Football legend Pele on Tuesday accepted an invitation from Brazilian President Dilma Rousseff to act as an honorary ambassador for the 2014 World Cup.
The 70-year-old Brazilian said it was an honour that he could not turn down.
"From the first World Cup that I played (in 1958) I've been doing this: I defend and promote Brazil. It's a very big responsbility and I could not turn down the invitation," said Pele.
Pele told his compatriots to show their pride in hosting the tournament by putting aside criticism over delays and the slow pace of preparations to stage the best World Cup possible.
Sports Minister Orlando Silva said that Pele had been a natural choice because of "all he had done for sport in Brazil. He's a man who knohttp://www.blogger.com/img/blank.gifws a lot about the world of football. He's going to help and represent us".
Pele won the World Cup three times - 1958, 1962 and 1970 - and is the top scorer of all time with 1,281 goals throughout his career.
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Thursday, July 28, 2011
Monday, July 25, 2011
Copa America: Brazil
Coach Mano Menezes took over for Dunga after Brazil was bounced in the semi-finals of the last world cup. Many criticized Dunga’s style of play because it did not pay homage to the jogo bonito brand of soccer.
Mano Menezes was supposed to bring back the flair and creativity we all associate with Brazilian soccer. Santos superstars Neymar and Ganso, along with AC Milan striker Pato and midfielder Robinho were going to take Copa America by storm.
Reality quickly set in after they were held to a draw by Venezuela and escaped with a last minute draw against Paraguay. A 4-2 win against a declining Ecuador masked the overall problems which Brazil demonstrated in their first two games.
Much talked about Neymar was substituted out in critical points in Brazil’s last two games, which speaks volumes about the coaches confidence in the young starlet. The talent is undeniable, but much maturity is still needed for Neymar to be a sure-fire superstar. He too often plays as if playing on the local playground, and forgets soccer is a team game while playing with blinders on.
Furthermore, referees have grown tired of his diving and flopping and often times referees do not give him the benefit of the doubt on fouls.
Ganso was handed the coveted “10” shirt and at moments looked the part with his slick passing and uncanny field vision. However, these moments were few and far between for the Brazilian attack to be effective.
Dani Alves was out of sorts and found himself on the bench in favor of Inter Milan’s Maicon, who brought more depth to the Brazilian attack on the right side.
Attacking left-back Andre Santos was average at best and provided little to the attack.
Robinho was his usual self, which is to say unconvincing and uninspiring. He made ineffective runs and errand passes all tournaments.
Pato was given little service as Neymar and Robinho did their worst “FIFA STREET” imitation.
Chelsea midfielder Ramires was nowhere to be seen in his defensive midfielder spot. His passes were erratic and often times lost possession in the midfield, which led to opponent counter-attacks.
Defenders Lucio and Thiago Silva were solid, but goalkeeper Julio Cesar was suspect, giving up questionable goals to Ecuador.
Although many will say they were unlucky not to beat Paraguay in the quarter-final round, the fact remains this team only plays in spurts with little consistency.
Also, there is no excuse for missing FOUR straight penalty shots in the shootout. There is no doubt that the field was in horrid conditions, but these are professional players, making more money than we can imagine to kick a ball http://www.blogger.com/img/blank.gifabout a field.
Read more:
Mano Menezes was supposed to bring back the flair and creativity we all associate with Brazilian soccer. Santos superstars Neymar and Ganso, along with AC Milan striker Pato and midfielder Robinho were going to take Copa America by storm.
Reality quickly set in after they were held to a draw by Venezuela and escaped with a last minute draw against Paraguay. A 4-2 win against a declining Ecuador masked the overall problems which Brazil demonstrated in their first two games.
Much talked about Neymar was substituted out in critical points in Brazil’s last two games, which speaks volumes about the coaches confidence in the young starlet. The talent is undeniable, but much maturity is still needed for Neymar to be a sure-fire superstar. He too often plays as if playing on the local playground, and forgets soccer is a team game while playing with blinders on.
Furthermore, referees have grown tired of his diving and flopping and often times referees do not give him the benefit of the doubt on fouls.
