Snak

Scolari keeps faith in Fred, Jo and Julio Cesar

Posted by Tim Vickery

Just over two months ago, Luiz Felipe Scolari, his faithful assistant Murtosa and veteran coordinator Carlos Alberto Parreira gave a lecture to an audience of Brazilian coaches.

Brazil’s coaching team radiated joy and confidence. Anyone capable of bottling it would be guaranteed an instant fortune.

"The hard part ..." said Parreira, “was getting to where we are now.”

At the start of last year, there had been all sorts of doubts about the composition and formation of the team. There was even the chance that, as in 2002, Scolari would go for a three-centre back formation, taking advantage of the characteristics of David Luiz just as he had done with Edmilson 12 years ago. This would have rendered all but impossible any partnership with Parreira, who has contempt for the back three formation.

Instead, all was harmony as the team came together during June and July, first in the friendlies against England and France and then in the triumphant Confederations Cup campaign. As soon as holding midfielder Luiz Gustavo slotted in the side, the parts started to fit together.

So sure had Brazil become of their first-choice team that they have been able to experiment in subsequent friendlies and have gained little variations on the way -- tactical tweaks such as the recall of Ramires, facilitating a switch from 4-2-3-1 to 4-3-3, and Robinho in the false nine role or the mere addition of personnel, such as the successful reintegration of Maicon as reserve right back and the consolidation of Maxwell as a reserve on the other flank.

Two little problems, though, were gnawing away -- though perhaps more in the mind of the press than in the view of the coaching staff. They focused on two key positions: goalkeeper and centre forward.

First-choice keeper Julio Cesar was not getting a game at Queens Park Rangers. Scolari cut off speculation in September when he announced in no uncertain terms that the keeper would be part of the World Cup squad.

Then there was the situation with Fred, the hero of the Confederations Cup who soon afterward suffered a long-term injury.

From the outside, centre forward would certainly seem to be Brazil’s weak point, principally because the leading candidates are not stars in the European game. Reserve Jo lived something of a playboy existence with Manchester City and Everton, even making a unilateral attempt to introduce the concept of the midwinter break to the English game (taking an unauthorised flight home for the Christmas festivities). First-choice Fred had a spell with Lyon in France but lacked the patience and dedication to build a career in Europe, choosing instead to come back and play for Fluminense of Rio.

Talent, though, is something he does not lack -- as he made clear during the Confederations Cup. In June and July, he performed the functions that Scolari was looking for in his centre forward. He offered a reference in the penalty area, tying up the opposing centre backs and easing the task for the likes of Neymar running in behind him. He showed the mobility to move out to the flanks and the technique to combine with the attacking midfielders. And he scored goals. Scolari, always a fan of the traditional No. 9, liked what he saw. Fred was another one who had booked his place in the World Cup squad.

But then came the injury. In December, when Scolari & Co. spoke to the Brazilian coaches, this was not seen as the slightest problem. True, Fred had not played for months, but the injury had healed. All he needed to do was acquire match fitness. The chance was that the enforced break would mean that he was totally fresh and firing on all cylinders at the World Cup.

That was then. More than two months later, with just over 100 days to go, Fred’s condition might be more of a cause for concern. He is back in action but has made a sluggish start to the season. Jo, meanwhile, has not recaptured the form that made him top scorer of last year’s Copa Libertadores with champions Atletico Mineiro. Is Brazil’s coaching staff as confident on this issue as it was in December?

Apparently so. On Monday, they completed the squad to face South Africa on March 5 with the addition of three domestic-based players. One of them is the goalkeeper Jefferson of Botafogo -- in fine form and an explanation for the relative calm surrounding this vital position. Julio Cesar now has a club -- Toronto in the MLS -- and even if he is unable to whip himself into shape in time, Brazil are confident that they have a capable deputy.

The other two were the centre forward duo, Fred and Jo. No panic, no sudden changes, no last-minute inclusions or experiments. The Confederations Cup pair, first choice and reserve, have been given a vote of confidence.

A magnificent piece of man management? Or the waste of the final opportunity to have a look at alternatives? Time will be the judge.

Why Pele Will Always Stand Above Lionel Messi, Cristiano Ronaldo and the World

For the first time in two decades, Pele has a genuine challenger to his crown of Greatest Ever Player. In the form of Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo, the three-time World Cup winner is confronting an enormous threat against an accolade which has belonged to him for the best part of half a century.

A little under two years ago, the scorer of over 1,000 professional goals claimed Neymar—then of Santos—was better than the Barcelona and Argentina forward.

His comments drew little agreement. At the time, Neymar was another wonderkid off the Brazilian production line, built up as the next big thing to emerge from this corner of the world.

Of course, potential does not always translate to stardom. Think Kerlon, or, more recently, the travails of Paulo Henrique Ganso.

