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

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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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.

Original:

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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Ranking all 32 World Cup squads

Good times are ahead for Kaka and Brazil.

Every nation in the World Cup has now made its way to South Africa, with final preparations in full flow.

All the conjecture and all the speculation is coming to a close; all the squad lists have been submitted; and the time is fast approaching when the planet can stop talking about this tournament and get on with the job of watching it unfold.

The merits of every squad have been pored over and analyzed for months, leaving us with assumptions of respective strength which – if history is anything to go by – will soon be blown out of the water.

The World Cup wouldn't be the World Cup without a healthy dose of surprises, with underdog teams and unheralded players grasping their moment in the South African sun. That's why ranking the finalists from 1 to 32 could be best described as a fool's errand that is certain to prompt its fair share of sneering I-told-you-so's before the group stage has even ended.

That said, here's our rundown of the teams which clinched their place in soccer's greatest showcase.

1. Brazil – Dunga's squad is packed with quality but, thanks to a tough draw, faces a rocky road to the final.

Read complete story and the rest of the rankings

Brazil to play friendly against Tanzania on June 7

The Brazilian Confederation of Soccer (CBF) announced on Tuesday that the country's national team will face Tanzania on June 7 in a friendly.

It will be the team's last warmup before the 2010 World Cup in South Africa.

The friendly will be held in Tanzania's capital city Dar Es Sallam.

With the friendly confirmed, the CBF is attempting to finalize one more friendly to take place on June 2 or June 3, possibly against Zimbabwe.

However, timing and negotiations have dragged, preventing an agreement to be finalized.

The CBF has avoided the possibility of facing any of the other 31 national soccer teams that will play in the 2010 World Cup. The entity denied an invitation from the host nation, South Africa for this reason.

Brazil will debut in the 2010 World Cup against DPR Korea on June 15 at the Ellis Park stadium in Johannesburg.

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World Cup 2010: Brazil must deal with favorites label

Having been a part of three World Cup teams himself, Brazil manager Dunga knows all too well the expectations that come with being a member of Brazil's national team.

They are expected to win every time they take the field, and when it comes to the World Cup for the five-time champions, anything less than winning the tournament is viewed as a failure.

"We have to learn to live with the favorites' tag," Brazil midfielder Kaka told FIFA.com. "We must not let it turn into something negative, as it has done in previous years."

In fact, Brazil nearly lived up to its own lofty expectations over the past four World Cups, reaching the final three times and winning the competition twice.

They were beaten by France in the 1998 final on French soil, but they will be out to redeem themselves after a poor showing in 2006 saw them eliminated at the quarterfinal stage, again by France.

Dunga came under some pressure for an inconsistent showing in the CONMEBOL region of World Cup qualifying that saw his team win just nine of its 18 matches.

However, they still managed to finish on top of the group, with Chile and Paraguay close behind, and they are now focused on getting back to where they belong, the final of the World Cup.

Like any other year, Brazil is one of the favorites on paper with a talent- laden roster that includes world-class goalkeeper Julio Cesar, as well as talented fullbacks Daniel Alves and Maicon.

Ronaldinho was a surprise omission from Dunga's roster, which will leave the role of creative midfield playmaker to Kaka, while gritty veteran Gilberto Silva brings a physical presence to the midfield.

Luis Fabiano has established himself as the team's top scoring threat up top, and he will get help from the talented but seemingly inconsistent Robinho.

Brazil will feel it's the better team against anyone it lines up against, and rightfully so. But the big question that always must be answered is how well they handle their own expectations.

After all, anything less than a sixth title is unacceptable.

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Chelsea Lining Up a Massive Summer Bid for AC Milan "Wonderkid" Pato

It has been in news recently that striker Alexander Pato may make a summer move from AC Milan. A spate of injuries this season have given him little action for the team.

Moreover, the inconsistent form of Milan has sparked speculation that Pato might consider lucrative offers in the summer.

Chelsea, who had made a failed bid for the highly-rated Pato the previous summer, is making plans to launch an ambitious bid of over £45million this summer to secure the signing of the Brazilian "Wonderkid."

