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Remembering the long-lasting Brazil XI that received the 2002 World Cup

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Brazil had been topped world champions for a fifth time in 2002, because the samba stars of the South American nation received the primary World Cup held in Asia.

Japan and South Korea co-hosted the occasion, which was the primary event hosted exterior of Europe or the Americas, with the Far East offering a singular backdrop to a memorable finals.

In a event of upsets and shock packages, it was a well-known face whose title was etched onto the trophy as Brazil beat Germany 2-0 in Yokohama.

Twenty years on, we keep in mind the long-lasting Brazil crew that received the 2002 FIFA World Cup.

Goalkeeper: Marcos

Marcos turned a club-great at Palmeiras throughout a one-club profession with the Brazilian facet, wherein he made 533 appearances throughout nearly twenty years as primary.

The goalkeeper featured in each fixture of Brazil’s triumphant marketing campaign in 2002, as he earned the nod as first-choice forward of Dida. Marcos saved 4 clear sheets and conceded simply 4 objectives as Brazil had been topped World Cup winners for a fifth time, however misplaced his place because the Selecao’s shot-stopper quickly after the event.

He earned simply 4 extra caps post-World Cup success and was overlooked of the squad that travelled to the 2003 Confederations Cup.

Centre-back: Lucio

Lucio arrived on the event following a season of heartbreak at Bayer Leverkusen, as his membership facet noticed treble hopes implode to complete as runners-up within the Bundesliga, DFB-Pokal and Champions League.

The centre-back atoned for these close to misses with a powerful World Cup marketing campaign, as Brazil marched in the direction of a fifth world title. Probably the greatest defenders of his era, Lucio received over a century of caps for Brazil throughout a decade on the prime of the sport.

After leaving Leverkusen he received a number of honours throughout spells at Bayern Munich and Inter Milan. He received a hat-trick of German home doubles with the previous, earlier than forming a part of Jose Mourinho’s treble-winning Inter crew in 2009/10.




Centre-back: Edmilson

Edmilson exerted understated affect on Brazil’s triumphant crew, with the previous Lyon and Barcelona star working as a part of the Selecao’s again three.

Equally adept at centre-back or in midfield, he featured in six of Brazil’s seven video games and scored his solely worldwide aim in the course of the event with a spectacular overhead kick within the 5-2 group stage win over Costa Rica.

At membership degree, he received 5 league titles throughout spells at Lyon and Barcelona and shaped a part of the latter’s Champions League successful crew in 2005/06.

Centre-back: Roque Junior

Roque Junior accomplished the again three for Brazil, the place he was considerably extra stable than throughout a disastrous spell within the Premier League.

The defender received 48 caps for the nationwide facet and was a dependable member of their World Cup successful crew, earlier than serving to AC Milan to Champions League success the next season. He’s one in all 4 gamers to have received the Copa Libertadores, World Cup and Champions League, alongside 2002 teammates Cafu, Dida and Ronaldinho.

His transfer to Leeds forward of the 2003/04 marketing campaign proved a nightmare expertise nonetheless, and commenced with a 4-0 defeat to Leicester with the membership in turmoil on and off the pitch. He was despatched off within the following fixture and issues failed to enhance from there. Leeds conceded 25 objectives within the defender’s seven appearances, failing to register a win and struggling six defeats.

Proper wing-back: Cafu

Cafu is a bona-fide legend of the game and one in all Brazil’s all-time greats, with the right-back racking up a record-breaking 142 appearances within the colors of the Selecao.

He’s the one participant in historical past to have appeared in three consecutive World Cup finals, rising on the victorious facet in each 1994 and 2002. The latter success got here as captain, with the imagery of Cafu stood on a raised podium with the trophy among the many most iconic in Brazil’s historical past.

Embed from Getty Photographs

The rampaging right-back received all of it throughout a profession of boundless power that noticed him nicknamed ‘The Categorical Practice’. Along with his two World Cup titles, he lifted two Copa Libertadores titles with São Paulo, Serie A titles with each Roma and Milan, the Champions League with Milan, and two Copa América titles with the nationwide facet. Real greatness.

Left wing-back: Roberto Carlos

The opposite half of an iconic full-back pairing, Roberto Carlos was seen as the most effective left-back in world soccer at his greatest.

The thunder-thighed defender with sledgehammer of a left boot starred on the World Cup, the place he was named within the All-Star Crew for a second successive event. He arrived in Japan and South Korea having simply helped Actual Madrid to a 3rd Champions League title in 5 seasons, offering two assists within the closing win over Bayer Leverkusen.

Solely Cafu has ever earned greater than Carlos’ 125 caps, whereas he scored one in all his 11 worldwide objectives with a thumping free-kick in opposition to China in the course of the group stage.

Iconic Duos: The prototypes of the trendy full again, Cafu and Roberto Carlos

Midfield: Gilberto Silva

Gilberto Silva was one of many tales of the Selecao’s success, because the midfielder emerged from the background to have an important function.