Messi, meanwhile, has gone on to become the first player in history to win the World Player of the Year award on four occasions. And he did it in consecutive seasons no less.

He has waltzed clear of the 232-goals record set by former Barcelona great Cesar Rodriguez. It really does seem that the world is there for the taking for the adopted Catalan, whilst Pele´s comments appear a thinly veiled escape from fact.

But who would come out on top between the Brazilian and Barcelona´s current darling?

Comparing players from different eras is always a tricky ask. Any conclusions reached are subjective and the best that can be achieved is an assumption based on the evidence laid before us.

There are however several theories pertaining to the argument that Pele remains untouched by either Lionel Messi or his own rival for the title of the world´s current best, Cristiano Ronaldo.

Football is thought to have been a tougher game during the 1950s and 1960s, when Pele played the majority of his career. Teams were more evenly balanced, both on the pitch as well as in the account books, meaning contests could begin on a more even keel.

Advances in sporting equipment have supposedly made the game easier, notably in relation to the ball. Nowadays balls are far lighter, making them considerably easier to head.

To ease the burden further, the extra swerve one can inflict on the ball makes a goalkeeper´s job that much harder.

The introduction of yellow and red cards, which only came into mainstream use during the 1970 World Cup, have made the life of a skilful goal threat more comfortable. During Pele´s era, a defender could unleash his frustration on an opponent´s shins without fear of serious retribution.

Then there is the argument of titles won. Pele won three World Cups, in 1958, 1962 and 1970, although his participation in 1962 was minimal after collecting an injury in the first game that ruled him out of the rest of the tournament.

Neither Lionel Messi nor Cristiano Ronaldo have yet lifted the greatest prize in the game.

There are arguments against Pele too. The physical side of the sport and the preparation that goes into each game have reached levels of incredible intensity.

One only has to look at the way in which Cristiano Ronaldo´s body has developed since the gangly teenager that arrived at Old Trafford in 2003. The Real Madrid player now boasts a physique not dissimilar to Johnny Bravo.

Pele was part of a golden generation in Brazil. His team-mates included Nilton Santos, Didi, Garrincha and Jairzinho, all of whom could be considered some of the best players of the era. A player´s job becomes easier when surrounded by world-class talent, even if said player is the most gifted to decorate the record books.

Simply stripped to bare numbers, Pele is an outright winner. In his first 350 games as a professional, he scored an incredible 448 goals at an average of 1.28 goals per game.

There remains the old adage that Pele spent the majority of his career playing in a Sao Paulo state championship as opposed to a national league. But his goals are spread across the Rio-Sao Paulo tournament, Copa Libertadores and international fixtures, including significant roles in two World Cup triumphs, something no other player can lay claim to.

Pele announced himself to the world with a hat-trick as a 17-year-old in the 1958 World Cup final. He subsequently led the charge of arguably the greatest team the planet has ever seen, Brazil´s 1970 world-dominating side.

For Messi and Ronaldo, their careers are far from over as they remain locked in skirmishes both domestic and global. But they, for all their wonders, remain behind the man deified by close to 200 million people, who redefined the game like no other past or present.

The striker who remains royalty long after Brazil became a republic. The man known as “The King.”

Soccer roundup: Cobreloa can manager, Colo Colo 4 points clear at top

O’Higgins extends dominance in rivalry with Católica, Cobresal dominates ‘El Clásico Minero,’ Everton wallops Española and ‘La U’ drops precious points.

O’Higgins 2-0 Universidad Católica

O’Higgins brought Universidad Católica firmly back down to earth after last week’s heroics with a deserved 2-0 win Saturday.

“La Celeste” may be waiting until March for the reconstruction of its stadium to be finished, but the players seem happy enough at the stadium they currently share with Colo Colo. Estadio Monumental has been an imposing venue during this Clausura and is yet to witness a home defeat for either side.

Católica arrived full of confidence after a 7-1 win over Huachipato last week, and ready for revenge over the side that deprived “Los Cruzados” of the league title in the last year’s grand final. However, the visitors were ultimately unimpressive and failed to reproduce the kind of performance that booted their newfound rivals out of the Copa Chile last season.

Although the unfaltering performances of powerful attacking midfielder Pablo Hernández have been influential in O’Higgins’ run of 14 unbeaten games, it was defender Yerson Opazo who drove the team forward on Saturday. The hero from Thursday’s Copa Libertadores match, Opazo was outstanding again against Católica after replacing the injured Albert Acevedo in the 14th minute, setting up his team’s first goal and scoring the second himself.

Opazo’s ability to read the game started the moves for both goals. As the visitors looked to play out from the back after half an hour, he stepped in front of his man to intercept before driving forward and picking out Pablo Calandría in the box. The former Católica striker finished clinically and added an extra edge to the match as he unequivocally celebrated his goal in front of his former teammates.

