Snak

@ Samba

Så burde man da tage forbi Halmstad ved lejlighed - Der er noget særligt ved den brasiliansk - svensk relation, 58, Pelé, Ulf, svenske piger osv.

"Sporløs" kan virke som et skræmmende program, tanken om børnepenge er ubehagelig - jeg plejer at sende dem videre når de banker på eller slukke lyset ;-) ;-)

Iøvrigt hvad er status på Vasco-Cruzeiro kampen - har "man" fundet ud af noget ? - ser helst at Vasco overlever og Flu tager turen ned ....iøvrigt igen en spøjs situation hvis Ponte Preta vinder Sul-americana´en og rykker ned - så skal de jo spille Copa Libetadores næste år

Chelsea in secret talks with Martinez

Chelsea are progressing with their search for a new striker, with the Mirror claiming that the Stamford Bridge outfit have held secret talks with Porto’s Jackson Martinez. Despite recruiting a number of attackers in the summer, Blues boss Jose Mourinho is still intent on adding to his strike-force with Monaco’s main man Radamel Falcao rumoured to be the main target. But according to recent reports, Falcao’s international teammate Martinez could be the man lured to London instead with the player’s agent, Henrique Pompeo, said to have held talks with Roman Abramovich aide Marina Granovskaia. Porto could sell the 27-year-old if they miss out on the Champions League knock-out stages.

Tottenham’s woes in front of goal could be soon resolved with The Sun reporting that Spurs are interested in signing the "Egyptian Messi" -- Basel’s Mohamed Salah. The 21-year-old Salah has made a stunning impact on English football after scoring two goals against Chelsea in this season’s Champions League. And Spurs boss Andre Villas-Boas hopes that kind of form can be repeated in the Premier League with the north London club currently suffering in front of goal. Tottenham sporting director Franco Baldini was in Switzerland to watch the multifaceted striker and rumours insist a 20 million pound move in January could seal the switch.

And finally, Liverpool are looking to raid rivals Chelsea for Ryan Bertrand according to The Telegraph. Liverpool have been struck with a defensive problem after normal left-back Jose Enrique was ruled out until February with a knee injury. And Reds boss Brendan Rodgers, who made an approach for Bertrand in July, has made the 24-year-old his priority in the January window. Bertrand has struggled to make an impact at Chelsea this season with Spain international Cesar Azpilicueta used on the left as Ashley Cole struggles with a rib injury.

Boca hizo fútbol formal con seis cambios

BUENOS AIRES -- De cara al partido que Boca disputará el próximo domingo ante Lanús, Carlos Bianchi programó una práctica de fútbol y en la misma, al equipo titular, le introdujo seis cambios con respecto a los once que cayeron ante All Boys, el pasado domingo.

En la defensa, ingresaron Leandro Marín, Daniel Díaz y Emanuel Insúa por Matías Caruzzo, Claudio Pérez y Nahuel Zárate, respectivamente. Además, Fernando Gago reemplazó a Juan Román Riquelme, Juan Sánchez Miño a Jesús Méndez y, en el ataque, regresó Juan Manuel Martínez por Claudio Riaño.

En definitiva, los once que formaron parte del equipo titular fueron: Agustín Orión; Leandro Marín, Daniel Díaz, Ribair Rodríguez, Emmanuel Insúa; Cristian Erbes, Fernando Gago, Pablo Ledesma, Juan Sánchez Miño; Juan Manuel Martínez, Emmanuel Gigliotti.

Cabe destacar que Fernando Gago y Juan Sánchez Miño participaron de la práctica durante 35 minutos y luego fueron reemplazados por Francesco Celeste y Joel Acosta. Ambos dejaron el equipo por precaución ya que la idea de Bianchi es no sobrecargarlos y que lleguen en óptimas condiciones al domingo.

Mientras tanto, el equipo suplente estuvo compuesto por: Emanuel Trípodi; Alan Aguirre, Matías Caruzzo, Claudio Pérez, Maximiliano Padilla; Jesús Méndez, Federico Bravo, Leandro Paredes; Franco Cángele, Claudio Riaño y Nicolás Blandi.

Boca tiene 27 puntos en el Torneo Inicial y está a cuatro puntos del líder, San Lorenzo. A falta de dos fechas para el final del campeonato, el equipo de Bianchi buscará vencer a Lanús y Gimnasia y Esgrima La Plata y esperar una serie de resultados que le permitan seguir en la lucha por el título.

snuppet fra Rio Times, fantastisk - så mangler vi bare en nedrykning til Flu

Victory for Flamengo in 2013 Copa do Brasil: Daily

A 2-0 win over Atlético-PR gave the Carioca outfit its third Copa do Brasil title.

RIO DE JANEIRO, BRAZIL – Flamengo beat Atlético-PR 2-0 last night to win their third Copa do Brasil title. Following a 1-1 draw in last week’s first leg, yesterday’s win gave the Rubro-Negro a 3-1 aggregate victory in front of a packed house at the Maracanã Stadium in Rio.

