"It never was. Ambition, the desire to be a hero and to make lots of money are usually much stronger.”

So wrote 1970 Brazil great Tostao in Sunday’s version of his always interesting column, a twice weekly space where football is analysed by someone of great knowledge and intelligence who loves the game but is even more fascinated by the subtleties and contradictions of the human being.

“There are exceptions,” he continues, before plunging into depressing accounts of athletes doping themselves to gain an illegal advantage.

Brazilian midfielder Oscar has been in impressive form for club and country. Photo: Getty

One of those exceptions – a moment when high level sport both teaches and disseminates a powerful ethical message – took place just a few yards away from him.

I refer to the post-match embrace between Pele and Bobby Moore after Brazil had beaten England 1-0 in the 1970 World Cup.

It is a wonderful image, and a highly fitting front cover for one of the all time great football books, ‘The Ball is Round,’ by David Goldblatt.

On one level, the photo stands as a symbol for the hundreds of thousands of cross-border friendships which have been nurtured by the global game.

On another, it shows how the previous 90 minutes had strengthened the bond of mutual respect between two of the giants of the game, a recognition that the skill of one had brought the very best out of the other.

My thoughts turned to that classic photo because this is a time for reflection. On Wednesday Brazil play what by their account is their 1,000th senior international match. A local journalist phoned me in the week asking me to choose a favourite – and that meeting with England in 1970 instantly came to mind.

On a baking afternoon in Guadalajara, it was not only Pele and Moore who re-enforced a mutual respect. The same thing happened between the two teams. England travelled to Mexico with their status as world champions called into question by many in Latin America.

The match against Brazil showed everyone that Alf Ramsey’s team had many virtues – not only in defence but also in mature, composed possession. Brazil were pinned back for long periods. Their players and coach are quick to acknowledge that the game could easily have ended in a draw, or even a win for England.

Brazil, meanwhile, gave definitive proof that they had overcome the hiccup of first round elimination in 1966, and that they had a generation worthy of comparison with their 1958 side. Their opening game in the 1970 campaign, a 4-1 win over Czechoslovakia, was a bit more shaky than the scoreline might suggest. Beating England showed they meant business.

Although it was only a group game, and both sides made it through to the quarter-finals, the outcome was also of great significance. Jairzinho, who scored the goal, is adamant that this was the moment when Brazil won the World Cup.

Topping the group meant that Brazil stayed in Guadalajara, where they polished off Peru and Uruguay on their way to the final. England, meanwhile, fell to West Germany – but only after taking them into extra time and tiring them.

The Germans then did the same thing to Italy in the semi-final – it was another extra-time thriller. So when Brazil met Italy in the final they were well aware that their opponents were likely to fade before the end of the game. Italy actually had more shots in the first half, which finished level at 1-1.

Brazil turned the screw after the interval and strolled home by a 4-1 margin to win the World Cup for the third time. But the key moment in the campaign came two weeks earlier with the victory over England.

For its significance, its quality and the unforgettable image of Pele and Bobby Moore at the end, that match is my personal pick from the treasure trove of almost a century of Brazil games. Readers are invited to use the comments section to write about their own choices.

It might be more fitting if the 1,000-game milestone was reached in an official competition. But in the circumstances Wednesday’s friendly against Colombia in New Jersey is interesting enough.

The Colombians have been looking very good in World Cup qualification. With attacking midfielder James Rodriguez flowering and Macnelly Torres a good, old fashioned playmaker, Jose Pekerman’s side are at last getting full value from centre forward Radamel Falcao Garcia. And the bench is full of dangerous attacking options.

The defence is more of a worry, with a generation of centre-backs growing old together. It will be fascinating to see how they stand up to the test of facing Neymar, Lucas, Kaka and Oscar.

And on the Brazil side, will the idea of playing without a centre-forward be maintained, and if so will it work as well as in last month’s matches? In a tight game, do the central midfield duo of Ramires and Paulinho have the range of passing to match their lung power?

And might centre-back Leandro Castan prove more than just an improvisation at left back, shoring up the weak side of Brazil’s defence?

Wednesday’s game is unlikely to hit the heights of Guadalajara in 1970. But for Brazil it is a potentially interesting step towards hosting the next World Cup, when hopefully their participation will once again send some unforgettable images around the globe.