Of the two goalkeepers vying for a spot in Chile’s World Cup squad, Católica’s Cristopher Toselli was far busier than the faultless Paulo Garcés, doing brilliantly throughout the first period to limit the home side to just one goal.

However, he was left vulnerable by a porous defense that was even further exposed following the sending off of captain Milován Mirosevic.

Having lost their leader, the visitors looked bereft of ideas and resigned to defeat as O’Higgins closed the game out in controlled fashion.

Opazo’s goal in stoppage time epitomized the key difference between the sides. Intercepting defender Michael Ríos’ unimaginative pass on the halfway line, he laid the ball off to Hernández before galloping ahead. Hernández played the ball forward to Luis Pedro Figueroa on the right, who squared for an untracked Opazo to finish. Ríos was still trotting back as he watched Opazo wheel away in delight.

“We played with the same high intensity and I’ve got nothing but praise for my players,” O’Higgins manager Eduardo Berizzo told La Tercera. “We could have closed the game out earlier, but we controlled the match well and deserved to win.”

“La Celeste” climb to second on 18 points, four points off leaders Colo Colo. Católica slips to third, level on 16 points with Deportes Iquique ahead of the clash between the two sides on Friday.

Palestino 1-2 Colo Colo

A confident win for league leaders Colo Colo over Palestino on Sunday put Héctor Tapia’s men four points ahead of the chasing pack in the race for the title.

It took just 18 minutes for Colo Colo to seal three points against Palestino, when striker Esteban Paredes headed in to give his side a 2-0 lead. Manager Tapia’s grinning face said he knew it, while the body language of the Palestino players was equally revealing.

From the first whistle the hosts were unable to cope with Colo Colo’s high intensity and aggressive pressing high up the pitch. The home side survived just two minutes before former Palestino midfielder Jaime Valdés nicked the ball off Pablo Tamburrini and played in midfielder Juan Delgado, who put the ball past goalkeeper Felipe Núñez for his first goal of the Clausura.

A noticeable drop in intensity followed Colo Colo’s second goal as the majority of the Palestino players seemed to opt for damage limitation, demonstrating their lack of belief as they timidly watched the visitors knock the ball around to each other at a leisurely pace.

Palestino did threaten and came close on a couple of occasions, with the energetic Juan Ignacio Duma shaving the outside of the post twice, but there was always a sense that Colo Colo could and would lift the intensity if needed.

Urged on by the supporters that had made the journey across the city, the league leader pushed for a third to add gloss to the result but was pegged back in the 89th minute by a penalty won and converted by midfielder Sergio López. Despite the late rally, Colo Colo held firm for its fifth consecutive win.

“Except for the final 10 minutes, we dominated the whole match,” Tapia told La Tercera. “We played really well in the first half but struggled to find space after the break because of how Palestino set up.

“The important thing is that we won and got all three points,” he added.

The young manager insisted that he and his team are “not worried” about the teams behind them, and are looking no further ahead than the next match this Friday against Cobreloa. Defeat for Palestino sees the side drop to fifth with 14 points, one ahead of the chasing Universidad de Chile.


Audax Italiano 3-3 Universidad de Chile

Universidad de Chile came back from 3-1 down to draw against Italiano in a thrilling league encounter Friday. Young Audax substitute striker Felipe Mora came off the bench to stagger “La U” twice in quick succession in the second half though the visitors rallied and grabbed a late equalizer.

Despite the home team’s spirited display, Cristián Romero still had to deflect criticism during a press conference where he was asked if fans could expect much from their team against Brazil’s Cruzeiro on Tuesday in the Copa Libertadores, having been so evenly matched by mid-table Italiano.

“At the moment everything is bad — the attack, the defence,” the manager said sarcastically. “Well I don’t think that’s so. We’ve achieved a lot, statistically results have been pretty good — admittedly we dropped points against Wanderers and Audax Italiano, though you have to look at how those games developed. It was punishing to draw 3-3 with Audax Italiano.”

Universidad de Chile got off to the perfect start Friday, when in the second minute Audax fullback Rafael Olarra brought down “La U” defender Osvaldo González outside the box. From the resultant freekick, promising loan signing Rodrigo Mora sent a low drive into the box — an option afforded by a badly positioned wall — and midfielder Rodrigo Rojas helped the striker’s shot into the net.

The visitors almost doubled their lead minutes later. Rojas found Patricio Rubio on the left flank with a precise long range cross, and the latter combined beautifully with Gustavo Lorenzetti to tee up Rodrigo Mora — who fluffed his lines over a sitter.

Audax then tied the game up on 40 minutes — midfielder Marco Medel’s cross-cum-shot from wide right eluded everyone including Johnny Herrera who watched helplessly as the ball bounced into the bottom left corner.

