With progress to the FIFA World Cup™ last 16 already assured, Brazil's reserves have the chance to shine in their final group match against Portugal.
Monday was a rest day for the most part for the first eleven, as coach Dunga instead put the remainder of the squad through their paces in the knowledge that he now has two reasons to shuffle his pack and investigate his men's strength in depth. That is because wins over Korea DPR and Côte d'Ivoire have propelled Brazil through the opening phase but also because star midfielder Kaka has inadvertently done Dunga a favour.
By getting himself a red card against Côte d'Ivoire, the Real Madrid superstar will have to sit out the Portugal encounter come what may. His opening showing against the North Koreans in a fairly hard-fought 2-1 win was not quite what fans have come to expect of a former FIFA World Player of the Year and there had been indications that he would not necessarily keep his place with some players talking up the skills of the likes of Julio Baptista.
Kaka did improve against Côte d'Ivoire with a neat assist, but his sending off for pushing Abdelkader Keita means Dunga must shake things up anyway - though with six points in the bag, he can afford to do so. "We are not sure who will replace Kaka for the next game, we will think about it over the next few days," Dunga said.
Although Dunga - to the horror of some former players and many fans - has reined in the samba style in his four-year tenure, to date he has nonetheless been handsomely rewarded both in the CONMEBOL Copa America and the FIFA Confederations Cup here last year.
Former England boss Sven-Goran Eriksson, currently in charge of Côte d'Ivoire, feels Brazil look like champions. "You need to be almost perfect to beat Brazil. In every way they are good, they are very good," opined Eriksson.
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Showing posts with label brazil soccer team. Show all posts
Showing posts with label brazil soccer team. Show all posts
Monday, June 21, 2010
Monday, June 14, 2010
Soccer will trump all when Brazil is playing
Their fanaticism a little dampened, Brazilians will nevertheless still duck out of work, close businesses and bring the country to a virtual halt during soccer's World Cup.
In Brazil, where everything from the national Congress to the currency market stops in its tracks for Brazil games, it is safest to assume that nothing will be working as normal during the month-long tournament it has won a record five times.
On the days Brazil's yellow-and-green shirted players take to the pitch in South Africa, banks have permission from the central bank to close early, the currency market will operate on shortened hours, and most government agencies will shut down.
Many companies will allow staff to go home early on those days, the first of which comes tomorrow when Brazil's team, known simply here as the "sele231227o", faces North Korea.
Others install big screens at the office.
Investors breathed a sigh of relief this week when Brazil's Senate passed the key points of an overhaul of the country's oil laws seen as a vital reform step ahead of national elections in October.
Analysts had been warning for months that a delay in the approval past the start of the World Cup could have dashed hopes for getting the bill passed for months. Congress will shut down on Brazil game days and many legislators treat the tournament as an unofficial recess period.
As banks and companies close, the slack in economic activity is taken up by fans flocking to buy big televisions and, on game days, beer and food in restaurants where the best tables have been booked long in advance.
Sales of televisions at the Eletroshopping retail chain in northeast Brazil were up about 30 percent in the past month, its vice-president Fernando Freitas said.
"The Cup-related consumption is really big, especially of the latest generation digital televisions because this World Cup is seen as the most hi-tech so far," he said.
The boost is a timely one for retailers, coming shortly after the government withdrew tax breaks on home appliances that have helped fuel a frothing recovery in Latin America's biggest economy.
The party spirit could quickly be doused by a poor Brazilian showing, however. Expectations of a sixth World Cup triumph are high, but they are mixed with misgivings over a team coached by 1994 World Cup winner Dunga that is seen by many as betraying the beautiful, samba style that long defined Brazilian football.
Brazilians took longer to warm up for this year's tournament than in the past, when expectations of victory and flamboyant football were higher, said 45-year-old factory worker Antenor Assis.
Original Story:
In Brazil, where everything from the national Congress to the currency market stops in its tracks for Brazil games, it is safest to assume that nothing will be working as normal during the month-long tournament it has won a record five times.
On the days Brazil's yellow-and-green shirted players take to the pitch in South Africa, banks have permission from the central bank to close early, the currency market will operate on shortened hours, and most government agencies will shut down.