Ganso was handed the coveted “10” shirt and at moments looked the part with his slick passing and uncanny field vision. However, these moments were few and far between for the Brazilian attack to be effective.
Dani Alves was out of sorts and found himself on the bench in favor of Inter Milan’s Maicon, who brought more depth to the Brazilian attack on the right side.
Attacking left-back Andre Santos was average at best and provided little to the attack.
Robinho was his usual self, which is to say unconvincing and uninspiring. He made ineffective runs and errand passes all tournaments.
Pato was given little service as Neymar and Robinho did their worst “FIFA STREET” imitation.
Chelsea midfielder Ramires was nowhere to be seen in his defensive midfielder spot. His passes were erratic and often times lost possession in the midfield, which led to opponent counter-attacks.
Defenders Lucio and Thiago Silva were solid, but goalkeeper Julio Cesar was suspect, giving up questionable goals to Ecuador.
Although many will say they were unlucky not to beat Paraguay in the quarter-final round, the fact remains this team only plays in spurts with little consistency.
Also, there is no excuse for missing FOUR straight penalty shots in the shootout. There is no doubt that the field was in horrid conditions, but these are professional players, making more money than we can imagine to kick a ball http://www.blogger.com/img/blank.gifabout a field.
Read more:
Saturday, July 9, 2011
Brazil 2-2 Paraguay:
Fred hits late equaliser to save Mano Menezes' side from shock Copa America defeat
The Fluminense man hit home in the 90th minute to rescue a point after goals from Roque Santa Cruz and Nelson Valdez had looked to have handed the Paraguayans all three points
A strike from Fred in the 90th minute rescued a point for Brazil against a Paraguay side who had looked to have secured a famous victory in Copa America Group B.
Jadson raised the hopes of the five-time World Cup winners with a goal before half-time, but strikes from Roque Santa Cruz and Nelson Valdez fired Paraguay to the brink of victory over the lacklustre favourites until Fred popped up late on.
Paraguay came flying out of the blocks on a gloriously warm winter's afternoon in Cordoba, and Newell's Old Boys winger Marcelo Estigarribia forced a save from Julio Cesar seconds in with a speculative shot from distance.
Brazil, meanwhile, began how they finished against Venezuela, attacking with little purpose or urgency and relying on individual forays from Neymar down the left.
The Guarani should have taken the lead after just two minutes. Lucas Barrios did excellently to hold up the ball and thread through to Santa Cruz, but his strike partner blazed over when only Cesar stood between him and an opener. Paraguay continued to work hard, pressuring the Selecao all over the pitch and provoking some awful mistakes in defence and midfield.
Jadson was the surprise inclusion minutes before kick-off in place of Robinho, and the Shakhtar playmaker was key in Brazil's first foray on goal. A neat exchange between him and Ganso opened up the defence for Alexandre Pato's benefit, but the AC Milan man chose to try and dribble round Justo Villar and was denied well by the goalkeeper.
After a bright start the game started to lose intensity, and a section of frustrated Brazil fans pleaded for the inclusion of Kaka and Lucas to give life to a side looking chronically short of ideas in the final third. Paraguay, meanwhile, retreated back into their own half, although Estigarribia and the hulking Nestor Ortigoza impressed in the middle - the San Lorenzo man demonstrating his strength with several huge challenges.
Just before half-time, however, Brazil found the key to take the initiative. With 38 minutes on the clock, Jadson found himself with space on the edge of the area after some patient, one-touch build-up. The 27-year-old fired home precisely to the left of Villar to record his first ever international strike, sending a rejuvenated Selecao into the break 1-0 to the good.
It would be Jadson's last contribution in the match as he was sacrificed by Mano Menezes at half-time in favour of Elano. They struggled to rediscover their rhythm after the break, however, and scrappy fouls started to characterise a messy start to the second period. Paraguay were on top, and it was no surprise when they levelled.
Huge spaces could be found in the middle of the field, and the Guarani took full advantage as they streaked down the left. The excellent Estigarribia reached the byline and raked the ball across goal, and Santa Cruz was there to atone for his earlier miss by calmly slotting past Cesar.