The game took a nasty turn for “La U” after the break. Jaime Rubilar justified his paycheck with an inspired halftime substitution, replacing Alejandro Vásquez with Chile under-21 starlet Felipe Mora. Within a quarter hour, the striker stunned the visitors with two goals.

Medel’s freekick delivery on 49 minutes was begging for a headed clearance, though this should take nothing away from Mora’s poised side footed finish into Herrera’s bottom right corner.

Seven minutes later, Claudio Meneses won a 50/50 challenge in the center circle and sent a speculative punt up field. The cross paid off — “La U’s” backline was caught unaware as Mora controlled the ball with his head and toe-poked past Herrera for his brace.

The Italiano players did their best to reorganize in anticipation of a “La U” onslaught, though the visitors would not be contained. Ramón Fernández — who has stepped into the talismanic boots of the departed Charles Aránguiz with great confidence — sent a surgical ground ball through the home defence to find Rubio who lifted a delicate chip over Jaime Bravo to make it 3-2.

“La U” poured forward still, and almost tied the game up in dramatic fashion just five minutes later. Bravo rushed off his line only to flap at a corner, and the bouncing ball sat up in front of Rodrigo Mora who connected beautifully with a signature bicycle kick — only to be denied by Bravo who seemingly teleported back to the goalmouth.

The excellent — if at times eccentric — Bravo once again denied Mora from close range after the striker spanked goalward a knock down from substitute striker Enzo Gutiérrez.

Unlucky Mora was taken off in the 80th minute and it was Romero’s chance to claim managerial plaudits — chosen replacement Francisco Castro netted the equalizer in the 85th after latching on to a delightful inswinger courtesy of the magisterial Lorenzetti.

Following the game, both the manager and Herrera chastised traveling supporters for breaking seats and clashing with Carabineros — Chile’s uniformed police — during a small riot in the stands midway through the first half. Having already been fined for burning flares twice this season, “La U’s” fans are working steadily toward a stadium ban.

Universidad de Chile sits sixth in the table, while Italiano is 11th.


Unión Española 1-3 Everton

Striker Matías Donoso inspired Everton to a huge 3-1 win against a stuttering Unión Española side on Saturday.

Transition Tournament champion Española started the match brightly, opening the scoring in the ninth minute as striker Carlos Salom reacted quickly to divert Lorenzo Faravelli’s shot past Gustavo Dalsasso.

However, the red card shown to defender Matías Navarrete for his last-man tackle on Donoso interrupted the rhythm that the home side had quickly settled into.

The hosts’ lead remained intact in the short term, thanks to Donoso’s over-ambitious penalty hitting the crossbar, but the Everton players were buoyed by their numerical advantage and began to play with greater confidence.

The breakthrough for the away team came just after halftime, with Donoso making amends for his earlier penalty miss and heading past Raúl Olivares from a corner.

The Chilean striker was also crucial in his side’s second goal, his efforts to get on the end of midfielder Emiliano Romero’s cross pressuring defender Tomás Astaburuaga to head into his own net.

Donoso capped his superb performance in the 89th minute with a powerful shot from distance that was too good for Olivares, securing a vital three points for his side.

A weary Española side, now in 12th with nine points, looks in need of a break but faces a tricky test against Brazilian side Botafogo on Wednesday in the Copa Libertadores. Victory for Everton takes the team off the bottom of the table to 16th, with seven points.

Cobresal 3-0 Cobreloa

Cobresal enjoyed its first “Clásico Minero” win in five years with an emphatic 3-0 victory over managerless Cobreloa on Sunday.

It was left up to interim coach César Bravo to mastermind a derby victory in his first game in charge following the dismissal of manager Jorge García last Wednesday. García had a clause in his contract stipulating that the side should be seventh or higher in the table after seven matches — eighth position was deemed unsatisfactory by president Patricio Contreras.

However, Bravo was unable to garner a match winning performance out of his players and instead saw his team stunned by two second half goals in two minutes that sent the home side on its way to its first “Clásico Minero” victory since 2008.

Mariano Torres claimed the first, seeing the bounce of his potshot on 64 minutes beat goalkeeper José Acevedo. The swift second was more impressive, midfielder Víctor Hugo Sarabia latching onto Torres’ floated pass and lifting the ball over Acevedo.

Patricio Jerez ensured a miserable start for coach Bravo when his shot deflected off defender Sebastián Roco and looped into the net in the 78th minute.

A historic victory for Cobresal puts the side in 14th with eight points. Cobreloa slips to 10th, remaining on nine points.

Huachipato 1-0 Ñublense

Huachipato bounced back from last week’s humiliating defeat by Universidad Católica with a crucial 1-0 win Friday over Ñublense.

The hosts seemed unaffected by the inevitable dent in confidence inflicted by Católica, asserting their superiority over a lackluster Ñublense from the outset.