Comments on the piece in the space provided. Questions on South American football to vickerycolumn@hotmail.com, and I’ll pick out a couple for next week.
From last week’s postbag;

Q. I’m a Sao Paulo fan - despite the glorious past the team seems to have had mostly ups and downs the past two seasons. I’m not really looking forward to seeing Lucas depart for France and I am not at all sure that new signing Paulo Henrique Ganso will be able to provide the star power. What are your thoughts regarding the long term possibilities for this once "future super star" who has struggled with his form and with his emotional motivation?
Carlos Wysling

A. I’m also disappointed that Lucas is going. I suppose the money from PSG was too good to turn down, but I would have preferred to see him stay another year and play the Libertadores. Ganso is by no means a straight replacement, and, as you say, is now something of an enigma, wandering around on dodgy knees. But even if he struggles, Sao Paulo can still can count on the excellent and underrated Jadson.

But the big improvement in the second half of the season has been in defence. Two players are key in this – new signing Rafael Toloi, a no nonsense centre back who really should have gone to the Olympics. And the return from injury of central midfielder Wellington, whose dynamism is important. If the defensive unit keeps working well then it will be far easier to slot Ganso into the side. 

Tim Vickery is a regular guest on BBC Radio 5 live’s World Football Phone-in, which is available to download as a podcast.

The Sao Paulo giants, the team of the city's Italian community, are in trouble. Back in July they won the Brazilian Cup, guaranteeing a place in next year's Copa Libertadores, South America's Champions League.

However, results have since suffered in the domestic league and they now need to make up a seven-point gap with just four rounds of the season left.

Their hopes could perhaps rest on the outcome of a hearing to be held in the next couple of days. The focus of their appeal is a disallowed goal from Argentine centre-forward Hernan Barcos against Internacional on October 27.

Palmeiras claim referee Franscisco Nascimento allegedly used television images when deciding to disallow their equalising goal against Internacional. Photo: Getty 

Barcos diverted a corner into the back of the net with his hand. The goal was disallowed, and there is no doubt that it should have been, but there is a strong suspicion that in order to make the decision the wrong means were used.

At first neither the referee nor his assistants appeared to see anything wrong with the goal. Then came the change of mind - allegedly because the referee had been informed of the handball by somebody watching a television monitor. This, of course, is a resource that is not officially available to referees.

Palmeiras, who lost the game 2-1, made a formal complaint and they are hoping the match will be declared void and a replay ordered, giving them a chance to get three points closer to safety.

Launching a complaint because an illegal goal was ruled out would seem to contravene football's unofficial rule 18 - the request that common sense be applied in the application of the 17 laws of the game. Some people, though, think Palmeiras have a case - and even if they do not, the seriousness of their situation justifies such desperate measures.

The issue here is the role of technology in the decisions taken by football referees and, perhaps an even bigger issue, the limitations of the use of technology in decisions taken by officials.

The laws are full of references to "in the opinion of the referee" and "in a manner considered by the referee...." Even off-side is a matter of interpretation.

This means that a utopia of footballing justice can never exist, however much technology is employed because there will always be different interpretations.

The easiest proof of this is to contrast the opinions of opposing players and coaches. It is one of the great truths of football that everyone always thinks the referee is favouring the other side.

Such a state of affairs is not hard to understand because football people live a life of constant insecurity. The easiest way to deny or avoid unwelcome truths is to blame the referee.

Diego Alonso stands out in this respect - one of the reasons for believing the 37-year-old Uruguayan is one of the most promising coaches in South American football.

A target man centre-forward in his playing days - good enough to have won senior international caps and to have had a fair career in Spain - Alonso knew from an early age that he wanted to be a coach.

After a short spell in charge of Bella Vista, the Montevideo club where he both started and ended his playing days, he took over Guarani of Paraguay this year, moulding an aggressive team who are closing in on a rare league title - only their second in almost 30 years.

"In training sessions," he told Uruguayan newspaper 'El Pais' last week, "we practice situations where he have had a man sent off and are in numerical disadvantage. We also stage games with biased refereeing so the players can get used to it."

He is attempting to foster a mentality where his men take full responsibility for their own performances. "The message that I pass to the players is that there is not a referee in the world who can make them lose a game. I don't deny that sometimes the referee has a bad day. But if you have real players, a referee is not going to tip the balance."

Alonso's preparation was put to the test on Sunday, when Guarani had two men sent off in their visit to Sportivo Luqueno. In the circumstances, a 1-1 draw was perhaps not a bad result. But it is Guarani's third game without a win and their lead at the top of the table has been cut to four points with seven games remaining.

