Neymar and Fred Lead Brazil To 4-2 Victory Over Italy In Confederations Cup

Brazil defeated Italy 4-2 yesterday to take top place in Group A of the Confederations Cup and advance to face Uruguay or Nigeria in the semifinals on Wednesday. With this victory, Brazil retained the distinction of remaining unbeaten against Italy for 31 years, since their epic World Cup encounter in 1982. Italy were without star midfielder Andrea Pirlo due to a thigh injury as well as Daniele De Rossi, who was suspended after having picked up two yellow cards in preceding group matches against Japan and Mexico. Brazil fielded their standard starting lineup with the exception of Lazio’s Hernanes, who started in place of Paulinho in midfield.

Brazil dominated possession for much of the first half, including a flurry of chances in the opening minutes via Neymar and Oscar, but opened the scoring only minutes from the end of the first half when Fred’s header from a Neymar free kick deflected to substitute Dante, who calmly slotted the ball past Gianluigi Buffon’s left hand to make it 1-0. Dante, who had entered the match as a first half substitute for the injured David Luiz, scored in his hometown of Salvador de Bahia, and later revealed that he dreamed of scoring in front of his family and friends who were in attendance for the game.

Dante’s goal picked up the pace of the match significantly in the second half as Brazil sought to consolidate their lead and Italy attempted to claw their way back into the match. Emanuele Giaccherini equalized for Italy in the 51st minute after receiving a flick from Mario Balotelli on the right. Giaccherini delivered a bullet of a shot far post to score the first goal Brazil had conceded in the 2013 Confederations Cup. Minutes later, Neymar was brought down on the edge of the box and the Barca bound Brazilian sensation subsequently curled the ensuing free kick past the wall into the far right corner of the net to score his third consecutive goal in three matches.

Brazil coach Luiz Felipe Scolari called Neymar a “genius” and gushed at his prodigy’s performance and sensational free kick by noting:

He had lots of moments of quality, but what decided the game was the free kick. He noticed [Gianluigi] Buffon had taken a step to the side and put the ball on the other side. Only players who have that kind of notion, that we can call genius, are the ones who make the difference. And he makes the difference.

Ten minutes later, Fred appeared to seal the game for Brazil by magnificently controlling a long aerial delivery from Marcelo, sidestepping two defenders and sending a rocket of a shot into the roof the net to make it 3-1. But Italy were not going to bow down without a fight as Chienelli scored in the 71st minute from a corner kick deflection. The goal was hugely controversial because the referee appeared to have blown his whistle to signal a penalty for a foul on Mario Balotelli in the box, but then allowed play to continue that resulted in the Italian goal.

At 3-2, with twenty minutes remaining, the match entered its closing 20 minutes with an electric atmosphere and pace as Italy turned on the pressure in search of an equalizer. But it was Fred who finally decided the game in the 89th minute when substitute Bernard found Marcelo, whose shot ricocheted off Buffon to enable the poaching Fred to pounce for his second goal of the evening and set the score at 4-2.

Brazil fans are witnessing a milestone in the restoration and renovation of the team at this year’s Confederations Cup. After years of disappointing performances since the 2010 World Cup, with the team slipping to its lowest ever spot in the FIFA ranking, Luiz Felipe Scolari has started by fielding a consistent squad determined to deliver results first, and flair second. Scolari’s team has now beaten France, Japan, Mexico and Italy in succession. But the most important development for Brazil is Neymar’s emergence on the international stage as a striker, winger and creative midfielder rolled into one. Neymar has shown that he is much more of a team player than Brazil’s Ronaldo in ways that recall the great Pele, and his vision for his teammates and ability to change the overall tempo of the game has been demonstrated against world class opposition. The question now is whether Neymar and team can continue to perform at a high level as the tournament progresses to the elimination stage marked by their semifinal match on Wednesday. Italy, meanwhile, finished second in Group A and progresses to the semifinals to play Spain in a repeat of the 2012 European Championship final matchup.

