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Interessante resultater igår:

06/07-2013
Flamengo 2x2 Coritiba (Estadio Mané Garrincha)
Atletico-PR 1x1 Grêmio (Estadio Vila Capanema)
Naútico 3x1 Ponte Preta (Arena Pernambuco)

Så Sambafodbold, nu sætter jeg lid til dine drenge i aften.

Aftens kampe:
Goias x Vitoria
Sao Paulo x Santos
Bahia x Corinthians
Internacional x Vasco da Gama
Atletico MG x Criciuma
Botafogo RJ x Fluminense

2 derbys den ene i Rio de Janeiro og den anden i São Paulo.

Who is new Tottenham signing Paulinho?

Tottenham Hotspur have confirmed the arrival of Brazil international midfielder on their official Twitter account this Saturday, with the transfer now simply awaiting international clearance.

Paulinho came to wider attention in recent weeks, having starred in Brazil’s success at the Confederations Cup. However, the box-to-box midfielder remains largely unknown to many supporters in Europe.

Ahead of his impending arrival at White Hart Lane, The Elastico takes a look at the career and style of the Brazil international.

Who is he?

Paulinho’s early career took an interesting turn, when club side Pão de Açúcar sold him to Lithuanian side FC Vilnius at the age of 18. He would only last one year in North-Eastern Europe, though, before moving to Ekstraklasa side ŁKS Łódź where he enjoyed a fine season.

Struggling with homesickness, though, it was not long before the young midfielder chose to return to Brazil with his former club in 2008. Pão de Açúcar, who would later become Audax São Paulo, are known for their production of youth players, and it wasn’t long before Paulinho was spotted by scouts from Série B side Bragantino.

A fine season in Série B followed, and Paulinho would soon find himself transferring clubs for the fourth time in as many years, joining Brazilian giants Corinthians in 2010. From there, his career has never looked back.

An integral figure in the side that won the 2011 Brazilian championship, scoring eight goals to help Corinthians to the title, better was still to come for the midfielder as he helped win the club’s first ever Copa Libertadores title in 2012.

By now, his performances at club level had begun to earn him call ups for domestic-based Brazil squads, and by the time his side won the 2012 Club World Cup title, he was already a fully fledged member of the senior Brazil international side.

While debates have raged over whether he should be included in Luiz Felipe Scolari’s first choice Brazil side, Paulinho has done his best to end those arguments. A crucial goal in the semifinal en-route to Confederations Cup success took the headlines, but the now Tottenham midfielder’s overall play means there will be no doubting his inclusion for some time yet.

How can he help Tottenham?

A “segundo volante” by trade, Paulinho is effectively a box-to-box midfielder. When required, he has played a very defensive role for both club and country, but he is at his best when allowed to push forward and support the attack.

Assuming André Villas-Boas plans to return to the 4-3-3 formation that served him so well at Porto, Paulinho will line up alongside Belgian Moussa Dembele, with Sandro acting as the anchor of the midfield.

Given the powerful nature of the trio, the suggested pursuit of Miralem Pjanić to act as a creative figure from one of the wide positions in the forward line makes sense. From midfield, though, it will be Paulinho charged with making late runs to support the attacking players.

Comfortable on the ball and a composed finisher, Spurs’ new arrival offers an enticing blend of physical and technical prowess. He is an all-around player, with as complete a skill set as any midfielder in Brazil. Indeed, one additional benefit of his arrival will be his aerial ability from set pieces—from which he is a regular scorer.

At €17 million, he would appear to be fantastic value for Spurs, who have done brilliantly to secure his signature. If the club can solve their problems in attack, it is the type of signing that could really help carry the team to bigger and greater things.

Velez confirm Peruzzi closing on Sunderland switch

Velez Sarsfield president Miguel Calello has confirmed that the deal to take Argentina right-back Gino Peruzzi to English football with Sunderland is still on, with just the player’s personal terms to resolve.

Peruzzi, 21, had been thought to be set to join Sunderland late last week, but reports emerged that he had rejected the Sunderland contract offer on the table.

However, despite the hold-up, Calello believes that a deal is still likely, with the player’s representatives seeking to find an agreement with the Premier League side.

“We talked about the payment conditions and the values, we reached an agreement quickly,” Calello told Rock & Pop radio show.

“Now Gino Peruzzi’s representatives and the English club need to reach an agreement. When this kind of proposal comes, it’s hard to say no. If we turn them down, we might never receive this kind of proposal again.”