Many companies will allow staff to go home early on those days, the first of which comes tomorrow when Brazil's team, known simply here as the "sele231227o", faces North Korea.
Others install big screens at the office.
Investors breathed a sigh of relief this week when Brazil's Senate passed the key points of an overhaul of the country's oil laws seen as a vital reform step ahead of national elections in October.
Analysts had been warning for months that a delay in the approval past the start of the World Cup could have dashed hopes for getting the bill passed for months. Congress will shut down on Brazil game days and many legislators treat the tournament as an unofficial recess period.
As banks and companies close, the slack in economic activity is taken up by fans flocking to buy big televisions and, on game days, beer and food in restaurants where the best tables have been booked long in advance.
Sales of televisions at the Eletroshopping retail chain in northeast Brazil were up about 30 percent in the past month, its vice-president Fernando Freitas said.
"The Cup-related consumption is really big, especially of the latest generation digital televisions because this World Cup is seen as the most hi-tech so far," he said.
The boost is a timely one for retailers, coming shortly after the government withdrew tax breaks on home appliances that have helped fuel a frothing recovery in Latin America's biggest economy.
The party spirit could quickly be doused by a poor Brazilian showing, however. Expectations of a sixth World Cup triumph are high, but they are mixed with misgivings over a team coached by 1994 World Cup winner Dunga that is seen by many as betraying the beautiful, samba style that long defined Brazilian football.
Brazilians took longer to warm up for this year's tournament than in the past, when expectations of victory and flamboyant football were higher, said 45-year-old factory worker Antenor Assis.
Original Story:
Thursday, March 13, 2008
Pato in and Ronaldinho out of Brazil squad
AC Milan's 18-year-old striker Alexandre Pato is to make his Brazil debut after being named in the squad for the friendly against Sweden in London later this month.
Barcelona's Ronaldinho was left out while four other uncapped players were called up, coach Dunga naming several hopefuls for the Beijing Olympics.
Dunga urged Brazilians not to get carried away with the recent performances of Pato, who was included in the squad for last month's game with Ireland but had to pull out because of injury.
"Alexandre has played some good games but, in the desire to create another star quickly, people get carried away," said Dunga.
"We mustn't put too much responsibility on him. Young players have problems with consistency, their performances vary a lot."
Although Ronaldinho has been playing for Barcelona recently, Dunga suggested that the former World Player of the Year was not fully match fit.
"He's getting better, he's starting to play again and it's important that he continues this way," he said.
"With the Brazilian team, there's not much time to train. We have two important World Cup qualifiers in June and we want him to be fully fit by then."
Brazil are away to Paraguay in June and face Argentina at home four days later.
Dunga also called up uncapped goalkeeper Diego Alves, defender Leo, midfielder Hernanes and forward Thiago Neves.
Dunga will also be in charge of the Olympic team, where Brazil are attempting to win their first soccer gold medal.
http://football.guardian.co.uk/breakingnews/feedstory/0,,-7376407,00.html
Saturday, March 8, 2008
2014 Soccer World Cup To Boost PVC Production In Brazil
Brazil's hosting of the Soccer World Cup finals in 2014 will boost its PVC industry. The major sport event will require construction of sport facilities, accommodations and tourism related establishments and even infrastructure, increasing the demand for PVC.
Miguel Bahiense Neto, executive president of the PVC Institute, told Business News Americas, "It will be a great barometer that will define the consolidation of PVC growth in the country."
Neto estimates a 7 percent to 8 percent increase in PVC consumption in the coming years. Aside from higher PVC demand arising from Brazil's winning the bid to host the World Cup, the state's growth acceleration program, with focus on civil works, infrastructure and sanitation ventures, will further boost the demand for PVCs.
Because of the bright projections, PVC producers Solvay Indupa and Braskem are set to increase their production capacities. Solvay is expected to finish in 2010 the building of a 60,000 ton per year ethanol-based ethylene facility at Santo Andre in Sao Paolo state. Braskem intends to finish within the next two years its production capacity at its Alagoas state factory by 150,000 to 200,000 tons per annum.
Brazil won the right to host the World Cup with no competition since it was the only one to tender a bid, which under FIFA rules mandates it be held in South America in 2014. Sao Paolo had held the World Cup title for five times and was its host in 1950, although Brazil lost the title that year 2-1 to Uruguay.
