World Cup - Brazil's first 2014 stadium holds inaugural match

The Arena Castelao, the first of Brazil's 2014 World Cup stadiums to be completed, held its first matches on Sunday: a doubleheader in the northeastern Copa do Nordeste.

But despite the inspiration of having World Cup record goalscorer Ronaldo in the stands of the stadium opened by President Dilma Rousseff last month the teams managed only one goal to mark the occasion.

Fortaleza and Sport drew 0-0 before Bahia beat Ceara 1-0 with a goal from former Brazil and Manchester United midfielder Kleberson.

The matches were preceded by a ceremony attended by Ronaldo, Brazil's sports Minister Aldo Rebelo, FIFA general secretary Jerome Valcke and Jose Maria Marin, president of the Brazilian Football Confederation.

Sunday's matches in the Gaucho championship in the southern state of Rio Grande do Sul were cancelled after the tragic deaths of more than 200 people in a fire at a night club in the city of Santa Maria.

The state's top clubs Internacional and Gremio posted messages on their websites declaring three days of mourning and put their flags at half mast in their stadiums.

The main attraction was to have been former Brazil coach Dunga's first game in charge of Internacional at Caxias.

Brazilian champions Fluminense drew 1-1 with Botafogo in the season's first major "classico" in the Carioca (Rio) championship.

Fluminense, also the Carioca champions, went ahead through winger Wellington Nem after a one-two with right back Bruno in the 38th minute.

Botafogo hit back after the interval when former Dutch international Clarence Seedorf, who came on as a substitute, crossed for central defender Bolivar to head the equaliser.

Brazil ace Neymar saved Santos from defeat with a last minute penalty, his fourth goal in three matches, for a 1-1 draw with Bragantino in the Paulista (Sao Paulo) championship.

Neymar, who helped Santos win the Paulista title the last three years, was tightly marked and unable to repeat his brilliant performances of previous matches.

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Brazilian Congress limits powers of FIFA, IOC

Brazilian lawmakers have limited the powers of FIFA and IOC over projects related to the 2014 World Cup and 2016 Olympics.

In a bill aimed at reducing the bureaucracy for infrastructure work for both events, a clause was removed that allowed FIFA and the International Olympic Committee to request project changes without cost limits to the Brazilian government.

It was approved late Tuesday by the lower house of Congress. The bill also added an element of transparency after critics had complained that details on previous bidding processes had not been made available to the public.

The bill will go before the Senate, which is likely to approve it. Brazilian President Dilma Rousseff has said she will immediately sign it into law.

"The goal was to make the text more clear, to show that no superpowers were given to an international body," Brazil Sports Minister Orlando Silva said on his radio program Wednesday. "But Brazil will fulfill all requirements made by FIFA and will abide to their recommendations."

There had been widespread criticism after the legislation was initially approved by the lower house a few weeks ago, with local media and watchdog groups saying the changes could open the door for misuse of public money and overspending.

Supporters argued that without the measure, it would be difficult to finish all the work in time for the World Cup and the Olympics because the bidding law was inefficient in several areas, especially when considering the challenges of hosting the world's top sporting events.

The new text guarantees that the bidding processes will be properly monitored and that all details will be open to the public.

"The changes were made so there is no doubt that there won't be any restrictions," Silva said. "The restrictions are only for the companies involved in the bidding."

The bill is intended to reduce the time needed to set up and conclude bidding processes, eliminating some of its stages and some requirements necessary for approval.

The measure also approved the creation of an aviation secretariat to oversee the country's civil aviation agency and the nation's airport authority. Government officials have acknowledged that the lack of adequate airport infrastructure is one of the biggest challenges Brazil is facing ahead of the World Cup and the Rio Olympics.

Stadium construction is also a problem, but Silva said the government is working with the host cities to try to expedite work. The minister urged Sao Paulo legislators to quickly approve a tax break that would help fund the stadium in South America's biggest city. Sao Paulo wants to host the World Cup's opening match, but it is yet to start building its venue.

"There is no plan B for Sao Paulo," Silva said. "The city is running the risk of delivering the stadium only in 2014, which is complicated."

Sao Paulo has already been ruled out of the Confederations Cup, along with the northeastern city of Natal.

