South American football

[Flip]

Just watched the highlights from the Boca game, man they were lucky. Can't believe Newell's ran through against Velez too. Fancy them to do Boca in the next round.

 

Lucky? It's luck from another universe man, I can't believe we went out because of that fatass paraguayan ref. It was one of the worst refereed games I've seen in my lifetime. Chelsea fans complaining about the time they went out to Barcelona should watch these errors man... Still pissed off, although the Corinthians fans were amazing at the end all clapping and singing even knowing they were out. Unfairly out, but I guess football isn't fair every time.

 

Goals tonight in Santa Fe Gremio? Considering a bet.

 

In terms of goals I don't know, but Gremio plays a very conservative style of football with Luxemburgo and experienced players at his disposal. I can definitely see them go there and try to play for a 0-0 or possibly do like Boca last night and try to get an away goal. I would stay away from that game.

[Ketsbaia]

World Football Phone-In, early hours of Saturday, Tim Vickery.

 

Bliss.

[Flip]

Bayer Leverkusen apparently offering something close to €10m for Romarinho (Corinthians). Good player, but that's a lot of money for a player who just this season started getting games from start regularly and is still very raw.

[Tooj]

Was there no World Football Phone In this week?

[LooneyToonArmy]

Was there no World Football Phone In this week?

 

there was... but they're s*** at updating the podcast as usual.

 

You can however listen to it through the "Up all night" page here

http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b01shvcd

[Tooj]

Feliapo - how highly rated is the soon to be Chelsea player Wallace?

[Flip]

Feliapo - how highly rated is the soon to be Chelsea player Wallace?

 

Have no idea tbh, did well for the u17 national team some year ago but haven't seen or heard of him too much.

 

Santos - Corinthians playing right now in the Campeonato Paulista. Corinthians won the first game 2-1 if anyone is interested in seeing Neymar and Paulinho play a bit.

[JB]

Great goal from Cicero to make it 1-0 to Santos.

 

EDIT: And Corinthians immediately equalise.

[Flip]

Great goal from Cicero to make it 1-0 to Santos.

 

EDIT: And Corinthians immediately equalise.

 

 

Exceptional goal from Santos. Corinthians went so close to just win it all there. 2 straight crossbars.

[JB]

Just watched that Cicero goal again, it was a brilliant finish.

[LooneyToonArmy]

anyone know how Fran Merida is doing in Brazil? He signed for Atlético Paranaense in January.

 

Unusual for Europeans to play over in Brazil.

 

Can't think of many others in recent times other than him, Seedorf who is doing very well ,Jose Dominguez and the legend Rambo Petkovic.

[Flip]

Have no idea how he's doing tbh. Looking around doesn't look like he's played a lot. There's Zizao (he's from China though) who plays for Corinthians. Decent Chinese player but obviously nowhere near good enough for the Brazilian league but still gets couple of games every now and then.

 

Felipe Melo also seems heading back to Brazil and Sao Paulo, although his salary is looking like a possible stumbling block.

[Tooj]

Was there no World Football Phone In this week?

 

there was... but they're s*** at updating the podcast as usual.

 

You can however listen to it through the "Up all night" page here

http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b01shvcd

 

It's finally been uploaded.

 

Any idea how to e-mail into them? Can't find anything on the site.

[LooneyToonArmy]

Was there no World Football Phone In this week?

 

there was... but they're s*** at updating the podcast as usual.

 

You can however listen to it through the "Up all night" page here

http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b01shvcd

 

It's finally been uploaded.

 

Any idea how to e-mail into them? Can't find anything on the site.

 

[email protected]

[Tooj]

Vickery was saying that Neymar's the fourth best paid player in the world. 

[Disco]

Vickery was saying that Neymar's the fourth best paid player in the world. 

 

Could well imagine so, he makes Beckham look modest when it comes to endorsements.

[Disco]

Campeonato Brasileiro starts again this weekend.

 

And so, after five months queuing in the cold, nibbling upon the most meagre of bar snacks, we are shown to our seats. The Restaurante Campeonato Brasileiro is not the easiest place at which to get a booking these days, attracting a global clientele as never before and yet continuing to confound with its pioneering mix of exoticism and local stodge.

