRAZIL OF 1970 AND SPAIN OF 2012.

According to the latest news appearing in print media, the current foot-ball team of Spain is greater than the 1970 World Cup winning Brazilian soccer team. That current Spanish team is the champion of Europe is a true fact consecutively winning European Cup twice. That the current Spanish team is the current World Cup champions winning the trophy in 2010 in South Africa is also a true fact. But to compare the current Spanish national team to the mighty 1970 World Cup winning Brazilian team according to me is not correct.

If Portuguese forward Ronaldo was not a coward to take the first penalty kick in the semi-final against Spain in the recently concluded Euro 2012, it would be a Portugal versus Italy final and not Spain versus Italy. The highest paid footballer in the world Portuguese Ronaldo was a coward and because it was so he got afraid to take the first penalty kick. The jittery footballer cannot be called a world best. Pele, Zico, Socrates and Maradona were not cowards for such occasions and precisely because of this they were renowned as best in the world during their hey days.

Spain in this Euro reached to the final by luck and not by their hard work and sheer tactics though their short passing was a thriller for the spectators. And in the second half in the final, if it was not for 35 minutes of play with only 10 men in Italian side the final result would have been much different from what it was ultimately. To play almost for the whole second half without one key player in their side Italians were totally handicapped. The whole blame for this disaster should fall on Italian Manager who in the first place should not have utilised all the substitutes 35 minutes before the final whistle.

The 1970 World Cup winning Brazilian team according me consisted of super footballers, at least half the team consisted of football  genii; they were so exorbitantly talented that such footballers since then and earlier were not seen in this world. In fact such persons come to this world only once in centuries. And by the way, who were these Brazilian footballers representing Brazil in 1970 Word Cup held in Mexico? Skipper and defender Carlos Alberto, defensive midfielder Clodoaldo, right midfield maestro Gerson, rowing and attacking midfield playmaker Rivelino, forwards Dr. Costao, Jairzinho and indomitable the great Pele. They were exchanging the ball with one another with mathemetical precision even in the air. 

To compare to these great Brazilian footballers, I find none in the current Spanish team though in their custodian Casillas I find a great stalwart. Sergio Ramos in their defence, Alonso in the midfield and Fernando Torres in the forward line of Spain are good but not good enough to compare with any of the Brazilians of 1970 World Cup.

Going a step forward, I can rate 1982 World Cup Brazilian squad even better than that of 1970. Where else we can find players like Eder, Zico, Socrates and Falcao? They were playing football with geometrical precision and with angular passing of the ball.  Their deep defenders were capable of moving up front and scoring wonderful goals. It was by bad luck that they lost to Italy where the miraculous boy Paulo Rossi of Italy created a miraculous hat-trick in their historic encounter in the quarter final. Later on the Brazilian manager Tele Santana said “Brazil had everything to win that edition of World Cup except Luck”. And that was exactly what has happened to Brazil against Enzo Bearzot managed Italian team.

A. Veronica Fernandes,

Kuwait.

THE BJP IS NOW GUNNING FOR GMC DEAN DR V.N.JINDAL.

 by Aires Rodrigues

Goa’s Public Health care system is in dire straits. Providing a good public health care system should have been the Government’s priority. But in yet another irrational and flawed move the Manohar Parrikar government is trying to forcibly retire the Dean of Goa Medical College Dr. V.N.Jindal instead of allowing him to continue till 62 as provided by the University rules. This is obviously being done to install their man in the Chair but if Dr Jindal is removed it will be to Goa’s loss.

Repeated political interference by successive state governments has been detrimental to the health of Goa Medical College. As Dean, Dr V. N. Jindal should have had complete autonomy in the management of Goa Medical College. But for the political interference Dr. Jindal's could have ensured a speedy recovery of the health of Goa Medical College. His predecessors have been well-meaning doctors but political meddling in the day to day administration of GMC has over the decades contributed in a big way to its current critical state.
Dr Jindal, a renowned neuro-surgeon himself, has been in Goa long enough and has scanned and mastered the mind set of Goa’s politicians. Dr Jindal has the nerves not to succumb to any undue political interference. With Dr Jindal's efforts GMC could have been moved out of its critical state of chaos and mismanagement. Dr Jindal is soft spoken yet a firm administrator and has all that it takes to administer the right dose to ensure the ailing GMC is set on the road to full recovery.

Political intrusion is the main impediment to the well being of Goa’s government hospitals. The infrastructure at GMC has to improve. It is appalling that operations have to be cancelled due to erratic power and water supply to the hospital. The GMC needs to give priority attention to set right its entry point (casualty) where the patient steps in and the exit point (ICU) from where, currently, in many cases, the patient moves on to the morgue. The casualty and the ICU need more nurses and doctors and equipment that works. While in trauma, time is of essence and a patient cannot be made to languish for hours waiting for treatment, be it at the casualty or ICU.

