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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Corinthians cautious about Pato debut

Corinthians coach Tite admitted Sunday he does not know when Brazil international striker Alexandre Pato will make his debut for the club.

Pato joined the reigning FIFA Club World Cup champions last week after five years with Italian Serie A giants AC Milan.

The Sao Paulo-based outfit has prescribed a special training program designed to nurture the 23-year-old back to full fitness following a sequence of injuries that has restricted him to just 25 matches in the past two years.

"Pato is progressing but he is still in the process of reaching match fitness," Tite said on Sunday after his team's 1-0 victory over Mirassol in the Campeonato Paulista.

"Until the physical trainers give me permission to select him I am going to be on their case. I will be doing my best to make sure that he is playing sooner rather than later."

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Brazil's Football Leaders Confirm Attendance at Soccerex Global Convention

Soccerex is delighted to announce that following an official invite from visiting senior Soccerex delegates the Federação Paulista de Futebol (FPF) President and FIFA Executive Committee member, Marco Polo Del Nero will be attending the Soccerex Global Convention alongside the Brazilian Football Confederation (CBF) President and 2014 LOC Chairman, José Maria Marin, who will be speaking at the opening ceremony in Rio de Janeiro, 24-28 November 2012.

José Maria Marin is the former governor of São Paulo and previously president of the FPF. He was the Vice President of the CBF representing the South Eastern region from 2008-2012 before becoming CBF president in March 2012, in the same month he was named Chairman of the 2014 FIFA World Cup Brazil Organising Committee. Marco Polo Del Nero became president of the FPF in 2003 with a clear aim of strengthening the relationship between league clubs and the State of São Paulo. In 2007 he was inducted as a member of the Executive Committee of the Confederation of South American Football. Most recently he was appointed to the FIFA Executive Committee as one of only three South American representatives and became Vice President of the CBF representing the South Eastern region.

Speaking on his involvement at Soccerex, CBF President and 2014 LOC Chairman, José Maria Marin said: “I am excited to be participating in the opening ceremony of my first Soccerex event, and look forward to exploring a Convention that has already made such a significant impact on our football business. It is a very important moment in our sporting history and events like this will help Brazil to lay the foundations for an excellent World Cup.”

Commenting on the announcement, Soccerex CEO Duncan Revie said: “I am so pleased that these two senior figure heads in Brazilian Football have accepted our invitation to the Soccerex Global Convention in Rio de Janeiro. Mr Marin and Mr Del Nero are vital for the development and success of football in Brazil and the forthcoming FIFA World Cup. Their attendance at the Convention is a huge honour for us and confirms the event as the world’s leading football business event.”

The Soccerex Global Convention is a five day business event consisting of a comprehensive seminar line-up, a number of networking opportunities, a two-day football festival and a packed exhibition which is already close to selling out.

Held in a purpose-built venue within the Forte de Copacabana, with panoramic views of both the famous Copacabana and Ipanema beaches, the exhibition is a hub for business activity; as one of the main components of the convention it provides a platform for leading suppliers from around the world to showcase the latest industry products and services to delegates.

Originally appeared here

Brazil 2014 World Cup preparations on track say organisers

In less than one year Brazil will play to host to the Confederations Cup football tournament, the traditional warm-up event for the World Cup, which will take place in the country in 2014.

By next June organisers need to have six stadiums ready for the two-week event, as well as the surrounding infrastructure and communications network in place.

There have been some voices of criticism about the preparations, including from former football legend Romario, a 1994 World Cup winner-turned-politician.

But the man in charge of delivering the two events is confident that everything is on track.

"We are really in a good position, we are moving forward well - I am talking not only about the World Cup, but also the Confederations Cup next year," says Ricardo Trade, operations director of the 2014 World Cup local organising committee.

We want to show that our country can receive far more visitors than it does at present”

"We are closely monitoring how work is progressing in the stadiums in the 12 [World Cup host] cities; and we are very confident about the work programme in these cities.

"We are also closely liaising with Fifa, as they are helping us to build these stadiums for the two events, and producing constant feedback and monitoring reports on progress so far."

