5 – Anselmo – Even a blind man knew he was a good player. Approved! Stories, History, Facts, Cases and “Causes”/”Causos”

Stories, History, Facts, Cases and “Causes”/”Causos”

5 – Anselmo – Even a blind man knew he was a good player. Approved!

When I got to C. R. do Flamengo, in 1976, the Club had a technical observer or “scout” for the Base (usually called lower divisions). It was Mr. Plinio, experienced technician, good clinical eye, made the sieves and went to get new diamonds to be cut (Evandro, Cesar, Tanger, among others). But we decided to compose the whole staff with Professional Teachers, graduated in Physical Education, specialized in Football Coach in College, according to the Law, preferably former players (Carlinhos “The Violin”, Valinhos are examples), who structured the Experience Sector of the Club and were being promoted from Category, reaching the Professional.

As soon as Coach Plínio left, I who already worked in 3 (three fronts (Infant-Juvenile, Juvenile and Professional), in the face of so much demand to do Tests, I decided with Supervisor Luiz Carlos to organize the Experience Process on Mondays, once a month, on my usual day off. We got the field of Esporte Clube Cocotá, on Ilha do Governador, accessible to all neighbourhoods and because it is close to my residence, in addition to the Clube do Seo Toninho, the greatest President I knew, offer me all the necessary support, free of charge, it was the Club I attended, where I played and started my career as a Coach (which in 1993, by Law, became Coach).

There were 110 young players every Monday of the month, who signed up with the Fla Secretariat, without paying anything, until the sheet with 10 spaces per position was completed, and then the suitor was moved on to the following month. Almost 1,500 young people and their dreams a year. The time to show all the qualities was not great, we paid all the attention not to commit injustices, the rate of use was very small, because the competition teams had the best selected among the best of all the streets of all Brazil. But it was necessary to do the work, for from time to time a nugget of Gold or a rough Diamond was found.

In one of the Tests, before the training began, I was talking to Coach Walter Miraglia, who helped me and had great vision, great experience in the subject, former employee of Flamengo, former player, when approached a Lord with a cane, sunglasses, walk of who did not see, with a young man next to him. He introduced himself: Trajano de Almeida Filho, who was a sports journalist, blind and came to bring the player Anselmo, José Antonio Cardoso Anselmo, born on March 20, 1959, featured in Nova Friburgo, tall, strong, smell of goal, goal scorer, good with both feet and great header, besides obedient and dedicated.

I thought to myself: Anselmo is already approved, because even a blind gentleman can see his qualities, but to be fair, we put the young suitor to train: he did it very well, in the shy field of Cocotá, good technique, intelligent movement, strength, race and goal. Everything Fla needed.

He was immediately sent to the category of his age, in the competition team, where he helped in several achievements of the Base, such as the bi in 79 and 80 (category called from that year, Juniors, reaching the Professional Coutinho, then Carpegiane, when Mengão had important achievements its Golden Phase, from 77 to 82.

Unusual his participation in the conquest of the Libertadores of America that paved the way for the conquest of the World Cup in Japan. Game difficult in Chile, against the Cobreloa of the fearsome defender Mario Soto who dusted and stunned everyone in the area. I’ve heard in interviews that Coach Carpegiane calls Anselmo off the bench and whispers in his ear: get in there, go straight to Mario Soto and without anyone seeing punch him. It even seems that Carpegiane knew the definition of the blind Journalist who introduced me to Anselm: Good, scorer, strong and obedient. Punch given, great confusion, the defender lost morale and pose, and Mengo earned the right to go and win his only world title, in the game in ’81 against Liverpool in Japan, with a wonderful generation, a team that played for music, like the waves of the sea. But that’s for another story I can tell.

The Experience Sector was perfected by Valinhos, then by Carlinhos, on his own field, 3 times a week, only 4 per position, all year, on the first day the 44 between them, on the second the 22 best and on the third of the week game-practice against a competition team. Many results came from there.

To this day I rejoice in those approved in precarious conditions and little time for training, and with sadness in my heart I remember those dismissed, always with a word of support, because there a dream of acting in the Rubro-Negra Nation was ending. I pray for everyone to this day, as if in apology.

Anselmo played for Fla, Ceará and abroad.

Champion’s Blood! Champion of the World 1981