The footballing rivalry between Brazil and Argentina is one which needs little explanation – two former colonies from different sides of the Iberian divide, both successful in adapting the game of football to their own styles, infusing it with tango and samba, with elásticos and canetas, tacos and bicicletas, and producing several candidates for the greatest players of all time from both nations.
Two candidates for that title - and the barroom question which still inspires the most debate - represent this rivalry best: Maradona and Pele.
Meetings between two great giants of the South American continent are often a sight to behold, with the most robust of tackling contrasting directly with the sort of skill to make even the greatest defenders look foolish.
But while they may be the fiercest of rivals on the international stage, there are several examples of players from the two nations combining brilliantly at club level. Here are five of the best Argentinian-Brazilian alliances.
1. One only needs to look at Barcelona's right-wing to see the best modern example, where Brazilian Dani Alves and Argentinian Lionel Messi work in tandem. Right-back Alves enjoys interlinking with Messi's mazy runs, and quick one-touch passing and stylish goals are often the result. Alves' stamina and touch are crucial to Messi's freedom to move on the right or centre, and the latter's creativity is complemented by the Brazilian's reading of the passing and movement of the Argentinian maestro. There is little need to go into too much detail of this duo's accomplishments, which include La Liga, Copa del Rey and Champions League titles, a FIFA Club World Cup and general recognition as being part of the most beautiful attack in world football.
The two videos below show the pair in full flight. The first displays some of their lovely passing, and a good example of why defenders often end up reduced to mere spectators of the dynamic duo. The second video is a great goal which demonstrates the level of understanding between the two: Messi to Alves to Messi to golazo.
Video 2: Amazing pass from Alves.
2. Another recent example was the partnership of Ewerthon and Diego Milito at Real Zaragoza, hatched over two very fruitful seasons between 2005 and 2007 and resulting in 55 goals for the La Liga club.
Both have moved on since, with Ewerthon linked to a host of clubs in the January European transfer window after his release from Palmeiras in the Brazilian's homeland. Milito has since picked up a truckload of medals at Internazionale, putting his predatory striking instincts to good use. The Argentinean performed with particular aplomb in the 2010 Champion's League final, judged best on field in Inter's triumph.
Although it was not a partnership which is as well known as the others on the list - and it broke up too soon for this Zaragoza fan - it still led los Maños to a Copa del Rey final and a famous 6-1 win over Real Madrid in 2006, where Milito and Ewerthon lit up the Aragonese night sky:
3. More than a partnership, Internazionale put together a squad in 2004 which showed the understanding between players of the South American rivals, featuring Esteban Cambiasso, Juan Sebastian Verón, Kily González, Javier Zanetti, Adriano and Zé Maria.
The midfield turned on the axis of Argentineans Cambiasso and Verón, supplying the power and pace of Brazilian Adriano in his pomp and leading Inter to a swag of trophies and a Serie A crown in the 2005/06 season (though the latter was awarded after the infamous Calciopoli match-fixing scandals).
A Latin American influence ran through the squad from back to front, beginning a run of form which Inter could consider as one of their greatest in recent history. Two videos accompany demonstrate this partnership: The first, a goal from Verón (with an Adriano assist) which won the 2005 Supercoppa; The second, because it would be criminal not to show Adriano at his best, include two simply sublime goals from the powerhouse against Udinese:
4. While with Fluminense, Darío Conca struck up a Argentinean/Brazilian partnership every time he passed the ball (even with former Portugal international Deco, who I'm going to claim as he is Brazilian born). Conca first crossed the border from his homeland in Argentina in 2004. Starting out at River Plate, his career gained momentum while on loan at Universidad Católica in Chile before moving to Vasco da Gama. A shift to Fluminense started as a loan deal in 2008, but was made permanent. Conca proved to be a great success in Rio de Janeiro, going on to be appointed the club's vice-captain. The 2010 campaign was a particularly succesful one for the tricky midfielder, winning the Bola de Ouro, Craque do Brasilerão and making the team of the season alongside fellow Argentinean expat Walter Montillo, of Cruzeiro. A big-money move to China with Guangzhou Evergrande was announced on July 2, but Conca's pivotal role in the Fluminense side will long be remembered. Partnered in the midfield by Brazilians Júlio César and Edinho, forwards Moura, Fred and Rodriguinho benefited from his playmaking abilities:
THE QUINTESSENTIAL: The absolute quintessential cross-border partnership was formed by the two-thirds of the famous Ma-Gi-Ca frontline of Napoli in the late 1980s: Diego Armando Maradona and Antônio de Oliveira Filho, also known as Careca. During their at the Serie A club, Napoli won a Scudetto and a UEFA Cup and twice finished runner-up in the league, becoming a phenomenon of the Italian sporting world and the wider European football scene. The 1988/89 season was the peak of the partnership, with Maradona and Careca netting 38 goals between them and winning the European trophy for Napoli. In the second leg of the UEFA Cup final, with Napoli under pressure away from home, the two refused to let their rhythm falter. Maradona, wearing the number 10, after a characteristic powerful run, found Careca, wearing the number 9, to score Napoli's third goal (starting at 3.12 in the video), with both players having scored a goal in the first leg to win 2-1 at home.
by Adrian Collins
Adrian Collins is an Ireland-based freelance writer on various topics, from football to literature.
Have a look at his excellent blog here: http://diversiondistraction.blogspot.com/
And follow him on twitter here: @Adrianrtcc