Mr Trade - who estimates the World Cup will inject 112.8bn reais (£36bn; $56bn) into the Brazilian economy by 2014 - says city, state, and, increasingly, federal authorities, are also working closely with event organisers.

"They are all working to improve the infrastructure of our cities and of our country for the World Cup and Confederations Cup," he said.

"It is not our role, but we are monitoring the infrastructure progress in each city, as well as at the stadiums".

Mr Trade estimates that some 22.4bn reais (£7bn: $11bn) is being invested in World Cup infrastructure projects, such as the stadiums, roads, airports and public transport.

Ricardo Trade, operations director of the 2014 World Cup local organising committee Mr Trade says there is constant scrutiny of the stadium development programme

On the actual running of the World Cup, he is also in frequent talks with Fifa and the operators of the 12 stadiums "to ensure that this complex structure functions correctly".

Mr Trade is looking to establish common policy across the dozen venues in the areas of hospitality, medical services, marketing, the press, TV, security, accreditation, technology, transport, logistics and cleaning.

The organisers' relationship with Fifa in the past has been somewhat rocky, with the world football governing body having raised concerns about delays in stadium renovation.

           

WORLD CUP 2014 VENUES

    Belo Horizonte (CC 2013)

    Brasilia (CC 2013)

    Cuiaba

    Curitiba

    Fortaleza (CC 2013)

    Manaus

    Natal

    Porto Alegre

    Recife (CC 2013)

    Rio de Janeiro (CC 2013)

    Salvador (CC 2013)

    Sao Paulo

However, last month Fifa sounded more emollient when it reported on the progress of work in the stadiums, the roads, and the airports.

"There is still a lot to do but we are on the good track, and there are currently no stadiums in the red," said Fifa.

One continued infrastructure worry though is the state of progress on upgrading Brazil's airport network, essential in such a large country and one where there is no established rail network.

Of 13 terminals being upgraded, 10 are unlikely to be completed by June 2014, a government-backed Institute for Applied Economic Research report said this spring.

"As I mentioned, this is not our responsibility, but we are confident they will be ready on time," asserts Mr Trade.

Meanwhile, World Cup legend Romario has criticised the finances around the tournament, and also questioned whether the capital Brasilia needs such a huge, 75,000 seater stadium.

The former forward, now a member of Brazil's Chamber of Deputies, says the arena will never see a big football game again after 2014.

Romario in action for Brazil in the 1994 World Cup final Romario has been asking questions about the staging of the World Cup

"It is not my position to talk about Romario, he is a very important guy," says Mr Trade.

However, he says that a lot of "good stadiums" have been built in Brazil that were not used only for football, but for other sports and activities too.

"Maybe that is the solution they will use here," Mr Trade says.

And he insists that organisers are "not going to abandon stadiums" after the World Cup, but that they will be taken over by operating companies after the 2014 event.

In Rio, where the finals of both the Confederations Cup and World Cup will be hosted, he says there is the "challenge" of renovating the iconic Maracana stadium, "a major part of the country's football heritage".

'Not just Rio and Sao Paulo'

At another World Cup host city, Belo Horizonte, they are digesting the lessons learnt on a recent visit to study the operations of the London Olympics.

"I was very impressed by the work of the volunteers," says the city's World Cup executive co-ordinator Flavia Rohlfs.

Flavia Rohlfs of the Belo Horizonte World Cup organising committee Flavia Rohlfs has been in London to study how the Olympic Games operated

"They were everywhere and I liked the way they were constantly asking people if they were OK."

The city has not posed any problems for Fifa when it comes to the preparation of their stadium, and Ms Rohlfs says work is also progressing well on transport preparations.

A three-line bus rapid transit (BRT) system is being build, and two new roads.

The city's main international airport is being upgraded to handle more passengers, as is the secondary airport in order to handle more charter and domestic passengers.

And Mr Trade says that tourism across the entire country can flourish during the World Cup

"We want to show that our country can receive far more visitors than it does at present," he says.

"We want people to visit not just Rio and Sao Paulo, but all 12 cities."

Original article:  http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-19255581

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

Olympic soccer: Mexico stun Brazil to win gold

MEXICO STUNNED BRAZIL to win their first gold in the Olympic men’s football tournament as Oribe Peralta’s double clinched a shock 2-1 victory over the five-time world champions.

