Tuesday 15 February 2011

Much to improve on

So it's nearly a week since this friendly happened and I'm only writing this blog about it now. I went to the game and couldn't get any decent internet access in Paris for one reason or another which explains why this is late.

So the headlines. France beat Brazil 1-0 thanks to a goal from Karim Benzema just after halftime. Brazil's midfielder Hernanes was sent off just before halftime for a shoulder high kick on Benzema which turned the match.

Click here for highlights

I had a reasonably good view of the red card incident and my gut reaction was that it was serious and that it would be punished. However, I was shocked to see the referee produce a straight red card in the first half of a friendly match. The incident was not replayed on the big screen so I only saw it later on television and Hernanes could clearly have no complaints about a challenge that was dangerous and reckless if not necessarily intentional.


The red card for Hernanes (number 11) changed the game

Brazil had been playing well until the red card creating more chances. Robinho and Alexandre Pato looked to be combining well up front. Dani Alves was causing particular problems for France with his probing runs down the right. After the red card, France were dominant. Robinho dropped back into midfield and Pato could do very little on his own up front. Alves, didn't push forward so much either. This conservative style seemed to encourage France to attack more rather than contain them. The goal came shortly after halftime when Jérémy Menez burst down the right wing past a couple of Brazilian defenders and delivered a cross to an unmarked Benzema at the far post who had a tap in to give the home side the lead. Brazil never really looked like equalising. Benzema was in particular was a menace all night and deservedly picked up the man of the match award.

This was Brazil's second loss in a row and the pressure is now firmly on coach Mano Manezes who seemed to be able to do little to change things when his team were trailing with ten men. Indeed, he seemed reluctant to change the formation late on despite the need for an equaliser by bringing on defensive midfielder Sandro on for Robinho and target man Hulk to replace Pato as the lone striker.

Brazil's next game is against much more modest opposition in the form of Scotland in London in March. Manezes will hope to have Neymar available to him. The 19 year old Santos striker missed this game as he was playing in the South American under 20 championship in Peru. He scored nine goals in that tournament helping Brazil to the title and with it a place at the London Olympics. He will be hoping to bring some magic to the senior side after their lacklustre performance in Paris.

Tuesday 8 February 2011

Robinho: We can show Brazil is the best

Brazil captain Robinho is confident that Brazil can put on an impressive display in tomorrow night's friendly against France at the Stade de France in Paris. In an interview before training on Tuesday, Robinho was questioned about the 1998 World Cup final between the two teams at the same venue, which the hosts won 3-0.

'I remember Zidane having a spectacular game. In football unfortunately defeats happen. But this is in the past. Now, Brazil has a chance to show that Brazil has the best football in the world', said Robinho.

Robinho concede entrevista após treino do Brasil (Foto: Reuters)
Robinho confident

Coach Mano Manezes has called up five uncapped players including Manchester United's Rafael for tomorrow's friendly. Manezes's hand has been forced to an extent as he can only call on European based players and also cannot choose any of Brazil's under 20s notably Santos starlet Neymar as they are currently involved in the under 20 Copa America in Peru.

Manezes looks set to give a set to hand a first start to Bayer Leverkusen's Renato Augusto in midfield alongside Liverpool's Lucas, Lazio's Hernanes, and Elías, who recently moved to Atletico Madrid from Corinthians.

Júlio César returns in goal for his first appearance since the World Cup. Robinho will captain the team alongside the returning Alexandre Pato up front.

Mano Menezes no treino da seleção (Foto: Reuters)
Manezes takes training in Paris

Likely Brazil line-up. 4-2-2-2

Júio César (Inter Milan)-David Luiz (Chelsea), Thiago Silva (AC Milan), Dani Alves (Barcelona), André Santos (Fenerbache)-Lucas (Liverpool), Elías (Atlético Madrid), Hernanes (Lazio), Renato Augusto  (Bayer Leverkusen)- Robinho (AC Milan, captain), Alexandre Pato (AC Milan).

Brazil will be looking to get back on track after a disappointing 1-0 defeat to Argentina in their last match. This brought an abrupt end to Manezes' honeymoon as coach, having won his first three matches in charge against more modest opposition. The priority for 2011 will be to defend the Copa America in Argentina in July.