As the pressure mounts, it will be fascinating to see if Alonso can maintain his line of conduct and if Guarani can keep doing the things that took them to the top of the table. As Alonso is aware, if they are overtaken they will have no one but themselves to blame.

Comments on the piece in the space provided, questions on South American football to vickerycolumn@hotmail.com, and I'll pick out a couple for next week from last week's postbag;

Q: You have talked of the dearth of full backs in the Argentina national team but Pablo Zabaleta has been one of the most improved players in the Premier League. A firm fans' favourite, he is also well loved by his teammates and backroom staff alike. He speaks excellent English and has adapted well to life in Manchester. This season, along with Joe Hart, he has been City's most consistent player. He is now a regular in the Argentine team, so why don't you rate him and how is he viewed in his native country?
Alex Walton

A: Former Argentina coach Carlos Bilardo recently commented that Argentina could find 10 possible presidents of the country, but not one full-back - which goes some way towards answering your question.

I've always seen him as a useful player. It's probably worth remembering, though, that he's not a natural full back - he was a right-sided midfielder who has been converted. As far as I'm aware, all the praise that you give him is spot on. He does seem to be an excellent character - I think the fact that he is doing well in top level football has more to do with the strength of his mentality than with any outstanding talent.

He is clearly an important figure in the Argentina squad, not least because he is prepared to play full back on either flank. It is a position, though, where Argentina need to improve. National team coach Alejandro Sabella was talking recently of the pros and cons of playing Lionel Messi, Sergio Aguero and Gonzalo Higuain. The big disadvantage, he correctly identified, is that it leaves the team vulnerable down the flanks. Left exposed, Zabaleta had an awkward time against Chile last month.

Tim Vickery is a regular guest on BBC Radio 5 live’s World Football Phone-in, which is available to download as a podcast.

Hence the deal with Super Sport which gives the League and its 20 clubs access to 21 different TV stations across the world's most populous nation.

Manchester United will be one of the clubs to benefit from the new deal. Photo: Getty

But the agreement with NBC Universal does take the League into new territory. While a number of big Asian countries bought into the Premier League a decade ago, America has been a far slower burn, a niche offering in a nation still consumed by the big four of American Football, baseball, basketball and ice hockey.

By winning the support of one of the country's biggest broadcasters the League now has a chance of raising its profile. The agreement also represents a threefold increase on the value of the current deal with ESPN and Fox.

"For me this is right up there with a lot of the other big moments in the League's development," Scudamore told me. "The market in the US has become much more competitive and this is a statement from NBC that they believe the Premier League can become one of the mainstream sports."

While that might be pushing it a bit there is no question that NBC Universal, the American rights holders for the Olympic Games, will take the League to another level in the States. They have bought 380 live games a season and are committed to showing six live games a week. Exact details have not been released to the public or the clubs yet (Scudamore is holding that back until a meeting of the teams on 16 November) but while the vast majority will be shown on NBC's dedicated sports channel which is carried on cable in the States, some will go out on network television.

That potentially means access to more than 80m homes across America - a very big deal for English football. To put that into context, the average weekly audience for live Premier League matches with exisiting broadcasters Fox and ESPN is around 140,000.

Now, none of this means the Premier League is about to conquer America - a country which loves playing football but is still not convinced about watching it. Just look at the difference in fees raised by the Premier League and American Football.

The NFL signed a record-breaking nine-year deal last December with CBS, NBC and Fox worth $28bn (£17.4bn) - a 63% increase on their previous contract. Just compare that to the $250m (£155m) NBC have paid the Premier League for their rights. As one media expert put it to me, the Premier League now has a really good shot at becoming a "middle ranking" sport in America.

Having said all that there can be no doubting the continued popularity of the Premier League both here and around the world. While media markets become more fragmented live football still offers a way of driving subscriptions and TV audiences. As long as that continues then the controversy surrounding the League will do little to harm its financial power.

The big Buenos Aires derby is followed all over the continent for a number of reasons. One is the historic role played by Argentina in the consolidation of South American football. The British introduced the game to the South Cone. More than anyone else, the Argentines helped the spread of the game northwards. In terms of playing styles and fan culture, much of the continent takes its cue from Argentina.

The second reason is the content of the derby, the forces which are being represented. Both River and Boca began life in the working class docklands area of La Boca - literally 'the mouth' of the River Plate - where, during the late nineteenth and early twentieth century immigrants poured in in their millions from Italy, Spain, Eastern Europe and the Middle East.