Peralta struck after just 30 seconds and the Mexican striker sealed one of the all-time great Olympic upsets when he scored again late in the second half.

Hulk got one back in stoppage-time but Mexico, playing in their first Olympic final, were deserved winners as Brazil once again failed to end their long wait for a first football gold.

While Brazil have graced the World Cup with some of the best players and most dazzling performances ever seen on football’s grandest stage, the Selecao have never managed to replicate those golden moments at the Games and this was another miserable chapter in their Olympic history.

Brazil, bronze medallists in Beijing in 2008, lost in the Olympic final in 1984 and 1988 and their failure to win gold has rankled with such a proud football nation for decades.

Mano Menezes’s team are unlikely to get a sympathetic reception on their return home after such a lacklustre display riddled with nerves and defensive blunders.

From Rio to Sao Paulo those unconvinced by Menezes had already begun to whisper that former Brazil coach Luis Felipe Scolari should be installed in time to lead the nation’s bid to win the World Cup on home soil in 2014 and those calls will get even louder after Mexico’s giant-killing act.

After sweeping to the final with five successive wins, Brazil were heavy favourites and Mexico’s chances looked even slimmer when Tottenham striker Giovani dos Santos was ruled out with a hamstring injury suffered during the semi-final win over Japan.

But the Mexicans had won three of their past five matches against Brazil, including a 2-0 friendly victory in June, and there was no sign of an inferiority complex as Luis Fernando Tena’s side made an astonishing start.

Just 30 seconds had been played when Manchester United right-back Rafael da Silva dwelt on the ball and then poked a hesitant pass towards Sandro, who was caught flat-footed as Javier Aquino stole possession.

Peralta latched onto Aquino’s pass and the Santos Laguna striker advanced unchecked before slipping a clever low shot past Brazil goalkeeper Gabriel from just outside the penalty area.

Brazil seemed shell-shocked by such a disastrous opening. It took 21 minutes for Brazil’s first shot on target and Menezes was growing increasingly frustrated on the touchline.

By the 32nd minute he had seen enough and hauled off Alex Sandro, with Porto striker Hulk sent on.

That at least gave Brazil a brief spark and defender Marcelo slashed wide after Oscar’s flick gave him a sight of goal, then Hulk surged forward and forced Jose Corona to parry his long-range strike.

Leandro Damiao was quickly onto the rebound, but Corona recovered his footing to block the striker’s follow-up.

Brazil needed more from Neymar in the second half but the Santos striker’s composure deserted him when he lashed a good chance high over the bar.

Marco Fabian should have made Neymar pay for that miss when the Mexico midfielder harried Juan Jesus out of possession. But Gabriel blocked Fabian’s first shot and from the rebound the Mexican’s overhead kick looped onto the crossbar.

Moments later Peralta saw his shot ruled out for offside, but Brazil’s defensive frailties were exposed again in the 75th minute.

When a free-kick was curled over from the right, Peralta was granted the freedom of the penalty area to power home a header that left Brazil exchanging angry recriminations.

Hulk gave them hope of a dramatic late fight-back when he burst through to drive a low shot under Corona in the first minute of stoppage-time.

And incredibly Oscar should have forced extra-time, but the Chelsea midfielder headed over with the goal at his mercy as Mexico held on.

Original article:  http://www.thejournal.ie/mexico-brazil-olympic-football-final-peralta-hulk-554961-Aug2012/

Brazil wins U20 soccer title

Oscar scored a hat trick to lead Brazil to a 3-2 win over Portugal in extra time on Saturday to win the Under-20 World Cup.

Oscar got the winner in the 111th minute, lobbing a shot from the right that was tipped by Portugal keeper Mika onto the underside of the crossbar before going in. He also scored in the 5th minute, and again in the 78th.

Alex levelled in the 9th minute for Portugal and Nelson Oliveira's 59th minute goal put the Europeans ahead. Brazil fought back to take its fifth U-20 title, having been the runner-up two years ago. Portugal was seeking its third title.

Brazil was the clear favourite for the match between former colony and coloniser, but it was an even contest from start to finish, with only the brilliance of Oscar making the difference.

