Rising Stars Of The Brasil

Rising Stars Of The Brasileirão 2005: Mining For Talent In Minas Gerais
4/25/2005 11:04:00 AM
As Brazil celebrates the ‘Tiradentes’ holiday, commemorating Minas Gerais’ revolutionary past, Goal.com Brazil correspondent Aaron Marcus finds himself in Belo Horizonte to start the first of a series of articles on rising stars as the Brasileirão 2005 gets rolling...

The state of Minas Gerais lies inland, tucked away from the Brazilian coastline behind the states of Rio de Janeiro and Espirito Santo. Its name means ‘General Mines’, and French geologist Gorceix summed up the landlocked state as having “A breast of iron and a heart of gold”; the two metals being exploited for a frantic century after abundant seams were commercialised in the eighteenth century.

Although the mineral wealth may have dried up, Minas’ two great clubs still manage a bit of alchemy from time to time, combining gold and iron to cast players of world-class quality. The melting pot is the Mineirão; Belo Horizonte’s imposing temple of football, nestling in the chic neighbourhood of Pampulha. Architectural works of art by local geniuses Oscar Niemeyer and Burle Marx are overshadowed by the 140,000 capacity stadium – rivalling Rio’s Maracanã and São Paulo’s Morumbi when cauldrons of fervent fans fill the stands. As in the case of San Siro in Milan, the Mineirão is shared between two feisty rivals.

Of late the more traditional Atlético Mineiro (CAM – Mineiro Athletic Club) has been stumbling around a trophy desert, their last non-state win dating back to the 1997 Conmebol Cup, and 2005 marking a potentially infuriating five years without even the comfort of a Mineiro trophy landing in the trophy room. Cruzeiro, 13 years the junior of their monochrome rivals, have earned more attention recently; Ronaldo’s 1994 season bringing the world’s press to the ‘Toca da Raposa’ (Foxhole) and particularly the 2003 treble (Copa, Brasileirão and Mineiro trophy) causing waves of interest.

Both rivals enter the Brasileirão 2005 with rumbling stomachs; young promises know that this is the time when heroic reputations are forged and this year there will be at least two players looking to make the leap from wet-behind-the-ears promise to fully-fledged starlet; Ramón Osni Moreira Lage in the black and white corner, with Kerlon Moura Souza in the blue corner. With hindsight it looks as if 1988 was a vintage year for Minas and Brazil in general.

Fact File

Ramón

ATLÉTICO MINEIRO

Position: Forward
Full Name: Ramón Osni Moreira Lage
Date of birth: 24-05-1988
Birthplace: Nova Era (MG)
Weight: 69kg
Height: 1,79m

This year’s under-17 South American Cup in Venezuela was a showcase for Atlético’s great new hope, his stellar performance lifting him out of the filofaxes of club spotters and onto the front pages of Brazilian sports papers. It also gave the 16 year-old the exposure that tipped the balance in favour of his promotion from the junior side to a bona fide first team club player.

Coach Tite coincides with the opinions of ex-Galo tacticians Jair Picerni and Paulo Bonamigo, predicting a rise to world-class prominence in Ramón’s near future. The ex-Corinthians trainer gave the green light for the step up on the 20th. of April, giving the precocious talent the Brasileirão 2005 as his first challenge. The youngster is aware of the opportunity, but shows commendable caution in not rushing in like a fool; “Everything’s happening so fast at the moment, and I’m hoping for a chance to show my worth but if a starting place takes longer I’ll still be working to raise my game on the sidelines”.

The attacking midfielder / striker feels comfortable working with Tite, fellow under-17 glowing promise Anderson (Grêmio) giving the thumbs-up about the Gaúcho coach, “Tite is the sort of trainer that puts emphasis on the group as a whole, but he’s always got time for the younger members of the squad. That’s fundamental for me, and I’m going to work my heart out to show him and the club that they’re right to trust my football”. After his five goals for the budding Canarinhos, Tite gave the youngster a metaphorical pat on the back; ”I’m really looking forward to working with him in the senior team; I need to keep an eye on his football because this kid really promises but we don’t want to crush him under the weight of too much responsibility too soon.”