The Velez full-back is touted to become Argentina’s long-term right-back option in the near future, with Peruzzi likely to be involved at the 2014 World Cup next summer if he can maintain his current performance levels.

Ronaldo, Romario divide underscores Brazil tensions

RIO DE JANEIRO -- "You host a World Cup with stadiums, not hospitals."

It reads like a quote from one of the legion of old men who run football, both in Brazil and globally.

Conceivably it could have been uttered by Sepp Blatter minutes before he hopped aboard a flight to Turkey (oh, the irony) midway through the Confederations Cup, apparently disgusted that the Brazilian people had had the temerity to protest social ills during a FIFA event.

It could have been the cadaverous Jose Maria Marin, clown prince of Brazil´s football association. Such a statement would hardly have been out of place on his rap sheet of previous crimes, the undoubted centerpiece of which was his support for Brazil´s military dictatorship in the 1970s.

It could have been Marin´s predecessor and spiritual leader, Ricardo Teixeira, the man whose promise to fund the World Cup through private investment has never even looked close to being fulfilled.

But the words were uttered by someone who, until recently at least, had a rather higher approval rating among football fans in Brazil. They came from the mouth of Ronaldo, O Fenomeno.

The former Selecao striker made the statement in 2011 during his unveiling as part of the Local Organising Committee (LOC) for World Cup 2014. But if he hoped that the words would be lost to the passage of time he was sorely mistaken; with protests raging over spending on stadiums, video of the press conference began to recirculate on social media websites, generating a fresh wave of ire.

In an attempt to salvage the situation, Ronaldo sought to clarify his position on June 19th. "I may not have expressed myself well, but the editing [of the video] is misleading," he wrote on his official Twitter feed. "The World Cup is a incredible opportunity for Brazil -- a chance to attract attention, tourism and investment. But this doesn´t mean we should ignore important social issues like health, education, transport and security."

In a subsequent interview with Folha de S.Paulo, Ronaldo declared himself in favour of the street demonstrations that have swept through the country in the last fortnight. "The people deserve to be heard," said the 36-year-old. I´m not afraid [of people criticising me] because I am also part of the people. I also want a fairer country. The people aren´t against the World Cup, they´re against corruption."

So far, so good, you might think. But matters soured once more when Ronaldo was quizzed about the staggering cost of stadium construction. "FIFA and the LOC have nothing to do with this. The money doesn´t come from the public purse: it´s not a choice between building a stadium and building a hospital."

But these claims simply don´t ring true. According to sports daily Lance!, 96% of the R$8 billion ($3.6 billion) cost of building and renovating 12 stadiums for the tournament has come from public sources. The total cost of the World Cup now stands at R$28 billion ($12.6 billion) and rising, yet projects that would have had long-term benefits for the country´s population (inter-city train services, better public healthcare) have failed to come to fruition.

These figures -- and the glib soundbites offered by Ronaldo, Blatter et al -- have prompted many to question the logic of Brazil embracing every last one of FIFA´s costly demands. Among the most vocal critics of World Cup spending has been Ronaldo´s former Selecao strike partner Romario, now a well-intentioned member of parliament who represents the state of Rio de Janeiro.

"I supported the bid because it promised to generate employment and income," Romario wrote in The Guardian last week. "[But] investment in cities hosting World Cup matches was prioritised over the people’s needs. I never thought the World Cup would solve all of our problems but now my fear is that this mega event will only deepen those we already have."

Apparently challenged by Romario´s populist stance on the protests, Ronaldo attempted to deflect some attention away from his own PR wrangles ("I see that some people trying to use this situation to their advantage.") but was quickly rebuffed by old Baixinho. "If somebody is trying to make the most of the public indignation, it´s certainly not me," he quipped in an open letter to O Fenomeno.

The former Internazionale forward would do well not to mess with Romario, who isn´t accustomed to suffering fools gladly. A previous dispute with one of Brazil´s most loved footballing icons was put to bed with an aphorism worthy of the best bar room philosophers: "Pele is a poet when he keeps his mouth shut."

(Incidentally, Pele didn´t cover himself in glory over the protests, calling on the Brazilian people to "forget all this confusion" and get behind the Selecao.)

But there is a more fundamental lesson that Ronaldo might draw from all of this. Since he first began to flirt with the administrative side of the game -- first with his sports marketing agency 9ine (in what does the number 9 resemble the letter n?!) and then in meetings with Teixeira and Corinthians/CBF crony Andres Sanchez -- his stock has been on the decline.