The contrast between them is striking. River Plate is all about space - the wide avenues around the ground, giant corridors inside the stadium, a huge gap between the fans and the pitch. Everything at Boca, meanwhile, is cramped - the narrow streets of the neighbourhood and the stadium so steeply built that it is informally known as the 'Bonbonera' - the chocolate box.

River Plate, then, have something of the immigrant dream about them; Boca have the sweat of working class solidarity. This same fault line - the haves and the have-nots - is a vital component of many South American derbies. The rest of the continent, then, can see itself reflected in the Buenos Aires 'super-classic.'

And there is a third explanation for the popularity of the game - the quality of the spectacle. These are two great clubs who, even allowing for the tendency of any derby to provide more heat than light, can usually be counted upon to come up with a flash of flair along with the fury.

River Plate's Rodrigo Mora is challenged for the ball by Boca Juniors Emiliano Albin. Photo: Getty Images

Sunday's game was certainly dramatic. Millions mourned the absence of the game during the year that River spent in the second division. Their wait was rewarded with a dramatic finale - River going two goals up with 21 minutes to go only for Boca to fight back and draw level in stoppage time.

But in terms of technical quality it is hard to believe there have been many worse matches in the century of rivalry between these two great clubs. Neither side was consistently capable of stringing three passes together.

The dismal level of play reflected the shock experienced by Maxi Rodriguez a few months ago, when after a decade in Europe the midfielder left Liverpool to rejoin his home town club Newells Old Boys in Rosario.

"The standard of football has got worse in the last ten years," he said of his return to the Argentine game. "The games increasingly lack flow. There is much more running and battling than before. There is huge fear of losing, and aesthetic considerations are no longer a priority."

Much of this has to do with the decline of the old fashioned Argentine number ten, the elegant, foot-on-the-ball playmaker who orchestrates his side's attack. The physical evolution referred to by Rodriguez and the use of two central midfield destroyers have reduced his space and all but squeezed him out of existence.

Neither side in Sunday's derby fielded such a player - though the ghost of the number ten was there to haunt the occasion.

Boca's Juan Roman Riquelme stopped playing for the club in July, but has never really gone away. He always had a strained relationship with club coach Julio Falcioni, who has traditionally favoured a 4-4-2 formation with no playmaker.

The crowd chant Riquelme's name when they want to criticise the coach. Riquelme remains in training, and is linked to a move to Brazil or the Middle East. It has been speculated, though, that a change of coach at Boca might facilitate his return.

River, meanwhile, have a highly promising number ten figure in the teenage Manuel Lanzini. Club coach Matias Almeyda has tried out a number of formations this season but has not found one that is well suited to Lanzini, who was not even on the bench on Sunday.

If it had a choice, the match ball on Sunday would surely have preferred to have been caressed lovingly by one of these players than to be booted back and forth so crudely. And perhaps therein lies the problem.

There should always be room for a player with the ability to dictate the rhythm of the game and split the opposing defence with a surprise through pass. And it is not too much to ask such a player to understand the importance of mobility, and of dropping behind the line of the ball to help out with the marking.

But if the number tens need to evolve, then so do the others. In a perfect midfield, everyone is an all rounder. But it seems that in Argentina the removal of the number ten is exposing all the more the limitations of the other midfielders.
As hinted by Maxi Rodriguez, there is an excess of runners and battlers, and a dearth of old fashioned quality.

Thankfully this is not reflected in the national team, who have played some dazzling football in the last year. Most of these players came through in the golden age of Argentina's youth structure, when they won the World Cup at Under-20 level five times between 1995 and 2007.

But youth specialists in the country have been warning for a while that standards are slipping - and Argentina's Under-20 teams in 2009 and 2011 were very disappointing.

As a huge fan of well-played Argentine football, I hope the decline can be halted and reversed. It would be great to think that occasions such as the River-Boca derby could be celebrated not just for its historical resonance and the intensity of the atmosphere, but also for the quality of the play.

Comments on the piece in the space provided. Questions on South American football to vickerycolumn@hotmail.com, and I'll pick out a couple for next week.

From last week's postbag;
Q. Do you see any possibility of Ronaldinho returning to the Brazilian national team? He is looking rejuvenated at Atletico Mineiro.
Martin Raw

A. He is playing well. He has pace all around him and a centre forward in front, so there are plenty of options for him to show his range of passing and he is enjoying it. He was also in top form for Flamengo when he was called up last year - but the problem was apparent in his first game back, against Ghana at Craven Cottage. He hardly touched the ball.

