Sócrates, Brazil's painter on the pitch who was denied world glory | Richard Williams

gracefully languid, the genius of Brazilian midfielder has been a joy to behold, but it was more than one player

news of the death of Socrates, the elegant midfield player sublime, which fell Sunday at age 57 of complications after treatment for food poisoning at a hospital in São Paulo, evokes memories of a day in Barcelona in 1982, when, with a kick, Brazil seemed to have fallen into another World Cup final.

Socrates Brasileiro Sampaio de Souza Vieira de Oliveira

was almost enough to name a football team together, and as talented as most teams met. No footballer, Diego Maradona or Eric Cantona, a figure more recognizable than the tall, handsome, bearded figure, wonderfully languid was one of the few Brazilians in their time of rise of the middle classes of the national team and has given commentators emphasize the opportunity that he was a qualified doctor.

Few players have moved around the yard with a friction-free and discreet. Three inches over six feet, legs long and thin at its best, Socrates pushed the ball and stroked, and especially back-heel to the geometry of the game had been arranged to your satisfaction.

But his effort was not enough for Brazil until the end of this sunny summer of 1982. The shot that beat Dino Zoff at work about 12 minutes drew to an early goal from Paolo Rossi, and seemed to be the prelude to an inevitable victory of the South American forces of light and creativity, but it was the 3 -2 Italians prevailed in Sarria stadium and continued to lift the trophy. Brazil and the world, millions of people were crying the departure of captain and Socrates seemed to encompass many unique gifts for his country in the game. With the Hungarians in 1954, became known. The best team that never won the World Cup

The captain was the pivot, the inventor and animator, as Gerson, a heavy smoker companions were on the team in 1970. But while Gerson was a craftsman in his wheel, the configuration of the beauty of solid matter, Socrates was a painter at his easel, calling for the beauty of his imagination.

This team of 1982 are famous for their extraordinary profusion, midfielder almost too talented. With Socrates were to die suddenly and furious skills Zico, Paulo Roberto Falcão carrying sumptuous and the basic unit of Toninho Cerezo. It is in Brazil, there are other good players on the team, in particular, Junior, left lateral dynamics and Eder, a charismatic second striker, who estimated that Brazil, passed by the Soviet Union ( 2-1), Scotland (4 -1) and New Zealand (4-0) in the group stage of operation.

They continued to rise in the second round with a 3-1 win over Argentina's Maradona, but then fell to Rossi hat-trick as its limitations - a mediocre defense, and Serginho, a front third major category - got the best of them. No Didi, Amarildo, no, Vava, Pele and Nilton Santos, Carlos Alberto and Gilmar to support the other end. And there was perhaps a touch of a fatal complacency in his delirium inventive.

Pelé, generally a reliable source of public opinion, was there when the team of 1982. "There were some excellent performances," he wrote in his autobiography, "but it seems that the team was the center of the field was not as balanced as the teams had played in"

Tele Santana, coach, had to take the blame, if not the toughest of judges condemn a man who sent his team with the intention to have fun and captivate viewers . Santana was gone after the debacles of 1974 and 1978, when Brazil introduced a brand of defensive football as unusual as to be grotesque. Santana has been appreciated by the attempt to exalt the talent and restore the glory of Brazilian football, with priority given to exuberant athleticism of the immense physical effort, and Socrates was a General in the area.

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