Snak

Hmm.............går udfra du mener Jefferson Montero fra Monarcas ? den ecuadorianske Wing blandt venner kaldet "Batman" ? Hurtigt, energisk , driblestærk - har haft en god sæson i Monarcas hvor han har spillet sammen med landsholdkollegaen Joao Rojas, hvilket sikkert har haft indflydelse på præstationer.

Er relgelmæssig inventar på ecuadors landshold hvor han også nyder godt af deres spillemæssige succes iøjeblikket, scorede et par mål mod Paraguay.

Ellers bum bum, han har været en af profilerne i Monarcas, og hans præstationer har været af en så´en karakter at var til tænkt som forstærkning til de nykårede mestre fra America , Klubben (monarcas) vil hellere sælge ham til en europæisk klub fremfor at styrke América, så........ved ikke hvad status er pt , læste at både West Ham og Celtic skulle være interesseret, det er vel ret beset også et Niveau der passer til "Batman" pt han er trods alt kun 23 endnu...

Ja selvfølgelig. Jefferson Montero. My bad!

Tak for beskrivelsen. Håber han ikke bliver den nye Pablo Barrera.

Tror han har bedre forudsæninger for success end Pablo, Jefferson har været i Europa før og Ecudorianere er generelt lidt mere omstillingsparate end mexicanere, så et eller andet sted mellem Valencia (Manchester United) og "Chucho" Benitez virke i Birmingham er vel at forvente tænker jeg.

Grêmio’s Welliton looking to improve his goal return

Welliton has struggled for goals since his move to Grêmio, and with limited opportunities in a competitive squad, he knows he has to take his chances when they come.

The striker is on loan at Grêmio from Spartak Moscow until the end of the year and has only scored two goals for the Porto Alegre club, with both of these coming in the Gaúcho Championship.

He’s only made one start so far in the Brazilian championship, with his other three appearances coming from the bench, but he’s still looking for his first goal in the competition.

In a press conference reported by Globo Welliton commented on his current situation:

“When I get the opportunity to play, I have to score. Everyone is expecting me to. I have to enter the game and score goals. That was what I did in Russia and what is missing here” said the Brazilian, who could also be eligible to play for Russia due to the amount of time he’s lived and worked in the country.

When asked about his best position on the side, he was in no doubt that he is a forward:

“I think that forward [is my best position], whether this is up front, out wide or in a central position. It´s all the same. Any position there.”

Liverpool interested in Grêmio´s £5m-rated Matheus Biteco

Liverpool are set to make a move for highly-rated Grêmio midfielder Matheus Biteco for a potential fee of £5 million.

The Merseyside giants sent scouts to the Toulon U20 tournament earlier this month ahead of a possible swoop.

The club were reportedly impressed with the defensive midfielder and are considering a £5m bid for the Brazilian according to the Liverpool Echo.

Sambafoot revealed earlier this month that Liverpool sent scouts to the tournament and that defensive midfielder Matheus is one player being looked at as a possible signing.

Liverpool have a history with Matheus´ parent club, Grêmio, having signed Lucas Leiva in 2007 and former Reds left-back Fabio Aurelio currently plies his trade at the Porto Alegre club.

Porto Alegre native Matheus has featured in Grêmio´s Campeonato Gaucho campaign, making six appearances in midfield, three of them in the starting lineup.

The summer would be an ideal time for a swoop as Matheus turns 18 in June, paving the way for a move abroad as Brazil laws prevent the departure of footballers aged 17 and under from Brazil.

Liverpool are thought to be looking to bolster their defensive options this summer and with Lucas Leiva their only recognised defensive midfielder, Matheus could be a long-term solution.

Tear gas and pointed guns: Inside protests at Confederations Cup

BELO HORIZONTE, Brazil -- Its red lights flashing with anger, the half tank, half truck emerged slowly from the haze of tear gas that covered Avenida Alfonso Pena, the main drag of the Brazilian city of Belo Horizonte. It dwarfed the hundred or more black-clad riot police that marched alongside, their shields raised in a solid wall. Every few minutes came the low, flat crump of another tear gas canister being launched. The intended target -- vandals who had been breaking the windows of banks and tearing down security cameras -- fled into the shadows. So did the protesters who had been participating peacefully in the day´s demonstration at the city´s Mineirão soccer stadium, and ordinary citizens out for a Saturday evening stroll. Same with a group of regular city police officers, coughing and spluttering from the tear gas as they ran into the distance.

Welcome to the home of the World Cup.

The day had started peacefully. Rumors had circulated all week that Saturday´s demonstration was going to be the biggest yet in the city, and by 2 p.m. local time, an enormous mass of people had gathered at Praça Sete in the heart of downtown. The festive, optimistic mood was reminiscent of carnaval, although the only music came from the trio elétrico sound truck belting out the national anthem, and very few people were drinking. Faces (and even one dog) were painted green and yellow. Students squatted on the grubby sidewalk, scrawling improvised posters. Smiling parents led young children by the hand. At regular intervals another group of protesters would come streaming in from the north or south to join the throng.

