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原文出處: Newsweek International Edition
http://msnbc.msn.com/Default.aspx?id=3771245&p1=0
The Beauty of The Game
KAKA: One of a long line of Brazilian prodigies, or a true rival
to Ronaldo? AC Milan's young star may be both—and one of Brazil's best
hopes for winning another World CupBy Mac Margolis
By Mac Margolis Newsweek International
Dec. 29/Jan. 5 issue -
In august, when the Italian football club AC Milan signed a floppy-
haired Brazilian kid named Kaka, no one was especially surprised. Sure,
the 8.2 million transfer price the Italians shelled out for the player
raised eyebrows: that's the sort of deal that only truly gifted athletes
can land. But every year scores of fuzzy-cheeked football prodigies from
South America are so chosen by big-money European and Asian clubs, plucked
like green fruit on the promise that they will mature and bring good
fortune.
It doesn't always turn out that way. Even for the splendid Brazilians,
who have won five World Cups and put football on a nickname basis, the
magic that wows the homeland can often turn out to be an optical illusion
abroad. For every Ronaldo, a.k.a. the Phenomenon, there is a Denilson, the
flashy winger who flopped in Spain. So the football establishment wasn't
exactly holding its breath when Ricardo Izecson Santos Leite, or Kaka,
was hired. After all, the 21-year-old rookie midfielder arrived in Milan
at the same time his famous compatriot Rivaldo was benched by coach Carlo
Ancelotti for lackluster play. Would Kaka survive on the predatory, high-
stakes fields of Europe?
Silly question. Almost from the moment he stepped onto Italian grass,
Kaka demonstrated uncanny poise and vision, plus a sixth sense for finding
the open man or the enemy net. While other beginners are star struck and
try to dazzle the fans, often with poor results, Kaka has been a model of
discipline and teamwork. In a matter of weeks, the loping midfielder had
captured a spot on AC Milan's starting roster, helping to lift the club
to the No. 2 position in Italy's grueling top division. Unlike many
Brazilians, Kaka is tall (standing 1.83 meters)—and, thanks to extra
hours at the gym, also tough. He has the speed and balance of a striker
packed into the body of a defender. While he may not be a ball-handling
wizard, he passes with machine-tool precision. Already he is being
compared to football legends like France's Michel Platini and Italian
hero Francesco Totti. Some enthusiasts even brand him Phenomenon II, in
homage to Ronaldo.
The son of an engineer and a school-teacher in middle-class Brasilia,
Kaka did not kick his way out of the slums, like so many of Brazil's star
players. But he has been quietly building a reputation for years, first
in the Brazilian juniors and then, in 2000, when he debuted with the Sao
Paulo Football Club, one of Brazil's best. In 2002, at 19, he became the
youngest Brazilian ever to suit up for a World Cup. Eduardo Goncalves de
Andrade, the great Tosto, who played alongside Pele during the glorious
'60s and '70s, has been keeping up with Kaka since his adolescence. "He
was slight and not so creative, and didn't have the raw talent of some
of his teammates, but I felt he would go far," says Tosto, who is now a
popular football commentator and newspaper columnist. "Of all the talented
young Brazilians playing overseas, Kaka may have the brightest future."
Ever since Pele retired, Brazilians have pined for a successor:
another pint-size prince who outwits bigger and stronger opponents with
speed and cheek and the patented Brazilian sleight of foot. Kaka is
different, and not just because of his stature and strength. "He has his
head on his shoulders," says Juca Kfouri, Brazil's leading sports
commentator. That quality may prove especially valuable as the pressure
grows on Brazil in its bid for an unprecedented sixth World Cup in 2006.
Kaka has not always been loved. When Sao Paulo was eliminated from
the Brazilian championship in 2003, he drew boos. Yet what is the fury
of fans if not the flip side of veneration? Brazil's female fans are
happy to provide the latter. Whenever the prodigal playmaker returns
home to Brazil, they mob the airport, often just to get a glimpse of
the hunky lad with the hedge of hair and the take-me-home face. They
don't call it the beautiful game for nothing.
(c) 2003 Newsweek, Inc.
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本來Newsweek是美國雜誌週刊....不能強求他們太多
但好得功課多少做一下吧....=_____=
卡卡19歲為巴西國家隊WC冠軍成員,的確很年輕..但不是最年輕的
Pele大師17歲時就舉起了大力神盃...
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