Chelsea manager Carlo Ancelotti, who had previously coached the 20-year-old striker while in charge at AC Milan, is a long term admirer of Pato.

Alex the "Duck", as Pato is lovingly called, is known for his quick pace, skillful dribbling, and powerful shot. He is regarded as one of the most promising young prospects of world football along the same lines of Messi or Bojan.


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Brazil's Alexandre Pato Banking on Milan Performances to Alert Dunga

Only time will tell if his performance against Manchester United will have persuaded Dunga he is ripe for a comeback but Ronaldinho wasn't the only Brazilian in the Milan side hoping for a World Cup lifeline.

Alexandre Pato, another third of Milan's three-man attack in the first leg of their Champions League meeting in the San Siro, is also hoping for a plane ticket to South Africa.

The 20-year-old is enduring an injury-prone season and at one stage his club ordered dental treatment in a bid to solve the muscle problems that had kept him on the sidelines for two months.

"'Dinho and myself are here to play for Milan but a possible call-up to the national side depends on how we play in the red and black shirts," he admitted.

"If I play well with Milan, especially in the big games, then I can hope for a call up to the national team. I want to do my best for Milan and win things with this team but I also want to get back into the national team. It has always been my aim."

Pato's fitness problems meant he did not feature in the 22-man squad called up for next month's London friendly with the Republic of Ireland.

And that will be especially poignant for him as Arsenal's Emirates Stadium was where he made his senior debut, against Sweden in March 2008. He did so in some style too, needing just a few seconds to mark it with a goal, just as Pele had more than 50 years previously.

Another Italian-based player who was also left disappointed by Dunga's selection policy was Diego, the Juventus midfielder, but he too is reluctant to give up on the dream.

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World Cup Kaká and Brazil

Five-time winners will face a tough start to their 2010 World Cup campaign against Portugal and Ivory Coast

Is this an omen of sorts? Brazil, the five-times winners of the World Cup, will start their 2010 finals campaign at Ellis Park in Johannesburg, where the historic climax of the Rugby World Cup took place in 1995. Back then, it was South Africa's most imposing stadium. Next summer it will probably be overshadowed by a new generation of spectacular purpose-built or reconditioned arenas, but it seems an appropriate location for the heirs of Pelé, Jairzinho, Romario, Ronaldo and the rest to begin their challenge.

Brazil may need all the omens they can get, since they occupy the closest thing in the 2010 draw to a group of death, but they may count themselves fortunate to be kicking off with a match against North Korea, whose only previous appearance in the finals came in 1966, when they achieved a stunning elimination of Italy in their final group game before making a quarter-final exit after losing 5-3 to Eusébio's Portugal.

Next for Brazil in Group G come Ivory Coast, complete with Didier Drogba, Salomon Kalou and YaYa and Kolo Touré, on paper the strongest of the African contenders, full of experience at the highest level of European club football and certain to be highly motivated by the thought of carrying the flag for the host continent. And finally Brazil will meet Portugal, who only scraped into the finals by way of the play-offs but, barring further injuries, will have Cristiano Ronaldo back in the team and, despite the question marks over Carlos Queiroz's qualities as a head coach, will be pushing hard for a place in the last 16.

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Madrid offer €63 million for Pato

Real Madrid are reportedly ready to put in a €63 Million bid for AC Milan striker Alexandre Pato.

According to reports in La Repubblica, Madrid have singled out Pato as a top transfer target with Manuel Pellegrini keen to boost his attacking options to challenge for honours on all fronts.

Milan have already indicated that they are not interested in selling their young star, but this represents a similar scenario to Kaka's situation when Madrid came calling.

Pato moved to Milan in 2007 and is widely regarded as one of the upcoming superstars of the sport.

Nicknamed ‘The Duck', Pato was instrumental in helping Leonardo's side to a stunning 3-2 Champions League victory against his suitors at the Bernabeu earlier in the season.

Madrid currently have Raul, Karim Benzema and Gonzalo Higuain in attack but Pellegrini seems adamant that he needs an additional option.

