Playing for points is one thing, putting on an exhibition of the skills of soccer quite another. In London, in Marseille and in Seville this midweek there were so-called friendly international games that left packed audiences in no doubt about who are the modern masters of the sport.
With goals from Elano and Robinho, with a stunning reminder of how great Ronaldinho can still be if he has the desire, Brazil eclipsed Italy, 2-0, in a friendly match before an audience of 60,000 at Arsenal's London stadium. It was samba on a frigid night.
The game featured the same color combination - one team in golden yellow, the other in blue - as with Australia and Japan. Yet so fluid was the Brazil display, so appealing to the eye, that it looked like a different game, on a different planet, from the dull stalemate played out in Japan.
Television brings as many of the games to us as we have time to consume. When Brazil shows off like this, on a pitch that is world-class to complement the flair of its players, we wonder why Dunga, the present Brazil national coach, constrains his men on other occasions. Italy had almost a full squad of its finest players, yet couldn't come near to disrupting Brazil's rhythm.
The French suffered similar problems with Lionel Messi. He carried his Barcelona club form into Argentina's 2-0 victory in Marseille, and after Messi scored a marvellous solo goal, the home crowd of Frenchmen stood in applause to his talents. Diego Maradona - his countryman, coach and, in his time, fellow genius - praised Messi's quality, but also his work ethic.
In Seville, Spain demonstrated just why it won Euro 2008, and why England was not even in that tournament. A goal on the ground by David Villa, and one in the air from substitute Joseba Llorente, showed England what finishing is all about.
But the difference was in passing, awareness, movement. Even David Beckham, who earned another cheap cap as a second-half replacement and who was lucky to stay on the pitch after a wild tackle and a yellow card for dissent, came close to acknowledging that England had been outclassed.
On the night when he equaled the record of 108 appearances for England, Beckham also learned that American soccer is running out of patience with his feckless attitude. He is contracted to the Los Angeles Galaxy, but he wants now to break that contract so that he can play a higher grade of soccer, with AC Milan.
Don Garber, the commissioner of the Major League Soccer, on Wednesday gave an ultimatum to Beckham and Milan: Make the Galaxy an acceptable offer and take him, or send him back to California. The deadline Garber gave is Friday.
Ancelotti rules out Chelsea
Carlo Ancelotti of AC Milan says he has no intention of becoming Chelsea's manager, The Associated Press reported from Milan.
The London club fired Luiz Felipe Scolari on Monday, and has hired Russia coach Guus Hiddink as his replacement until the end of the season. Ancelloti has been considered Chelsea's top choice to take over full-time. "The only club that has made a move to sign me has been Chelsea," Ancelotti was quoted Thursday by La Stampa as saying. He added, "I am not thinking about leaving."
http://www.iht.com/articles/2009/02/12/news/CUP.php
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