Brazil And England Play To Memorable 2-2 Draw At Renovated Maracana Stadium

Brazil and England played to a memorable 2-2 draw at the Maracana stadium in Rio de Janeiro today in a game where Brazil dominated possession and England fought back on the counter-attack. Today’s game marked the first match at the newly renovated Maracana stadium where Brazil famously lost to Uruguay in the 1950 World Cup final. Brazil fielded a 4-3-3 formation with Dani Alves, David Luiz, Thiago Silva and Filipe Luis in defense, Luis Gustavo, Paulinho and Oscar in midfield, and Neymar, Fred and Hulk as the attacking triumvirate. Coach Luiz Felipe Scolari handed the famous number 10 jersey to Neymar instead of Oscar in a clear signal that he envisions the Barcelona-bound ex Santos star as the leader of the current youthful squad. England, on the other hand, played in a 4-5-1 formation with coach Roy Hodgson fielding striker Theo Walcott in a withdrawn position on the right flank behind Wayne Rooney.

Eager to avenge their 2-1 loss to England at Wembley Stadium in February, Brazil began by taking control of the midfield and attacking with their vintage short, crisp passing and the ability to beat defenders on the dribble. Moreover, Brazil pressured England relentlessly on the ball and allowed Roy Hodgson’s team little space by double teaming whenever England had possession. Chelsea midfielder Oscar orchestrated the lion’s share of Brazil’s attacks by dropping deep into midfield and sprinting forward in search of Neymar, Fred and Hulk. Neymar seemed keen to vindicate Scolari’s decision to grant him the number 10 jersey and shot on goal from close range in positions where he would have done better to pass to a teammate.

Neymar had a golden opportunity in the 19th minute when he received a pass with only the keeper to beat and shot it right into the body of the diving Joe Hart from the left flank. Two minutes later, Neymar collected a deft pass from Fred, sidestepped England defender Glen Johnson, but unleashed the shot just wide of goal. In the 35th minute, Oscar dribbled past a bevy of English defenders on the right flank and sent a bullet of a cross that Hulk backheeled just wide of goal. Minutes later, Oscar again found space on the right flank but Fred’s header floated over the bar. England’s best opportunity of the half came in the 39th minute, when Theo Walcott found space in the box to drive a shot straight at Julio Cesar, who parried the ball well.

The floodgates opened in the second half as Brazil continued to relentlessly apply pressure against the English goal. Playing largely in England’s half, Brazil continued to create chances and varied their passing game with some longer range shots on goal in an effort to disrupt Joe Hart’s rhythm. The long range strategy paid dividends in the 57th minute when Hernanes curled in a dipping shot that deflected off the cross-bar and fell to Fred lurking near the right side of goal, who twisted his body to dispatch the ball into the back of the net to give Brazil a deserved 1-0 lead. Buoyed by their breakthrough, the Samba boys rested on their laurels a little too much by easing up on their attacks and positioning themselves languidly in midfield. England were quick to capitalize on the let up in pressure as substitute Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain carved out space outside the edge of the box and rifled in a right footed rocket past the right hand of Julio Cesar to make it 1-1 in the 66th minute. Ten minutes later, Brazil were staring defeat at the Maracana stadium squarely in the eye when Wayne Rooney burst down the left flank on a counterattacking opportunity and sent a curling, wonder of a shot into the roof of the net to make it 2-1 England. Scolari responded by sending on waves of substitutes and was granted a reprieve from an embarrassing loss when Lucas Moura’s cross found Paulinho, who volleyed the cross into the back of the net to make it 2-2 with less than 10 minutes of regulation time remaining.

Overall, this was a disappointing result for Brazil, who should genuinely feel they had their pulse on the game and deserved a victory given their possession and chances. On the other hand, Brazil fans can take heart from the fact that the midfield gelled for the first time since the 2012 Olympics, when the team delivered some impressive displays of midfield possession and creativity en route to the Olympic final. Moreover, Scolari can take heart from the depth of his squad given that his substitutions featured Real Madrid’s Marcelo, Lazio’s Hernanes, Internacional’s Leandro Damiao, Paris Saint-Germain’s Lucas Moura and Atletico Mineiro’s playmaker Bernard. Neymar, meanwhile, struggled to live up to the weight of expectations, this time in the number 10 jersey, no less. Nevertheless, Brazil fans and Scolari will be impressed by the pace of the Brazilian midfield and can expect the team to only improve both in the next two weeks and throughout the upcoming Confederations Cup. Brazil’s next friendly is against France on June 9 in Porto Alegre.