Brazil is hosting the World Cup for the first time since 1950, and the games in Rio will be the first in South America.

Also Tuesday, Rio mayor Eduardo Paes made official the creation of the Olympic Municipal Company, which will handle the projects related to the 2016 Games.

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Brazil 3, Chile 0

Rhythmic or Ruthless, Beauty Is in Eye of Brazil

Let others complain about a lack of beauty. Dunga, Brazil’s coach, is concerned only about winning. The World Cup is, after all, a soccer tournament. The goal is to put another trophy in the case, not to hang a picture on the wall.

With its usual pragmatic reliance on set pieces and rampaging counterattacks, Brazil routed Chile, 3-0, on Monday night at Ellis Park. Seeking a sixth World Cup title, it advanced to the quarterfinals, where it will face the Netherlands on Friday.

If Brazil no longer plays samba soccer, sometimes seeming disjointed and desultory in attack, it remains formidable with an athletic and remorseless defense and enough moments of individual brilliance to summon the beautiful game and to lament its absence.

Monday’s victory was Brazil’s most impressive of its three so far. It featured glimpses of ostentation and fluidity that recalled a more elegant past. But mostly the match was one of dogged hustle and incessant running to intercept Chile’s florid attack, strip it and boomerang it in the opposite direction.

“We already said in these World Cup games, we have to go forward and play open football,” Dunga said. “That’s what everybody wants to see.”

In the 35th minute, Maicon’s corner kick found center back Juan, who was challenged only by other teammates seeking to score, not by any Chilean defenders. Juan headed the ball sharply from 10 yards, and Chile goalkeeper Claudio Bravo raised his right hand too late as Brazil went ahead, 1-0.

Three minutes later, Brazil scored on a quick counterattack. Maicon whipped a long pass to midfield, and Kaká headed the ball to Robinho, who was streaming down the left flank. Robinho crossed back to Kaká, who slid the ball perfectly forward to Luís Fabiano in the penalty area.

Chile’s offside trap failed, and Luís Fabiano stepped around the charging Bravo and tapped the ball into an empty net, scoring his third goal in four games and giving Brazil a 2-0 lead.

Kaká no longer has the commanding presence that made him the world player of the year in 2007, but he is slowly building in this World Cup after an injury-thwarted season at Real Madrid. After sitting out the final group match with a suspension, Kaká returned with graceful passing to fuel Brazil’s potent counterattacks.

He does, however, have to remain careful after drawing his third yellow card in four matches.

“Yes, it is a problem,” an irritated Dunga said. “Technical players are punished, and those who always commit fouls aren’t. This is lamentable.”

Brazil’s final goal came in the 59th minute, when midfielder Ramires stole a pass at midfield, dribbled through acres of open space and passed at the top of the penalty area to Robinho. His one-touch shot curled around Bravo and inside the right post, putting Brazil ahead, 3-0.

If Brazil is not always brilliant, it does possess remarkable depth and resourcefulness. Elano, who had two goals and an assist in group play, and Felipe Melo were absent from midfield with injury. They were hardly missed.

Ramires had played only 15 minutes in Brazil’s first three games, but he was ruthlessly efficient on Monday’s third goal. The other replacement midfielder was the kinetic Dani Alves, who happens to be the right back for Barcelona.

Before Monday’s game, Dunga defended his team’s style. This is becoming a daily occurrence, like shaving. Brazil’s World Cup titlists from 1958, 1962 and 1970 are remembered fondly because of the polishing of time and the enhancing of their artistry through edited video remnants, Dunga suggested.

“They just show the good parts,” Dunga said. “If we take the current Brazilian team and just show the best bits, fans will think it is a spectacular team. But today, they show as many negative moments as good ones.”

He continually reminds reporters that soccer today is different in terms of fitness and tactics and pressure. But he also concedes that it is human nature to think fondly of the past, knowing that his team also has the possibility to grow in affection with the passage of time.

“My grandfather always told my father football was better in his day, and my father told me the same,” Dunga said. “I tell my son it was better in my day, and my son will in turn tell his boy that football during his time was the most beautiful.”

For now, beauty can take a back seat to mercilessness.