He isn´t even the first former Brazil player to have undermined his standing in recent years. Bebeto, like Romario, has turned his hand to politics but has endeared himself rather less to the Brazilian public. Juggling duties at the CBF (unofficial position: Marin´s lapdog) and the 2014 LOC (see previous parentheses), he has shown questionable commitment to his day job as a deputy for Rio, gaining a reputation for absenteeism in legislative sessions.

The moral of the story is clear: A noteworthy playing career can only protect you for so long once you decide to wade through the muddy waters of the game´s political underworld. Unfortunately, it may already be too late for Ronaldo to drag himself to safety.

Feast or famine for Mexico, Chepo at Gold Cup

Mexico´s national team got a rude send-off to the Gold Cup when they lost their final preparation match versus Queretaro, 3-2. Yes, the White Chickens, as they are nicknamed, took on the famed El Tri and defeated them, while fans in the stands cheered and chanted, "Fuera Chepo!"

Technically, Jose Manuel "Chepo" de la Torre, is not the official coach of the El Tri Gold Cup squad. That should be the first clue that the team isn´t up to the top standard. Assistant coach Salvador Reyes has taken the helm, but de la Torre has been on hand as well. Part of the reason is that he wants to observe players more closely to see who can make the jump to the top squad. The other reason is that de la Torre needs to be associated again with a winner. Mexico has traditionally dominated the Gold Cup, winning the title more often than all other teams combined.

If there was ever a year where Mexico has forsaken tradition, though, it would seem to be 2013. A formerly nimble and lively team has been stuck in a scoring malaise that only gives coy hints of going away before becoming more ingrained than ever. Mexico has managed a single win in a competitive match where the outcome mattered this year, defeating Jamaica by a lone goal.

In some ways, though, El Tri´s struggles provide the young "B" squad of the Gold Cup a rare opportunity. With few on the first-choice squad looking terribly sterling, players can position themselves well as the potential solution to El Tri´s woes. Basically, the team needs heroes, and if the Gold Cup team can become the cavalry for Mexico’s cause, they will be lauded and celebrated.

There´s also no reason to think that a grateful de la Torre wouldn´t remember the players who saved him in his time of trouble and turn to them again for a spot on the World Cup qualifying tea or even the World Cup roster.

In sum, there is everything to play for in this Gold Cup.

Mexico should dominate group Group A, competing against Panama, Canada and Martinique. El Tri kick off against Panama in the opening clash between the two squads. Mexico catches a break in not having to play against experienced Panamanian striker Blas Perez. The forward will be in town, but he will play for F.C. Dallas against the Los Angeles Galaxy instead of El Tri, fulfilling club obligations.

Though Panama has improved considerably, probably more so than any other CONCACAF nation over the recent period of years, the squad, especially without its top player, should pose little threat to Mexico. On the other hand, that´s likely what Mexican players thought about Queretaro, and that turned out not to be the case.

Mexico has already faced Panama in World Cup qualifying and managed only a frustrating tie. Of course, that was on the road, where traditionally, the home team is very difficult to beat.

El Tri players should have happy memories of the Rose Bowl, the site of the kickoff against Panama. It was on that field that Mexico managed a comeback 4-2 win versus the USA to win their last Gold Cup title in 2011. Thousands of local Southern California soccer fans will be on hand again to help the stadium feel like a home game for El Tri.

Admittedly, home stadium advantage in Azteca isn´t what it used to be, given that Mexico is winless in its own country this year. Therein lies the flip side of passionate and knowledgeable fans. They can´t be fooled when coaches or others try to spin positives from dismal results. They hold the leaders involved responsible for the outcomes that are generated.

That´s why the cries of "Fuera Chepo" have been ringing out from Mexico City to Queretaro. Fans know Mexico can play better than has been seen of late. With a fresh start and hungry players in the Gold Cup, the slate can be wiped clean via a good showing and another trophy. Nothing less is expected. Anything less could result in many more chants from those who wish for the ouster of de la Torre.

Five things Mexico must improve on to beat Panama

Following a pair of embarrassing losses to Mexican club teams on their pre-Gold Cup friendly tour, pressure is already on for Salvador Reyes´ team to repeat the success of two summers ago. There is a desire to quench an overarching thirst that has only grown after consecutive failures at the Confederations Cup and the U-20 World Cup -- a pair of tournaments that provided Mexican fútbol fans with letdowns just days apart.