Coach Mano Menezes said after the game that the rhythm of international football was much more intense than that of the Brazilian game, and that Ronaldinho had struggled to make the transition. In truth, this has been a major theme of the Menezes years, with the domestically-based youngsters also finding it hard to step up.

With that in mind, it is difficult to imagine another recall for Ronaldinho. But never say never, especially in Brazilian football. If he takes the Libertadores by the scruff of the neck next year then a recall is not impossible.

The City manager accepts this is what they need to prevent the torch-bearers for the self-styled "best league in the world" from suffering the chastening experience of an exit at the group stage for the second successive season.

Manchester United failed to make the knockout phase last season and neighbours City are doing an even more convincing job of not making it this year.

Their 3-1 defeat by Ajax in Amsterdam leaves them with only one point from three games, a point most observers could reasonably put down to outrageous good fortune as they somehow got a draw against Borussia Dortmund after losing to Real Madrid in The Bernabeu.

Manchester United stumbled and almost fell before coming from two goals behind to beat SC Braga of Portugal while Champions League holders Chelsea were beaten more convincingly by Ukraine's Shakhtar Donetsk than a 2-1 scoreline suggests.

This was merely the starter for the full horror of a black Wednesday when Arsenal were utterly outmanoeuvred on their own ground by the German Bundesliga's highly-impressive Schalke 04 and - most significantly - Manchester City imploded in the Netherlands.

Striker Sergio Aguero was left frustrated on a night when City's Champions League hopes may have ended. Photo: AP

Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger faces the club's shareholders on Thursday morning and judging by the amateur financial analysis being bellowed into the media area at the final whistle against Schalke, one matter will rise above all others.

It will be the vexed question of why Arsenal do not spend more, why they continue to lose marquee stars such as Robin van Persie and still refuse to join the real big spenders. They are understandable questions after seven years without a trophy.

Wenger and Arsenal's hierarchy were unlikely to receive an easy ride come what may. The manner in which they were dismantled by Schalke will make the inquisition even more pointed and painful.

Arsenal barely created a chance worthy of the name and once Schalke realised that Brazilian left-back Andre Santos was - and this is not a phrase used lightly - a complete liability, the game was up.

Schalke were, and this will also pain those who continue to champion the Premier League as the great global brand above all others, technically and tactically superior to Arsenal and fully deserved the win goals from Klaas-Jan Huntellar and Ibrahim Afellay gave them.

Consolation comes for Arsenal in the shape of likely qualification for the last 16 but it was not a performance designed to appease or reassure a worried fan base.

While Wenger faces shareholders, Mancini faces old demons and arguably an even bigger inquest after proving once more that he cannot get a handle on the Champions League.

It is true City were drawn in the time-honoured "Group of Death" - but this does not mean manager and players had to hasten their own demise with a series of self-inflicted wounds. This was a group any of the Premier League's quartet would have found difficult. The champions are making it look impossible.

City's failure to qualify for the knockout games last season was put down to the testing transformation of a first season in Europe's elite competition. There can be no excuses for their abject effort this time.

It is now only an outside bet that City will even rise to third place in their group and claim a slot in the Europa League, although whether they want that is another matter.

The added complication is that if City fail to turn what looks like a terminal situation around, their lack of pedigree in the tournament leaves them wide open to the prospect of another hazardous draw should they qualify next season.

There are still games to play and still opportunities to avoid those inquests. On the evidence so far, however, all signs points to an early farewell.

And if that happens, much of the spotlight will fall on Mancini who, despite his successes in domestic competition, has failed to master the intricacies of this tournament. He never got further than the last eight during his successes at Inter Milan and unless the sky falls in on their Champions League rivals this season, it will start to represent a scar on his City record.

Mancini was brutally honest in accepting he prepared badly for the game and seemed to spend much of the night in Amsterdam attempting to correct his failings without ever coming close to finding the answer.

Just reaching the Champions League was an achievement for City last season but there was pride at stake this time after winning the Premier League title. In place of pride has come embarrassment after the capitulation in Amsterdam.

For a team that was based on the solid Mancini template, they have looked horribly vulnerable in Europe and this must be a major concern. Defender Micah Richards hinted at confusion and a lack of tactical understanding from the players when the Italian switched to three at the back.