Chile has developed a swarming attack under Coach Marcelo Bielsa, who is known as El Loco. It plays a style that sits on the razor’s edge between self-assuredness and self-immolation. On Monday, Chile experienced the same futility as it had against Spain, charging forward but leaving itself vulnerable to whiplash counterattacks.

Forward Humberto Suazo, who led South America with 10 goals during World Cup qualifying but played little over the last two months because of injuries, started and grew sharper as the game went on.

But neither he nor his teammates could do more than threaten. Chile has now lost eight consecutive times to Brazil, conceding 29 goals.

“The superiority of Brazil was too much for us,” Bielsa said. “We were unable to slow them down. They were quick to take advantage of every crack we had in our defense.”

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Soccer - Brazil not losing any sleep over goalless draw

Brazil's stalemate with Portugal was the first World Cup group game since 1978 they have failed to score in and the first in 12 years they have not won although coach Dunga is unlikely to lose any sleep over it.

Already assured of a place in the last 16, Brazil were on Friday without suspended playmaker Kaka, rested Robinho who had complained of muscle fatigue and were also missing the injured Elano, who scored in each of their first two games.

Even so, they dominated an often petulant, bad-tempered match against their former colonial masters, who themselves needed a point to absolutely guarantee they would qualify from Group G and showed little appetite for adventure.

Robinho, who forgets the problems that have dogged his club career when he puts on a Brazil shirt, has been one of their liveliest players here but Nilmar proved an able replacement.

The Villarreal striker, who has the impressive tally of eight goals in 15 internationals, was twice close to opening the scoring in the first half and his close control and speed made him a constant nuisance for the Portuguese rearguard.

The absence of Kaka was more keenly felt, especially after he set up two goals in the 3-1 win over Ivory Coast last Sunday when he appeared close to returning to his best.

Kaka's explosive bursts from deep in the midfield, vision and clinical finishing, often from long distance, make him one of Brazil's most feared players, even when he is not fully fit.

DUNGA FRUSTRATED

After Brazil's sixth goalless draw of his nearly four years in charge, coach Dunga again expressed frustration at the way opponents shut up their defence when they play his side.

"All teams take extra care when they face Brazil, there was nothing unusual about Portugal's tactics," he said.

It was a rather odd complaint from Dunga, who is himself much more comfortable when Brazil -- who had scored in every World Cup group match since their 0-0 draw with Spain in 1978 -- can play on the counter-attack.

Under Dunga, Brazil's best results have come away from home, where their opponents are forced to come out and attack.

Their World Cup qualifying campaign included 4-0 wins in Venezuela and Uruguay, a 3-0 win in Chile and a 3-1 win in Argentina while home results included goalless draws against Venezuela, Argentina, Bolivia and Colombia.

For all their lack of imagination, Brazil at least proved they are difficult to break down and only once looked in danger but were let off when Raul Meireles fluffed a chance. They have won 18 of their last 21 games and are unbeaten in nine.

Portugal never looked like a team who won their last game 7-0 and their performance had fear written all over it. But they are in the last 16 for the second World Cup in a row even if a chorus of jeers drowned out the vuvuzelas at the end.

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Dunga expects better from Brazil

Brazil open their World Cup campaign with victory over North Korea

Brazil boss Dunga expects his team to improve considerably following their 2-1 win over North Korea in their opening Group G match in Johannesburg.

Second-half goals from Maicon and Elano gave Brazil a 2-0 lead before Ji Yun-nam's 88th-minute strike set up a nervous final few minutes.

"The start is the most difficult match, you have a long wait for this and the anxiety builds up," said Dunga.

"I'm not entirely happy but this is common in football."

The five-time world champions were frustrated by a resilient first-half defensive display by the unheralded North Koreans, 104 places below their opponents in Fifa's rankings.

Robinho posed a constant threat with the ball at his feet but, despite a number of promising attacking moves, Brazil could not penetrate North Korea's three central defenders until after the interval.

"When we come across a team that is also offensive it creates the necessary space but it is very difficult against some teams to develop a counter-attack," added Dunga.

"North Korea passed extremely well and defended extremely well but nevertheless Brazil were able to create a number of opportunities."