France have proved a tough opponent for Brazil in the past. As well as their 1998 triumph, les Bleus knocked the selecao out of the 2006 World Cup quarter finals in the last meeting of the teams. France also eliminated Brazil at the same stage of the 1986 World Cup in Mexico. Under new coach Laurent Blanc they have shown a huge improvement after their disastrous showing in South Africa. Striker Karim Benzema, who was omitted from the World Cup squad, is likely to pose the main threat to Brazil tomorrow night.

I am pleased to say that this blogger will be attending tomorrow night's game and I hope to share my thoughts on it tomorrow night providing I can find an internet  connection.

Thursday 3 February 2011

Angry scenes as Corinthians crash out while Grêmio book place in group stage

Supporters of Corinthians have reacted badly to their team's elimination from the 2011 Copa Libertadores in the preliminary round. After a goalless first leg, a star studded Corinthians team went down 2-0 against Deportivo Tolima in Colombia on Wednesday night.

Around fifty supporters invaded the club's training ground on Thursday morning, breaking car windows and daubing graffiti on buildings. Some of the anger appears to be directed at Corinthians' star veterans Ronaldo and Roberto Carlos.

protesto da torcida do Corinthians com a derrota na Libertadores
Some graffiti called for Ronaldo to quit the club

Earlier in the day, angry fans came armed with eggs to throw at the players when they arrived at Campinas airport. However, a clash was avoided when the players escaped in a special bus.

Second half goals from Santoya and Medina for the Colombians put paid to Corinthians' dream of a first ever Libertadores title. With Ronaldo retiring at the end of this season, o fenomeno will now end his career without a winners medal in South America's premier club competition.

After the game he cited the pitch as a factor in the defeat.

"It's defeat that we will have to carry with us all season. We didn't play well but the grass didn't help our team."

See the goals by clicking here

Ronaldo Corinthians x Tolima
Ronaldo was unhappy with the surface

Meanwhile Grêmio did manage to qualify for the group stages with a convincing 3-1 win over Liverpool of Uruguay. The win gave the Immortal Tricolors a 5-3 win on aggregate with the first leg 2-2.

See the goals here

Emiliano Afaro had given the Uruguayans an early lead but this was cancelled out by André Lima just before the break. Substitute Vinicius Pacheco scored both goals in the second half for Renato Gaúcho's side to send them into group 2 of the main tournament. The two time Libertadores winners will fancy their chances against modest opposition in the form of Junior Barranquilla of Colombia, Oriente Petrolero of Bolivia and Léon de Huanuco of Peru.

vinicius pacheco gol grêmio x liverpool uruguai
Vinicius Pacheco (centre) celebrates his second with André Lima and Gabriel

Ronaldinho stars on Flamengo debut

After a protracted transfer saga, Ronaldinho got back to what he does best last night, playing football. The 31 year old made his debut for Flamengo in a 1-0 win over lowly Nova Iguaçu in a Rio state championship match.

Vontade de sobra e lampejos de gênio (Vontade de sobra e lampejos de gênio (Vontade de sobra e lampejos de gênio (Vontade de sobra e lampejos de gênio (Maurício Val/VIPCOMM))))

Ronaldinho didn't score but plenty of the old magic was on display including two efforts on goal from free kicks that the Nova Iguaçu goalkeeper only just kept out. The former Milan and Barcelona star was majestic throughout in a Flamengo performance that was much more dominant than the scoreline suggested.

Highlights here

http://sportv.globo.com/videos/v/melhores-momentos-de-flamengo-1-x-0-nova-iguacu-pelo-carioca-2011/1426143/#/Futebol/Times/Flamengo/page/1

Ronaldinho joined the rubro-negros after a drawn out departure from AC Milan. He turned down offers from his hometown club Grêmio, Corinthians, Palmeiras and an outlandish bid from Blackburn Rovers. Cynics will say that he has chosen to join the Rio de Janeiro club to spend more time partying in Copacabana and Ipanema than playing football. However, the Porto Alegre native looked fit and busy in last night's game with a new lease of life compared to the lethargic journeyman that had been struggling to get into the Milan team in 2010.

Flamengo fans are certainly excited about his arrival. His debut drew a 42,000 sellout crowd to the Engenhao stadium for a fixture that would normally struggle to attract a fraction of that. The fans of Brazil's most popular club and its manager Wanderlei Luxemburgo will be hoping that he can inspire them to glory in 2011.

ronaldinho gaucho flamengo x nova iguaçu torcida

Masks of their new hero have been selling well amongst Flamengo fans