Ñublense goalkeeper Lucas Giovini did well to keep the dangerous David Llanos out twice but he was helpless to prevent Argentine striker Lucas Simón’s deflected shot from finding the back of the net after 29 minutes.

As much as the visitors threatened to equalize, Huachipato always looked more likely to score and was prevented from doing so only by a string of fine saves by Giovini.

Three points for Mario Salas’ men takes Huachipato to 17th with seven points. Ñublense sinks to the bottom of the table with six points.

Iquique 3-2 Antofagasta

A vintage second half hat trick from striker Manuel Villalobos saw Deportes Iquique come from two goals down to win in dramatic style against Antofagasta on Saturday.

Antofagasta went into the break two goals ahead after defender Esteban González and then striker Cristián Canío found the net in the first half.

However, Iquique came out a different side in the second period, boosted by the sending off of midfielder Daniel González for booting the ball away after a free kick had been awarded.

Veteran journeyman Manuel Villalobos was the protagonist in Iquique dramatic comeback. The former Colo Colo, O’Higgins and Universidad de Chile striker demonstrated his enduring ability with a hat trick that gave Iquique its fourth consecutive league win.

He kicked off his team’s resurgence after 66 minutes, burying a header under keeper Luis Godoy.

There was a certain inevitability about the second as the home side turned the screw on an Antofagasta side desperately clinging on to its narrow lead. The equalizer came in the 78th minute, when Villalobos confidently outwitted Godoy with a penalty down the middle.

Cruelly for the away side, referee Carlos Rumiano awarded a second penalty to the home team in the 89th minute — Villalobos unequivocally stepped up again, using all his experience and composure gained over an expansive career to put the ball past Godoy and complete his hat trick.

Iquique’s march up the table continues, with the side now in fourth spot on 16 points ahead of its vital clash with Universidad Católica on Friday. Antofagasta remains on seven points in 15th.

Santiago Wanderers 1-0 Unión La Calera

Wanderers got off to a winning start in their first competitive match at plush new home Estadio Elías Figueroa, defeating a La Calera side that rarely threatened in front of goal.

The team from Valparaíso should have gone ahead in the fourth minute when fullback Mauricio Prieto’s shot was blocked on the line by a handball — though no red card or penalty was awarded against La Calera.

Wanderers continued unfazed however, and the goal soon came on 22 minutes. Fullback Andrés Robles showed great strength to resist his marker while digging out a cross from the left flank, and brawny 6-foot-2-inch Gastón Cellerino rose up uncontested to power home the game’s only goal.

In the second half, both Cellerino and Matías Rubio were denied by the woodwork, and La Calera had a goal called offside just before the whistle came. Wanderers fans must await further tests to learn of the extent of the foot injury suffered by keeper Mauricio Viana in the second half.

Wanderers go eighth while La Calera is ninth in the league.

Rangers 0-0 Universidad Concepción

Concepción dominated in a goalless draw with Rangers on Saturday, though the extra two points eluded the team that lost as many men through concussion.

Visiting striker Juan Cabral came close with a header early in in the first period, and midfielder Hector Berrios had his own nodded effort masterfully turned wide by Argentine keeper Diego Pozo. Striker Gabriel Vargas would have given Concepción the lead were it not for some last ditch defending, and play was soon broken up by a sickening clash of heads that saw the away team’s Gerardo Navarrete leave the field on a stretcher. In the second half, another collision saw Concepción’s Cristian Magaña bravely return to the pitch following treatment, though the midfielder soon went jelly-legged and the golf cart came out once again. Rangers rattled the crossbar toward the death, though a red card put paid to any further attacks from the home team.

Rangers is 13th while Concepción is seventh.

Clausura upcoming fixtures:

Feb. 27, 8 p.m.: Universidad Católica vs. Iquique
Feb. 28, 7 p.m.: Colo Colo vs. Cobresal
March 1, 4:30 p.m.: Universidad de Chile vs. Unión Española
March 1, 6:30 p.m.: Huachipato vs. O’Higgins
March 1 6:30 p.m.: Antofagasta vs. Unión La Calera
March 1, 9 p.m.: Audax Italiano vs. Universidad Concepción
March 2, 4 p.m.: Cobreloa vs. Palestino
March 2, 5 p.m.: Everton vs. Santiago Wanderers
March 2, 7:30 p.m.: Ñublense vs. Rangers


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Tim Vickery Column: Uruguay helped Brazilian football find its own path


Luiz Felipe Scolari seems so at ease in the post of Brazil coach, and has made so much progress towards building a settled side, that it is easy to forget all the furore that surrounded his appointment towards the end of 2012.

Mano Menezes had been controversially sacked, and Scolari was quickly brought in as a replacement, with special haste needed to stop a fascinating rival candidate from building momentum.

That, of course, was Pep Guardiola, who declared himself interested, leading Brazil’s sports daily ‘Lance!’ to organise a big campaign in his favour.