Silva had solely earned his first caps within the months previous to the event and was anticipated to play a back-up function on the World Cup, however an harm to captain Emerson noticed him thrust into the facet.

He performed each single minute of the victorious marketing campaign, along with his performances incomes Gilberto a transfer to Arsenal. He spent six seasons with the Gunners and made 244 appearances, forming a part of the membership’s iconic Invincible crew that accomplished the 2003/04 Premier League season with out defeat.

Midfield: Kleberson

Brazil supervisor Luiz Felipe Scolari known as Kleberson the driving pressure of his World Cup-winning facet, insisting that the midfielder ‘was all the time the primary title on the crew checklist forward of gamers like Ronaldo’.

Kleberson impressed along with his tenacity, having earned his first begin of the event throughout Brazil’s quarter-final win over England. His sort out on Paul Scholes led to Brazil’s equaliser and the midfielder later turned teammates with Scholes at Manchester United.

It proved an ill-fated transfer nonetheless, as he struggled to adapt to the calls for of the Premier League. He made simply 20 league appearances throughout two seasons, earlier than a nomadic profession that took in spells in Turkey, Brazil and the USA. Kleberson is presently an assistant coach at New York Metropolis FC.

Midfield: Ronaldinho

Onto a formidable ahead line that was dubbed the ‘Three Rs’.

Ronaldinho was the inventive spark behind Brazil’s entrance two, because the ahead introduced his arrival as one in all world soccer’s best within the Far East. His event is greatest remembered for a spectacular free-kick in opposition to England, as his looping effort from distance caught out David Seaman for a quarter-final winner.

He was later despatched off and suspended for the semi-final, earlier than returning to the line-up as Brazil beat Germany to be topped champions.

He signed for Barcelona in 2003, the place he cemented his standing as one of many all-time greats. Two La Liga titles, the Champions League, back-to-back FIFA World Participant of the Yr awards and the Ballon d’Or had been all collected throughout an unforgettable spell in Spain that noticed Ronaldinho encourage Barcelona again to a spot on the summit of the world sport.

Iconic Performances: The night time Ronaldinho acquired a standing ovation on the Bernabeu

Ahead: Rivaldo

Rivaldo was an important a part of Brazil’s profitable facet, as he scored 5 objectives to complete as runner-up for the event’s Golden Boot.

A feigning of harm in a gaggle stage conflict with Turkey soured his standing among the many lots, however there was little to dislike about Rivaldo’s soccer as he sparkled within the Far East. Certainly one of world soccer’s best at his greatest, he received the Ballon d’Or in 1999.

Rivaldo had been criticised for Brazil’s failures at previous tournaments, however was distinctive in 2002 in what proved his zenith for the nationwide facet. Such was his affect, Scolari named the ahead as the most effective participant on the event.

90s Hitmen: A left-footed pressure of nature, Rivaldo

Ahead: Ronaldo

Ronaldo’s redemption was the narrative of the finals, because the ahead returned from career-threatening knee points to jot down his title into legend.

Ronaldo had suffered a convulsive match on the eve of the 1998 World Cup closing, with the ahead showing a shadow of himself in the course of the defeat to France. He had scored 4 objectives and laid on three assists en path to the ultimate to win the World Cup Golden Ball, however was unable to affect the ultimate.

4 years later he arrived in Japan and South Korea – through an arduous highway of rehabilitation from harm issues – as a person on a mission. He scored eight objectives to win the event’s Golden Boot, netting in all however one in all Brazil’s seven fixtures.

O Fenômeno scored each objectives within the 2-0 win over Germany within the closing and ended 2002 as winner of the Ballon d’Or and FIFA World Participant of the Yr awards. Even after his knee issues, he was nonetheless a footballer able to the spectacular and reemphasised his standing as one of many sport’s greats within the Far East.

Substitute: Juninho Paulista

Juninho got here on as a late substitute within the closing win over Germany, changing Ronaldinho for the ultimate 5 minutes.

The midfielder turned a well-liked determine throughout a memorable Premier League profession, wherein he had three separate spells at Middlesbrough to turn out to be a membership legend.

He was named because the Premier League’s Participant of the Season regardless of the membership’s relegation in 1996/97, and helped Middlesbrough to their first, and thus far solely, main honour with League Cup success in 2004.

Substitute: Denilson

Denilson turned the world’s costliest footballer after impressing for Brazil on the 1998 World Cup, however struggled to stay as much as expectations throughout a disappointing spell at Actual Betis.

He received 61 caps for the nationwide facet and made 5 substitute appearances on the 2002 World Cup, together with a one-minute cameo within the closing after changing match-winner Ronaldo.

Learn – Remembering when a 21-year-old Ronaldo Nazario received the Ballon d’Or

Learn Additionally – Iconic Performances: Prime R9 dismantles Valencia with a hat-trick for the ages

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The put up Remembering the long-lasting Brazil XI that received the 2002 World Cup first appeared on The Soccer Devoted. Supply – thefootballfaithful.com

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