With something actually at stake now at the 2013 Gold Cup (the winner will cement a spot in the 2017 Confederations Cup CONCACAF play-off), pressure will be on for Mexico´s B team to stamp its authority on the rest of the region and, thus, do what the usual group of starters has failed to do in the road to the World Cup, amid a crisis of results.

To do so, they will need to recognize and suppress a good amount of painfully obvious mistakes displayed over the last week following losses to Cruz Azul Hidalgo and Queretaro.

1. Find the right line-up:

It seems almost wasteful that seven gold medal winners are on this team, considering most of them have not been considered for the starting eleven over the last three friendlies. It´s inconceivable that a team good enough to beat the likes of Hulk, Neymar and Marcelo last year are not trusted to face Panama and Canada twelve months later.

Salvador Reyes and Chepo de la Torre need to place all seven players (best of all, they don´t overlap position-wise) on the pitch and surround them with cagey veterans such as Jonathan Orozco and Rafa Marquez Lugo in order to continue their development and challenge for spots with the first-team in the Hexagonal.

2. Stop experimenting with the formation:

The way Chepo de la Torre is coaching this team has to make his fellow CONCACAF managers giggle. It´s clear that Mexico´s 4-4-2 and 4-5-1 setups have been less than effective this year, as El Tri has limped to just two wins in over a dozen matches. Even then, it´s too late to think about a specific way to place eleven players on the pitch will offer a magic solution.

Reyes and de la Torre selected players that will fit his predetermined schemes, so why has Mexico experimented with 4-3-3 and 4-1-2-1-2 in these friendly matches? The best way to make a team jell quickly with your particular philosophy is definitely not to have them playing different styles every three days or so.

3. Work on set pieces:

This has been a very glaring weakness in Mexico´s game, trickling down to the youth teams, as well. Mexico struggles with turning free kicks and corner kicks offensively into scoring opportunities. It´s clear that since Ricardo La Volpe, the importance of dead ball strategy has been de-emphasized.

Defensively speaking, things don´t look a lot better. El Tri struggles when teams with taller players have chances close to their goal. Against Queretaro, a team ironically made up of mostly Mexican players, this failing was exposed time and again.

4. Disassociate “experience” with “leadership”:

Joel Huiqui, at 30 years of age, is one of Mexico´s elder statesmen on the 2013 Gold Cup squad. A tall, strong defender who has played for the likes of Cruz Azul and Morelia, has, at times been considered good enough to play for the full national team on occasion. Huiqui, never considered a captain at the club level, has seemingly been given the captain´s armband with the national team solely because of his age.

The result? Mexico´s defensive unit has needed plenty of work, blowing basic assignments and not receiving any kind of on-the-pitch organization from Huiqui. Perhaps a better choice would be an outwardly vocal player like Jonathan Orozco, the presumptive starting goalkeeper, or Jorge Enriquez, who despite his young age is an intense leader of men.

5. Rise above the criticism:

Mexico´s mentality is often the one thing keeping it from greatness. It´s clear that despite this particular group´s distance from the failures other national teams have provided fans and media with over the last month, they do indeed feel the pressure.

Forget the major trophy at stake, these guys should be playing to impress Chepo and land a consistent spot with the team. If they go out and collaborate towards attractive performances without having that dark cloud hang over them, the rest will come easily.

"Hay que aprender a jugar en la B"

BUENOS AIRES -- El arquero Fabián Assmann asumió que Independiente deberá "aprender a jugar en B Nacional", categoría en la que militará por primera vez en su historia, tras el descenso en la última temporada de la división mayor.

"La gente va a estar esperando que ganemos fácil, pero será muy difícil. Hay que aprender a jugarla porque todos nos van a querer ganar, ya lo vimos con River", comparó el futbolista.
En ese sentido, reconoció como "fundamental moderar la ansiedad" para afrontar "un torneo largo", de 42 fechas, en lo que "lo importante será quedar entre los tres primeros para devolver a Independiente a primera".

Assmann, de 27 años, consideró que el equipo de Avellaneda tendrá "un plus" por la disposición de "jugadores de jerarquía", con experiencia en primera, combinados con "chicos de mucho futuro".

