Can Brazil Win A Major Tournament Again?

Brazil reserves the singular accolade of being the world’s greatest nation when it comes to football having achieved five World Cup triumphs. Over the years, the country has produced greatly skilful footballers in the likes of Pele, Garrincha, Zagallo, Zico, Socrates, Romario, Ronaldo, Rivaldo, Ronaldinho and Kaka. However, in recent times, question are being asked if Brazil can ever win a major tournament again.

Over the last three major tournaments, Brazil have failed to deliver and as such people are beginning to wonder if truly the Samba boys can actually deliver. With history against European countries – having not won the World Cup outside of Europe – Brazil were clear favourites to win the World Cup in South Africa but to the dismay of the fans worldwide, they crashed out of the tournament due to a dismal performance against Holland in the quarter-finals.

At the back of a disappointing performance at the World Cup, Brazil headed for the Continental tournament (The Copa America) last year in Argentina and also crashed out in the quarter-finals stage. Brazil came into the London Olympics hoping to break their Olympic jinx and paraded a set of new generation stars such as Neymar, Oscar, Marcelo, Rafael and Hulk. They came into the tournament as favourites alongside Spain to clinch Olympic gold. With Spain’s elimination in the first round, it was seen as Brazil’s to lose. They blasted their way into the final scoring an average of three goals in each game.

When it all mattered most; in the final against Mexico they lost 2 – 1 in a game which they were overwhelming favourites. With a goal down and a team parading such talent and quality it could have been easier to turn the tie round but they failed miserably. It was a performance the Brazilians will want to forget pretty soon as they lost a golden opportunity to win an Olympic Gold medal for the first time - a laurel which has eluded them over the years.

Further revelation showed the team claimed to have been under immense pressure but that is child’s play compared to what they will be facing when the nation host the World Cup in two years time. The last time they hosted the World Cup was in 1950 and on reaching the final with only a draw needed to win the trophy, they lost 2-1 to Uruguay in one of the biggest shocks in World Cup history.

With the Confederation Cup coming up next, it will serve as a preparatory avenue to boost their confidence should they win it and present an atmosphere that includes support from the home crowd in advance to what the World Cup will be like. If there is a team that can break Spain’s recent domination in world football, it is Brazil. Spain are still favourites to win the World Cup in 2014 barring any injury or loss of form on majority of the European Championship winning squad.

For the Samba boys, new Brazil wonder kid Neymar will definitely be the star to watch, by then he will be 22 and may have gained some experience in Europe if he moves to Europe before the World Cup. Oscar and Lucas Moura are another two exciting prospects and it remains to be seen if Oscar’s Chelsea adventure will be a success. Thiago Silva; regarded as one of the best central defenders in the world; will be 29 then and at the prime of his career, so also is Chelsea’s David Luiz.

Other veterans who may still be in contention come 2014 are Kaka; with his best probably behind him; he will be 32 during the World Cup and there are questions mark regarding his future with the national team, Dani Alves will probably still man the right side of defence but his performance for the Seleccao have been questionable lately as he has often failed to replicate his performance for Barcelona in the national team.

Chelsea’s Ramirez will definitely add some bite and steel to the midfield. Robinho has been drifting in and out of the team and if his performance doesn’t improve he may likely miss the cut. Gone are the days when Brazil had world class strikers like Romario, Bebeto and Ronaldo. Brazil lack a deadly centre forward in the mould of these former greats. Alexandre Pato would have fitted perfectly as a true center forward but he has spent more time on the treatment table than on the pitch.

Hulk has yet to find his rhythm for the Samba Boys. Brazil must get a reliable and consistent striker before the World Cup kicks off in 2014.

After Brazil’s defeat in the Olympics, Mano Menez may probably find himself out of a job in no distant future as he has already started receiving criticism notably from former striker Romario who has already called for his sack. They need to gets their acts together and form a winning team or winning the World Cup in 2014 on home soil may become another mirage.

Original article:
http://leadership.ng/nga/articles/32814/2012/08/18/can_brazil_win_major_tournament_again.html

Goals Champions in the World Cup Soccer History

It might surprise you to find out that almost every culture and civilization in the world has always been connected to football.soccer in one way or another. Ancient Greeks, Persians, Vikings, The Chinese, Japanese alike had a sport very similar to today’s soccer. For instance, the Chinese played “footballer”, about 3000 years before we made soccer a world championship.

With an English birth certificate, soccer rapidly spread and became popular; today is considered the king of all sports and has millions of fans all over the world.

FIFA World Cup Soccer has been from the very beginning the most appropriate chance for soccer players to become real stars because of their prolific activity in the soccer field, measured in the number of goals they have scored so far. Thus, world soccer records holders appeared, for instance the player who has scored the most goals in world cup soccer history.

The first position of this ranking is occupied by the Brazilian professional footballer Ronaldo Nazario de Lima (known all over the world simply as Ronaldo), the player that has scored the moest goals in the history of the world soccer championship. He was born in September 18, 1976 and in 1993, he began his professional soccer/footballer career with the Cruzeiro soccer team.