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Ronaldinho Named 'Player Of The Decade' By World Soccer Magazine

World Soccer magazine named Brazil forward Ronaldinho as 'Player of the Decade' on Thursday. The World Player of the Year was awarded to Lionel Messi of Barca.

Ronaldinho emerged as winner after 10 annual votes between 2000 and 2009 by the readers were converted into points. The Brazilian has been already named ‘World Player of the Year’ in 2004 and 2005.He again tops the footballer list followed by Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo of Portugal and Real Madrid.

The European club champions Barcelona were named the Team of the Year.The 2009 Ballon D'Or award winner Messi is the first Argentine to win the prestigious World Soccer's World Player award since Diego Maradona in 1986.

Pep Guardiola who has had just a season with Barcelona was voted Manager of the Year. He left behind Wolfsburg coach Felix Magath and Manchester United's Alex Ferguson.

http://www.india-server.com/news/ronaldinho-named-player-of-the-decade-17677.html

Snubbed Brazil Star Pato Grabs Brace For AC Milan In Friendly

The attacking starlet continued his good run of form.

Nov 13, 2009 5:15:55 PM

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Alexandre Pato - Milan (Getty Images)

AC Milan have had a resurgent last month or so, as they have seen themselves climb from mid-table mediocrity all the way to third place, where they sit just two points behind Juventus.

One of their stars this season has undoubtedly been Alexandre Pato, a man who has scored eight times in all competitions, including a stunning brace at the Santiago Bernabeu, to lead his side to a 3-2 victory over Real Madrid in the Champions League.

The youngster was recently snubbed from Dunga’s Brazilian national team for their upcoming friendlies against England and Oman.

Nevertheless, the 20-year-old has made the most of his omission in a friendly match that Milan played against a local club.

The Milanese giants won 2-0, thanks to a brace from Pato, who grabbed a goal within the first minute of play, and then another midway through the first half.

Meanwhile, Alessandro Nesta was rested from the clash, after having nasal surgery, whilst Dida held his place in between the sticks. Pippo Inzaghi was at his best, however despite hitting the post on a couple of occasions, he failed to score.

Milan are unbeaten in their past eight outings in all competitions, and they will be confident of continuing this impressive run when they meet Cagliari at San Siro after the international break.

http://www.goal.com/en-us/news/86/italy/2009/11/13/1623498/snubbed-brazil-star-pato-grabs-brace-for-ac-milan-in

England to face Brazil on Saturday

Two of the world’s best soccer sides, England and Brazil, will face each other in an international friendly this weekend from Qatar as they continue their individual preparations for next summer’s World Cup.

England coach Fabio Capello has made a point of testing his team against World Cup contenders such as Spain, Germany and The Netherlands over the past year and this latest match will take place at the 50,000-seat Khalifa International Stadium in Doha on Saturday evening.

The last time England played Brazil was to celebrate the opening of the new Wembley Stadium in June of 2007 and the teams drew with one goal apiece. However, the bookmakers are slightly favouring Brazil this time out with SportingBet.com offering punters odds of 21/20 on the South Americans emerging triumphant.

Slightly longer, VictorChandler.com, 888Sport.com, Bet365.com, ToteSport.com, BlueSq.com, Ladbrokes.com and ExtraBet.com currently show odds of 11/10 for Brazil while BetFred.com is going with 6/5 alongside Expekt.com, StanJames.com and Coral.co.uk.

As both teams have already qualified for next summer’s action, there could be quite a bit of squad experimentation. Even so, WBX.com is offering Brazil at odds of 21/17 while PaddyPower.com and SkyBet.com show 5/4 followed by Betfair.com with 24/19 and BetDaq.com with 14/11.

England is currently third favourite to win the 2010 World Cup at odds of 6/1 with BetFred.com, SkyBet.com and Ladbrokes.com. This is behind Brazil and Spain at 9/2 and a defeat this weekend for either team could see those odds lengthen considerably.

SkyBet.com and Coral.co.uk are offering England at odds of 7/4 to win against Brazil while BetFred.com is going with 15/8. Punters can get 19/10 from BoyleSports.com while Ladbrokes.com, WilliamHill.com, ToteSport.com and StanJames.com currently list 2/1.