Y al mismo tiempo advirtió: "En esta pretemporada que comienza, todos arrancamos de cero y al que le toque jugar deberá hacerlo sabiendo que lo único importante es el ascenso lo más rápido posible".

Sobre su competencia puntual con Diego Rodríguez, titular en la última campaña de primera, el arquero auguró: "Será sana entre los arqueros que quedamos. Yo me siento bien después de la lesión (rotura de ligamentos) y estoy ciento por ciento a disposición del técnico".

Finalmente, después de terminar en Villa Domínico la segunda jornada de trabajo, Assmann pidió "tranquilidad" en torno a la deuda salarial que mantiene la dirigencia.

"Algo ya hablamos y vamos a seguir conversando con Javier (Cantero). Es el presidente, la voz de mando, y confiamos que se va a resolver. Estamos todos detrás de un mismo objetivo", concluyó.

Arabe Unido, Sporting SM prepare for new season

PANAMA CITY -- The two Panamanian sides in the CONCACAF Champions League (CCL) find themselves quite busy in their preparations for the upcoming season.

Arabe Unido, which is in Group 1 in the CCL and debuts August 8at home against Trinidad’s W Connection, has already played two friendly matches in advance of the 2013 Apertura and the CCL.

Goals by Fidel Caesar and Gabriel Chiari helped give the ‘Expreso Azul’ a 2-2 draw on June 22 against C.D. Plaza Amador.

On Wednesday, Arabe Unido battled Club Atlético Independiente de La Chorrera to scoreless draw.

As for Sporting San Miguelito, the 2013 Clausura champion is strengthening its squad through several new signings.

The team has added five players to a squad coached by Mario Anthony Torres: Erick Javier Davis Grajales, a 22-year-old winger, who arrives on-loan from Uruguayan side Centro Atlético Fénix; Anthony Basil, a 31-year-old striker, who joins from Rio Abajo FC; Juan De Gracia, a 26-year-old midfielder, who comes over from San Francisco FC and has experience with the Panamanian national team; Alcibiades Rojas, a 26-year-old winger, who joins from Chiriqui F.C.; and 21-year-old Ecuadorian forward Pablo Ochoa, who signed a two-year contract and comes over from Ecuador’s Deportivo Cuenca.

Sporting San Miguelito makes its CCL debut at home on August 7 against Mexican Clausura champion Club América. Its other rival in Group 4 is Costa Rican side Alajuelense.

The Panamanian Apertura kicks off July 19 with Arabe Unido’s taking on San Francisco F.C., while Sporting San Miguelito begin the defense of its crown a day later against Chorrillo F.C.

"Ghana is the toughest opponent so far," says Mario Salas

Chile´s U-20 coach, Mario Salas, estimates that Ghana is the "toughest" opponent that Chile will have faced in this tournament.

"The game against Ghana will possibly be the toughest we´ve had in this World Cup. It´s the most important. We should only think about that," said Salas in a press conference.
"They are very competitive players and for us it is a very important game," he said.

Salas declined to give more importance to the fact of not having Sebastian Martinez. He is serving a one-match ban for accumulation of yellow cards, after being booked in the round of 16 match against Croatia (2-0).

"In principle I can say that it does not affect us. We focus on the collective strength," he said. The team was able to overcome in the second stage another notable absence, midfielder Bryan Rabello also through suspension.

Chile has been lukewarm so far in the tournament, with a good debut against Egypt (2-1) and then a tough 1-1 draw with England and finally losing to Iraq 2-1. They came in second place in Group E. In the round of 16 they got a valuable 2-0 victory against Croatia.

"In all the matches we have had good games and some not so good. There were ups and downs, but we have demonstrated good things in this tournament," he said.

Santos given permission to talk to Robinho

AC Milan have reportedly given Santos permission to negotiate directly with Robinho to rush through a transfer before the Brazilian transfer window closes.

After weeks of speculation and negotiations it seems the two clubs have finally reached an agreement for the transfer of the Brazilian striker, reports Football Italia.

According to La Gazzetta dello Sport and Sky Sport Italia, the Rossoneri have told Santos they can begin formal talks over personal terms.

A fee has reportedly not yet been decided, but time is of the essence as the Brazilian transfer session closes on July 15.

Vice-President Adriano Galliani confirmed Milan are “closer” to a deal with Santos, as they lowered their asking price from €10m to €8.5m and agreed to accept payment in installments for the 29-year-old.

Robinho has already said he will cut his wages to push the move through to his former club.