Talking about the recent trophy-winning experience, Ramón highlighted the feeling of “overcoming some dubious refereeing calls to show Brazil is the best” and his pride and enjoyment in wearing the yellow shirt in the company of two close pals from the CAM juniors – central defender Samuel and right-back Casagrande, “I was bowled over by their play, loved playing with them and this shows the strength of Atlético’s footballing base.” Galo fans will be puffing out their chests and strutting with pride if Ramón shows even half the talent he has in the Brasileirão.


Kerlon

CRUZEIRO

Position: Attacking Midfielder
Full Name: Kerlon Moura Souza
Date of birth: 27-01-1988
Birthplace: Ipatinga (MG)
Height: 1,67 m
Weight: 66 kg

Four months older than his Atlético opposite number in the burgeoning hotshot stakes, the Star-Trek-Villain monikered Kerlon has made a name for himself working alongside club rival Ramón in Venezuela. Coming away from the tournament as top-scorers with eight goals, Kerlon was also voted MVP of the competition. This is manna from heaven for Raposa fans still mourning the loss of midfield mastermind Alex (2003 Brazilian Player Of The Year) to Turkey’s Fenerbahce.

Combining the flashier elements of Ronaldinho Gaúcho’s showmanship with Kaka’s more tactical guile, Kerlon is whetting the appetite of many who see a perfect fusion of the two highest profile Brazilian midfielders – and two otherwise contradictory styles. This can be added to a Napoleonic stature that has already led to an embryonic nickname copied from a third legend - Romario; ‘O Baixinho’ (Shorty). Many will have seen Kerlon’s almost trademarked ‘seal dribble’; far from marine mammal saliva this manoeuvre takes its name from Kerlon’s use of low bobbing headers to weave through a tight mesh of box-hovering defenders.

This was met by amused shock in the stands and taken as cheeky provocation by humiliated defenders that preferred to boot the upstart than watch him waltz past like a circus seal. Instead of taking it as the equivalent of being mooned some defenders almost stood back and applauded – a similar contradiction of impulses that haunts players that face Ronaldinho Gaúcho’s acrobatics in Spain. Many Raposa fans will b gleefully rubbing palms and waiting to see such pearls in the next Mineiro derby.

Kerlon explains the origin of his juggling dribble; “I always practised at home, knocking a ball around with my dad [Silvino]. One day, right out of the blue, I controlled the ball with a header then moved forward without letting it drop. My dad had the bright idea that it may well be the ideal way to get through that defensive wall catenaccio-type teams have on the edge of their boxes. We then fine-tuned the moves and that’s about it.”

Still lacking a formal name, Kerlon’s move joins the list of Brazilian tricks that pioneers such as England’s pedagogical messiah Simon Clifford is attempting to instil in Anglo-Saxon children. Here are a few of the moves that have Samba-ed their way into the array of reality-defying resources at the tips of Brazilian feet;

Bicycle Kick: Attributed to the ‘Black Diamond’; Leônidas da Silva in the 1938 World Cup, but the generous striker attributed it to lesser-known Petronilho de Brito (although also an honour claimed by Chile, hence its nickname ‘Chileno’ in Spanish)
Folha Seca: Literally ‘Dry Leaf’; a sharply falling free-kick relying on top-spin that Didi used in the 1950’s
Elastica: Not a faded indie band, but Rivelino’s 1970 waist-snapping dribble that seated defender (also claimed by 1950’s Flamengo idol Rubens)
Garrincha: The one-sided dribble that Pelé’s wingman used to the exasperation of every defender that faced the bow-legged Botafogo idol in 1958 and 1962.