“This really makes us happy, because now we have matched the record of the senior team,” Brazil coach Ney Franco said, referring to the five World Cups Brazil's top side has won.

Portugal coach Ilidio Vale said the result was “not completely just” but acknowledged Brazil's “high quality team.”

“We were close to the dream, but we could not quite win it,” Ilidio said.

Asked about Ilidio's claim of injustice, Franco replied: “I disagree with what he (Ilidio) said. “The trophy is in our lockerroom.”

Oscar made the difference with his three goals - his first three of the 3 1/2-week tournament - in a performance that is sure to bring the big European clubs knocking on the door of the 19-year-old Internacional playmaker.

He broke through in spectacular style, sending a 40-meter (yard) free kick into the far corner, catching goalkeeper Mika flat-footed. It was the first goal yielded by Portugal in the tournament after six clean sheets in the previous matches.

Oliveira set up Portugal's equaliser when he ran to the byline and cut the ball back across the face of the goal with Alex tapping it home.

Just a minute later, Brazil appeared to score, with a bouncing ball going over the Mika's head. Replays suggested the ball had crossed the line, but American referee Mark Geiger let play go on.

Brazil always looked more threatening in the first half but could not find a way through Portugal's formidable defense, crowding the front of the goal. The South Americans led in every statistical category in the first half and had 55 percent of the possession.

Oliveira put Portugal ahead in the 59th. He broke down the right, beat defender Juan and his shot from a sharp angle beat Brazil goalkeeper Gabriel at the near post.

Brazil's equaliser came in the 78th. Mika blocked the initial shot by Dudu, but Oscar slotted the ball home.

Brazil had a slight edge in possession over the 90 minutes and a 9-4 edge in shots on target, though Portugal often looked the more threatening.

Prior to Oscar's winner, the best chance in extra time fell to Portugal's Cateano, who broke down the right and forced Gabriel into a point-blank save, knocking the ball away with both hands.

Both teams seemed run down in the final minutes, perhaps affected by playing at 2,600 meters (8,600 feet) in the Colombia capital. However Ilidio said “I don't think the altitude was an important factor. We had chances to score in win in extra time, as did Brazil.”http://www.blogger.com/img/blank.gif

The result avenged the result of the 1991 final, when Portugal defeated Brazil on penalties.

Portugal has won the U-20 title twice, far behind the leader Argentina with six.

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Pele named honorary ambassador for 2014 World Cup

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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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.

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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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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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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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Alexandre Pato can become Brazil's new Ronaldo – Mano Menezes

National team boss tips his young striker to go on and scale great heights in the game, believing that he can be an integral part of his side's future successes

Brazil coach Mano Menezes feels AC Milan striker Alexandre Pato has what it takes to become the new Ronaldo.

Pato, 21, is in the Brazil squad for the Copa America and his coach expects him to thrive like the legendary forward, who won two World Cups and is the competition's all-time top scorer with 15 goals.

"The fans always expect to see someone who will replace their previous idols and now they want Pato to be a Ronaldo or Romario," Menezes is quoted as saying by La Repubblica.

"I ask for calm because I feel Pato has the right characteristics to occupy Ronaldo's place.

"People are always talking about Neymar, but Pato has the quality to become the player we all want him to be."

Brazil's Copa America campaign kicks off on July 3 against Venezuela.

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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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Rich Man Brazil

Richest Men of the World

Eike Batista (No. 8)

Source: Mining, oil
Citizenship: Brazil

Brazil's richest man is gearing up to take over the world. Making a play for foreign investors, Batista announced this year the opening of an office in New York and his intention to list some of his companies on the London Stock Exchange.

Through his holding company, EBX, Batista controls businesses spanning mining, shipbuilding, energy, logistics, tourism and entertainment. After months of discussions, he was triumphant in February in taking control of Canadian gold outfit Ventana. Two-thirds of his fortune comes from OGX, the oil and gas exploration company he founded in 2007 and took public a year later. He says the company will start producing oil this year. In rare recent setback, his planned IPO for his shipbuilding business (OSX), meant to be the world's largest IPO in 2010, was a disappointment and has had a lukewarm reception in the Brazilian market.