GMC should aim at providing all the super specialty facilities so that patients should no longer have to travel to Belgaum, Bangalore and Mumbai for medical care that could be provided at Bambolim.

Goa Medical College is not a veterinary hospital. The hospital has to be off limits to stray dogs, cattle, cockroaches and mosquitoes. Will it take a rat to nibble the toes of a VIP for the authorities to awaken to the sad reality? Hospitals and health centers can never compromise on cleanliness and sanitation. Every head of the department should be made responsible and accountable for the overall state of his unit.

There also has to be a consolidated effort to upgrade the facilities at the various government run health centers. A health centre at Ribandar did not have even a thermometer when it was inaugurated a few years ago. It still lacks a toilet and running water. It cannot get any worse.

VIVA "SPAIN" - VIVA SPANISH FOOT-BALL.

Finally the Euro Cup ended with the best team Spain winning the title second time in a row. Kudos to Spain coming out as Hero of 2012 Euro.  They deserved this victory because tactically and technically Spain was far better than its rival Italy whose lone black player Mario Balotelli because of his excellent soccer skill gained lot of support and sympathy for Italy.  His two goals in the semi-final against Germany will remain as two of the best goals in the history of Euro Cup, especially his second goal which was the best in the whole tournament. First time in the history of Italian soccer a Negro is donning Italian Jersey in its national team.

It is said that "a rejected stone finally turned out to be the corner stone". This was what has happened to Mario Balotelli the son of Ghanian immigrants who came from Ghana and settled down in Sicily to earn their daily bread. When he was rejected by his mother Mario Balotelli was adopted on humanitarian grounds by the Italian Balotellis from where he was developed as a full fledged human being to become one of the best footballers in the world. Assigned thru contractual obligation to play for English top Club Manchester City, he shone into bright limelight at world level in Euro Cup 2012 winning hearts from the spectators attending the matches and viewers all around the globe watching him play thru TV’s.

Much of the glamour and grandeur of Euro 2012 was soiled by the dirty chants and mockery made by the white racist spectators of the black footballers, including of Mario Balotelli. But when Mario Balotelli scored his magnificent second goal against Germany in the semi-final, he removed his Jersey in excitement and stood still like a monument displaying his muscular body thereby giving an impression of his anger against those who were mocking at him for being a black. Seeing him in such a pose one could conclude that he was telling all the white racists that "you go to hell now, you are nothing in front of my footballing supremacy".

In fact Mario Balotelli made a mockery of all the racist white skinners when he was hugged and kissed by all his white coloured colleagues in the Italian team. This gesture proved that good acts and excellent performance by the blacks overpower the racist discrimination. When Balotelli was hugged and kissed by his white colour colleagues on the field and by the greater number of spectators after the match it proved that what matters in human being is not the colour of his skin but his performance. Baletolli really made mockery of those who believe is racism.

Spain really mesmerised the world by the superlative performance of its players who outclassed Italians in every segment of the game. All the 4 goals of Spain have class in them. It is a big honour to win consecutively 2 Euros, this and previous. Earlier Brazil won 2 World Cups consecutively in 1958 and 1962. The 4 goals scored by Spain is a big margin, such results are not meant for the final because final always have high a level where such margins are not seen.

This final with this big score looked like the preliminary encounter, possibly in the first round. Earlier in 1970 World Cup Final in Mexico, Brasil defeated Italy by 4-1 goals because Brazilian squad of that World Cup consisted of not ordinary players but extra ordinary soccer genii.

I have been watching regularly thru TV Euro Cups since 1976 but this time I found the standard of Euro 2012 extremely high where individual performances shadowed by the excellent team work as displayed by Spain.  Ronaldo failed to display his genius though Portugal went out in the semis but they have gone gracefully.

At least 4 times I got an opportunity to sing along with the Portuguse squad the National Anthem of my former masters as I was singing everyday in Portuguese school when I was a Portuguese student during Portuguese rule in Goa. It brought out lot of nostalgic feelings of yester years of my youth in Goa. 

As seen in this Euro, the standard of goalkeeping was vastly improved whereby goalkeepers displayed new and latest techniques to stop the ball from entering their nets, these techniques where not seen earlier; Cassilas of Spain and Buffon of Italy were of very high standard goalkeepers and befitting their status both were appointed as skippers of their respective national teams.

Defenders too have improved their techniques a lot of preventing the opponents’ forwards from scoring goals. The tiny number of goals scored in this Euro is enough proof of defence oriented soccer of today. The golden boot for the highest scorer this time goes to golden boy of Spain Fernando Torres for his 3 goals only.  And this three goals are treated as highest score by an individual in this Euro Cup 2012. Seeing this, Portuguese Eusebio, West German Gerd Mueller, Polish Lato, Italian Paulo Rossi and other such top scorers in the international tournaments must be silently laughing.  Yes they are laughing and I too am sarcastically laughing.

Well done Spain. You have not only played well but you have also showed how to play well with perfectly well teamwork.

A. Veronica Fernandes,
Kuwait.