“You can call it a Kerlon if you like” grinned the youngster, making a name for both himself and his move. Who’s putting odds on the boy and the move?

from www.goal.com
__________________________________

what do you think? we have a bad luck when it comes to young players...it's time to have faith in young players and try, who knows when another phenomena would appear.

Originally Posted by MARA*10*DONA

Rising Stars Of The Brasileirão 2005: Mining For Talent In Minas Gerais
4/25/2005 11:04:00 AM
As Brazil celebrates the ‘Tiradentes’ holiday, commemorating Minas Gerais’ revolutionary past, Goal.com Brazil correspondent Aaron Marcus finds himself in Belo Horizonte to start the first of a series of articles on rising stars as the Brasileirão 2005 gets rolling...

The state of Minas Gerais lies inland, tucked away from the Brazilian coastline behind the states of Rio de Janeiro and Espirito Santo. Its name means ‘General Mines’, and French geologist Gorceix summed up the landlocked state as having “A breast of iron and a heart of gold”; the two metals being exploited for a frantic century after abundant seams were commercialised in the eighteenth century.

Although the mineral wealth may have dried up, Minas’ two great clubs still manage a bit of alchemy from time to time, combining gold and iron to cast players of world-class quality. The melting pot is the Mineirão; Belo Horizonte’s imposing temple of football, nestling in the chic neighbourhood of Pampulha. Architectural works of art by local geniuses Oscar Niemeyer and Burle Marx are overshadowed by the 140,000 capacity stadium – rivalling Rio’s Maracanã and São Paulo’s Morumbi when cauldrons of fervent fans fill the stands. As in the case of San Siro in Milan, the Mineirão is shared between two feisty rivals.

Of late the more traditional Atlético Mineiro (CAM – Mineiro Athletic Club) has been stumbling around a trophy desert, their last non-state win dating back to the 1997 Conmebol Cup, and 2005 marking a potentially infuriating five years without even the comfort of a Mineiro trophy landing in the trophy room. Cruzeiro, 13 years the junior of their monochrome rivals, have earned more attention recently; Ronaldo’s 1994 season bringing the world’s press to the ‘Toca da Raposa’ (Foxhole) and particularly the 2003 treble (Copa, Brasileirão and Mineiro trophy) causing waves of interest.

Both rivals enter the Brasileirão 2005 with rumbling stomachs; young promises know that this is the time when heroic reputations are forged and this year there will be at least two players looking to make the leap from wet-behind-the-ears promise to fully-fledged starlet; Ramón Osni Moreira Lage in the black and white corner, with Kerlon Moura Souza in the blue corner. With hindsight it looks as if 1988 was a vintage year for Minas and Brazil in general.

Fact File

Ramón

ATLÉTICO MINEIRO

Position: Forward
Full Name: Ramón Osni Moreira Lage
Date of birth: 24-05-1988
Birthplace: Nova Era (MG)
Weight: 69kg
Height: 1,79m

This year’s under-17 South American Cup in Venezuela was a showcase for Atlético’s great new hope, his stellar performance lifting him out of the filofaxes of club spotters and onto the front pages of Brazilian sports papers. It also gave the 16 year-old the exposure that tipped the balance in favour of his promotion from the junior side to a bona fide first team club player.

Coach Tite coincides with the opinions of ex-Galo tacticians Jair Picerni and Paulo Bonamigo, predicting a rise to world-class prominence in Ramón’s near future. The ex-Corinthians trainer gave the green light for the step up on the 20th. of April, giving the precocious talent the Brasileirão 2005 as his first challenge. The youngster is aware of the opportunity, but shows commendable caution in not rushing in like a fool; “Everything’s happening so fast at the moment, and I’m hoping for a chance to show my worth but if a starting place takes longer I’ll still be working to raise my game on the sidelines”.

