James Nalton

Editor and owner of The Botafogo Star. Author of Brazilian football column Sambafoot Sunday, and freelance football writer for various publications. Follow on Twitter

Jan 062015
 
Brazil Squad for 2015 South American Youth Football Championship

The 2015 South American Under 20 Championships will be held in Uruguay between the 15th of January and Febuary 7th, with the next generation of Brazilian stars hoping to show their class on this continental stage. Brazil last won the tournament in 2011, when young striker Neymar, then at Santos, made his name and finished as the competition’s top scorer with nine goals. This squad also included the likes of Lucas Moura, Oscar, Danilo, and […]

Aug 142014
 
Brazil U20s Squad for COTIF L'Alcúdia 2014

Brazil under-20s coach Alexandre Gallo, has assembled a squad of young players who will take part in this years Torneo Internacional de Fútbol Sub-20 de L’Alcúdia. The tournament, thankfully shortened to COTIF, takes place in L’Alcúdia, Valencia, and features a mixture of club and international teams. This years participants are Brazil, Argentina, Lvante U.D., Ecuador, China, Mauritania, Barcelona, Valencia, Qatar, and Indonesia. Here are Brazil’s fixtures: 12th August – Brazil 1-1 Qatar 14th August – Brazil […]

Jul 252014
 
Anderson Talisca - From Bahia to Benfica

Young Brazilian attacker Anderson Talisca recently completed a £3.2m move to Benfica, after a string of impressive performances at Bahia saw him become one of the most eye catching players in the Brazilian league. Talisca was born in the city of Feira de Santana, Bahia, 70 miles from state capital Salvador where he would eventually begin his football career. He joined Esporte Club Bahia as a youth player in 2009 and has progressed through the […]

Jul 082014
 
Brazil 1 - Germany 7 (seven) - Be Careful Who You Blame

Where do you start? You could discuss everything from Scolari’s selection decisions, Neymar’s absence, Thiago Silva’s absence, or Fred’s absence. You could unfairly comment on Júlio César, who was once third choice at QPR and isn’t even the best goalkeeper in Major League Soccer where he now plays his club football. David Luiz’s irresponsibility as captain, wandering, carelessness, and non-existent defensive awareness. You could use this picture of the Brazil players’ average positions to back […]

Jul 072014
 
Why Brazil Need 4 Replacements Ahead of Germany Semi Final

Neymar’s absence from the rest of the World Cup has turned into a national crisis. Even Brazil’s president Dilma Rousseff chimed in with this message for the main man, in what a cynic might see as a political move to get fans onside ahead of October’s elections… The worrying thing is that no one seems to have a confident answer when asked about the team without Neymar. Even more worrying is the prospect of playing […]

Jul 052014
 
Brazil Taste Own Medicine as Neymar Exits World Cup

There’s a catchy song doing the rounds on Brazilian TV which has a chorus – “Mostra tua força Brasil” – which translates as “show your strength, Brazil”. During last night’s game, they might have taken this show of strength too far for their own good. The Seleção’s quarter-final against Colombia will be remembered as the match which saw Neymar’s World Cup come to an end. The much talked about “poster-boy” of Brazil suffered a knee […]

Jun 272014
 
Brazil Top Group A With Hints of Plan B

Brazil secured the top spot in group A after duly disposing of a Cameroon side who exited the tournament without a single point. The Seleção weren’t entirely convincing as they advanced to the knock-out stages, but progression is the only aim at this stage and the host nation are an intriguing, entertaining prospect heading towards the business end. The starting eleven which was widely predicted before the start of the tournament has been Luiz Felipe Scolari’s mainstay, […]

Jun 032014
 
The Future Brazil Stars Who Triumphed in Toulon 2014

Brazil’s youth side claimed the Toulon Tournament title for the second year in a row, after a string of impressive displays culminated in a 5-2 win against France in the final. The French side brought the best out of this promising generation of Brazilians, who boast an array of talent all the way from goalkeeper to centre forward. We already know Marquinhos is destined for great things, and Dória of Botafogo has been written about […]

May 092014
 
Brazil Squad Announced for 2014 Toulon Tournament

Coach Alexandre Gallo has announced his squad of U21 players for the 2014 Toulon Tournament. Brazil will defend the title they won in 2013 after stand-out performances from players such as Grêmio’s Yuri Mamute and Vinicius Araujo then of Cruzeiro but now on the books at Valencia. The 2014 squad contains two stand-out centre backs in the shape of Botafogo’s Dória, and Marquinhos of PSG who many thought would have made Brazil’s World Cup squad. Elsewhere the […]

Apr 192014
 
Brasileirão 2014 - Brazilian Série A League Preview

The 2014 Brasileirão season will be broken into two parts, thanks to the mid-season break for the World Cup. The season starts on April 19th, breaking from June 2nd to July 14th, and will come to a close on December 6th. Here’s a look at all the participants, including their aims and players to look out for. We begin, perhaps unfashionably, with a look at the clubs in the north east of Brazil, written by The […]