The prospect of a foreign coach in charge of the national team appeared to both terrify and horrify the old order. As Scolari was presented, CBF President Jose Maria Marin made an impassioned, if not always coherent, argument in favour of the need to give value to Brazilian coaches – who had, after all, presided over all five of Brazil’s World Cup wins.

I wonder if Marin is aware that the coach for the first of those victorious campaigns, back in 1958, was very nearly a Paraguayan.

Brisk, efficient and ambitious, Joao Havelange had taken charge of the CBD, forerunner of the CBF. His candidate to coach the national team was one of the legendary names of South American football of the time, Fleitas Solich. An international midfielder for Paraguay, Solich had coached in the land of his birth and in Argentina (and was later to have a season in charge of the great Real Madrid) when he landed in Rio in 1953 to become the boss of Flamengo. He won the Rio State Championship, in those days a competition of great prestige, three times in a row.

Havelange, whose power base was Rio, was impressed, and wanted to make Solich the coach of Brazil.

But Havelange needed to put together a coalition, especially with Sao Paulo. And his great ally there was Paulo Machado de Carvalho, a media mogul and football director with links to Sao Paulo FC. Machado was to be the head of Brazil’s delegation in the World Cups of 1958 and 62.

He listened to Havelange’s proposal, but had an alternative candidate – Vicente Feola, a coach he knew well from Sao Paulo. Havelange gave way, and so the man who led Brazil to their first World Cup win was a squat son of Italian immigrants – but it could have been the elegant Paraguayan, and at the time, no one would have thought of this as being especially incongruous.

But once Brazil had started winning world titles, the idea of a foreign-born coach immediately began to look completely unrealistic – an idea to be grabbed at for the purposes of speculation when times were desperate, such as the moment when Brazil were struggling desperately to qualify for the 2002 World Cup, or when Menezes was sacked.

This was not the only thing that changed. It also seemed that history was rewritten. Now that it ended in so many triumphs, the story of Brazilian football was reinterpreted, told in isolation, removed from the continental context in which it had grown.

Because the striking thing in the early years is the extent to which the growth of the game was a collective South American phenomenon – or to be more precise, one based in the south cone, especially in the cities of Montevideo, Buenos Aires, Rio and Sao Paulo, with Asuncion and Santiago also involved.

Remarkably in a continent still deficient in terms of economic integration, the Copa America was held 12 times between 1916 and 29, when the Wall Street crash set off turbulent political waves and interrupted the process. These years were of massive growth in the popularity and the quality of the South American game, with Uruguay, Argentina and Brazil testing and learning from each other.
It is hardly surprising that Uruguay were the quickest out of the blocks.

At the time they were not at so much of a disadvantage in terms of population size. Now when Uruguay take on Brazil it is a nation of 3 million against one of 200. Then it was Montevideo against Rio and Buenos Aires. And Uruguay’s early lead came from the fact that, quicker than the others, they were drawing on talent from all sectors of society.

Football in South America started with the elite; it spread downwards quickly, but in Uruguay it was quicker than anywhere else. The little country was full of progressive social legislation. It was the pioneer of the modern welfare state, and such ideas of social inclusion were reflected in the composition of the national team.

Uruguay won the inaugural Copa America in 1916, and supplied the top goalscorer as well – Isabelino Gradin, a black striker from a poor background. It was very unlikely that someone with such a humble upbringing could have represented Brazil at the time.

Brazil won the trophy on home ground in 1919. But just as important as the triumph was the presence of Gradin in the Uruguayan team. Poor black Brazilians could recognise themselves in him more than they could in Brazil’s hero, Artur Friedenreich, son of a local black woman and a German immigrant, whose skin might have been dark but was from an impeccable middle class background.

Gradin’s participation in the 1919 Copa is an important moment in the development of the Brazilian game. ‘If he can do it,’ thought the locals, ‘then so can we.’

Thirteen years later it was evident that this lesson had been well absorbed. In December 1932 Brazil went to play Uruguay, by now world and double Olympic champions, in Montevideo’s newly built Centenario stadium. Brazil won 2-1, and the best players were two young blacks from poor backgrounds, defender Domingos da Guia and centre forward Leonidas da Silva.

Uruguayan football had just turned professional. The Brazilian game, ridden with aristocratic amateur values, was reluctant to take the same step. So Uruguay’s big two clubs swooped. Penarol signed Leonidas and Nacional snapped up Domingos.

This was a significant external shock to Brazilian football, which, sensing the danger, soon accepted professionalism – definitely consolidating the position of the player from a poor background. Without professionalism, there is no Pele. The fact that there was Pele – the fact that today Luiz Felipe Scolari has so many fine players to choose from – is the outcome of these moments, of Brazilian football finding its own path, but in a clear South American context.