Goals
Brazil: Fred (57), Paulinho (82)
England: Oxlade-Chamberlain (66), Rooney (77)

Zico Calls For Return Of The Emperor, Adriano, To Brazilian National Football Team

Brazil football legend Zico advocated the return of Adriano to the Brazilian national football team in an interview with TV Record. Zico noted that Adriano was one of the few players who could change a game singlehandedly. Zico opined that Adriano could win the World Cup for Brazil and that, if he were the coach of the national team, he would lock Adriano in a room and tell him that had God-given gifts that few football players have. Also known as The Emperor, Adriano played in the 2006 World Cup alongside Ronaldo, Ronaldinho and Kaka in a quartet known as the “fab four”. Widely known as the boy from the ghetto who never fully recovered from the 2004 death of his father, Adriano cuts a unique profile because of his size, strength, pace, left footed finishing ability and history of psychological problems. Zico also praised Neymar in the interview and suggested that, at this point, coach Mano Menezes should focus principally on the Olympics given that the Olympic gold remains one of the few trophies Brazil have yet to win.

Brazil land in Campanas, Argentina in preparation for Copa America 2011

The Brazilian national football team left for Campanas, their training base for the July 2011 Copa America tournament, yesterday. With the exception of Santos players Elano, Neymar and Ganso, the squad left Rio de Janeiro with coach Mano Menezes and his staff. Brazil enter the tournament as defending champions but will encounter stiff opposition from a number of strong South American opponents as they attempt to hoist the title for the third consecutive time. Mano Menezes identified Paraguay as its most difficult opponent in the group stage but is wary of the threat posed by Ecuador and Venezuela as well, and particularly Venezuela, given that they constitute their first opponent. Mano has also noted that Argentina is currently the tournament favorite given the evolution of their squad over the last few years.

Group assignments for the initial phase of the Copa America tournament are as follows:

Group A

Argentina
Colombia
Costa Rica
Bolivia

Group B

Brazil
Paraguay
Ecuadaor
Venezuela

Group C

Uruguay
Chile
Peru
Mexico

Ronaldo's Retirement Press Conference: A Selection of Quotes

Ronaldo announced his retirement on February 14, 2011 in a tearful press conference in Sao Paulo featuring the following reflections:

“I am here to say that I’m ending my career as a professional player. And to say that this career was beautiful, wonderful and exciting.”

“Everybody knows my history of injury. I have had in recent years, a string of injuries ranging from one side to another, from one leg to another, from one muscle to another. This pain made me anticipate the end of my career. Furthermore, four years ago I discovered, when I was in Milan, that I have hypothyroidism. It is a disorder that slows the metabolism and to control it, it is necessary to take some hormones banned in football, because they can be consider doping. I imagine that a lot of people should be sorry for making mockery about my weight, but I do not keep hard feelings. “

“I had many losses, infinite victories, made a lot of friends and don’t remember having made an enemy.”

“I want to thank all the players who worked with me and those who played against, and those who were loyal to those who were disloyal. Thank the coaches with whom I had good relationship and I had differences. And also thank the sponsors who have always believed in me.”

“I really never imagined that I would live without Corinthians. I want to thank the President, and publicly ask for forgiveness for weakening the Libertadores project. You are my brother. The history was beautiful and marvelous. I want to stay with and connected to the club in whatever way you want, President.”

"It's very hard to leave something that made me so happy. Mentally, I wanted to continue, but I have to acknowledge that I lost [the fight] to my body."

"With this announcement, it feels like it's my first death."

"The pain made me anticipate the end of my career. It hurts when I go up the stairs -- people who are close to me know this. I've given my life to football. I don't regret anything, but I can't keep going."

"I thought about it at home and realized that it was time. I had given everything that I had."

