A few weeks ago, Arsene Wenger opined that South America was the world’s citadel for top class strikers. With the likes of Luis Suarez, Sergio Aguero, Alexis Sanchez, Diego Costa, Radamel Falcao, Edinson Cavani and, if you want to stretch the definition of ‘striker’ a little, Lionel Messi setting a benchmark for forward play in recent years, Europe’s cupboard looks comparatively bare. Wenger elaborated: “Maybe it’s because in Europe street football has gone. In street […]
In Beijing this weekend, Brazil’s ‘new’ era under Dunga received its stiffest examination, as they defeated World Cup finalists Argentina in the opulent ‘Bird’s Nest’ stadium. For Seleção fans, cleansing the stain of The Copa is going to be an incremental and rather raw process. No matter how incisively stitches are extracted, the scar lingers and the skin takes on an unweathered appearance forever more. Such was the brutality of the 7-1 mauling by Germany […]
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 […]
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, […]
If it wasn’t for the fact that either Flamengo or Portuguesa fielded ineligible players in final round of last season, then Rio giants Fluminense would be playing in the second tier of Brazilian football this year. At the end of last December, Brazil’s Superior Court of Sporting Justice ruled by unanimous vote that both Flamengo and Portuguesa were to be docked four points as punishment, which resulted in the latter falling into the relegation positions, […]
Luiz Felipe Scolari’s Brazil face South Korea at midday this Saturday (UK time), with plenty of players in the side looking to make an impression as the 2014 World Cup gets ever closer. The game will take place at the Seoul World Cup Stadium – one of the stadiums used during the 2002 World Cup which was won by Scolari’s Brazil, although they didn’t play there. Brazil will face a South Korean side who have already […]