The more Mancini tries to find the formula that will bring him satisfaction in the Champions League the more it appears to elude him and frustration was writ large on his face after this latest defeat.

There have been moments at home when it has looked like Mancini has put all the pieces in place, a solid defence locked on to a gifted and varied attack by the powerhouse that is Yaya Toure. On foreign soil the effect has never been as convincing and it was exemplified against Ajax.

The whole message of the evening appeared to be a manager and players ill-at-ease in this arena. As a result it is an arena they are unlikely to be occupying for much longer.

Champions League failure is hardly likely to plunge the Mancini regime into crisis but there is little doubt City's Abu Dhabi owners will have been disappointed with events in Amsterdam. They celebrated winning the English league title but their ambition is such that it is certain they wanted a lot more than a group stage exit in Europe's premier competition.

In Mancini and City's defence, winning the Champions League is no quick job. It should be remembered it took just under nine years of extraordinary investment in Chelsea by owner Roman Abramovich before they claimed the crown.

This will be of no consolation to City as they face another early elimination and one of Mancini's immediate tasks will be to ensure the pain of events in Europe does not impact on domestic affairs as they try to retain the Premier League.

Where there is life there is hope - but even Mancini appeared resigned to Manchester City's fate after another dismal Champions League night.

If both remarks sound a little defensive, it is easy enough to explain. Brazilian football has been gifted with so many artists - players capable of snapping their marker in two with a sway of the hips, wrong-footing the keeper and then sliding home - that a little prejudice sometimes persists about the centre forward. The target man number nine whose game is restricted to getting the ball over the line can be seen, at best, as the exponent of a minor art.

Since the Olympics, Brazil coach Mano Menezes has been working along the lines of doing away with this creature in his starting line-up. There was no specialist centre forward in the team that beat China last month, nor in the side that would have played three weeks ago in the abandoned match against Argentina.

The absence of a number nine opens space for an extra player to elaborate the moves. When it works it is very easy on the eye - the whole world drools at the pass-and-move game of Barcelona. But there are very few teams capable of playing their way through the opposition with the exuberant ease of Lionel Messi and company. And Leandro Damiao, Brazil's centre forward, seems to be developing well. He was top-scorer at London 2012.

At the time he was named in Brazil's squad for the recent friendlies against Iraq and Japan, Kaka had not even played a competitive game this season. He had seemed entirely surplus to requirements at Real Madrid, who would have loved to unload him in order to reduce their wage bill. The problem was that Kaka's recent history of knee and groin injuries made it unlikely anyone would come in with a big-money bid.

Brazil impressed in their recent friendly wins over Iraq and Japan Photo: Getty

How on earth, I thought, could a player in this situation be ready to play for Brazil in the short term, or capable of a significant contribution in the long term?

There is, of course, no way of knowing for sure that Kaka will have enough gas in the tank to make it all the way to a fourth World Cup in 2014. But after his displays in the two friendlies against Asian opponents there can be little doubt he was ready. Announcing his recall, Menezes had said the player was looking good in training - information confirmed by the way the veteran was able to make space against his marker to set up team-mates or shoot at goal.

And just as my scepticism about Kaka proved misplaced, so were my doubts about the formation. In fact the two are intrinsically linked. Kaka was that piece in the jigsaw that completed the side with no number nine.

The new system is something like a 4-2-4-0. Nominally the strikers, Hulk and Neymar, are thrown wide - on the right and left respectively - so both can cut in onto their stronger foot. They can also track back - especially Hulk, whose physical capacity makes him especially useful in this respect.

In front of the back four are two all-round midfielders. Ramires is the more defensive of the two, with Paulinho looking to break forward, although the roles can be reversed. And in front of them are Oscar and Kaka. The Chelsea youngster is more the midfielder, proficient at dropping back to set up the play. The Real Madrid veteran is the support striker, bringing his pace and directness to bear in the final 30 metres. Both, though, are equally likely to pop up in the centre forward position and shoot at goal.

Oscar and Kaka were both on target twice as Brazil ran up 10 goals in the two games. Iraq were swatted away 6-0. Japan were much more of a test - they had just won away against France, and they had their moments against Brazil when they met in Poland last Tuesday. Brazil's 4-0 win, then, was a remarkable scoreline.

Tostao, himself an improvised centre forward in the Mexico '70 team, was impressed. "For the first time," he wrote after the Japan game, "I'm hopeful Brazil will have a great team in the [2014] World Cup. The four front players are both midfielders and strikers. All four give passes and score goals. This is the way forward."