Elias and Hernane, Flamengo‘s two consistently high performers throughout 2013, scored the goals on a memorable night for the club. The cup win means they will be playing Copa Libertadores football next season.

Hernane also won the trophy for leading scorer in the competition with eight goals. The Flamengo number nine has had an excellent season, netting 34 goals.

The first half was a tense affair and as the second half kicked off there was clear tension in the stands. Luiz Antonio was Flamengo’s best attacking outlet, getting down the right flank to try and provide service to the forward line.

He also went close with two efforts but was thwarted by Atlético goalkeeper Everton. Atlético, however, offered little in attack, Flamengo goalkeeper Felipe only being forced into one save.

Atlético only pushed forward in the closing stages as they tried to catch Fla on the counter. Paulo Baier, their main creative source in midfield, offered little in the way of innovation.

Four minutes from time came the killer blow. Paulinho put in a low cross from the left and Elias converted. As Atlético went for broke, they left huge gaps to be exploited. Four minutes into injury-time, Hernane put the cherry on Flamengo’s Copa do Brasil cake.

Report: Manchester United consider Porto full-back Alex Sandro as Patrice Evra heir but face competition from Internazionale

Record claims the 22 year-old Brazilian is being targeted as a potential replacement for Patrice Evra, who is expected to departed at the end of the season.

Alex Sandro, capped six times by Brazil, has been the subject of a £12.5 million bid from Internazionale, which Porto have rejected, continues to Record.

The current Primeira Liga holders are hoping to create a bidding war between Inter and United, though the latter are also believed to be considering Sevilla’s Alberto Moreno as an alternative.

Alex Sandro was signed by Porto in July 2011 for €9.6 million from Deportivo Maldonado, who held his registration rights after spells with Atlético Paranaense and Santos.

At Santos, Alex Sandro won the 2011 Copa Libertadores and 2010 Copa do Brasil.

Since joining Porto, he’s lifted the Primeira Liga title twice (2011-12 and 2012-13) and the Supertaça Cândido de Oliveira once (2013).

Belgrano, con tres cambios ante Arsenal

BUENOS AIRES -- Durante la mañana del jueves, Ricardo Zielinski realizó un ensayo táctico y de fútbol formal y en el mismo probó los once que saldrían desde el inicio en el partido que Belgrano de Córdoba disputará ante Arsenal, el próximo sábado, por la fecha 18 del Torneo Inicial.

En el entrenamiento desarrollado en el predio de Villa Esquiú, el entrenador introdujo entre los titulares a Pier Barrios, Lucas Pittinari y Carlos bueno, en lugar de Renzo Saravia, Jorge Velázquez y Fernando Márquez, quien sufrió en desgarro y no jugará hasta 2014.

Mientras tanto, Esteban González, quien durante martes y miércoles había trabajado diferenciado por una tendinitis, pudo formar parte de la formación titular y llegaría en condiciones para jugar en Sarandí.

En definitiva, los once que ubicó Zielinski fueron: Juan Carlos Olave; Pier Barrios, Luciano Lollo, Lucas Aveldaño, Juan Quiroga; Guillermo Farré, Lucas Pittinari, Esteban González, Emiliano Rigoni; César Pereyra y Carlos Bueno.

Belgrano tiene tiene 23 puntos en el Torneo Inicial, producto de una campaña de seis triunfos, cinco empates y seis derrotas. El equipo de Ricardo Zielinski comenzó teniendo un campeonato irregular pero en las últimas fechas se vio un claro progreso, de la mano de su figura y goleador, Cesar Pereyra, quien es el máximo artillero del campeonato con 10 goles.

Alajuelense focuses on domestic playoffs

ALAJUELA, COSTA RICA – Staying on course is Alajuelense´s objective, when it squares off against Saprissa in the upcoming Costa Rican Invierno semifinals.

The Manudos enter the two-leg series on a five-game winning streak, allowing only a single goal during that stretch.

As an extra-added benefit, they have also claimed a semifinal berth in this season´s CONCACAF Champions League. An all-Central American pairing against Panamanian side Arabe Unido awaits next March.

Despite all of the success, head coach Óscar Ramírez said that he is emphasizing the importance of not being overconfident.

“The semifinal and final are a tournament apart," said Ramirez, who is on a list of 10 for the first-ever CONCACAF Coach of the Year award. "What took place in the regular season left positive things, but that is behind and the team knows that well. They will be studied matches and for that we are working hard with full committment."

Unfortunately, for Ramírez and the team, injuries have arisen. The availability of defenders Johnny Acosta, Elías Palma and Kevin Sancho is up in the air.

It is a dilemma that could possibly make facing Saprissa more challenging, but Ramírez maintains that the team will still look to play at a high level.

