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 […]
Last week, in the same bar and restaurant district of Belo Horizonte where visiting fans from Colombia, Chile, England and other countries gathered during the World Cup, Reinaldo, former Brazil international and the Atlético Mineiro’s all-time leading scorer, held a promotional event. During the party a big TV screen outside the bar showed some of the greatest moments from the glorious, though injury scarred career of O Rei (“the King”) during the 1970s and 80s. Many […]
For a decade now, around this time of the year, the Footecon event has taken place in Rio. Its tag line – ‘the main forum of the football industry in the Americas.’ It began life more than anything as a conference of coaches, and at heart that is what it remains, though over the years it has tagged on elements of business. Time to declare an interest; I have attended every edition of Footecon. I […]
Last Friday, caps in hands, the chairmen of 12 of Brazil’s biggest football clubs travelled to the national capital Brasilia to meet with president Dilma Rousseff. The reason for the trip was to discuss the proposed Law of Sporting Financial Responsibility, which aims to restructure teams’ massive public debts over a 25 year period, while not unreasonably requiring them to comply with their financial obligations, such as paying players’ wages on time. In the murky […]
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 […]
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 […]
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, […]
Current Gaucho champions, boasting all the merits and authority which they defeated fierce local rivals Grêmio, Internacional now have a challenge ahead: the Brasileirão. Since 1979, the dream of a fourth national title has hit the crossbar five times: 1987, 1988, 2005, 2006, and 2009. But now it’s time to win the Brazilian championship again. In 2013, under the command of Dunga, the scenario was similar:. Hopes for the title and a successful league campaign, […]
Santos come in this year’s Brasileirão on the back of six consecutive appearances in the final of the Campeonato Paulista. It’s a run that stretches back to Neymar’s debut season as a professional back in 2009. However, the club’s displays in the league in recent years lie at the other end of the spectrum. The last serious charge for the title was all the way back in 2007. Will this year be an different? The […]
Last week can only be described as ‘bittersweet’ for Flamengo fans all over the world. On Wednesday, Flamengo lost to Mexican side Léon in front of almost 60,000 fans at the Maracanã, and were eliminated at the group stage of the Copa Libertadores. Sunday, on the other hand, saw Flamengo draw 1-1 with arch-rivals Vasco da Gama thanks to a controversial goal scored in the 91st minute, which saw them win the State Championship for […]