He recognises, however, that Japan's high defensive line and adventurous approach made things easier, predicting greater difficulties "against stronger opponents and also against average sides who mark well, sit deep and counter-attack" - the very type of opposition Brazil are sure to encounter on home ground in 2014.

Brazil will trust that 4-2-4-0 can keep them defensively compact. It was the system Corinthians used this year to win the Copa Libertadores with an outstanding defensive record - just four goals conceded in 14 games.

There is a problem, though, with the left side of Brazil's defence. For a start, it is less protected - Hulk works back on the right, but Neymar on the left is usually the most advanced player and the target for the quick ball forward. At left-back, Marcelo is far happier pushing forward than defending - even Iraq were able to get into the space behind him. Injury meant he was replaced by Leandro Castan, a centre-back, for the Japan game, which could be worth repeating. Even then the positional sense of left-sided centre back David Luiz can be exposed.

There are, then, some interesting doubts. Can Brazil improve their defending down the left? Will Kaka retain form and fitness? Is the system with no centre forward the best way of playing against all opponents? But doubt is always necessary. My scepticism clearly was not.

Comments on the piece below. Send questions on South American football to vickerycolumn@hotmail.com, and I'll pick out a couple for next week.

Q: The future of Peruvian football is looking increasingly bright in my opinion, particularly in the offensive side of things, with Alianza Lima wielding a crop of very watchable youngsters - Junior Ponce, Jorge Bazan and Yordy Reyna to name few. Will this wave of exciting talent hold the key to elevating Peru into the elite footballing nations in South America?
Dominic Brady

A: There is certainly an interesting crop coming through - at Alianza, I've also been impressed with Jose Canova at centre-back. And there's an excellent group coming through at Universitario as well. But the financial problems of these clubs are forcing (and will continue to force) so many of these players into premature moves. So it's way too early to know whether this generation will prove Peru's footballing salvation.

Q: I am a Philadelphia Union supporter here in the United States. Our captain, centre-back Carlos Valdes, has been featuring for the Colombia national team recently. Have you had a chance to see him play and, if so, what are your impressions of him?
Greg Orlandini

A: Saw plenty of him on the way up - he was part of an excellent Colombia Under-20 squad in 2005, and I remember him captaining America of Cali at a very young age a few years back. To be honest, the impression I've always had of him is of a player who stands out more for his strength of personality and leadership qualities than for his ability. Back in 2005 I was far more impressed with another centre-back in that Colombia side, Cristian Zapata, now of Milan.

I'd be interested to know what US fans think of Valdes and his progress. Colombia urgently need a change of generation in the centre-back positions, and Valdes and Zapata would seem to be the best solutions around at the moment.

But the round had another winner, who did not even take the field on Friday. It was sixth-placed Venezuela's turn to take a rest, and their position improved while they sat and watched as Uruguay and Chile, the teams above them, both lost.

Three rounds ago Chile were first and Uruguay were second. Now they seem to be in free-fall. On Friday all they managed to accomplish was further damage to their goal difference - and things could get still worse for them in Tuesday's 10th round.

Venezuela's World Cup chances have been advanced despite them not playing this week. Photo: Getty

Chile have now conceded 16 goals in their eight games. Defence is not their strong point. Under previous coach Marcelo Bielsa they tried to mask the weakness by pressing in the opponent's half but current coach Claudio Borghi - now fighting for his job - drops his back three deeper, exposing all the more the team's vulnerability.

And there are specific problems for the next game at home to Argentina. Goalkeeper and captain Claudio Bravo is injured. His run of 27 consecutive World Cup qualifiers came to an end on Friday, when Miguel Pinto stepped in for the 3-1 defeat away to Ecuador - a game in which experienced defender Pablo Contreras and key midfielder Arturo Vidal picked up red cards that keep them out of Tuesday's match.

Chile, then, will field a makeshift defensive unit against opponents who are well able to take advantage. Argentina played some breathtaking football in Friday's 3-0 win over Uruguay. Lionel Messi is now showing club from for his country, linking up well with Fernando Gago behind him and exchanging passes at bewildering speed with Sergio Aguero in front of him.

Messi, Aguero and Angel Di Maria combined beautifully, and the team are developing an interesting variation - Messi drops deeper, pulling the opposition with him and creating space for the long ball over the top for Aguero.

