Game:
Wednesday 27 June 2007
20h45min (Local Time)
............................
TEAMS: Brazil v Mexico
VENUE: Polideportivo Cachamay, Puerto Ordaz, Venezuela.
...............
Brazil
........
Whenever I write a Brazilian preview, my head is almost always pre-loaded and brimming with many superlatives and today is no different, excepting a little more restraint than usual…
The primary reasons for a little restraint are two-fold:
1) The world’s greatest player; Kaka, and the exquisite Gaucho are absent. Their requested absence has stoked controversy in Brazil, notwithstanding recent vitriolic veiled criticism from coach Dunga.
2) Brazil has only the 3rd best record in this competition, trailing arch-enemy Argentina and the very competent Uruguay.
Let’s deal with point 1:
The uncompromising philosophy in Brazil is that all players must consider it an honor to wear the Brazil shirt – and in effect both Kaka and Gaucho have given the coach, team and all Brazilians a big banana.
As Dunga recently said
..............................................
¨ My players have joined the squad straight after the European season, spent two weeks training in Brazil and then flew straight to Venezuela for the Copa, all without complaining.¨
"This is a highly professional group, the players are totally focused on what they want to achieve,"
"They could be on holiday with their families at the moment.¨
"At no time have they complained about the workload, about staying for two weeks at the training camp and then flying straight to Venezuela, or about giving interviews."
.............................................
All I have to say to the 2 prima donnas is this: ¨On your holiday island, I do hope it absolutely buckets down with rain , you get diarrhea for the first 3 days of your holiday and a spot of food poising on the last 3.
Before I end this section, it is also noted that the press in Brazil (mainly Sao Paulo), pressurized Dunga, aka Mr. Motivator to pick Ze Roberto.
Lo and behold , no sooner had Dunga announced the squad, Roberto announced his retirement from the international scene, citing the dubious claim about his native homeland’s insecurity, saying he feared his family would be kidnapped if he stayed – is bags are subsequently packed for Germany.
But as Dunga quite rightly replied;
“The Sao Paolo press insisted I pick Ze Roberto,” said the coach. “Now he comes with kidnapping stories. Has kidnapping just started in Brazil? ¨
I feel considerably better now, I have that off my chest, lets move on to point 2:
In Brazilian international football, only one thing counts, The World Cup , at least this used to be the permeated thought. Which incidentally is confirmed by the fact that Brazil has only triumphed in this competition 7 times, half the success rate of 2 rivals.
However, recent stats belie this, as they have won the American Cup 3 times from the last 4 attempts. This clearly indicates that, times and philosophy maybe a changing.
The prima donna defection will galvanize Mr. Motivator and his precocious, presumptuous and fresh samba band of yellow and greens – of this I have no doubt.
Notwithstanding the stalwart Arsenal midfielder; Gilberto Silva will, on the field of play, inspire, lead and nurture his extremely naturally gifted charges.
The green and yellow squad is as follows:
........................................
1 HELTON PO / GOL / GK FC Porto (POR)
2 MAICON DF / ZAG / DF Internazionale (ITA)
3 ALEX DF / ZAG / DF PSV Eindhoven (HOL)
4 JUAN DF / ZAG / DF Bayer Leverkusen (ALE)
5 MINEIRO MC / MEIA / MF Hertha Berlin (ALE)
6 GILBERTO DF / ZAG / DF Hertha Berlin (ALE)
7 ELANO MC / MEIA / MF Shaktar Donetsk (UCR)
8 GILBERTO SILVA MC / MEIA / MF Arsenal (ING)
9 VÁGNER LOVE DL / ATA / FW CSKA Moscú (RUS)
10 DIEGO MC / MEIA / MF Werder Bremen (ALE)
11 ROBINHO DL / ATA / FW Real Madrid (ESP)
12 DONI PO / GOL / GK Roma (ITA)
13 DANIEL ALVES DF / ZAG / DF Sevilla (ESP)
14 ALEX SILVA DF / ZAG / DF Sao Paulo (BRA)
15 NALDO DF / ZAG / DF Werder Bremen (ALE)
16 KLEBER DF / ZAG / DF Santos FC (BRA)
17 JOSUÉ MC / MEIA / MF Sao Paulo (BRA)
18 FERNANDO MC / MEIA / MF Bordeaux (FRA)
19 JULIO BAPTISTA DL / ATA / FW Arsenal (ING)
20 ANDERSON DL / ATA / FW Manchester United (ING)
21 AFONSO DL / ATA / FW Heerenveen (HOL)
22 FRED DL / ATA / FW Lyon (FRA)
Mexico
.......
The Mexicans arrive in Venezuela pretty disillusioned, not least because their old enemy, the US. , skewered them to the barbecue in the Gold Cup, but they have suffered the same fate as the Brazilians in as much as some key European based players have gone absent without sombrero.
The men from Monterey have never managed to win an American Cup, but have been runners-up, twice.
To be frank it’s very difficult to envisage them winning this. Last night I even chucked half-dozen tequilas down my neck, and I still couldn’t get optimistic about a win, mind you, I perfected a damn good Mexican Wave….
However, Mexico has a surprising head-to-head record against Brazil, boasting an astonishingly favorable statistic of 4 wins to the Brazilians sole victory.
Here are the tequila slammers:
..............................
Goalkeepers : Oswaldo Sánchez (Santos), Guillermo Ochoa (América), Jesús Corona (Tecos).
Defenders: Jonny Magallon (Guadalajara), Fausto Pinto (Pachuca), Rafael Márquez (Barcelona/ESP), Israel Castro (UNAM), Gonzalo Pineda (Guadalajara), José Antonio Castro (América), Francisco Rodríguez (Guadalajara).
Midfielders: Gerardo Torrado (Cruz Azul), Jaime Correa (Pachuca), Ramón Morales (Guadalajara), Jaime Lozano (Tigres), Andrés Guardado (Atlas), Fernando Arce (Monarcas).
Forwards: Alberto Medina (Guadalajara), Omar Bravo (Guadalajara), Adolfo Bautista (Guadalajara), Cuauhtémoc Blanco (América), Nery Castillo (Olympiacos/GRE), Jared Borgetti (Cruz Azul), Juan Carlos Cacho (Pachuca).
Prediction and Analysis
........................
Venezuela hosts a treat
American Cup not theirs to keep
Who will win this beautiful show?
Brazil are playing Mehico.
Refined and raring the best we’ve seen
The samba boys in yellow and green
Here to win and magic strutted
If they lose a nation’s gutted.
Two thousand and ten the eye is on
With pensioners fat and old all gone
Precocious talent is the call
And youngsters dancing with the ball.
Sombrero hats and tequila dash
And little men with big moustache
Football passion not in doubt
But can they bring the win about ?
With tacos, fajitas and slim senhoritas
The chili con carne are no world beaters
With Mexican wave and players with passion
A win won’t be mustered in any way or fashion.
Ponchos, big hats and Mexican show
Will not mean much at the whistle blow
They will attack and worry the gringo
But Robinho`s samba will ensure its BINGO.
Bet
.......
Take Brazil @ 1.62 with Ladbrokes
6 POINTS
Gilberto Silva to score anytime @ 7.50 with Victor Chandler
1/2 POINT
Quote Reply