Brazil, Spain and the beautiful game: 2010 in Review

In recognition of the New Year, I would like to take this opportunity to reflect on what we as a community of writers and thinkers about football have accomplished since this blog was launched, soon after the 2010 World Cup, roughly 6 months ago. This year, in football, we saw the ascendancy of Spain as World Cup champions for the first time in history alongside the emergence of promising young teams from Germany, Ghana and Uruguay. Spain's passing game emerged as a model of tactical awareness and coherence for teams all over the world to emulate. Our postings examined the legacy of Carlos Dunga to the national team, Mano Menezes's efforts to renovate the Selecao, deadly strike partnerships such as Romario and Bebeto, teen Santos sensations Neymar and Ganso, AC Milan starlets Ronaldinho, Pato and Robinho, the brilliance of Lionel Messi, Kaka's recovery from knee surgery and the widely controversial appointment of Leonardo Nascimento de Araujo as coach of Inter Milan.

We have also begun a deeper investigation into the history of Brazilian football more generally. We have had the privilege to reflect on Brazil's historic loss to Uruguay in the 1950 World Cup final, the legendary team of 1982, the World Cup championship team of 1994 as well as the teams of 1998 and 2002. All this leaves us ample territory in the months and years ahead, to dig deeper into the history of Brazilian football by covering teams and players that have gradually been erased from historical memory online and, to a lesser extent, in print as well.

We saw glimpses of the beautiful game in Brazil 2002, when Luiz Felipe Scolari fielded 6 attacking players in the early matches in the form of Ronaldo, Rivaldo, Ronaldinho, Juninho Paulista, Roberto Carlos and Cafu. This year, Spain's Barcelona midfield quartet of Iniesta, Xabi, Xavi Alonso and Busquets gave us yet another tantalizing glimpse of beautiful football, but their elegant passing needs to be supplemented by more firepower up front in order to earn a place amongst the top 5 teams in footballing history.

We believe a historical investigation into Brazilian football will enable us to describe, recover and ultimately restore the true spirit of the beautiful game. We have an interest in stylish, attacking football and players and coaches that have a similar investment. And in all this, we have a larger interest in freedom, creativity, aesthetics and the capacity of sport qua art to enrich our lives with models of collaboration, mentorship, friendship, closeness, creativity and passionate modalities of self-expression.

Flashback: Roberto Carlos Banana Free Kick At the 1997 Tournoi de France

In advance of the February 9, 2011 friendly between Brazil and France, "Bringing Back the Beautiful Game" will return to the history of national competition between France and Brazil, starting in 1986 all the way through the World Cups of 1998 and 2006. Along the way, we will take a close look at players such as Socrates, Zico, Michel Platini and Zinedine Zidane, four of the exemplars, par excellence, of the beautiful game. For now, however, we will begin with Roberto Carlos's celebrated, banana free kick that seemingly defied physics and the laws of gravity. Football has rarely witnessed a free kick with quite the degree of curve as this one.

Brazil ended up with a 1-1 draw to France and ultimately earned second place in the competition, finishing runners up to England. Even though Brazil fielded the "Ro Ro" strike partnership of Romario and Ronaldo that netted their share of remarkable goals, the tournament ultimately became famous for Roberto Carlos's 21st minute free kick at the Stade de Gerland in Lyon on June 3, 1997.

Menezes, Batista, Messi and Ronaldinho Quotes on Argentina 1-Brazil 0

Mano Menezes, Ronaldinho, Victor, Sergio Batista and Lionel Messi had the following to say after Argentina's 1-0 victory against Brazil in an international friendly at the Khalifa International Stadium in Doha, Qatar on November 17, 2010.

Brazil

Mano Menezes: Coach

"We have to look at this result with serenity. We created several chances, the final result was not fair, but we have to learn from everything that happened."

"We played an even match with Argentina. We were closer to victory throughout the second half, but I think our team lacked experience near the end of the match. You can't allow a goal at a time like that."

"It was important to go through these four matches with an idea of the team's potential and of how it can keep improving.”

“Ronaldinho did well, taking responsibility for creating offensive moves. He was substituted because of his physical condition and not because of his performance. We brought him back to the Selecao at the right time”

“They weren’t hurting us, but Messi had reserved one extra move for Argentina.”

Ronaldinho

“He is the world’s best player, and unfortunately for us he found a gap and with his quality settled the match when it already looked like a draw,”

Victor

"We controlled the match, they barely had any chances to score. But in one play Messi made the difference."