The attacking midfielder / striker feels comfortable working with Tite, fellow under-17 glowing promise Anderson (Grêmio) giving the thumbs-up about the Gaúcho coach, “Tite is the sort of trainer that puts emphasis on the group as a whole, but he’s always got time for the younger members of the squad. That’s fundamental for me, and I’m going to work my heart out to show him and the club that they’re right to trust my football”. After his five goals for the budding Canarinhos, Tite gave the youngster a metaphorical pat on the back; ”I’m really looking forward to working with him in the senior team; I need to keep an eye on his football because this kid really promises but we don’t want to crush him under the weight of too much responsibility too soon.”

Talking about the recent trophy-winning experience, Ramón highlighted the feeling of “overcoming some dubious refereeing calls to show Brazil is the best” and his pride and enjoyment in wearing the yellow shirt in the company of two close pals from the CAM juniors – central defender Samuel and right-back Casagrande, “I was bowled over by their play, loved playing with them and this shows the strength of Atlético’s footballing base.” Galo fans will be puffing out their chests and strutting with pride if Ramón shows even half the talent he has in the Brasileirão.


Kerlon

CRUZEIRO

Position: Attacking Midfielder
Full Name: Kerlon Moura Souza
Date of birth: 27-01-1988
Birthplace: Ipatinga (MG)
Height: 1,67 m
Weight: 66 kg

Four months older than his Atlético opposite number in the burgeoning hotshot stakes, the Star-Trek-Villain monikered Kerlon has made a name for himself working alongside club rival Ramón in Venezuela. Coming away from the tournament as top-scorers with eight goals, Kerlon was also voted MVP of the competition. This is manna from heaven for Raposa fans still mourning the loss of midfield mastermind Alex (2003 Brazilian Player Of The Year) to Turkey’s Fenerbahce.

Combining the flashier elements of Ronaldinho Gaúcho’s showmanship with Kaka’s more tactical guile, Kerlon is whetting the appetite of many who see a perfect fusion of the two highest profile Brazilian midfielders – and two otherwise contradictory styles. This can be added to a Napoleonic stature that has already led to an embryonic nickname copied from a third legend - Romario; ‘O Baixinho’ (Shorty). Many will have seen Kerlon’s almost trademarked ‘seal dribble’; far from marine mammal saliva this manoeuvre takes its name from Kerlon’s use of low bobbing headers to weave through a tight mesh of box-hovering defenders.

This was met by amused shock in the stands and taken as cheeky provocation by humiliated defenders that preferred to boot the upstart than watch him waltz past like a circus seal. Instead of taking it as the equivalent of being mooned some defenders almost stood back and applauded – a similar contradiction of impulses that haunts players that face Ronaldinho Gaúcho’s acrobatics in Spain. Many Raposa fans will b gleefully rubbing palms and waiting to see such pearls in the next Mineiro derby.

Kerlon explains the origin of his juggling dribble; “I always practised at home, knocking a ball around with my dad [Silvino]. One day, right out of the blue, I controlled the ball with a header then moved forward without letting it drop. My dad had the bright idea that it may well be the ideal way to get through that defensive wall catenaccio-type teams have on the edge of their boxes. We then fine-tuned the moves and that’s about it.”

Still lacking a formal name, Kerlon’s move joins the list of Brazilian tricks that pioneers such as England’s pedagogical messiah Simon Clifford is attempting to instil in Anglo-Saxon children. Here are a few of the moves that have Samba-ed their way into the array of reality-defying resources at the tips of Brazilian feet;

Bicycle Kick: Attributed to the ‘Black Diamond’; Leônidas da Silva in the 1938 World Cup, but the generous striker attributed it to lesser-known Petronilho de Brito (although also an honour claimed by Chile, hence its nickname ‘Chileno’ in Spanish)
Folha Seca: Literally ‘Dry Leaf’; a sharply falling free-kick relying on top-spin that Didi used in the 1950’s
Elastica: Not a faded indie band, but Rivelino’s 1970 waist-snapping dribble that seated defender (also claimed by 1950’s Flamengo idol Rubens)
Garrincha: The one-sided dribble that Pelé’s wingman used to the exasperation of every defender that faced the bow-legged Botafogo idol in 1958 and 1962.