It took a moment of inspiration in the 50th minute from full-back Maicon to break the deadlock, firing a superb goal with the outside of his right boot from an acute angle to beat goalkeeper

"I thought of everything which I went through to get to this moment," reflected the Inter Milan defender.

"It was my first World Cup match, I didn't cry but I was very happy with the goal I scored.

"It is important to start with a victory and we did it. It was a good step toward our goal of being in the final on 11 July."

Maicon's goal at first seemed a touch fortuitous but Dunga insisted it was no fluke.

"We have training drills and I can tell you it's not the first goal that Maicon has scored in this fashion," stated Dunga.

"It's not so much an error by the goalkeeper but creativity on the part of Maicon. Yes, the goalkeeper could have stayed [on his line] but he anticipated that the ball was going to be crossed."

While Robinho impressed, Galatico Kaka was less influential and was replaced by Villarreal striker Nilmar in the 78th minute."

The Real Madrid star has been restricted by a series of injuries this season, although Dunga insisted his plan was to replace the midfielder during the second half.

"We had already anticipated that Kaka would be substituted - he wasn't going to play the full 90 minutes because he hasn't played a full game in five months," commented Dunga.

"We wanted to increase the rhythm and speed of our team so at 2-0 up we wanted to replace him."

Robinho is confident that the three points will allow his team to improve in their next two group matches against the Ivory Coast and Portugal.

"It wasn't our best match but at least we got the win, that's what matters now," he said.

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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.

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Picking World Cup Squads in the Dark

The World Cup in South Africa is one month away, but the 32 national team coaches are obliged to name at least provisional squads right now.

Some will need the judgment of Solomon to know which players are ready to peak. Some are already clinging to medical opinions about the recovery of long-injured stars. And, with Europe’s club season not yet finished, some are having to pencil in players who might yet break a leg before they even reach training camp.

It is ever thus in the global picture of overlapping calendars. But as public expectations rise, from Australia to Brazil, from Honduras to Japan, some national coaches are placing almost spiritual trust in players whose fitness or form have long been suspect.

Brazil, of course, is most people’s choice to push it to the limits because Brazil, the first country to hire whole phalanxes of mind and body specialists around its national team, has the experience of winning five World Cups.

Brazil’s coach, Dunga, has 190 million countrymen telling him whom to pick and whom to discard. He dares to tell Brazilians that flair alone will no longer beat the world. His methods are more pragmatic, more based on physical fitness than many would like.

Dunga has what may prove to be his only opportunity to win the World Cup as a coach, as he did in 1994 as a player. He decided to name his definitive 23 players this week, rather than allow the national debate to continue to June.

On Tuesday, Dunga did what those who know him expected him to do — he stuck to his principles. He resisted the clamor to recall Ronaldinho and Adriano. He ignored the popular appeal to promote Neymar and Paulo Henrique Ganso, the exciting rising stars of Pelé’s old club. He stuck solidly to players he has tried and trusted over the past two years.

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World Cup favourites Brazil

THERE was a moment in the second half of Brazil’s game against the Republic of Ireland, at the Emirates stadium on Tuesday, that showed what the team have become under their pragmatic coach Dunga. By then, Brazil were in control and when centre-back Juan won another challenge with Kevin Doyle, it seemed nothing more than a routine moment.

In challenging for possession Doyle lost a boot and after the ball had been cleared, he turned to retrieve it. Juan noticed the forlorn footwear and smashed it out into touch. Doyle couldn’t quite believe what he had seen.

Dunga’s Brazil are strong and committed, they work hard and defend well. As Juan crassly reminded us, making friends is not a priority. He took as much notice of Doyle’s annoyance as the coach did of the fan with the ‘Dunga, why not Ronaldinho?’ banner. They aim to win.

The feeling is that Dunga won’t take Ronaldinho to the World Cup, preferring the team-orientated creator, Kaka, and Dunga is in a Brazilian minority that believes a team can have too much creativity. Not only Ronaldinho but even Pato and Diego may not make Dunga’s World Cup squad. Brazil are not overloaded with brilliance but in Dunga’s scheme, the more prosaic qualities are valued.

They were well matched by the Republic in the first half but once the Irish began to tire, Brazil’s strength and skill began to tell and a two-goal victory could have been four or five.