The son of Brazil's revered former mining minister, who presided over mining giant Companhia Vale do Rio Doce, got his start in gold trading and mining. Onetime champion offshore powerboat racer; formerly married to Playboy cover girl. In media interviews he's been warning Carlos Slim Helú that he'll soon take his spot as the world's richest man, but he still has a ways to go.

Rich Man Brazil

Brazil speeds up World Cup preparation

The Brazilian government announced measures on Monday to speed up preparations to host the soccer World Cup in 2014, boosting spending and cutting red tape for public works projects.

The move follows growing concern in recent weeks, including by the soccer world governing body FIFA, that preparations for the sporting event were seriously delayed.

The debate put the spotlight on numerous obstacles to investment in Brazil's fast-growing economy and angered President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, who has been touting the tournament as an accomplishment of his government ahead of October's presidential election.

Brazil will also host the 2016 Olympic Games in Rio de Janeiro.

In a signing ceremony arranged at short notice, Lula pledged 5.5 billion reais to revamp airports in the 12 cities that will host the soccer tournament.

He also lifted restrictions on the ability of cities to raise debt to pay for infrastructure such as roads, stadiums and trains.

Lula, who called some of the concerns senseless, said the latest measures would avoid problems Brazil had with funding the 2007 Pan-American Games in Rio de Janeiro.

The federal government also donated real estate and earmarked 740 million reais on Monday to allow seven cities, including Rio de Janeiro, to overhaul their ports and facilitate docking of large cruise ships.

"Certainly it will be an alternative to the lack of hotels," said Pedro Brito, the ports minister.

Lula blamed the Sao Paulo state government, which until April was run by the opposition presidential candidate Jose Serra, for failing to provide an adequate stadium to host the World Cup.

"Frankly, I can't imagine a World Cup in Brazil without Sao Paulo as one of the corners for athletes to play ball," Lula said during the ceremony in the capital Brasilia.

Original story:

Stemsport - soon to be available in Brazil?

StemSport

The StemSPORT regime is the latest Stem Cell Nutrition offering coming out of California's STEMTech HealthSciences, the Stem Cell Nutrition company. STEMTech and its Chief Science Officer Christian Drapeau have been increasingly in the news over the last two years for their breakthrough work in the field of Adult Stem Cells.

The STEMTech mantra, supported by double blind scientific studies, is that Adult Stem Cells made by a person's own bone marrow are nothing less than the body's natural renewal system. The STEMTech product line increases the release and circulation of Adult Stem Cells by some 25% with some extraordinary results. StemSPORT is their first entry into the Sport's Nutrition market.

Sports guru and STEMTech V.P. Heather Livingston said the NBA All Star Weekend venue for launching the sports Stem Cell Nutrition product is symbolic.

"With StemSPORT we're empowering distributors to proactively impact the performance of all athletes, amateur and professional, by assisting in reducing muscle recovery time. What more visible start than with the Legends of Basketball?"

Scientist and author Christian Drapeau explains how the Stem Cell enhancers function to maximize human performance: "Supporting the release of stem cells from the bone marrow and increasing the number of circulating stem cells improves various aspects of human health. For very active and sports focused people, Stem Cells are the raw materials to repair micro-tears and micro-injuries created during training."

The results, according to Drapeau, are that active people, whether former NBA stars or amateur weekenders, can exercise more intensely at each training session with the ultimate consequence of greater performance.

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Stubborn Dunga dug own grave

The ghosts of his stoic and at times arrogant selection blunders will surely come to haunt Carlos Dunga long after he has been delegated to what now seems a certain Brazilian coaching grave.

In a soccer-mad country where failure to win the World Cup is little short of a tragedy and invariably a non-negotiable commodity for any coach, Dunga went out on a limb when he inexplicably refused to include charismatic soccer genius Ronaldinho in his 2010 World Cup squad.

But almost as though fate took a hand in knocking the nails into Dunga’s coffin as Brazil slithered to a 2-1 defeat against Holland at Port Elizabeth’s Nelson Mandela Bay Stadium on Friday, it was Dunga’s controversially selected Felipe Melo that precipitated the jarring second-half decline of the five-time champions.

