The Difference is Legends take their Chances

It wasn't bad luck or refereeing that beat Australia in Munich, it was a Brazlian side that took their chances says Paul Johnson.

Forget the referee, forget the way the match was played, forget about determination, forget about the great effort, at the end of the day football games are won by taking your chances. Brazil did and Australia did not. It is why they are legends and we are talented players.

The great teams and the great players all take chances when they are presented with them. This is what separates the brilliant from the spectacular and the truly legendary from the occasionally inspirational.

In the football world legends have names like Pele, Best, Eusebio, Maradona and of the modern game Zidane and Ronaldo.

On Monday morning, Australia found this out first hand, it was not the myth of Brazil that beat the Socceroos, it was not us being unlucky in front of goal. It was in the end greatness and true talent on the part of the Brazilians and a willingness that their players have, to be born into the folklore of Brazilian football.

To belong with the likes of Pele at the very top of the tree.

It is a desire that is born into them, and such is the competition between players from Brazil to rise above the rest, to play for the Samba Boys, the best team in the world, that they have to be brilliant all the time, they cannot fail and they must bury their chances and become legends.

This was made glaringly clear in their 2-0 defeat of Australia, when after 47 minutes Adriano took his half chance. Created by a flick from Ronaldo; (who spare tyre or none is still one of the greatest the game will ever see). Adriano superbly swung the ball on to his left foot and shot through the legs of a desperate Scott Chipperfield, from the edge of the box and put the ball beyond the reach of Mark Schwarzer into the left corner of the net. Adriano does this regularly!

Then after seeing such a wonderful goal, Australia may have been buoyed by the hope that anything can happen, and surely enough it did, when Brazil’s keeper Dida dropped the ball to an unmarked Harry Kewell, leaving his goal wide open, and Kewell with even ample time to have a few touches before finding the net, Kewell only succeeded in blasting the ball over the bar, when all he had to do was keep the shot low.

Despite all the hype in this country about the legend that is Harry Kewell, he had a golden chance and failed to take it. Kewell is no slouch, but he is no great of the game either, while he has sporadic spells of brilliance, he can be and often is wasteful in front of goal, as are many of the Aussie squad including Mark Viduka and more to the point Jason Culina, who twice squandered great chances early in the game, hitting two tame shots straight at Dida, and it can be guaranteed that if they had of come from his direct opponent in Ronaldinho, they would have at least brought a dashing save out of Mark Schwarzer.

Viduka for his part only had a skerrick of a chance trying to chip an onrushing Dida, but it could have been taken, as should have been the chance Marco Bresciano had, breaking into the Brazil box, only to be tackled by a Brazilian defender because he took to much time pulling the trigger. Not a problem for Ronaldo though.

The difference between the two teams that Brazil are as a team and as individuals legends of the game and have been for many years now, while Australia are new boys on the world stage, who while spirited, dogged and talented are not.

Oh and Brazil like the legends that they are take their chances.

It should be noted I am as proud as anyone of the Socceroos for their efforts and believe they can still do damage at the World Cup, but a team of talented players will never ever beat a team of legends, especially if they do not take their chances.

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