A spell of dominance for Gerardo Martino's team followed, but with 20 minutes to go Neymar spurned a glorious opportunity to take the lead. The Santos man found himself all alone against Villar but, like Pato before him, he tried to be too clever. The repercussions were almost instant.
Paraguay broke immediately on the counter, and with Dani Alves nowhere to be seen the ball once more found it's way to Nelson Valdez in the middle. The Hercules man was denied by Cesar, but the ball rebounded kindly and at the second time of asking he managed to turn it in with his head. The Estadio Mario Kempes exploded with shouts from the Paraguayan fans, who comfortably outnumbered the Brazil contingent in the terraces.
Menezes threw on young Lucas Moura in an effort to kick-start his lacklustre team, but there was no way through a resilient rival defence. With just minutes left on the clock, however, substitute Fred picked up Ganso's ball and drove in from the edge of the box, breaking the hearts of the Paraguay support and saving a point for Brazil.
Brazil remain level with the Paraguayans on two points in Group B, and Venezuela or Ecuador could go top if either manages to record a win in Salta.
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The Fluminense man hit home in the 90th minute to rescue a point after goals from Roque Santa Cruz and Nelson Valdez had looked to have handed the Paraguayans all three points
A strike from Fred in the 90th minute rescued a point for Brazil against a Paraguay side who had looked to have secured a famous victory in Copa America Group B.
Jadson raised the hopes of the five-time World Cup winners with a goal before half-time, but strikes from Roque Santa Cruz and Nelson Valdez fired Paraguay to the brink of victory over the lacklustre favourites until Fred popped up late on.
Paraguay came flying out of the blocks on a gloriously warm winter's afternoon in Cordoba, and Newell's Old Boys winger Marcelo Estigarribia forced a save from Julio Cesar seconds in with a speculative shot from distance.
Brazil, meanwhile, began how they finished against Venezuela, attacking with little purpose or urgency and relying on individual forays from Neymar down the left.
The Guarani should have taken the lead after just two minutes. Lucas Barrios did excellently to hold up the ball and thread through to Santa Cruz, but his strike partner blazed over when only Cesar stood between him and an opener. Paraguay continued to work hard, pressuring the Selecao all over the pitch and provoking some awful mistakes in defence and midfield.
Jadson was the surprise inclusion minutes before kick-off in place of Robinho, and the Shakhtar playmaker was key in Brazil's first foray on goal. A neat exchange between him and Ganso opened up the defence for Alexandre Pato's benefit, but the AC Milan man chose to try and dribble round Justo Villar and was denied well by the goalkeeper.
After a bright start the game started to lose intensity, and a section of frustrated Brazil fans pleaded for the inclusion of Kaka and Lucas to give life to a side looking chronically short of ideas in the final third. Paraguay, meanwhile, retreated back into their own half, although Estigarribia and the hulking Nestor Ortigoza impressed in the middle - the San Lorenzo man demonstrating his strength with several huge challenges.
Just before half-time, however, Brazil found the key to take the initiative. With 38 minutes on the clock, Jadson found himself with space on the edge of the area after some patient, one-touch build-up. The 27-year-old fired home precisely to the left of Villar to record his first ever international strike, sending a rejuvenated Selecao into the break 1-0 to the good.
It would be Jadson's last contribution in the match as he was sacrificed by Mano Menezes at half-time in favour of Elano. They struggled to rediscover their rhythm after the break, however, and scrappy fouls started to characterise a messy start to the second period. Paraguay were on top, and it was no surprise when they levelled.
Huge spaces could be found in the middle of the field, and the Guarani took full advantage as they streaked down the left. The excellent Estigarribia reached the byline and raked the ball across goal, and Santa Cruz was there to atone for his earlier miss by calmly slotting past Cesar.
A spell of dominance for Gerardo Martino's team followed, but with 20 minutes to go Neymar spurned a glorious opportunity to take the lead. The Santos man found himself all alone against Villar but, like Pato before him, he tried to be too clever. The repercussions were almost instant.