Argentina

Sergio Batista: Coach

“We have the best player in the world and we made the most of that. I’m not going to discover now who he is because he is the world’s best player. But you can always hope for more from a player of Messi’s quality.”

Lionel Messi

"I had planned that before playing. I always looked for my chance."

"It's always important to win and this victory is even more important because it's against a direct rival and it gives us confidence.”

"My goal was important because it enabled us to beat Brazil."

Brazil to play Iran, Ukraine and Argentina in upcoming friendlies

The Confederation of Brazilian Soccer (CBF) recently confirmed two October friendlies for the Brazilian national team. The Selecao is scheduled to the play Iran and the Ukraine in the second week of October, and Argentina in November.

The friendly schedule is as follows:

Brazil v. Iran: Abu Dhabi, October 7, 2010
Brazil v. Ukraine: Pride Park, Derby, England, October 11, 2010
Brazil v. Argentina: Doha, Qatar, November 17, 2010

International friendlies such as these are vital for the Brazilian national team's preparation for the 2011 Copa America, 2012 London Summer Olympics and the 2014 World Cup because, as hosts in 2014, Brazil is not required to participate in the grueling South American qualification process.

The matches offer a mouthwatering opportunity for Brazilian fans to see how coach Mano Menezes takes charge of the Selecao with a group of highly talented players such as Andre Santos, Dani Alves, Robinho, Carlos Eduardo and Philippe Coutinho who have yet to fully gel together within the national team.

Coach Mano Menezes has begun to assert his authority on the team as a relaxed but visionary leader committed to allowing players to express their creativity on the field. Well known as a football addict and student of the game who views multiple matches a week from several different leagues, Mano showcased the depth of his tactical understanding of the game and ability to field multiple formations on the pitch in his coaching debut against the USA in a way that suggestively recalled Mario Zagallo's ability to transform a 3-5-2 into a 5-3-2 with Brazil's great team of 1970. Of course, the current Selecao has a long way to go to come anywhere close to Pele, Jarizinho, Tostao, Gerson, Clodoaldo and company, but Mano's squad selections and performance against the USA suggests that samba soccer may have begun to return to the Brazilian national team for the first time since 1982. Brazil have never played Iran and the Ukraine so both of these matches will pose a keen test of Mano's tactical acumen and preparation.

The World Cup of Soccer: South Africa 2010 and Brazil 2014

I looked forward to this World Cup, fervently, out of the belief that something historic or even cataclysmic would happen. Either we would see beautiful, fluid, attacking soccer from Brazil or Argentina or Spain to a degree that recalled Brazil 1970, or something dramatic would happen in a different vein such as a terrorist attack akin to Munich 1972. I had little compelling data to substantiate the belief in either of these claims, but somehow, the combination of “South Africa” and “2010” suggested that something extraordinary would happen. South Africa was different from Japan and Korea of 2002 because many of the games would be played at altitude and in near freezing temperatures unseen in previous World Cups, including those held in Europe.

On one hand it seemed that something truly extraordinary and pivotal was happening with the Brazilian team. They had qualified for the Cup with three games to spare, won Copa America, won the Confederations Cup and created a backline that promised to silence pundits that said Brazil couldn’t defend and relied too much on their strikeforce. And intriguingly, for the first time in at least two World Cups, they didn’t have any serious gunpowder amongst their strikers or attacking midfielders. Instead we saw the first Brazilian squad in decades that functioned like a team, with players who knew how to find each other and grind out a victory in difficult situations without relying on players who could “change a game” like Ronaldo, Rivaldo or Ronaldinho.

All of this was inspiring and suggestive, particularly because Brazil didn’t have minnows near the mouth of goal, either. Luis Fabiano and Robinho could certainly put the ball in the back of the net and anyone who knew anything about football saw how Kaka headed to the dugout at half-time against the USA in the Confederations Cup, in South Africa 2009, and returned to the pitch in unstoppable form to orchestrate Brazil’s 3-2 comeback victory in the final from a 2-0 half-time deficit. Compared to other winning World Cup teams, this year’s Brazilian team was ordinary but promising by virtue of its coherence and record of success. And for the first time in decades, they were blessed with a coach who believed in hard work and discipline instead of players who would celebrate the nightlife with abandon.