With Spain, Brazil deserve to be World Cup favourites. What is certain is that they will be a very difficult side to beat. Equally certain is that Dunga’s way will not meet with unanimous approval, certainly not in his home country.

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Brazil Sambas Into Olympian Joys, Challenges

It’s time to develop a taste for caipirinhas, Brazil’s national cocktail, and to learn how to samba. Unless you are an Olympic athlete, that’s most of what you need to know to prepare for the 2016 Olympic Games, which on Friday were awarded to Rio de Janeiro.

For the first time, the International Olympic Committee has chosen a South American city to host the Olympics.

Rio’s victory over richer, more developed places -- Chicago, Tokyo and Madrid -- continues a welcome trend of acknowledging the growing importance of developing countries. The World Cup next year will be hosted by South Africa and in 2014 it will be held in Brazil.

The IOC’s choice sent an emotional jolt through the country. Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, Brazil’s charismatic president who enjoys an 81 percent approval rating and who worked hard to support Rio’s bid, cried when the vote was announced. Some 30,000 people celebrated on Copacabana Beach.

The games present a tremendous opportunity for Brazil. The Olympics will give Brazilians a huge shot of self-confidence and boost the country’s tourism industry and Rio’s public transportation system. It’s also an opportunity to counter the violent imagery of drug lords, gang murders and grinding poverty realistically captured in films such as “City of God” (2002). Those scenes have replaced postcard images of beaches and mountains that used to seduce people around the world.

Military Maneuvers

It would be a mistake to skip a trip to the 2016 Games due to concerns about safety. Rio has hosted large international gatherings such as the 1992 Earth Summit and the 2007 Pan American Games. When the world’s attention is on them, Brazilians don’t take chances. During these types of events, law enforcement is shifted from the local police, who don’t exactly enjoy a reputation for moral rectitude.

Instead, Brazil’s military runs security, sporting assault weapons and tanks. If you think Rio’s drug kingpins are crazy enough to conduct business as usual under those conditions, think again.

It’s worth noting also that Rio hasn’t been subject to terrorist attacks like those that sadly hit Madrid and London, where the 2012 Olympics will be held.

Challenges Abound

The greatest challenge for Rio and Brazil probably isn’t the Olympics itself, but its aftermath. Is the country capable of doing anything to improve the life of millions of slum kids living in Rio’s favelas, which climb the mountainsides just blocks away from fashionable neighborhoods like Ipanema? Besides making a few extra bucks by juggling tennis balls at busy intersections, will their lives change dramatically because of this event? Probably not.

Regardless of which city hosts the Olympics, some things are certain.

The event will cost three times more than originally budgeted. The estimated cost of the 2016 games is 25.9 billion reais ($14.5 billion). Still, lack of money won’t be an issue. Brazil’s monetary authority can simply print more money if necessary. That’s no different from what the world’s developed nations are doing.

Architectural white elephants will dot the landscape. Stadiums, gymnasiums, cycling centers, athlete dorms and so much more infrastructure will be little-used eyesores as soon as the closing ceremony concludes.

Athletes may take home medals, but politicians and politically connected business people are the ones who really achieve success at any Olympics.

Collective Society

Finally, don’t expect Brazil to experience a home court advantage and win buckets of gold medals.

Brazilians aren’t a greedy bunch and they are always happy to please foreigners.

Medal counts tend to favor individual performances, like the ones U.S. swimmer Michael Phelps gave on his way to winning a record eight gold medals at the Beijing Olympics.

Brazil is too much of a collective society to cultivate stars who excel as lone performers in events like swimming and gymnastics. Brazil’s strengths are team sports like soccer, volleyball and basketball.

It is rare to see a Brazilian athlete turn to the camera, pound his chest and say he’s competing to win gold, such as swimmer Cesar Cielo Filho did before breaking the world record in the 100-meter freestyle last July in Rome. Perhaps Cielo will teach other Brazilian athletes, especially those who don’t have the opportunity to practice in the U.S. as he does, to do the same.

