Okay so I started this little project last Tuesday. Woke up thinking about classic football teams and obviously the 2002 Brazil squad popped into my head. That legendary yellow jersey, Ronaldo’s haircut – you know the one. Thought it’d be fun to piece together that whole roster again.
First thing was tracking down accurate information. Took me forever because I kept finding different versions online. Some sites listed players that weren’t actually at the tournament! Dug through my old magazines under the bed too – found this crinkled Match issue with Ronaldinho on the cover.
Building The Squad List
Started scribbling names on a notepad:
- Goalies: Marcos was clear number one, Dida backing up. Remember how Marcos saved that penalty against Turkey?
- Defenders: Cafu and Roberto Carlos as flying wingbacks obviously. Lúcio and Edmílson holding the center. Junior and Belletti hardly played but solid backups.
- Midfield: Gilberto Silva and Kleberson doing the dirty work. Then the magic trio – Rivaldo, Ronaldinho, Kaká when he came on. People forget how young Ronaldinho was!
- Forwards: Ronaldo Fenômeno – period. Edílson and Luizão as subs. Big Ron scored that brace in final.
Revisiting Their Journey
Checked every match stats like a nerd:
- Group stage was messy – lost to Portugal? Wait no that’s wrong. Actually beat Turkey twice! Nearly forgot
- That Ronaldinho free kick against England? Insane. Still gives me chills.
- Final vs Germany was tense until Ronaldo killed it
Had to pause to watch highlights when rewatching the Korea match. South Korea gave them real trouble before Rivaldo saved the day.
Putting It All Together
Spent hours cross-checking everything. Called my brother who remembers every jersey number – he confirmed Edmílson was #3 not Roque Júnior. Nearly messed that up. Finished with proper formations and notes.
Honestly forgot how perfectly balanced they were – solid defence letting those forwards just cook. Modern teams could learn from that squad’s chemistry. Still the most entertaining champions ever for me.