When Luiz Felipe Scolari took over as coach of a flailing Brazil side for the 2002 World Cup, he brought in a bunch of unpleasant ideas. He wanted the team to commit fouls and play ugly football if it helped the Selecaos regain the most cherished trophy in the globe.
 
But playing unattractive football wasn't easy for a team that had the likes of Ronaldo (the original, not the pretender), Rivaldo, Kleberson and, yes, Ronaldinho. Once the R Men got into the act, Scolari's philosophy went out of the window as Brazil built a sweet rhythm on its own. That year, Brazil won the World Cup in style. Some of the moves still endure in memory: Ronaldinho's run down the middle that left the English defence for dead followed by a killer pass to Rivaldo which led to the equaliser. Then again, Rivaldo's dummy that enabled Ronaldo to score the second goal against Germany in the final. There were many more.
 
It remains to be seen whether history repeats itself. But on Sunday night, Brazil didn't play coach Dunga's brand of football. Or, maybe they tried but simply couldn't. What we saw was an absolute masterclass performance that was as much joga bonito (the beautiful game) as efficient. We saw a blending of the team's artists and artisans. Ivory Coast couldn't handle it, until the last 15 minutes when they resorted to soccer savagery that the French referee overlooked for reasons only he knows.
 
Till the first goal happened, there was no real indication of the feast in store. Till then, Kaka had misdirected his passes in a manner that reminded one of a six-year-old spraying pee all over the pot. And Robinho, after a needless long ranger in the first minute when actually the better option lay in passing the ball to the advancing Luis Fabiano on the left, was pretty invisible.
 
Then in the 25th minute, Robinho found Fabiano with a neat clip about 5 yards outside the 18-yard-box on the African side. Fabiano cheekily back-heeled to Kaka lurking nearby. In a flash the pretty boy of Brazilian football went past the defender, his precision through threaded like a needle found Fabiano on the run. The Brazilian striker still had plenty to do. But when you unleash a missile that scorches the roof of the net, there's precious little a goalkeeper can do. 1-0.
 
Exactly 25 minutes later, Fabiano got his second. With quicksilver feet and deft hands -- don't know how the French referee missed that -- he got past three defenders. The goal, despite the overlooked offence, was a treat to watch because it showcased everything that makes a quality striker: opportunism, cunning and skill.
 
I enjoyed the third goal more than the second. Kaka's footwork on the left enabled him to breeze past the Ivory Coast defender and minus the ball back in the danger zone. Elano, who was about 30 yards away when the move began, kept running all the way. The Galasataray medio got himself in front of the defender before angling the ball past the defender in the coolest of ways. 3-0. Elano has emerged as an invaluable cog in the Dunga machine. And it was a moment of immense worry for Brazil when he was stretchered off the field. Forget a yellow card, this was not even a foul in the referee's eyes. The good news for Brazil, though, is that his injury isn't as bad as it seemed.
 
But the best moment of the match didn't result in a goal. Once the three goals were done and the match sealed, the Samba boys let the music of football take over. One move resembled a rhythm gymnastic routine. Football doesn’t get any sexier.
 
The red card to Kaka was plain ridiculous. What do you do when a player suddenly charges against you? I am sure Kaka raised his elbow deliberately. But why did the real offender fall on the ground clutching his head? Surely, Fifa will look into this.
 
Dunga's gameplan is working. He is primarily using five players in his offensive formation: Kaka, Fabiano, Robinho. Plus the two full-backs Maicon and Michel Bastos. The other players primarily have a holding job though captain Lucio and Elano often get into attacking positions.
 
Indeed, Lucio is arguably the most versatile central defender in world football today. Which other central defender makes such skilful runs down the middle? Without really being called a libero, a versatile more aggressive central back, he actually functions as libero plus.
 
With such a bunch of talented players who can play within a system, it is understandable why Dunga has been cocky enough to drop Ronaldinho. That doesn’t mean I am not condoning the decision. No opposition would enjoy the sight of a Ronaldinho even on the bench. As a Brazil fan, I am just hoping Dunga has a decent plan B, in case his more creative players fail to perform in a knock-out game. To that extent, Kaka's red card is a blessing in disguise. Now that the five-time world champions have already qualified for the next stage, Brazil can afford experiment.
 
Right now, Brazil is looking good. And strong. And possibly on course to meet Spain in round 16. Unfortunately, that’s the closest you can get to tragedy in football.