During his Cruzeiro year he score 12 goals in 14 soccer games played; thus, having the lead of his team, he won the Copa do Brasil championship (for the team he was playing this was the first time to win such an important title). In 1994, Ronaldo became a PSV player in Holland and in 1996, just as he had done with his previous team in 1993, he had lead the PSV to winning the Dutch Cup.

As an established national footballer for Brazil, Ronaldo has played in 97 international games, scoring a total number of 62 goals. When Brazil won the 1994 and 2002 World Cups, he was playing for the Brazilian team. With his participation at the 2006 World Cup, where he scored his fifteenth goal, Ronaldo became officially the highest goal scorer in the history of the World Cup.

‘O Fenômeno’ (meaning “The Phenomenon” in English), how the entire world calls him, became synonym with Ronaldo, with the number 9 on the T-shirt and the center forward soccer position in the playing field. His European career brought him to the top of the world’s best ’strikers’ list after being granted the Ballon d’Or as the European Footballer of the Year in 1997, and again in 2002.

Ronaldo also won the FIFA Player of the Year award three times (only two players in the world have a similar performance, one of them being him), and in 2007 the France Football placed him among the best starting eleven of all-time and named him to the FIFA 100 (this is a list with the greatest football players of all times, which is lead by the Brazilian Pelé).

Ronaldo played a very important part in increasing the marketing interest in soccer throughout the world due to his relationship with Nike, a company that concentrated their resources exclusively on basketball before.

Read Original:

Dunga warns Brazil stars to prove their worth

Brazil coach Dunga has warned Ronaldinho and Kaka that superstar status doesn't guarantee their place in the national team.

Dunga has left Ronaldinho out of his squad to face Sweden in a friendly in London on Wednesday because the Barcelona midfielder has been struggling with injuries and poor form this season.

The Selecao boss is also without Kaka after the AC Milan playmaker pulled out with a thigh injury.

But Dunga believes he has enough quality players to cope without his two talismanic figures at Arsenal's Emirates Stadium.

"Everybody has to prove their worth. We don't want to force anyone to play just because people have been talking about them. We have convictions and have to work on that basis," Dunga said.

"Ronaldinho and Kaka are quality players but they have had some injuries. I have got other stars likes Robinho and Gilberto Silva. Anybody in the Brazil team is a good player.

"I can only pick 22 and we have great players. Everybody has to win their place and prove their worth."

If Wednesday's Brazil line-up lacks some well-known names, Dunga is hopeful that will give the chance for some of his young players to establish themselves ahead of the Olympic Games and the 2010 World Cup qualifying campaign.

AC Milan striker Alexandre Pato is regarded as Brazil's brightest young star and could make his debut against the Swedes.

It would be fitting for Pato to feature in a match arranged to celebrate the 50th anniversary of Brazil's first World Cup final triumph. That 5-2 win over Sweden in Stockholm made Pele, then a teenage prodigy, into a global icon, and Pato is the next in line to fill the role of Brazilian phenomenon.

Pato has already played at the Emirates once after featuring in Milan's goalless Champions League draw with Arsenal, but Dunga was coy about his role on Wednesday.

"It depends on the game but he is a quality player, that's why he is in the team," he said.

Dunga is determined to establish a team-first ethos in his squad and wants all egos checked at the dressing room door.

The less-heralded likes of Manchester City's Elano, Werder Bremen's Diego and Real Betis striker Rafael Sorbis will all get another chance to impress on Brazil's third visit to the Emirates in the last two years.

"These players are experienced but there is an adapation. We have to build up confidence with the players," Dunga said.

"They have only a few opportunities to play. When they are playing well why would be take them out? They have to have pleasure in playing. We have to build a group."

http://afp.google.com/article/ALeqM5hdE1er5YpaBSGjiFOccysXBjy9lQ

Kaka, Robinho, and Juan to the Olympics

Brazil's coach, Dunga, decided those three footballers should be a resource for the Under-23 team which will participate in the Beijing Olympic Games 2008.Ronaldinho is out.

According to the column Panorama Deportivo from the tabloid O Globo, Barcelona's boy will only be called to take part in a competition which the national team has never clinched only if Kaka, Robinho or Juan reject the offer or suffer an injury.

Dunga will be the first Brazilian coach to fill in the Olympic lineup with three players over 23 years old, just as rules authorize.

The aim of such resources is to increase the possibilities of clinching the gold medal, the only major trophy that the countless world champions have not captured.

According to Panorama Deportivo, one of the most renowned sources of sport information in the country, Dunga has already a mental lineup towards Beijing.

Such lineup will comprise Renan (Internacional); Rafinha (Schalke 04-GER), Juan (Roma-ITA), Breno (Bayern Munich-GER), Marcelo (Real Madrid-SPA); Lucas (Liverpool-ENG), Anderson (Manchester-ENG), Kaka (Milan-ITA); Alexandre Pato (Milan-ITA), and Robinho (Real Madrid-SPA).

The only doubt would still be the fourth midfielder, position for which Dunga wants one who is able to cover up the wings.

All the names included on the list, but for Juan, were called on by Dunga for the friendly match against Ireland on February 6th.

http://www.sportsya.com/english/news.php/Kaka_Robinho_and_Juan_will_be_the_older_one_to_play_for_Brazil_in_Beijing_2008.html?id_estruc=283&id=169981