That might be the most important legacy of Rio’s 2016 party.

http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=20601039&sid=aa0KLdK_V0Xg

To contact the writer of this column: Alexandre Marinis in Sao Paulo at amarinis1@bloomberg.net

Global Soccer: Academy for Brazilians on the Fields of Italy

Before a ball was kicked in the Serie A season, the national coach, Marcello Lippi, expressed the wish that the Italian league would make the world sit up and notice its quality before the World Cup in 2010.

Maybe it will. But it might not be the Italians doing it.

The eye-catching performances in AC Milan’s 2-1 victory in Siena on Saturday night were Alexandre Pato and Ronaldinho in the attack and Alessandro Nesta and Thiago Silva in defense. Three of the four are Brazilians who are hoping the Italian league makes their national coach, Carlos Dunga, sit up and notice them.

The other, certainly, is pure Italian, Roman in fact. But Nesta, classy defender though he could once claim to be, is 33 and coming back gingerly from a back injury that many feared might finish his career.

In the hot and humid late summer Tuscan night, the dovetailing of Nesta and Thiago was exactly what Milan needed after the retirement of the club captain, Paolo Maldini.

“Thiago helps him, Nesta guides him,” Leonardo, the new Milan coach, said on television after the game. “They complete each other.

“Sandro had the possibility of not playing anymore. This gave him an incredible motivation to return the same player as before.”

Thiago, almost a decade younger, tall and strong but also quick because he started his career as a winger with Fluminense, is, of course, a Brazilian, like his new coach.

Before Saturday, Leonardo had never coached in competitive sports. Now he is entrusted by Silvio Berlusconi, Milan’s president and Italy’s prime minister, to take care of his team. A player at the highest level, a World Cup winner with Brazil, but, before this summer, more of an aide, a talent scout to the president, Leonardo has replaced Carlo Ancelotti who had five years as a Milan player and eight as its coach.

The first player Ancelotti tried to take with him when he decamped to Chelsea in June was Milan’s “baby,” another Brazilian, Pato. Ancelotti had called Pato a phenomenon of youth — swift, with a powerful shot, superb balance and, something that nobody can coach, that extra sense of where the goals are.

Berlusconi said yes to selling Kaká, his Brazilian playmaker, to Real Madrid soon after Ancelotti left. He said no, at any price, to letting Pato go.

Those who have followed this remarkable youngster can sense why. But he looks a youth no longer. His birth certificate says he was born in Pato Branco, in the south of Brazil, 19 years ago, but the growth of beard, the possibly still-growing stature, the sometimes almost calloused expression, makes him a man before his time.

Pato, whose real name is Alexandre Rodrigues da Silva, slipped back to Brazil to marry the actress Sthefany Brito last month. Their honeymoon was short; Milan, like many a top European club, had scheduled a summer tour to make dollars in the United States.

It had lost eight out of 10 matches leading up to the Serie A start on Saturday. Leonardo claimed he was little troubled by that because he had seen the form and the pride being primed by his players for the real thing.

“I’m in the role now of thinking about others’ emotions, not mine,” said the coach. “My rapport with Berlusconi is very good. Berlusconi is in love with Ronaldinho. He thinks he has a pearl at home that needs to be used at its best.

“I have known Ronaldinho forever. I know his story, I played for years with his brother, I’m Brazilian. With Ronaldinho, it’s now or never with Milan and with the national team. Pato is an incredible talent who must affirm himself in the national team. I think they and Thiago will soon return to Brazil’s lineup.”

They are not on the squad named for the Sept. 5 crunch qualifying match in Rosario, Argentina. But five Serie A players are on the squad, as are Kaká and Adriano, who recently left AC Milan and Inter. As Lippi wished, the Italian league is being noticed, if only as a major part of a Brazilian renaissance.

What illuminated the tough opening fixture in Siena on Saturday was hugely Brazilian. Ronaldinho, pulling the strings of imagination behind the running of Pato and Marco Borriello, has some way to go to recapture the magical Ronaldinho of three or four seasons ago with Barcelona.

But little by little, the passes of Ronaldinho, the timing, the spontaneity split Siena’s rugged, he-man back line. There were men there who tried to kick Pato from the thighs down, but Ronaldinho knew where to put the ball, in places where those pack dogs would not snap at the younger Brazilian.

