WC Day 22: Dunga Done and Gyan's Heartbreak

Posted on 7/2/2010

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Day 22 - 6:00 p.m. EST

Dunga Done As Brazil Coach

Brazil coach Dunga made the decision to quit the national team following his country's World Cup quarterfinal exit from South Africa.

From the dugout to the dog house of Brazilian football, Dunga's time as coach of the national team is finished. (Getty)

His team looked certain for a semifinal berth after the opening 45 minutes as they outplayed Netherlands convincingly and held a 1-0 lead via a Robinho goal at the 10th minute.

It all came crashing down for Dunga in the second half however, when a Felipe Melo own goal at the 53rd and a Wesley Sneijder header fifteen minutes later (when he was badly marked in the area), vaulted Holland to a 2-1 lead that the Dutch held on to until finish. 

Dunga was defiant as Brazil coach. Since taking over in 2006, he played a defensive, counter-attacking style that was unpopular in his home country.  Brazilians generally prefer a creative and free-flowing version of football.

Although often accused of playing a boring style, Dunga's methods delivered success. As a player he won the World Cup with Brazil, lifting the trophy as its captain in 1994. As manager, his controversial team selection and strategy led the team to the Copa America (2007) and FIFA Confederations Cup (2009) titles.

He deflected criticism by pointing to his success but even Dunga couldn't explain the incredible second half collapse Brazil suffered against Netherlands in South Africa.

“We are all responsible for this situation but I have the greatest responsibility,” admitted Dunga, whose contract would have been up for renewal at the conclusion of the World Cup. 

He will return home empty handed and the Brazilian public will fault his defensive tactics for - by their standards - a humiliating exit from a horrendous second half to Holland.

On the same day that Fabio Capello was retained as England manager after their underwhelming World Cup campaign, few likely conceived that it would be the end of Dunga's reign with The Samba Kings. With this self-anointed sacred cow of South American football now minced, one wonders if Diego Maradona is next when Argentina faces Germany on Saturday.

Gyan: The New Face Of African Football?

Asamoah Gyan has nothing to be ashamed of in Ghana's penalty kick exit to Uruguay.

The inconsolable figure of the 24-year old Rennes striker weeping on the grounds of Soccer City in Johannesburg will be a lasting and heartbreaking image of the 2010 World Cup.

Teammates try to comfort Asamoah Gyan after Ghana's exit from the World Cup in South Africa. (Getty)

What Gyan won't care about for some time is that he has emerged ahead of Samuel Eto'o and Didier Drogba as Africa's top marksman at this tournament. He powered his country to a pair of victories over Serbia in group play and then the United States at the Round of 16. His heroics fell short with a penalty miss in the dying seconds of extra time in the quarterfinals against Uruguay. Unable to better the 1-1 result in extra time, he eventually witnessed Ghana's 4-2 defeat on penalties.

The burden is not on Gyan alone. Ghana captain Jonathan Mensah and young star Dominic Adiyiah missed back-to-back penalties with badly placed shots. Going back to the Uruguay equalizer at the 55th minute, it was a goalkeeping error from Richard Kingson that allowed Diego Forlan to score from a direct free kick.

Gyan showed tremendous character in striking the first penalty in the shootout to make amends for hitting the crossbar minutes earlier. It was also smart of Ghana coach Milovan Rajevac to let Gyan be the first kick taker so he couldn't spend much time reflecting on his earlier failed attemp.

That one error will not define Gyan's carreer which is still at its relative infancy. He was tasked with carrying the hopes of a continent today, after bigger and  better paid names failed to lift Africa.

He has featured and scored in the two World Cups that Ghana has taken part in and if healthy, in 2014 he will be at the peak of his career should the Black Stars qualify to play in Brazil. Along with Adiyiah, the two will make up a fearsome strike force in Africa and the world.

In the meantime, it would be wise for a leading Bundesliga or a top seven English Premier League team to make a move for Gyan. Those leagues suit his style better than Spain or Italy - where he already played with Udinese.

For his part, if approached and feels the need to test himself beyond the French league, Gyan should choose a destination that lets him flourish into an even stronger leader and striker with plenty of minutes, and not simply furnish the expensive benches of clubs like Chelsea or Real Madrid.