Riquelme hizo fútbol y podría ser titular

BUENOS AIRES -- Tras gozar del lunes libre tras la primera victoria en el campeonato, el plantel de Boca volvió al trabajo en Casa Amarilla, ya con las miras puestas en el partido del próximo sábado ante Vélez.

Aquellos que jugaron el domingo ante Estudiantes realizaron algunos trabajaron regenerativos y luego hicieron pasadas de velocidad en el campo de juego.

Por otro lado, tras trabajar en el gimnasio de manera diferenciada, Juan Román Riquelme participó de un ejercicio de fútbol reducido y fue el goleador al anotar siete goles. Además, dio tres remates suyos dieron en los palos y asistió en tres goles.

De cara al partido ante Vélez, Bianchi tiene en mente mantener la base que venció a Estudiantes. La gran incógnita pasa por si ingresarán al equipo titular Juan Román Riquelme o Diego Perotti.

En definitiva, un probable equipo para jugar en Liniers sería: Agustín Orión; Leandro Marín, Daniel Díaz, Juan Forlín, Emmanuel Insúa; Cristian Erbes, Fernando Gago, Pablo Ledesma, Luciano Acosta; Diego Perotti o Juan Román Riquelme; Emanuel Gigliotti.

Boca enfrentará a Vélez desde las 18:00 hs. del sábado en el estadio José Amalfitani. Un dato a tener en cuenta es que desde el comienzo del tercer ciclo de Carlos Bianchi, los "Xeneizes jugaron 26 partidos como visitante, de los cuales sólo ganaron cuatro (River y Belgrano por torneos locales y Barcelona de Guayaquil y Nacional de Montevideo por Copa Libertadores).

Bauza espera la evolución de Nicolás Blandi

BUENOS AIRES -- San Lorenzo no tiene descanso y por eso Edgarzo Bauza apela constantemente a la rotación. Por ello, ante Independiente del Valle de Ecuador habría cuatro modificaciones respecto a los once que vencieron a Quilmes.

Durante el ensayo de fútbol formal, el DT del "Ciclón" puso en cancha un probable once para el partido por Copa Libertadores que contó con los ingresos de Julio Buffarini, Carlos Valdés, Néstor Ortigoza y Nicolás Blandi en lugar de Gonzalo Prósperi, Mauro Cetto, Enzo Kalinski y Mauro Matos, respectivamente.

La única duda para jugar el jueves es Nicolás Blandi. El delantero trabajó a la par y mostró una gran evolución tras la sobrecarga muscular que lo dejó afuera ante Argentinos Juniors y Quilmes, pero su participación aún no ha sido confirmada.

De esta manera, los once probables serían: Sebastián Torrico; Julio Buffarini, Carlos Valdés, Santiago Gentiletti, Emmanuel Más; Ángel Correa, Néstor Ortigoza, Juan Mercier, Ignacio Piatti; Leandro Romagnoli; Nicolás Blandi o Mauro Matos.

San Lorenzo e Independiente del Valle de Ecuador se enfrentarán desde las 19:30 hs. del jueves, con el arbitraje del paraguayo Enrique Cáceres. Cabe recordar que, luego, el "Ciclón" visitará a River, el próximo domingo, por la quinta fecha del Torneo Final 2014.

Ramón Díaz podría modificar el sistema

BUENOS AIRES -- La derrota ante Colón dejó un River con más dudas que certezas. Con lesionados y suspendidos, Ramón Díaz apela a esperar la recuperación de Jonatan Maidana y no se descarta que haya un cambio de esquema.

Durante la mañana el plantel realizó una serie de trabajos regenerativos, en gimnasio y ejercicios de potencia. De los mismos no formó parte Maidana quien trabajó diferenciado junto a Gabriel Mercado y Martín Aguirre.

El exdefensor de Boca será evaluado durante la semana y se definirá si está en condiciones de reaparecer tras el microdesgarro sufrido en la previa del partido ante Rosario Central.

Por otro lado, es un hecho que quien sí volverá al equipo es Éder Álvarez Balanta, quien ante Godoy Cruz había sido expulsado. Mientras tanto, no podrá jugar ante San Lorenzo Matías Kranevitter ya que llegó a cinco tarjetas amarillas.

La gran incógnita pasa por cuál será el esquema táctico que ponga en cancha Ramón Díaz. Las alternativas son una línea de tres, con Maidana, Balanta y Ramiro Funes Mori o Víctor Cabrera o apostar por una defensa con cuatro integrantes y dándole una chance a los laterales, Federico Vega y Bruno Uribarri.

River y San Lorenzo se enfrentarán desde las 18:15 hs. del domingo, con estadio a confirmar. En las próximas horas saldría a la luz la resolución sobre si a River le suspenderán el estado Monumental o no, tras el incidente ocurrido ante Godoy Cruz, cuando un hincha le arrojó una madera a Leandro Grimi. La alternativa es el estadio de Vélez Sarsfield.