Each goal that Pato scored and at least four other chances emanated from Ronaldinho’s exact passes and Pato’s intuitive running. Add to that Borriello’s willingness to be the selfless foil and the pace of Marek Jankulovski down the left, and the two goals might well have been five.

Milan, despite six players missing through injury and its new striker, Klass-Jan Huntelaar, suspended, did just enough to win. Siena leveled after Pato’s first goal, but never looked likely to do so twice.

Pato turns 20 next month. He was sadly, almost comically, pursued by a pack of Siena players angry with him for teasing and wasting time at the end — but Pato has been upsetting older players since he was 3.

That is when he was spotted, and he then played futsal, indoor soccer. By 11 he had moved in with 83 boys and youths in the training academy of Internacional in Porto Alegre. After 10 games for that club, Pato, then 17, was sold to Milan.

Italy has been preparing him for Brazil ever since.

http://www.nytimes.com/2009/08/24/sports/soccer/24iht-SOCCER.html

A Brazilian education

'The Year My Parents Went on Vacation'

A little boy whom a fickle fate has cast into the care of a grouchy, religiously devout Jewish man finds himself locked out of the bathroom and needing to pee into the houseplant in a new drama/comedy set at the onset of the turbulent 1970s. Mauro's indiscretion exposes him to scrutiny over a far more grievous divide from his host Shlomo's point of view: between cut and uncut.

In The Year My Parents Went on Vacation, we follow the adult world through the eyes of a soccer-obsessed lad on the cusp of puberty. This 12-year-old boy (Michel Joelsas) is left behind when his Socialist parents flee Brazil's military dictatorship. Mauro waits outside the door of his elderly grandfather, a Holocaust survivor who, unbeknownst to his family, has died in his one-chair barbershop. Mauro is adopted by Sao Paulo's small community of elderly Jews. A Polish refugee, Shlomo (the late Germano Haiut, one of his country's leading actors, in a sublime swan song) blunders into surrogate parenthood by offending the boy with ghastly food, cold showers and a propensity for looking for gaffes in one's religious observance. Mauro's is his failure to be circumcised.

A young female friend introduces the boy to coming attractions when she guides him and other neighborhood lads to furtive peepholes carved into the ladies' dressing room of her parents' clothing store. Mauro learns to integrate himself into a neighborhood where Brazil's soccer fate is considered as dear as life itself. Photographed in a rich sepia tone that celebrates childhood memory, Cao Hamburger's haunting fable was strong enough to hold its audience after a PG&E crew cut off juice to the Castro Theatre during the recent Latino Film Festival.

In person, Hamburger is a charming man whose film contains an optimistic view of a nation still struggling with dire poverty and the highest drug-fueled homicide rate in the Western Hemisphere.

Cao Hamburger: Do you know Carl Jung?

David Lamble: You mean Jungian archetypes?

Exactly. We have a stronger archetype of a mother nation: we have good music, good weather, beautiful beaches, beautiful nature — it's a very warm mother. But the father side of our country is weak because we have dictatorship, corruption and social problems. We are orphans when it comes to fathers.

I loved the kids peeping into the ladies' dressing room.

The film is about putting your foot into the adult world. That scene is part of my co-writer's (Claudio Galperin) experience because he was raised in this [garment district] neighborhood. But is there anyone who has grown up and never peeped?

http://www.ebar.com/arts/art_article.php?sec=film&article=466

Soccer-Kaka (the Brazilian) named Italian players' player of the year

Mon Jan 28, 2008

AC Milan playmaker Kaka was named the Italian players' association player of the year on Monday for leading his side to European Cup glory last May with 10 goals.

The Brazilian was also named best foreign player of 2007 with AS Roma striker Francesco Totti winning the best Italian player award after claiming the European golden boot last season with 26 Serie A goals.

Roma coach Luciano Spalletti took home the manager of the year award for guiding his side to second place last season. Inter Milan coach Roberto Mancini was not even nominated even though his side romped to the title last term.

Former Lazio number one Angelo Peruzzi, who retired in May, was named best goalkeeper with Inter's Marco Materazzi winning the best defender gong and Riccardo Montolivo of Fiorentina scooping the best young player award.

AC Milan striker Ronaldo, who has struggled with injury this term, received a special champion of champions award for his displays for both Milan and Inter during the last 10 years.