Although a talented player, Melo has experienced an alarming decline in form over the past 12 months so much that he has regularly been booed by supporters of Juventus, in Italy, where he is now based after a series of blunders not dissimilar to those he committed against The Netherlands.

In the first instance it was Melo’s header that deflected the Jabulani ball into the net past bemused goalkeeper Julio Cesar for The Netherlands’ second-half equaliser.

Then again it was the hapless Melo who was responsible for Brazil being reduced to 10 men in the 68th minute when he needlessly stomped all over Arjen Robben.

And Dunga’s world – or should that be World Cup – fell apart after he had also stuck by a combination he had pieced together 12 months earlier while stubbornly disregarding the loss of form of a number of other players apart from Melo.

He resorted to utilising three defensive midfielders following the injury to Elano and playing Dani Alves, one of the world’s leading full-backs, out-of-position in a role where his talents are largely negated.

And, apart from the non-selection of Ronaldinho, the implacable Dunga had also turned his back on brilliant AC Milan striker Pato and a host of dynamic, emerging young Brazilian stars.

That is how Dunga dug his own grave.

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Brazil’s Beautiful Game Now Has Tougher Edge

By whatever means the Dutch think they can knock Brazil out of the World Cup, getting physical would not be a good idea. This is a big Brazilian team, the tallest, strongest and most physical in memory.

Its defenders will be taller and clearly bigger man to man than their Dutch counterparts in Friday’s quarterfinal game in Port Elizabeth. And if Mark van Bommel has notions of roughing up Kaká the way he did little Leo Messi in the Champions League last year, he might consider two things: the referees in this World Cup have been consistently hard on that kind of play, and Kaká is one of eight Brazilian starters (and 13 on the 23-man roster) who stand above 6 feet.

Indeed, Kaká has already been forced to miss a game during this tournament for what might euphemistically be termed getting his retaliation in first. A man of silky skills, Kaká has added steel, as anyone playing under Coach Carlos Dunga must.

Dunga was tough as a player. As a coach, he is unequivocal: stand up and fight for the right to play or he will select someone who will.

Brazil’s muscle has been growing for more than 40 years. Some might ascribe this to Dunga, 46, but he is a mere disciple — an extreme one perhaps — of a toughening-up process that dates to 1966. It was then that Pelé, the greatest player of them all, was battered out of the World Cup in England. First the Bulgarians kicked him, then the Portuguese. The Brazilians never forgot that in the Portugal game it was a British referee, George McCabe, who allowed the rough play that hobbled Pelé and led to Brazil’s being eliminated in the group stage.

Long before Dunga was a player, Brazil dispatched trainers and coaches to study physical preparation at the German sports institute in Leipzig. The Beautiful Game that fans know and love — and hope for from Brazil from time to time — gives way to emulating Europeans, sacrificing flair for method.

Dunga was the anchor of perhaps the most structured Brazilian team to be world champion, in 1994. He watched Brazil win the trophy again in 2002, but lose in the quarterfinals in Germany four years later.

That was when he came in as coach. His work is evident in the way Brazil performs now, a style that is so athletic that many former Brazilian players are Dunga’s foremost critics. The former star Socrates has called the new Brazil “an affront to our culture.”

Socrates was a tall, thin midfielder who appeared to walk on stilts when he played in the 1980s. He was elegant and languid in his movements, but his type would never get near the Brazil of Dunga.

It is not simply a question of height. The members of Dunga’s team — with the exception of the recently repatriated winger Robinho and the reserve defender Gilberto Melo — play for clubs in the rugged leagues of Europe. Goalkeeper Júlio César, right back Maicon and central defender Lúcio, the team’s captain, helped Inter Milan win the Italian League, the Italian Cup and the Champions League in May.

César, playing at this World Cup in a back brace to protect a recent injury, is game-tested and among the few first-rate goalkeepers Brazil has produced. Boys in Brazil prefer to play offense. Even some defenders, like Lúcio and Maicon, love nothing better than to stride out of their defensive positions and counterattack.

Dunga does not deny them the right, provided they observe the safety-first ethic of his game plan. This, moreover, must be the first Brazil seleção, the national team, that strives to win matches on set plays like corner kicks rather than simply off the flow of the game.

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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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