Paraguay broke immediately on the counter, and with Dani Alves nowhere to be seen the ball once more found it's way to Nelson Valdez in the middle. The Hercules man was denied by Cesar, but the ball rebounded kindly and at the second time of asking he managed to turn it in with his head. The Estadio Mario Kempes exploded with shouts from the Paraguayan fans, who comfortably outnumbered the Brazil contingent in the terraces.
Menezes threw on young Lucas Moura in an effort to kick-start his lacklustre team, but there was no way through a resilient rival defence. With just minutes left on the clock, however, substitute Fred picked up Ganso's ball and drove in from the edge of the box, breaking the hearts of the Paraguay support and saving a point for Brazil.
Brazil remain level with the Paraguayans on two points in Group B, and Venezuela or Ecuador could go top if either manages to record a win in Salta.
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Friday, July 8, 2011
Copa America: Pato ready to fire Brazil to glory
Brazil striker Alexandre Pato is confident his side can still go on to lift their third Copa America title in a row, despite a disappointing 0-0 draw with Venezuela in their opening match.
A new-look team featuring the attacking talents of Robinho, Neymar and Ganso, as well as Pato, controlled proceedings for much of the match but were unable to breach their opponents’ defence.
The result, and uninspired performance, provoked an angry reaction from the media in Brazil with many pointing out that a pitchinvading dog got closer to the Venezuelan goal than the eight-time winners.
However, Pato, who hit the woodwork on Sunday night, remains upbeat about the Selecao’s chances and believes lessons have been learned as they prepare for their final two group games against Paraguay and Ecuador.
“We all want to do our job and bring Brazil to the top,” the 21-year-old said. “We did not have much time to train together. But this is just the beginning. If we had won in Venezuela, we would not be talking about this.
“There are two more games, we will win and will qualify to the quarter-finals. We are all convinced we can win the Cup but the team is new, the coach is new, everything is new.”
Brazil are no strangers to sluggish starts at the Copa America. In 2004, their blushes were saved in their opening match against Chile by a 90th-minute Luis Fabiano winner, while they were beaten 2-0 by Mexico in their first game four years ago.
On both occasions they went on to claim the title and Pato doesn’t see why his fellow youngsters can’t repeat the trick this time around and complete a hat-trick of wins, especially as Paraguay and Ecuador also drew.
“We’re not concerned about the draw against Venezuela,” he added. “While we expected a different result, a victory, the other teams tied. So the Cup begins again.
“Every game is different. We had a pretty good first half against Venezuela. The only thing missing was a goal. The game against Paraguay will be different as they will play us on equal terms. There will be more spaces.”
With an attacking triumvirate behind him, Pato was asked by Brazil coach Mano Menezes to lead the line on his own against Venezuela until the second-half introduction of Fred. But the AC Milan forward revealed he wasn’t feeling any extra pressure and is keen to score the goals in Argentina that help fire his side to the quarter-finals.
“I do what Menezes asks because I want to help the team get three points against Paraguay,” he said. “My role is to secure and keep the ball for the team on the offence. Also, I have an obligation to score goals, because I am the centre forward.”
Meanwhile, Paraguay coach Gerardo Martino has vowed to go on the attack when his team meet Brazil on Saturday. Los Guaraníes are also looking for their first goal of the tournament but Martino believes their best chances of success lie in taking the game to their opponents.
“We will not give up the intention of playing, attacking and to win the game,” he said. “We are not a perfect team. But we are working to maintain attention, concentration, and work-rate for 90 minutes.”
Martino is well aware of the attacking threat posed by Brazil though:“Dani (Alves) goes on forever, outside, inside; he is almost a No10. Not only Alves, but Ganso, Robinho, Pato, Neymar and many more.”
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A new-look team featuring the attacking talents of Robinho, Neymar and Ganso, as well as Pato, controlled proceedings for much of the match but were unable to breach their opponents’ defence.
The result, and uninspired performance, provoked an angry reaction from the media in Brazil with many pointing out that a pitchinvading dog got closer to the Venezuelan goal than the eight-time winners.
However, Pato, who hit the woodwork on Sunday night, remains upbeat about the Selecao’s chances and believes lessons have been learned as they prepare for their final two group games against Paraguay and Ecuador.
