Thread: RIP Pele.

https://nypost.com/2022/12/29/soccer...ealth-battles/

Pelé's genius lay not in his ball control but in his ability to make the ball his companion. He ran without it, over it, around it, in front and behind it , knowing at all times were it was going, and what it would do . Watch him dribble and move with the ball and he never touches it, when he does not need to. That is the rare and sublime magic that makes him a legend that words will never be able to fully describe. He could catch a ball on his chest, caress it with his knee and then propel it off the end of his boot without it once hitting the ground because it truly was his friend. He knew what it wanted to do and he created the perfect conditions in which it could weave it's own magic. That and a smile that could melt icebergs will forever mark Edson Arantes do Nascimento out as O Rei. The King is dead, long live the King.

Erling Haaland has already tweeted “Everything you see any player doing, Pelé did it first.” Which says it all, but I believe he watched a YouTube video with that title.
The thing is Pele suffers in the GOAT Debate, because there is way less footage of him compared to modern day players.
But this video is a real eye opener. Cruyff turns, Rabona, Scissor kick , everything, it’s almost eerie.



But the one thing I will always remember about Pele is :

If that had gone in, it would’ve been probably the most iconic clip ever. It was David Coleman’s commentary that was gold. He was speechless.
RIP Pele.

Pele was the real greatest footballer. RIP legend.

I was going to post that rounding the goalie without touching the ball, genius move from Pele, he's got a great claim to be the best ever, he scored all sorts of goals...although he doesn't score in the above clip :S

“One day, I hope we can play football together in the sky” - Pele’s message after Diego Maradona died in 2020.

Enjoy your game, legends