Humberto Vianna, a 49-year-old businessman, was one of the older demonstrators.

"I was here in the 1980s," he said proudly. "Then we were demanding democratic elections. Now we want better public health care and education. We work hard, we pay our taxes, but we get nothing back in return."
When I asked him about the World Cup, his face fell.
"We wanted the World Cup," he said. "But the money being spent on the stadiums is scandalous."

Soon the crowd began to move. The destination was the Mineirão, nine kilometers from Praça Sete, where Mexico was playing Japan in the Confederations Cup. As we walked past the bus station, even the police joined in the fun, helping protesters take pictures and laughing at some of the wittier banners.

These reflected the diverse nature of Brazil´s street protests, which began earlier this month over a bus fare increase in São Paulo, but have now sprawled to include a range of grievances. "My love doesn´t need a cure, Feliciano," read the banner of one protester, a reference to Marco Feliciano, the president of the Human Rights Commission of the House of Representatives, who is currently promoting research into a "gay cure."

Banners with slogans like "FIFA Standard Education and Health," "Copa = Corrupção" ("The Cup = Corruption") and "New Hospitals, Not New Stadiums" agreed with Humberto´s desire for improved public services and criticized the expense of hosting the World Cup.

Some were more general. "Sorry I didn´t tidy my room, Dad, but I´m trying to help Brazil," read the poster of one student. Another memorably said "too much s--- to complain about to fit on one poster."

Whatever the motives, the demonstrations have been vast. Over a million people took to the streets Thursday, in towns and cities across the country, and the movement has captured the imagination of all economic classes, something rare in a country as socially divided as Brazil. Woe betide those who choose to criticize what is happening, as Pelé found out this week when suggesting that Brazilians "forget about protesting and support the Seleção."

The barrage of criticism he received has still not died, with Romário´s infamous comment, "Pelé is a poet ... when he has his mouth shut" never seeming more apposite.

On Friday, President Dilma Rousseff addressed the nation, promising more investment in education, an influx of doctors from overseas to help the health system, a new national public transport strategy and dialogue with demonstration leaders. It is unlikely to stop the protests, which in truth may now be directed at the sense of sloth and institutionalized corruption that pervades the Brazilian political system, rather than any one specific target.

The demonstration wound along the Avenida. We passed under bridges named Viaduto Senegal and Viaduto Républica do Congo. Stretched over one of them was a huge "Fora FIFA" ("FIFA Out") flag. The mood of the marchers remained upbeat, and there was a sense of common purpose. I stopped off to use the bathroom in one bar. "50 centavos," growled the owner. "I´m with the demonstration," I told him. He grinned. "Go on then," he said, jerking his thumb in the direction of the bathroom.

Occasionally people would break into chants, or cheer when a passing car or bus honked its horn in support, but mainly the only sound was of quiet, earnest conversation.

"Don´t really know," shrugged one protester when I asked him what he planned to do when we reached the Mineirão. I asked him about the police barricades that lay ahead, protecting the FIFA "exclusion zone" around the stadium.
"They won´t stop us," he said. "We want to protest at the stadium to show the world what´s happening in Brazil."

Sepp Blatter pledges $100M to Brazil after protests

RIO DE JANEIRO (AP) -- FIFA President Sepp Blatter has responded to protesters criticizing the high cost of staging the World Cup in Brazil by pledging to give at least $100 million from profits back to the country.

World football´s governing body gave South Africa $100 million to help fund development projects after the 2010 World Cup, but had not previously said it would establish a similar "social fund´´ after the 2014 tournament to Brazil.
Now, in Rio de Janeiro, Blatter says "an amount like that or even higher will be possible to have here.´´

The Confederations Cup, which serves as a World Cup warm-up event, has been marred by protesters denouncing billions of dollars spent to host the World Cup - money some say should be going toward better public services.

Vanderlei Luxemburgo får silkesnoren i Grêmio efter 1,5 år i klubben. 52 sejre, 21 uafgjorte og 18 nederlag i 91 kampe, men ingen titler til "O Tricolor". Lidt underligt tidspunkt af skibbe ham afsted lige inden Serie A går i gang igen.

Independiente-præsidenten Javier Cantero måtte dukke sig for flyvende stole etc., da han skulle holde møde med medlemmerne af klubben fredag. Præsidenten er ikke populær efter at Independiente røg ud af den bedste argentinske række for et par uger siden.
Mødet blev selvfølgelig aflyst, da Cantero ikke ville finde sig i behandlingen, men han lover at han vil fortsætte kampen i spidsen for Independiente trods den ublide medfart.