Ecuador coach calls team for friendly with Australia

Ecuador coach Reinaldo Rueda called-up an experienced squad for the friendly with Australia on March 5 in London for their preparation ahead of the World Cup.

The Colombian helmsman called-up 21 players of which twelve are active on foreign teams in Mexico, Colombia, Brazil, England and Germany.

"Australia is kind of like a European team. Only a few of their players actually play in Australia and many are in Germany, England, Belgium and Scotland," Rueda told reporters in announcing his team that will contest the World Cup.

He added that the Socceroos play a "very international with a fast offense" type of football.

In the final stage of preparation Ecuador, which is in Group E at the World Cup with Switzerland, France and Honduras, will also face Holland on May 17 in Amsterdam, Mexico on the 31st of the same month in Arlington, United States, and England on June 4 in Miami.

"They are four good games with very competitive teams," said the coach.

In November 2013, after sealing their spot in the WC, Ecuador held friendly games with Argentina (0-0) and Honduras (2-2) in the U.S.

Ecuador came in fourth in South America qualifying behind Argentina, Colombia and Chile.

Ecuador´s team that will face Australia:

Goalkeepers: Máximo Banguera (Barcelona), Alexander Domínguez (Liga de Quito) y Adrián Bone (El Nacional).

Defense: Jorge Guagua, Gabriel Achillier and Oscar Bagüí (Emelec), Juan Carlos Paredes (Barcelona), Frickson Erazo (Flamengo, Brazil), Cristian Ramírez (Fortuna Dusseldorf, Germany) and Walter Ayoví (Pachuca, Mexico).

Volantes: Fernando Gaibor (Emelec), Luis Saritama (Barcelona), Antonio Valencia (Manchester United, England), Segundo Castillo (Al-Hilal, Arabia Saudita), Cristian Noboa (Dínamo, Rusia), Edison Méndez (Santa Fe, Colombia) and Renato Ibarra (Vittese, Holland).

Delanteros: Jefferson Montero (Morelia, Mexico), Fidel Martínez (Tijuana, Mexico), Enner Valencia (Pachuca, Mexico) and Felipe Caicedo (Al-Jazira, UAE).

Nacho Piatti: "Tenemos que ganar todos los partidos de local"

BUENOS AIRES -- El mediocampista de San Lorenzo Ignacio Piatti tiene la mira puesta en la Copa Libertadores, en la que el jueves enfrentarán a Independiente del Valle, de Ecuador, y advirtió que de local deben "ganar como sea".
"Tenemos que ganar. Tenemos que ganar todos los partidos de local y sumar puntos de visitante", dijo Piatti en conferencia de prensa. Para el habilidoso volante del Ciclón en el Nuevo Gasómetro no cabe otro resultado que el triunfo, y celebró que, de a poco, se van sintiendo cómodos.

"El jueves vamos a tratar de hacer lo mejor para que queden los tres puntos en casa. Van a venir con dos líneas de cuatro a ver qué hacemos nosotros. Tenemos que estar tranquilos porque acá de local tenemos que ganar como sea", remarcó Piatti.

San Lorenzo debutó con una derrota en la Copa ante Botafogo, pero llega tonificado al partido del jueves luego de tres triunfos consecutivos en el Torneo Final, ante Racing, Argentinos Juniors y Quilmes, respectivamente.

"De a poco nos vamos sintiendo cómodos. Hace tres partidos que no nos convierten y eso es importante para nosotros porque sabemos que en algún momento vamos a tener ocasiones para convertir", analizó el ex-Chacarita, Gimnasia e Independiente.

San Lorenzo, que se encuentra último y sin puntos en el grupo 2 de la Copa Libertadores, recibirá el jueves desde las 19.30 a Independiente del Valle, que en el debut empató como local ante Unión Española de Chile.

Brazil paper report Flamengo striker Hernane set for China move

Lancenet.com have revealed that Flamengo forward Hernane will soon be leaving the club to start a new adventure in China.

The 27-year-old is expected to move to Chinese side Shanghai Shenhua for a reported fee of €5 million and will not be selected for Fla’s Copa Libertadores match against Emelec on Wednesday night.

The Brazilian newspaper added that Hernane is likely to complete his transfer by the end of today.

The former Mogi Mirim forward had an offer submitted for his services at the beginning of the season from a club in the Arab Emirates that was similar to the fee bid by Shanghai.

Flamengo rejected that offer but appear happy to sell their talented forward this time around according to the Brazilian publication.

It was only a few weeks ago that Hernane scored four times in a State Championship match and he has been a huge hit at the Rio de Janeiro club since initially joining on loan in 2012.

Should this transfer go through as expected, the Brazilian forward will be a big miss for Flamengo.