The joy of snaring the 2014 sport event was expressed by Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva on behalf of the soccer-crazy nation. Lula said, "Soccer is more than a sport for us, it's a national passion."
http://www.allheadlinenews.com/articles/7010239197
Beijing Olympic sponsor Adidas learns not to mess with China's flag
Don't mess with China's flag.
Olympic sponsor Adidas learned that lesson when it recently placed a sports bag on the market in Hong Kong, which mixed its own logo with that of China's national flag.
The issue was first raised by the Hong Kong newspaper Mingpao, which pointed out that Adidas had violated China's flag law. The law forbids using the flag in commercial images.
China's national flag consists of a large yellow star with four smaller stars arranged alongside in an arc _ all on a red background. In the design of the sports bags, Adidas put its logo inside the large star.
Erica Kerner, the director of Adidas' Beijing Olympic program, said the bag was never marketed in mainland China. She said it was on the market for about a week in Hong Kong and then pulled. She said she did not know how many _ if any _ were sold.
«Hong Kong obviously has lots of their own rules,» Kerner said. «We knew the China flag rule but (the Adidas staff) missed it in Hong Kong. The intent was to celebrate China, not to cause any discomfort and of course not break any rules.
Hong Kong is Chinese territory, but has its own legal system, some autonomy and western-style civil liberties.
A high-profile Beijing Olympic sponsor, Adidas has reportedly paid about US$200 million (€130 million) for the rights. It has paid a similar amount for rights to the 2012 London Olympics.
COACH NELSON:@ Donnie Nelson has a second job _ assistant coach of China's Olympic basketball team.
The president of basketball operations for the Dallas Mavericks will assist head coach Jonas Kazlauskas with the Chinese national team at this summer's Olympics.
«Nelson and Jonas Kazlauskas have worked together very well before in Lithuania,» said Hu Jiashi, deputy director of the Chinese Basketball Association.
Hu said hiring a foreign assistant _ rather than a Chinese _ would have advantages.
«A foreign assistant can communicate better with the head coach,» Hu said. «During the game, a substitute or change of tactics is important, and if they speak different languages there'll be a problem.
Presumably the common language will be English. Kazlauskas' native language is Lithuanian.
Former Dallas Mavericks assistant coach Del Harris coached the Chinese Olympic team to eighth place in the Athens Olympics. Nelson served as a team consultant at the time.
NO FAVORS:@ Superstar athletes won't get special treatment when the Olympic Village opens on July 27.
«In the Olympic village, all athletes are equal,» said Yu Debin, deputy director of the Olympic Village Department for the Beijing organizing committee. «We have the same (rules) for all athletes.
A few high-profile athletes like tennis No. 1 Roger Federer have suggested they might skip the village. Federer complained about drawing too much attention from other athletes during the 2004 Olympics.
If Federer is absent, the stars of the Olympic Village will be Brazil's soccer team, which could have stars such as Kaka and Robinho. In past Olympics the Brazilians have stayed in five-star hotels. This time Brazil's soccer confederation president Ricardo Teixeira says they'll be in the village. The Brazilians have won the World Cup five times, but have yet to win Olympic gold.
«It's an Olympic team, so the players will stay at the Olympic village and where the Olympic committee assigns it to stay and will travel with a commercial airline,» Teixeira said.
OPENING CEREMONY:@ Steven Spielberg or no Steven Spielberg, top Chinese officials are pressing on with plans for the opening and closing ceremonies. Few specifics have been revealed about the pomp, and a top official speaking this week didn't add much.
Chen Weiya, deputy director of opening and closing ceremony committee, said the ceremonies would «spread the essence of Chinese culture and conception to the world.
Chen acknowledged the pressure of expectations.
«Everyone has conceived an ideal opening ceremony in their mind and the Chinese people have pinned too much hope on the galas,» he said. «The hardest thing for us is to present the fruits of Chinese and world civilization harmoniously.
Stay tuned.
RELIGION:@ Hotels in China might provide Bibles to foreign visitors during the Olympics. Liu Bainian, head of a government-authorized group that runs the Catholic Church in China, told the English-language China Daily that Beijing organizing committee «was still studying the proposal.