The awards ceremony, known as the soccer Oscars, was held in Milan following a mid-season meeting between coaches, captains and referees to discuss recent controversial on-field incidents.

http://uk.reuters.com/article/worldFootballNews/idUKL2874060120080128

Pelé or Maradona: Who is the Greatest Soccer Player of All Time?

When talking about footballing greats, few others come close to being mentioned in the same breath as Pelé and Diego Maradona.

But that leads us to the much-debated question—who is the better of the two? Who is the greatest of them all?

Personally, I would say it is Maradona. The highlight of his career came in the summer of 1986, when the squat little man from Buenos Aires temporarily suspended physics and gravity. In ten seconds of pure magic, he danced past six English defenders, sidestepped the keeper and slotted home what is widely regarded as "the goal of the century."

And this came minutes after scoring the most controversial goal in history.

Pelé scored a record 1283 goals and won the World Cup thrice. But he played in probably the best football lineup ever—the 1960s Brazilian squad. Their victorious campaign of 1962, wherein Pelé was injured for the majority of the campaign, proves that they were capable without him. Moreover, Pelé was an out-and-out striker. His purpose was to finish and score goals. And for this reason, he was monotonous and boring.

Maradona lifted the World Cup only once, but he did it single-handedly. He led a team of not-so-gifted players to victory, and it is said that any of the eight teams in the ’86 quarterfinals with Maradona playing for them would have won the Cup. Such was his presence and contribution. He followed up his England match with two dazzling goals against Belgium and an assist that decided the final. At club level, he led Napoli to their only two Serie A titles and their sole UEFA Cup win.

Maradona was a more complete player than Pelé. Starting his runs deep in the midfield, he would weave past defenders and deliver dangerously precise passes or finish himself. His freekicks were also lethal. He rarely touched the ball with his right foot, except for balance. A magical left foot was all that took him to work his wizardry.

He courted controversy with the same enthusiasm that he reserved for his spectacular goals. His notorious "Hand of God" goal, and the bans owing to substance abuse, bear testimony to that fact.

His creativity and flair, coupled with technical brilliance and outstanding vision, led to many a wondrous goals. In moments of inspiration, he achieved on a football field what might be difficult to impersonate on canvas. Writing poetry with his feet, he conspired and executed moments of motion—outrageously brilliant and impossible in its beauty.

http://bleacherreport.com/articles/6784--Pel_or_Maradona_Who_is_the_Greatest_Soccer_Player_of_All_Time_-170108

Soccer coach returns to Iraq to provide expertise

BRAZIL OF THE MIDDLE EAST

"I've always said that Iraq is the Brazil of the Middle East. We have beautiful skill in this country, we have treasures walking on the ground that we must develop, not just below the ground in the form of oil," he said.

"More focus has to be put on this sport but Iraqi soccer needs organisation that begins at grass-roots level."

Iraq's national team shocked the sporting world last July when they won their first Asian Cup in emphatic fashion despite a lack of time to train, poor facilities and violence affecting squad members and their relatives.
The wildly celebrated victory became an inspiration for a country struggling to quell bloodshed and sectarian violence, encouraging youths seeking to emulate their heroes.
Jasim Hasan coaches an under-15s team in Baghdad's northwestern Shi'ite slum of Shula. He says Wohali's qualities are experience and his effective communication with children.
"The course was very good and he brings good experience with him from England. In Iraq, we are born to play soccer but we need to learn more of the technical side of the game," he said.
The daily 4-hour sessions involve children performing dribbles, as well as other physical exercises.

Youngster Hamza Hasan from Sadr City's under-13s said the new methods were a lot of fun.
"We've really enjoyed the training. He's a good coach and he makes us understand the game more with his encouragement, unlike the coaches here who are aggressive," he said, shortly before running off to join his team-mates running around cones.

Wohali, who holds a Football Association coaching licence and FA certificates, says he will return to England in two weeks and hopes to return again for a broader, more extensive course.
"A few days is not enough to qualify a coach. He needs to go into many courses to learn more. It's not enough but at least it's a start." (Writing by Mussab Al-Khairalla)

http://football.guardian.co.uk/breakingnews/feedstory/0,,-7202555,00.html