 

A swift glance at the occupants of the tables around us (your intrepid writer is accompanied by a mysterious partner, whose occasional bons mots should serve to break up the monotony of this poorly-conceived restaurant analogy) highlights one of the most unique features of the Brasileiro – its enormous geographical reach. See they guy with the mopey face? He represents Náutico, a city in the Nordeste. He’ll have to make two round trips of 6000 kilometres before the season is out. That’s over a quarter of the way round the world. No wonder he’s ordering another whiskey.

 

A waiter – our waiter, apparently – bumbles over to our table, knocking over a coat rack as he goes. He, in case you hadn’t clocked it yet, is not only a waiter but also a metaphor for the clumsiness of the organisational side of the restaurant/football league I’m supposed to be previewing in this article.

 

“Pssst,” my partner chimes in. “The thing at the start with the five-month wait in the cold was an allegory for the increasingly outmoded Brazilian football calendar.”

 

“Oh,” I reply.

 

The waiter, we discover, only really knuckles down to seating people after the evening’s soap opera and has a tendency to focus on clients from Rio and São Paulo at the expense of others. This year, he’s taking a holiday (he mentions something about a Confederations Cup) in the middle of the year, meaning the restaurant will pretty much be double booked from July to mid-December. He does have extremely shiny hair though.

 

He tells us about the staff. The Brasileiro is famous for its career-bookend roster of chefs: there are a few young guys everyone seems to be talking about (some kid called Bernard is apparently a shoo-in for a Michelin star) and a bunch of veterans enjoying one last hurrah. The former tend to trade in individualistic flair (think gelatine and Earl Grey-flavoured smoke) while the latter prefer to recreate their best dishes of the past.

 

Recently, though, there has been a trend of importing swanky foreign cooks and repatriating local talent, which has raised the overall level of the Brasileiro. While the fare, if we’re being truly honest, still pales in comparison to the offerings of refined European eateries, the gap is getting smaller by the year. “Slow progress is progress nonetheless,” my partner quips.

 

Let’s take a quick tour of the room, shall we? (We shall.) See the two guys at either end of the top table? That’s Corinthians coach Tite and his Atlético Mineiro counterpart, Cuca. They’ve been here longer than anyone and have the bellies to prove it. (My partner splutters something about silverware between glugs of red.) The Atlético guys do look to be having a little more fun – Ronaldinho is sharing out some of his home-baked madeleines – but Corinthians aren’t to be taken lightly. Some Italian guy is whispering in the ear of star midfielder Paulinho though, which could be a worry.

 

At the next table are the Fluminense crowd. Yep, that’s Fred chatting up a waitress. They did well last year but look to be fading somewhat. They shared a lift here with Botafogo, who, by comparison, are chomping at the bit. With Clarence Seedorf in the midst of an Indian summer, the Glorious One (modesty gets you nowhere) could be in the mix. But the less said about neighbours Flamengo and Vasco da Gama, the better. It’s only 8.30 and they’re already scratching around in their wallets to figure out if they can afford another beer.

 

Cruzeiro have been in fine fettle this season, as have Internacional. Both will feel they are due a title challenge, having passed out before dessert last time they were here. The latter’s Porto Alegre rivals, Grêmio, will hope that Vanderlei Luxemburgo (one of Brazil’s most notable power eaters) and a spate of promising signings will put a disappointing exit from the Libertadores behind them to trouble the favourites.

 

“Uff! Let me…”

 

We swivel in our seats to watch a kerfuffle by the entrance. Is that… Neymar? It is, you know! He’s being bundled out the door and into a Catalan’s van? The maître d’ acts swiftly, demoting Muricy Ramalho and his miserable-looking Santos diners to a tiny table by the toilets. They won’t be having much fun tonight. On the table to the left, São Paulo don’t look quite so crestfallen but you do wish they’d keep their kids on a leash; Luís Fabiano hasn’t stopped insulting the bar staff since we entered.