“We are aware of how complicated the series will be, but we intend that the best Alajuelense will be seen in the end,” he expressed.

The first leg will be played Sunday, 11:00 a.m. local time, at the Estadio Saprissa in San Jose.

Juventud Independiente ready for FAS

SAN JUAN OPICO, EL SALVADOR - Juventud Independiente has never won a first division title in El Salvador.

That is a fact the team wants to change, starting with this year´s Apertura semifinals, when it meets perennial contender FAS.

The San Juan Opico-based side has little experience in the playoffs, where it has featured only once -- the 2013 Clausura semifinals.

Forward Jesús Toscanini, though, says that victory is the only objective.

“You have to have a cool head to face these two matches," he commented on the club´s website. "I only just know of what happened in the last tournament. Today, the system is all turned around, it is favoring us a little. The matches have to be won. We cannot go out looking to draw. You have to come out looking to win the two matches.”

The Uruguayan completed a superb regular season by scoring 13 goals and the pairing with FAS will be his first experience with Salvadoran playoff football.

Toscanini emphasized that the goals he scored during the camapign won’t mean anything if the team fails to reach the final.

“It means nothing (being the leading scorer), the championship continues and we have to win the semifinals,’ concluded Toscanini.

The date and site of the first leg between Juventus Independiente and FAS is yet to be confirmed.

Trinidad´s Winchester is one to watch

PORT OF SPAIN, Trinidad & Tobago -- It is said there is no such thing as a friendly in international soccer, but back-to-back games against Jamaica in a span of five days wasn’t just about results for Trinidad & Tobago head coach Stephen Hart.

With an eye toward the national team’s future, it was an opportunity to showcase some of the Soca Warriors young talent.

Among them was Rundell Winchester.

The 19-year-old, who earned his first cap in a scoreless draw against New Zealand on October 15, acquitted himself well in the pair of victories – 1-0 in Montego Bay, Jamaica, on November 15, and 2-0 in Port of Spain four days later.

The standout with Central FC of the T&T Pro League drew a penalty in the 2-0 victory at home after earning his first start in Jamaica.

“Rundell was kind of thrown into the deep end. The young man has some qualities. He has to learn how to bring those qualities to the team, but it is a big learning curve for him,” Hart said after the second victory. “Some things went wrong for him, but he never hid. He wanted the ball, he took people on, he got the penalty and for me that is the making of a player for the future. You’ve got to remember, he’s 19 years old. We have to give him time and he is going to make mistakes, but that’s fantastic. “

Winchester said he was as pleased to represent his country in international competition, as it was to play alongside some of the team’s veterans.

“It was a great experience being able to wear the national colors again and to play for my country,” Winchester told TTFA Media. “It was a great experience being around Kenwyne Jones, Daniel Cyrus and I know a lot of the oversees players. It’s been a great experience and I’m going to continue to work hard and staying on the national team.”

The striker, who admitted to being nervous competing in front of a home crowd at the start of the game, said he also relished the chance to play for Hart.

“He’s a good coach,” he said. “He knows the ways to reach me and always carries through the steps.”

Jamaica looks to youth and future

PORT OF SPAIN, Trinidad & Tobago -- With a failed bid to the 2014 FIFA World Cup in the rearview mirror, Jamaica commenced its quest toward the 2018 competition earlier this month with a home-and-away series against Trinidad & Tobago.

Winfried Schafer, who took over as Reggae Boyz head coach in July, used the matches played in a span of five days as a chance to evaluate his team’s young talent. The results – a 1-0 loss in Montego Bay on Nov. 15 and a 2-0 defeat in Port of Spain on Nov. 19 – weren’t of the utmost importance.

“For me it is not very important about the result, the result is secondary. The importance is the development of the players,” the German said after the second encounter. “I’m happy about our team, which is made up of only local players and players born in Jamaica from the United States. Players need match experience. These youngsters did what was asked, but we just did not score tonight.”

Of the seven United States-based players Schafer called in, two were younger than 20-years-old. D.C. United forward Michael Seaton, 17, and 19-year-old Portland Timbers´ defender Alvas Powell joined domestic high school midfielders Insamnia Cohen and Khesanio Hall in the squad.

“Many players from this team played their first match outside Jamaica and it is difficult,” Schafer noted.

Schafer said he noticed some correctable mistakes, like too much dribbling, and forwards not checking back, from the more inexperienced players.

“We have to watch more players in our league, more training, separate training, individual training, the player must come to us and we have to work with these players on tactics, technique and fitness,” Schafer said. "Many players were very tired.”

Although the Reggae Boyz return winless after the two-legged series, Schafer added he has a better understanding of the players who can move Jamaica forward internationally.

“It’s OK. For me it was clear now after these two matches which players need to work more, which players, their quality is not enough for the national team, they have to work more at home,” Schafer concluded. “We have time.”