Former Liverpool full-back defines 1981 World Cup as "a masterclass"
One of the best players on the team that lost to Fla, Phil Neal surrenders to the talent of Zico & Co.
By Carlos Heraldo Mota - Globoesporte.com - in
What was supposed to be complicated became easy. And what was supposed to be a football match turned into a true lesson. This is how Liverpool sees the duel with Flamengo that decided the 1981 Club World Cup in Tokyo, Japan. This Tuesday marks the 30th anniversary of the Red-and-Black victory, and GLOBOESPORTE.COM traveled to England to speak with Phil Neal, the Reds' right-back three decades ago and one of that team's key players, about the match that catapulted the Rio de Janeiro club to the top of the world and, according to him, helped the English evolve in football.
Phil, who at 60 still works in the world of football, scouting talent in the United Kingdom, opened his treasure chest of memories about the afternoon of December 13, 1981 and stripped himself of any vanity or resentment over the heavy defeat when summing up, in his first response, his feelings.
"We received a real lesson in how to play football. Flamengo had a very fast team. Nunes was a very fast striker. He, Zico, and all the other guys gave us a real lesson."
With two goals from Nunes and one from Adílio, Flamengo sealed the victory in the first half, facing a Liverpool side that seemed in disbelief. In the second half, Flamengo opted to exchange passes, put the foreigners in control, and manage a result that, for Phil, was small, given Brazil's superiority.
"We English really like to train, practice, and play. We always want to win. We went to Tokyo to test our strength. But Flamengo was very good in every position. I have no doubt that the score could have been bigger. After 90 minutes, they could have won 6-0. It wasn't enough."
The frustration of the defeat, however, gave way to inspiration for the English team upon returning home. Low in the domestic league, Liverpool needed to respond to their fans and saw Flamengo's style of play as a way to win the title that season.
"When we returned to England, we were 12th in the league. After that game, we went on a winning streak that led us to the title. Flamengo helped us a lot in this achievement. They showed us that we could do better than we were doing," said Neal.
The former right-back also spoke about the alleged disdain shown by the English towards Flamengo before the match.
"We never disrespect our opponents. It's a very long story. We traveled more than 22 hours to Japan, we were tired. It's no excuse, but..."
Finally, Phil Neal answered what he would say in a hypothetical meeting with Zico, Junior and company, and summarized once again what that team represented for his generation:
"Thank you. Thank you so much for making us a better team."
To the red-blacks, all that remains is to say: you're welcome.
Phil, who at 60 still works in the world of football, scouting talent in the United Kingdom, opened his treasure chest of memories about the afternoon of December 13, 1981 and stripped himself of any vanity or resentment over the heavy defeat when summing up, in his first response, his feelings.
"We received a real lesson in how to play football. Flamengo had a very fast team. Nunes was a very fast striker. He, Zico, and all the other guys gave us a real lesson."
With two goals from Nunes and one from Adílio, Flamengo sealed the victory in the first half, facing a Liverpool side that seemed in disbelief. In the second half, Flamengo opted to exchange passes, put the foreigners in control, and manage a result that, for Phil, was small, given Brazil's superiority.
"We English really like to train, practice, and play. We always want to win. We went to Tokyo to test our strength. But Flamengo was very good in every position. I have no doubt that the score could have been bigger. After 90 minutes, they could have won 6-0. It wasn't enough."
The frustration of the defeat, however, gave way to inspiration for the English team upon returning home. Low in the domestic league, Liverpool needed to respond to their fans and saw Flamengo's style of play as a way to win the title that season.
"When we returned to England, we were 12th in the league. After that game, we went on a winning streak that led us to the title. Flamengo helped us a lot in this achievement. They showed us that we could do better than we were doing," said Neal.
The former right-back also spoke about the alleged disdain shown by the English towards Flamengo before the match.
"We never disrespect our opponents. It's a very long story. We traveled more than 22 hours to Japan, we were tired. It's no excuse, but..."
Finally, Phil Neal answered what he would say in a hypothetical meeting with Zico, Junior and company, and summarized once again what that team represented for his generation:
"Thank you. Thank you so much for making us a better team."
To the red-blacks, all that remains is to say: you're welcome.