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 […]
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, […]
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 […]
Atlético Mineiro continued the recent Brazilian domination of the most prestigious competition in South American club football, as they defeated Olimpia of Paraguay on penalties in an entertaining Copa Libertadores final. Galo needed to overturn a two goal deficit from the first leg in Paraguay, and the home fans who packed into the Mineirão (attendance 58,620) certainly gave their side a lift to claw back the two goals they needed to take the game to […]