“You can call it a Kerlon if you like” grinned the youngster, making a name for both himself and his move. Who’s putting odds on the boy and the move?

from www.goal.com
__________________________________

what do you think? we have a bad luck when it comes to young players...it's time to have faith in young players and try, who knows when another phenomena would appear.

I know this kids...World Class potential(no doubt), but they are young, too early to buy this kids...they even don´t reach a starter job in Atlético Mineiro e Cruzeiro.
But, this guy is right, Kerlon is a mix of Ronaldinho Gaúcho com kaká(and IMO Deco), if this Kid don´t loose his head, he will be the number ONE in soccer!!

Just for fun...his trademark trick
http://www.aftonbladet.se/atv/player...=26&clipID=557

The Kid's Good entertainment.

Originally Posted by Brasileiro

I know this kids...World Class potential(no doubt), but they are young, too early to buy this kids...they even don´t reach a starter job in Atlético Mineiro e Cruzeiro.
But, this guy is right, Kerlon is a mix of Ronaldinho Gaúcho com kaká(and IMO Deco), if this Kid don´t loose his head, he will be the number ONE in soccer!!

the guy can bounce a ball on his head, I don't think it's quite such a sure thing.


how is freddy adu these days, he was the next big thing?

Originally Posted by meazza

how is freddy adu these days, he was the next big thing?

Does'nt play much, I think he will always remain the next big thing.

Originally Posted by meazza

the guy can bounce a ball on his head, I don't think it's quite such a sure thing.

Please...this is just his trademark trick...I´m saying that he will be a WCP cuz he plays like a WCP. Maybe you don´t know but he was the MVP of South American sub-17, and was the top scorer(8 goals).

that guy is awesome, brilliant skill.
but i mean- beign able to bounce the ball on your head is good but might not be all thats needed to be the best:
but we'll see

Originally Posted by meazza

how is freddy adu these days, he was the next big thing?

Freddy was the next big thing thanks mostly to American advertisement agencies, which blew the horn to announce yet another marvel with a stamp "Made in USA" Fortunately patriotism, or rather ignorance in disguise, and reality are two seperate things.

we all fell for it though.

I don't like when teenagers are hyped, they rarely take off in the way they're meant to and it always seems we're just 3-4 years away from another legendary maradona/pele esque player. Ok Kerlon is doing well, will he go the same way as Adriano, Ronaldinho or Kaka or will he be more like Saviola, Diego, Luis Fabiano, D'Alessandro, Riquelme, Sychev and the like, good players, but nowhere near world class (though granted some of that lot could improve but still they're never going to be the best the game has to offer).

I saw Kerlon's trick the other day and i can see how it could be used to gain a free-kick or penalty, but i'm not sure it'll be held in the same class as the cruyff turn, the rabona or the one Ronaldinho does (i know it was done by someone else before, but i can't think of the guy's name .... was it Rivelinho ?) as it has been suggested by some media reports. In the end they'll think of a legitimate way to stop it and he might get sick of doing it as he keeps getting kicked in the chest

One other thing, how does he know where he's going if he looks at the ball as he's heading it ?

whats the rabona?

The rabona is where you put your left leg on the right hand side of the ball, then bring your right leg behind your left leg to cross/chip the ball. Or vice versa if your left footed. Crespo tries it now and again, Baggio used to do it alot ... to name just a couple.

There are various stories behind why it's called the rabona (although people in Brazil call it "de letra" i think), some say it's after an Argentine player from the 70's/80's called ''Bichi'' Borghi, others say it's after a forward called Luis Hernandez ... there's even a tango move called the rabona ... so take your pick

ah ive seen maradona do it more than once

Corbatta from Argentina also was a virtuoso of the Rabona (before Borghi).