Not entirely bad, PaddyPower.com and Expekt.com show England at odds of 21/10 while Bet365.com, VictorChandler.com, BlueSq.com 888Sport.com and ExtraBet.com have 11/5 followed by SportingBet.com with 9/4.

Considering Brazil’s past pedigree, a draw could almost be seen as a win for England.

http://www.onlinecasinonews.com/ocnv2_1/article/article.asp?id=22390

Brazil’s 2016 Olympic Bid Gets Presidential Push

The easiest job in the world belongs to Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, as he supports Rio de Janeiro for the 2016 Olympics.

All da Silva has to do is say “Rio has the most beautiful beaches in the world,” and he has an instant audience.

He made this simple statement Tuesday in throaty Portuguese, with English translation, and right away I was picturing the long foamy waves and Corcovado in the background and, well, all right, I was also picturing “The Girl From Ipanema.”

In a week or so, da Silva will fly to Copenhagen for the Oct. 2 vote by the International Olympic Committee that will decide from among Chicago, Tokyo, Madrid and Rio. He will undoubtedly mention beaches. But he will also push his other talking points: Brazil is an emerging economic giant and it deserves to represent South America, which has never hosted the Olympics.

A union man, a former lathe worker, da Silva talks with passion about poor kids from Brazil or Argentina or Colombia who could “hop on a bus or a truck” to see the Games. It is not clear that any of the 106 voting members of the I.O.C. will care about this populist sentiment.

In New York to visit the United Nations on his way to Pittsburgh for the G-20 economic summit on Thursday and Friday, da Silva will then go to Copenhagen. He is following in the path of Prime Minister Tony Blair, who flew to Singapore in 2005 and chatted up I.O.C. members, apparently so successfully that London was chosen for 2012.

And then there was Vladimir V. Putin, who as Russia’s president traveled to Guatemala City in 2007 and turned on his K.G.B. charm until the city of Sochi was chosen to hold the 2014 Winter Games.

After those two missions, the folk wisdom is that it does not hurt to have a head of state work the room before the members take their secret vote.

“I have information on how London won,” da Silva said. “And yes, Blair talked to a lot of people.” Sebastian Coe, the head of the London organizing committee and a gold-medal runner, is also said to have turned a few delegates as London stunned Paris to win the vote for 2012. But the point was made: schmoozing just might work.

With that in mind, Japan’s new Prime Minister, Yukio Hatoyama, is considering traveling to Copenhagen and King Juan Carlos of Spain is expected to attend. But President Obama has said he is not going.

“I would make a case in Copenhagen personally if I was not so firmly committed into making real the promise of quality affordable health care for every American,” Obama said recently, adding, “But the good news is I am sending a more compelling superstar to represent the city and country we love and that is our first lady.”

Asked if it was helpful for a head of state to attend the meeting, da Silva volunteered that he has been talking to I.O.C. members for two years. When somebody noted that Michelle Obama would represent the United States in Copenhagen, da Silva said he was bringing his wife with him, “so it will be two against one.”

More damaging than the absence of President Obama is the reality that the acting chief executive officer of the United States Olympic Committee, Stephanie A. Streeter, and the president, Larry Probst, have relatively little standing in the I.O.C., which is known for clubbiness and contacts.

The I.O.C. president, Jacques Rogge, has said, rather ominously, that disputes with the U.S.O.C. about revenue sharing and a proposed Olympic network in the United States will have “no negative effects whatsoever” on Chicago’s chances. The generally attractive plan by the great city of Chicago could be offset because some I.O.C. members are still unhappy over losing their perks in bid cities after revelations that favors helped bring the 1996 Summer Games to Atlanta and the 2002 Winter Games to Salt Lake City.

All four finalist cities for 2016 received good reports by the bid committee earlier this month. The strongest criticism of Rio mentioned violence, but da Silva said Brazil had not suffered an overt terrorist attack, and he told how poor youth from Brazil’s slums had helped quell robberies during recent sports events.