Chile's defence could well be in for another tough 90 minutes - as should Uruguay's be. This time it is not Messi and company who will torment the reigning Copa America champions, but the extreme altitude of La Paz. With no time to acclimatise, Uruguay now travel to meet Bolivia in the Hernando Siles stadium some 3,600 metres above sea level.

This would be a tough task at any time but Uruguay will have to do it without their best three defenders - Diego Godin, Martin Caceres and captain Diego Lugano are all suspended. Bolivia, for whom nothing but a win is good enough, will go all out to take advantage.

The chances are, then, that both Chile and Uruguay will struggle to pick up points on Tuesday. It is Venezuela's big opportunity to overtake them and get into the qualification places.

This is the first campaign in which Venezuela have been serious contenders for a World Cup slot, which brings pressures of its own. Coach Cesar Farias will have to ensure his side are mentally well prepared for their match at home to Ecuador.

Farias is alert to the dangers. Venezuela lost their last home match (2-0 to Chile in June), and he used the occasion to warn his players that they were in danger of becoming too big for their boots. Indeed, his youthful appearance belies a steely nature. To an impressive extent he has managed to impose his own vision and personality on his team.

At the turn of the century an Argentine coach, Omar Pastoriza, identified a generation of players who would be useful for Venezuela. Results only improved, however, after he was replaced by a local coach, Richard Paez. Where previously Venezuela had taken the field mainly in the hope of avoiding heavy defeat, Paez now sent them out to win. His team were a happy-go-lucky affair, capable of turning on the flair but very loose defensively.

This is something that Farias was keen to correct. "Our first priority was to improve the defence," he said recently. A total of eight goals conceded in the first eight games shows he has been successful - only the top two teams, Argentina and Colombia, have conceded fewer. But Farias is aware that a focus restricted to defence will only take the team so far. "If we want to go to the World Cup," he said, "we must have an aggressive idea of play in our home games."

In Venezuela's last match, in Paraguay a month ago, Farias freshened up his attack, fielding the slippery and talented youngster Josef Martinez behind strong centre forward Salomon Rondon. The combination worked well, Rondon weighing in with both goals in an excellent 2-0 win.

This, though, was against opponents obliged to come forward, leaving space for the counter-attack. On Tuesday Ecuador will have no such obligation. Their 100% home record means they can afford to keep things tight on their travels, seek to frustrate their opponents and then slip in Luis Antonio Valencia or one of the other dangerous options they have down the flanks - such as the pace of Renato Ibarra or the elusive dribbling of the highly gifted Jefferson Montero.

Ecuador are more than just an altitude side, strong only in their mountain fortress of Quito. Last month they were unfortunate to come away from Uruguay with only a 1-1 draw. In August they took Chile apart on the way to a 3-0 win in a friendly held in the United States. If Venezuela over-commit, they could find themselves in serious trouble. It is a game that calls for cool heads and concentration.

Tuesday's match in Puerto La Cruz is probably the most important meeting ever between Venezuela and Ecuador - the first time that both are realistically chasing a World Cup slot. And if things go wrong once more for Uruguay and Chile, even a draw could be enough to carry Venezuela above them.

Comments on the piece below. Send questions on South American football to vickerycolumn@hotmail.com, and I'll pick out a couple for next week.
From last week's postbag;

Q) I was curious about your opinion on about Paulo Henrique Ganso's move to Sao Paulo rather than one of the European giants - he was linked with the likes of Arsenal, Tottenham, Man United, and both AC and Inter Milan. Did he make the right choice in staying in his native Brazil? He was touted as the next Kaka, Brazil's biggest creative fulcrum and hope for 2014, but now those tags seem to have disappeared with the emergence of Oscar.
Shahib Uddin

A) I'm not sure he had the option of moving to Europe at the moment, because it is far from clear that one of the continent's clubs would have paid big money for him. He is certainly very talented - capable of seeing and delivering the defence splitting pass. But I'm not sure that all that premature hype did him any favours. The playmaker position is one that demands maturity in the choice of options, and he has yet to show that he is anywhere near the finished article.

Then, of course, there is the question of his fitness. He has spent a lot of time injured over the past two years, and after his medical at Sao Paulo his new club described the condition of his knees as merely 'reasonable'. Indeed, it is far from certain he will play this year.

His relationship with Santos had broken down. At this stage a move down the road to Sao Paulo is probably his best option as he seeks to regain momentum.