Religion is heavily regulated in China by the officially atheistic ruling Communist Party. Chinese officials have said that Bibles and other religious items will be welcome at the Olympics _ as long as they are for personal use.
A temporary religious venue will be set up in the Olympic Village, a 600-square-meter «religious services facility.» It will serve five major faiths: Buddhists, Christians, Hindus, Jews and Muslims.
TIDBITS:@ English soccer club Chelsea is trying to find Chinese soccer talent. The club will be part of a TV program in April called «Super Soccer Star.» The program, aired in the southern province of Guangdong, with select four finalists who will visit Chelsea's England-based academy later this year. ... The San Diego Padres are scheduled to tour the Great Wall of China before their March 15-16 exhibition games in Beijing against the Los Angeles Dodgers.
Tuesday, March 4, 2008
Brazil's national soccer team to renegotiate deal with Nike
The president of the Brazilian Confederation of Soccer, Ricardo Teixeira claimed on Sunday that he plans on renegotiating the deal with the team sponsor, Nike.
The interest in the renegotiation of the fabrication of athletic apparel comes after France signed a deal with Nike that is worth nearly three times that of Brazil's.
"When the contract with the sponsor was readjusted to 22 million U.S. dollars per year, we agreed that we would again discuss a new contract when the sponsor added another country to the list of recipients," said Teixeira. The president of Brazilian soccer claimed that he plans on meeting with the directors of Nike in the next couple of days.
Nike signed a deal with France that would pay more than 61.5 million dollars per year to dress their national soccer team in their apparel. Teixeira stated that this information will serve as ammunition for his discussion with Nike. According to the president of Brazilian soccer, the deal signed for 22 million dollars was made in March of 2007 and would come into effect in 2008.
Teixeira hinted that he has been in contact with representatives from Adidas who were recently in Sao Paulo. However, he denied that Nike's competition in athletic apparel went after the Brazilian Confederation of Soccer to seek any sort of deal. "The Brazilian soccer team is a world favorite. Everyone wants a piece of it," said Teixeira.
http://news.xinhuanet.com/english/2008-03/03/content_7706850.htm
Brazilian squad stays in Olympic Villa
The president of the Brazilian Football Confederation, Ricardo Teixeira, informed that his National squad towards Beijing 2008 will stay with the rest of the athletes.
The director warned that the Brazilian squad which will compete at Beijing Olympic Games 2008 will stay in the Olympic Villa and will have to accept the same treatment granted to any other athlete, without the privileges of previous editions.
"The players will have the same treatment athletes of other fields are offered," the president of the Brazilian Football Confederation (CBF), Ricardo Teixeira, sentenced, on an interview published by O Globo.
"I've already tried some other ways (offering privileges and special treatment) and it didn't work. In Atlanta 1996 we had the best squad, the delegation stayed in the best hotels, we spent 5 million dollars, and we lost," Teixeira added.
Capturing the Gold medal, the only relevant trophy missing from the Brazilian soccer record, has turned into an obsession, among other, for Teixeira himself.
Monday, March 3, 2008
Brazil's soccer team to stay with other athletes at Olympic village this time
Contrary to past years, Brazil's soccer team will not be given special treatment and will stay with other athletes at the Olympic village in Beijing.
Ricardo Teixeira, president of the Brazilian soccer confederation, said the team will receive the same treatment as all other Brazilian athletes even if stars including Kaka and Robinho are summoned to play, according to an interview with the O Globo newspaper on Sunday.
"I've tried other ways and it didn't work," he said. "In Atlanta, we had the best team, stayed in the best hotels, spent US$5 million (€3.3 million) and didn't win."
The Olympic gold medal is the only major title missing from Brazilian soccer's trophy case, and in past Olympiads the confederation has sought to provide an edge at the Summer Games to end that omission.
"It's an Olympic team, so the players will stay at the Olympic village and where the Olympic committee assigns it to stay and will travel with a commercial airline," Teixeira said.
Brazil was runner-up in 1988 in Seoul and 1984 in Los Angeles, when Dunga was a player. Brazil earned bronze in 1996 in Atlanta.
http://www.iht.com/articles/ap/2008/03/02/sports/LA-SPT-OLY-SOC-Brazil-Accommodations.php
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