Speaking to invited representatives of about a dozen news outlets, da Silva made the point that Brazil has the largest economy of any nation that has not yet held the Summer Games. He stressed the development of oil fields off the Brazil coast and the nation’s aircraft industry.

“We’re not this tiny country people thought,” he said.

He noted that Brazil will be the host for the World Cup of soccer in 2014, and said infrastructure would be created for the tournament that would be useful in 2016. But the best infrastructure of all might be the sand and the waves.

Wait a minute: the 2016 Summer Games will be in August, which just happens to be late winter south of the Equator. However, a check of the weather for Rio in August revealed an average high of 76 degrees Fahrenheit and an average low 64 (24 to 18 centigrade). Very nice for walking on the beach, somebody from the bid committee reassured me. No doubt da Silva will mention this to the I.O.C. members.

http://www.nytimes.com/2009/09/23/sports/23vecsey.html?_r=1

Brazil: Brazil is always Brazil

The five-time world champions may have improved to 10-1 this year, but their 1-0 victory against Estonia on Wednesday in Tallinn wasn't pretty. The Seleção couldn't find its form, and even if it was its first match since winning the Confederations Cup in June, the best team in the world was expected to do a whole lot better against the 112th-ranked team, which last year was thumped 7-0 by Bosnia-Herzegovina in a World Cup qualifier.

But is this worrisome for Brazil ahead of the clash with archrival Argentina on Sept. 5? Not at all. The majority of the Brazil squad played few competitive matches since the vacations, and this was clearly noticeable on the field. For instance, Kaká just made his Real Madrid debut in a friendly win against MLS' Toronto FC last Friday, and is nowhere near full fitness.

Brazil coach Dunga said his "only concern" was avoiding injuries against the Northern Europeans, but the match was hotly contested, with both teams playing physical soccer and with no Joga Bonito in sight. The only Brazilian to come off seriously injured was Flamengo midfielder Kléberson, who dislocated his shoulder. But such a fiery encounter might have been good preparation for the Brazilians because, with World Cup spots at stake, the highly anticipated showdown with Argentina promises to include even more aggressive play.

http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2009/writers/gregory_sica/08/13/south.america.qualifying/

Obama Lobbies FIFA for U.S. to Host Soccer World Cup

President Barack Obama lobbied the head of soccer’s international governing body today to bring the World Cup to the U.S. during a meeting at the White House.

The president also received a personal invitation from Sepp Blatter, head of world governing body FIFA, to attend next year’s tournament in South Africa, a trip in which Obama has expressed interest, according to a White House statement.

“We’ll use the opportunity of the meeting to advocate for the United States to host the World Cup in either 2018, or 2022,” Josh Earnest, deputy White House press secretary, said before the discussion between Obama and Blatter.

The international tournament is held every four years. The host for the 2014 World Cup will be Brazil. Blatter said in an interview yesterday that he expects a “big fight” over the chance to host the next championship.

At last month’s G-8 summit in L’Aquila, Italy, Obama said it was his “goal” to travel to South Africa next June to attend the World Cup.

According to details today’s meeting released by the White House, Obama thanked Blatter for the invitation to the World Cup and for a gift of soccer balls for the president’s two daughters.

White House Press Secretary Robert Gibbs said no final decision has been made about Obama attending the World Cup, though he suggested that many of the president’s senior staff want him to make the trip.

“Scheduling has warned me against accepting unilaterally invitations to visit South Africa,” Gibbs said.

http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=20601079&sid=amSIiXAydsOM#

Fourth of July puts US Soccer in perspective

I spent one glorious summer in Rio de Janeiro many years ago. While still in graduate school, I was fortunate enough to have been awarded a scholarship to study Portuguese overseas. Mine was the typical exchange program where you live with a host family and take classes at a local university. Technically, I was there to conduct thesis research, and I did, as most of the summer was spent ‘familiarizing myself’ with Brazilian culture.

My timing could not have been more perfect. The year was 1994 and the country was smack dab in the middle of World Cup fever. As most of us know, Brazilians eat, sleep and breathe soccer. The game is so ingrained into their culture that at certain times of the year, nothing else matters. Not the economy, not poverty, not pollution. Soccer unites their nation.