And then there was Argentina. True to form, the South American team that qualifies last in a World Cup often does strikingly well, and this year was no exception. We saw flashes of brilliance from Gonzalo Higuain, Carlos Tevez and Lionel Messi against highly competent teams such as Nigeria, South Korea and Mexico. And viewers were treated to the engaging spectacle of Diego Maradona gesticulating wildly up and down the coaches box in light beige suits, pausing to put his fingers to his chin or stroke or his mane of curly black hair. As with Dunga, Maradona’s squad selection was the subject of much debate since he had left out Javier Zanetti and Cambiasso and opted instead for players that he trusted and to whom he was close.

But Brazil and Argentina failed to deliver, as did Spain, even though Spain went on to win the Championship by notching up victories against formidable opponents such as Germany and the Netherlands. Spain played their passing game as best they could, but their victories lacked the goal scoring displays of Argentina or Germany or Brazil. And all in all, the Cup was a magnificent disappointment for the sport and the game. True, we all saw glimpses of brilliance and excitement from Germany, Ghana, Uruguay and even Argentina. But the number of total goals continues to drop from 171 in France 1998, 161 in Japan/Korea 2002, 146 in Germany 2006 and 145 in South Africa 2010.

Everyone will remember the sublimity of Landon Donovan's stoppage time strike against Slovakia, Asamoah Gyan’s extra time goal against the U.S., Diego Forlan’s sublime free kick against Ghana and his long range strike against South Africa. Or the spectacular, curling free kicks from Japan’s Keisuke Honda and Yasuhito Endo in their 3-1 victory against Denmark. And then, there was Germany’s magnificent 4-0 demolition of Argentina heralding the emergence of a new generation of German players in the form of Muller, Ozeil, Podolski and Schweinsteiger in what appeared, in more than a few moments, as quite possibly the greatest team in modern times. Yet the irony was that all of these remarkable teams were eliminated before the final, most pertinently by the Netherlands and Spain.

The Netherlands played well, even if they didn’t play the total football for which they were famous in the 1970s. Arjen Robben’s attacking threat down the right side emerged as a threat to be reckoned with as the games progressed and Wesley Sneider, meanwhile, like all great goalscorers, opportunistically found himself in the right place to put the ball in the back of the onion bag at the right time. Spain, on the other hand, didn’t fail to disappoint or impress. They found their form, for the first time in the tournament, against Germany, pressuring the Germans in midfield with Xabi, Iniesta and Busquets combining to keep their opponents from launching any kind of serious counter-attacking threat. But their strength in midfield interestingly failed to translate into any kind of torrent of goals of the kind that you would expect from creative midfielders that would serve up the ball, on a platter, for strikers of the quality of David Villa and Fernando Torres. True, Villa scored five goals but the team as a whole edged its way to its first World Cup championship on the back of four consecutive 1-0 victories against Portugal, Paraguay, Germany and the Netherlands.

All this is to say the goal machines failed to continue chugging in South Africa 2010, even though we saw plenty of glimpses of them throughout the tournament in different moments. The lack of goals may have something to do with the 4-3-2-1 or 4-2-3-1 formation that teams are increasingly using, with less emphasis on the wingers and more on a frontal attack, straight down the center of midfield that fancies its chances against the traditionally strong central defense. As one might expect, the debate about how to reform the game has begun most fervently in Brazil as they prepare to host the Cup in 2014. Almost everyone has an opinion but refreshingly, no one really has an answer about how to both bring back jogo bonito and ensure that Brazil wins on its own soil. As if it were a political debate of some kind, former players and coaches such as Romario, Branco, Leonardo and others have thrown their two cents in the ring, only for us to see nothing of substance stick in the form of a real vision of how to reform the sport to produce more attacking, attractive football marked by more goals. The good thing—amidst all this uncertainty about the sport and what comes next—is that all of us with an investment in attractive football should take heart from Spain’s victory because it underscores the power of a strong midfield that we should expect to see replicated by teams in serious contention for the trophy in 2014.