kicker I would call that flair..as a "brand" is more dedicated, repeatable, long term..in terms of football, imo, none of the teams/clubs play the same style as any of their past teams...i think it's more down to who one selects, and team organization to suit....but is football, interpretation is the norm...your callaloo, my callaloo and a t&tian callaloo won't all be the same (taste), sometimes not even the same ingredients, but branded callaloo all the same, yet some still sweeter(preference) than some
Don't really agree with your comment about flair. I think England has a very recognizeable brand- but I wouldn't say they play with an inordinate amount of flair...
I do think that brands can change from generation to generation- alot of it could just be a result of the changing game...that said I think that some teams manage to remain recognizeable through generation with a sort of je ne sais quois about their manner of play that is handed down somewhat from generation to generation.
Alot of it is perception I'm sure- but as they say, sometimes perception is reality.
Yeah..agree with what you saying. The way I think about brand is, what makes two teams look different when they executing the exact same play. It is beyond just the basics and it is beyond formation, or tactics. Does a Brazilian national team look different playing a 4-3-3 than their English counterparts playing the same 4-3-3. I say yes. Brand involves the little nuances that are above and beyond the basics of the game and both players and fans contribute to the realities and perceptions of a national brand.
In today's global game where the best players are gravitiating to the same leagues, and are starting to look more and more alike...the idea of brand is not as obvious today as if you look at club football in nation's where there is relatively less foreign influence..Brazil, Argentina, Mexico etc. Also, no team, club or national, has 11 players with the same qualities, executing the same 'brand' of football. Another thing, is the 'brand' only shows itself during certain parts of the game. For 40 minutes a Brazilian team could look very 'non-Brazilian' and then Lucio chest traps a ball from a clearance, under pressure from a forward, hits him a fan and calmly distributes the ball. He may only do that once a game, but he will do it more than John Terry, or Sami Hyppia. It's only one individual demonstrating a piece of skill that makes people sit up and decide that was very Brazilian. But that is aslo part of the Brazilian 'brand'. The fact that countless generations of Brazilian sweepers did the same before him adds to the idea. The game is become more and more homogeneous in that regard, but I still see some general differences by country and by region in 1) individual flair, 2) physical build and posture, 3) interpretation of basic techniques and 4) fan expectation 5) player responsibility/expectation.
Brand also takes into consideration how a team reacts to certain scenarios..such as how they play when they're leading, or down a goal. We've come to expect a Brazilian team to play the same way when down a goal..while we expect a German or English team to up the tempo big time. At least I do. So it kinda simple, kinda complicated, part real, part perception. But at the end of the day, i think countries still produce players and teams that look like they belong to a specific nation or region. And that is what dictates a team's brand