“We all want to do our job and bring Brazil to the top,” the 21-year-old said. “We did not have much time to train together. But this is just the beginning. If we had won in Venezuela, we would not be talking about this.
“There are two more games, we will win and will qualify to the quarter-finals. We are all convinced we can win the Cup but the team is new, the coach is new, everything is new.”
Brazil are no strangers to sluggish starts at the Copa America. In 2004, their blushes were saved in their opening match against Chile by a 90th-minute Luis Fabiano winner, while they were beaten 2-0 by Mexico in their first game four years ago.
On both occasions they went on to claim the title and Pato doesn’t see why his fellow youngsters can’t repeat the trick this time around and complete a hat-trick of wins, especially as Paraguay and Ecuador also drew.
“We’re not concerned about the draw against Venezuela,” he added. “While we expected a different result, a victory, the other teams tied. So the Cup begins again.
“Every game is different. We had a pretty good first half against Venezuela. The only thing missing was a goal. The game against Paraguay will be different as they will play us on equal terms. There will be more spaces.”
With an attacking triumvirate behind him, Pato was asked by Brazil coach Mano Menezes to lead the line on his own against Venezuela until the second-half introduction of Fred. But the AC Milan forward revealed he wasn’t feeling any extra pressure and is keen to score the goals in Argentina that help fire his side to the quarter-finals.
“I do what Menezes asks because I want to help the team get three points against Paraguay,” he said. “My role is to secure and keep the ball for the team on the offence. Also, I have an obligation to score goals, because I am the centre forward.”
Meanwhile, Paraguay coach Gerardo Martino has vowed to go on the attack when his team meet Brazil on Saturday. Los Guaraníes are also looking for their first goal of the tournament but Martino believes their best chances of success lie in taking the game to their opponents.
“We will not give up the intention of playing, attacking and to win the game,” he said. “We are not a perfect team. But we are working to maintain attention, concentration, and work-rate for 90 minutes.”
Martino is well aware of the attacking threat posed by Brazil though:“Dani (Alves) goes on forever, outside, inside; he is almost a No10. Not only Alves, but Ganso, Robinho, Pato, Neymar and many more.”
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Tuesday, July 5, 2011
Brazil's Alexandre Pato: Draw against Venezuela is not a bad result
AC Milan forward claims that his side's failure to score in their opening match was not a disaster and that they will still qualify for the knockout stages of the tournament
Brazil striker Alexandre Pato has spoken out about his country’s goalless draw in their Copa America opener against Venezuela, and feels the result shows that there are no easy games in the competition.
The Selecao were subjected to criticism for failing to hit the target in a match that saw a resilient Venezuela side grab a deserved point.
The AC Milan hitman hit the woodwork, as close as Brazil came in the contest, but Pato remains optimistic that the team can challenge for the title.
“We created many dangerous situations which we were unable to finish, but the draw is not bad,” the striker told the press.
“What is clear is that there are no easy games or simple opponents. The result against Venezuela is a reflection of that. Hopefully we can improve our form for the next game and get a result that allows us to dream of qualifying.”
The other teams in Brazil’s group - Paraguay and Ecuador – also played out a goalless draw, meaning that Mano Menezes’ side do not have to play catch-up, despite their slip.
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Brazil striker Alexandre Pato has spoken out about his country’s goalless draw in their Copa America opener against Venezuela, and feels the result shows that there are no easy games in the competition.
The Selecao were subjected to criticism for failing to hit the target in a match that saw a resilient Venezuela side grab a deserved point.
The AC Milan hitman hit the woodwork, as close as Brazil came in the contest, but Pato remains optimistic that the team can challenge for the title.
“We created many dangerous situations which we were unable to finish, but the draw is not bad,” the striker told the press.
“What is clear is that there are no easy games or simple opponents. The result against Venezuela is a reflection of that. Hopefully we can improve our form for the next game and get a result that allows us to dream of qualifying.”
The other teams in Brazil’s group - Paraguay and Ecuador – also played out a goalless draw, meaning that Mano Menezes’ side do not have to play catch-up, despite their slip.
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