Packers, Eagles and Giants fans? Do you think you’re religious about your team? Guess again. You Gator, Sooner, Buckeye and Notre Dame fans out there think you hold a candle? Nuh uh. The entire nation of Brazil gathers together when World Cup rolls around. I was lucky enough to experience that first hand.

One day I accosted a group of four beautiful Brazilian women chatting energetically while drinking beers at a beachside bar. Consider it the Brazilian version of ‘Sex and the City.’ The foursome was engaged in an in-depth conversation, about soccer. Where in the United States would you ever see that?

To further put things into perspective, the Horseshoe in Columbus, OH fits 102,000 screaming fans. Neyland Stadium in Knoxville seats 105,000. Michigan Stadium holds 108,000. While in Rio, I saw a regional soccer game at Estadio do Maracana. Maximum capacity 200,000! Brazil is scheduled to host the 2014 World Cup. Think they’ll have a home field advantage?

Prior to every World Cup game that summer, I was warned to have all beer, food and party accessories ready ahead of time for everything in Rio shut down at first kick. I didn’t believe it until I saw it with my own eyes. During a match, there was not a storefront open or a vehicle on the street. Good luck finding a taxi.

The entire country gathered in their living rooms with family and friends with ice cold Brahma and feijao aplenty, remaining glued to the set for the entire game. These are not your fair-weather fans. When Brazil scored a goal, the city erupted. Shouts of pleasure echoed through the windows. Celebration ensued with each victory.

The United States hosted the World Cup that year. Ironically, Brazil played the U.S. on July 4th. I remember that date specifically because my host family threatened to kick me out of their apartment if the U.S. pulled off the upset. Needless to say, I was rooting for Brazil.

That 1994 Brazil team featured all-time greats: Romario, Bebeto, Taffarel and an 18-year old named Ronaldo. Taffarel, the goalie, consistently received the harshest criticism from both media and fans. That was until he blocked Italy’s game-tying goal in penalty kicks to bring home the title. He immediately became a national hero.

When it comes to World Cup history, Brazil dominates nearly every statistic: championships won, games won, goals scored. Every other country is a distant second. Soccer in the U.S. can never reach the importance it garners in Brazil or in other areas of the world. It’s ingrained and generational. Even though we all play soccer as children, most of us switch to another sport we’re more interested in like baseball, basketball or football.

For whatever reason, most Americans don’t have a passion for soccer. Not enough scoring, no viable professional league, the inability to use one’s hands, whatever the reason. We just don’t have the appetite for it no matter how hard US Soccer tries to encourage us to pay attention.

That was until last week when the U.S. almost pulled off an upset of international proportions. In the final game of the FIFA Federations Cup, the US led Brazil 2-0 at halftime. David was inconceivably about to slay Goliath. Then the Brazilian juggernaut scored three goals in the second half to squash any hopes the US had for winning its first major international competition.

I found myself once again glued to the television as if it were 1994 revisited. It was refreshing to see others interested in the match as well. I watched the first half while exercising on an elliptical machine at my local YMCA. When Landon Donovan scored the second goal of the game, I heard a few random shouts from within the gym over my blaring iPod. Not bad. Now just imagine how Brazil was rocking when they took the lead for good.

US Soccer put forth a valiant effort in their tune-up for next summer’s World Cup. They turned a lot of heads and more fans will assuredly be watching. It’s unreasonable to expect them to equal their recent success but at least now this team won’t be overlooked.

Late one night back in 1994, the Brazilian team announced they would host a parade. The Cariocan (those from Rio) players would be bringing the trophy around for all to see. We stayed up all night celebrating the victory as fans played a variety of percussive instruments. The beats were infectious. Fans rushed the parading buses with players waving from atop as the parade route ran through Copacabana and Ipanema.

It’ll be a long time coming before the United States ever brings one of those home. Do you think we’ll even notice?

http://blogs.creativeloafing.com/dailyloaf/2009/07/06/fourth-of-july-puts-us-soccer-in-perspective/