 

On the communal table, Coritiba, Vitória, Ponte Preta, Atlético-PR, Goiás and Portuguesa are scrapping away for every last bite of a steak. A couple of them will probably exceed expectations in 2013; my money is on the first two. That self-conscious man in the corner is Chrissy “Criciúma” Uma. He’s used to eating in much more modest joints. And the screaming noise you can hear is coming from assorted members of the Bahia squad and board, who are currently having a catfight out in the rain. There’s always one.

 

“When you chose this restaurant scheme,” my partner sighs, “I assumed it would be partly to avoid having to go through every team. Now you’ve bored me in two distinct ways.”

 

My partner is right, of course. (S)He always is. I tuck my napkin into my collar and exhale, semi-contentedly. At least the meal will be better than the preamble.

 

Odds to win:

 

Corinthians - 5/1

Fluminense - 11/2

Sao Paulo - 6/1

Atletico MG - 7/1

Internacional - 8/1

Gremio - 8/1

 

[Disco]

Newells and Olimpia joined Santa Fe in the semi finals of the Copa Libertadores last night.

 

Massive bottle job by the Fluminense getting knocked out to the Paraguayans.

 

Atletico Mineiro play Tijuana tonight to decide who'll take the last spot. It's 2-2 after the first leg in Mexico, Atletico heavy favourites.

 

Only Olimpia have won it before of the teams left in.

[Flip]

Newells and Olimpia joined Santa Fe in the semi finals of the Copa Libertadores last night.

 

Massive bottle job by the Fluminense getting knocked out to the Paraguayans.

 

Atletico Mineiro play Tijuana tonight to decide who'll take the last spot. It's 2-2 after the first leg in Mexico, Atletico heavy favourites.

 

Only Olimpia have won it before of the teams left in.

 

Watched the first half since I'm in Rio and my cousin is a huge Fluminense fan (before switching to the Corinthians game) and I got to say that Fluminense didn't look good at all. They seemed to lack a midfield and their central defenders looekd uncapable to deal with the Olimpia striker.

[LooneyToonArmy]

Newells and Olimpia joined Santa Fe in the semi finals of the Copa Libertadores last night.

 

 

Good penalty shootout between Newell`s and Boca for those interested

 

Youtube : Newell's 0 Boca 0 (10-9) (Relato Walter Saavedra) Copa Libertadores 2013 Los penales

[robbo_11]

Need to decide between Coritiba or Atletico Paranaense for a team to support when we are over there for the year. Tempted by Coritiba because I saw Alex play for Fenerbahce against us a few seasons ago. Small plug for our new promo video and will release another one soon which is more in depth about the project.

 

[Flip]

You should chose Coritiba without a shadow of a doubt. Immense supporters and atmosphere when they play at home. Green Hell is one of the coolest supports around. Picture below, spoiler because of size.

 

 

http://fotbollskultur.files.wordpress.com/2011/04/green_hell_c-f-c_x_curinthia.jpg

 

[Flip]

Another absolutely amazing finish to a quartfinal game, this time Atletico Mineiro went through on away goals (agg.3-3) after their goalkeeper saved a penalty in the 93rd minute.

[Flip]

Some transfer rumours from the Brazilian league.

 

Sao Paulo is pursuing Fernando Gago or Felipe Melo to replace Denilson if he has to go back to Arsenal.

Internacional is pursuing Julio Baptista from Malaga and are waiting him to lower his salary request just like Sao Paulo have been when talking about Melo. (I'd guess this means Leandro Damiao might be leaving as they already have D'Alessandro and Forlan playing off him)

Atletico MG chairman says it will be hard to keep Bernard after the Libertadores, so it's expected he'll be leaving.

 

[Disco]

Another absolutely amazing finish to a quartfinal game, this time Atletico Mineiro went through on away goals (agg.3-3) after their goalkeeper saved a penalty in the 93rd minute.

 

Ridiculous, their name is on the cup IMO.

 

Getting the rub of the green, can come back from behind and have the 2 highest scorers in the competition with the best player left in it providing them.