The magic of the man with golden feet and terrible teeth has been captured in flipbook form, and we’re still stunned by what Etoilec1 has created. Ronaldinho’s finest moments in all their aesthetic brilliance have been condensed to a few sheets of paper, but the final product only blows us away just as much as the original masterpieces. You can almost hear the “Olé” as the paper skips.
We may be in the middle of an International break but AFR Voice isn’t taking a time out. No sir. We’ve got our passports out and spend this week’s podcast picking up some serious air miles as we charge around the globe bringing you everything you need to know about the World Cup qualifiers on 5 different continents.
So as teams from around the world have pulled out of the international lay-by and got back on the road to Brazil 2014, we start off by looking at the delicately poised groups in Europe, discuss if a pre-qualifying stage for so-called International “minnows” is a good idea, and look at the possibility of Montenegro installing trap doors under the pitch against England in an act of gamesmanship.
Then it’s off around the world where the USMNT have been fighting snow, frost and Costa Rica in the Hex, Lionel Messi has been getting some extra camera time in South America, and New Zealand have qualified top of the Oceania group (but Shane Smeltz has still been left with a qualification headache).
There’s also time for a quick round-up of all of the week’s MLS action, a special look at the Australian A-League (where it really is business time), plus we discuss what it takes to get the Blackburn managerial job, and why everything on Wikipedia must be true.
Get in touch with the team to mock Paddy’s poor betting selections, suggest more leagues to cover, or anything else for that matter - tweet us on @AFRvoice, or email afrvoice@gmail.com. You can also subscribe to AFR Voice on iTunes and find us on Soundcloud. Do it.
“[Brazil] will be ready because it is the World Cup and no one can afford not to be ready for the World Cup.” - Sepp Blatter
Sepp, that’s just not how things work. The timetable of preparedness for the World Cup is against Brazil. We’re all going to try to go to the World Cup regardless of the levels of chaos, but we’ve all spoken with our Brazilian friends. The response from the World Cup hosts’ countrymen / voices of reason is the same: it’s going to be a mess.
Now, you expect a mess when the whole world throws a party for a month straight, but it’s rarely been this bad this close to the tournament. Only two of six stadiums are ready for the Confederations Cup in June.
Most recently, the Brazilian government has called upon the United Nations to assist with meeting deadlines for construction. As Reuters reports, “The Brasilia government signed this week a 35 million reais ($17.61 million) agreement with two U.N. agencies under which they will procure services and items such as tents, generators and security cameras for the stadium… The U.N.’s main advantage: It can acquire goods and services without going through the complex and lengthy procurement process required by the Brazilian government.”
Calling upon the UN is a desperate measure, but hopefully one that finally motivates the South Americans to get their act together. Brazil wants to truly showcase its standing as an emerging power, and - perhaps unfortunately - we’re all watching closely. [For more on the progress, or lack thereof, in Brazil, be sure to give our friend Chistopher Gaffney (Academic Geographer and Investigative Journalist) a follow. Posted by Eric]
“I think that things are getting better for me, above all at my club. I’m playing more often at Madrid. The supporters are showing that they appreciate me and that is an extra motivation. Now I hope to make the most of this chance with Brazil.”
Hampered by injuries for the latter part of his career, Kaká has worked persistently to regain his place, not only with Real Madrid, but with the Brazilian national team as well. Things are getting better, but there’s still room for improvement, and tonight, as Brazil takes on Italy, Ricky has a golden opportunity to prove himself once again.
From his first days with Sao Paulo until his last, how can you not be supporting Kaká for one last run with the Selecão? [Posted by Maxi]
By Tom Robinson
Much like the most recent Copa America, the under-20 South American Championship also saw its fair share of surprises as the continental apple cart was well and truly upset when Argentina and Brazil crashed out early, leaving some of the less fancied nations to take centre stage. Colombia emerged victorious after topping the final round robin stage and booked their place at this summer’s under-20 World Cup in Turkey along with Paraguay, Uruguay and Chile.
The Sudamericano regularly provides glimpses of some of the most talented youngsters in world football, with notable alumni such as Ronaldinho, Aguero and Messi all gracing the competition in their formative years. A relentless schedule sees the games come thick and fast, providing these precocious tyros with great experience of tournament football. What’s more, due to the necessary rotation, it also rewards the squads with the greatest depth and overall balance.
This last point in particular seems to be a key concept that Brazil and Argentina failed to grasp. Both nations, as we’ve come to expect, were littered with outstanding prospects but neither seemed to be able to function as a collective unit. Ultimately, they paid the price: a humbling and thoroughly deserved early exit.
By James Young
What springs to mind when you hear the words “Brazilian football”? Pelé rolling the ball into the path of Carlos Alberto’s thunderous boot in 1970? The Short happy lives of Zico, Sócrates, Éder, Falcão and the rest in the summer of 1982? Ronaldo, Ronaldinho or Romário? The seething cauldron of the Maracanã? Or one of the great club sides, the Botafogo of Garrincha, Pelé’s Santos, or Zico’s Flamengo?
In all probability, one thing that does not readily leap into the consciousness is the name of a great Brazilian manager (with all due respect to Telé Santana, Mário Zagallo, or even the current cream of the crop, Corinthians’ Tite). The lot of the Brazilian coach is not an easy one. When the team wins, the feeling is that it’s down to the players. When the team loses even a handful of games, it’s the burro on the bench who is to blame. The lifespan of the Brazilian manager is roughly as long as that of the mayfly. In honour, then, of this endangered species, here’s a list of five (-ish) of last year’s fallen warriors, in no particular order:
‘Amarelinha’ - A jersey belonging to a roaring, dancing, football fevered nation. A yellow shirt worn by many of football’s greatest performers, who never fail to entertain and earned 5 engraved stars: 1958, 1962, 1970, 1994, 2002.
As Neymar puts it: “To wear it [the shirt] is the greatest honor for me and my teammates.”
The Brazilian national team is a rich global reference to both modern and historic football, 11 men always playing with a smile - a team which will always viewed as a one of the best, who every year promote a selection of the world’s finest talents to ‘A Seleção’, where they wear the iconic yellow shirt on top of their chests.
Since Nike took over as shirt sponsor for Brazil in 1996, they’ve produced 11 shirts, featuring in 264 official games. Plenty of past and current players have entertained millions in the ‘Amarelinha’ and written history, from crashing out in the 1998 World Cup final and bouncing back 4 years later under the dazzling displays of Ronaldo, Ronaldinho, Rivaldo and co. The talent never runs out and it probably never will.
That yellow kit has created a unique image for Brazil, one which represents their passion for their very own ‘Joga Bonito’ style, which is now seen across the globe. And let’s not forget those adverts, ranging from waiting in an airport lounge to the ‘Ole!’ match versus Portugal and free-styling in a changing room.
Their latest jersey, which was revealed on Rio’s infamous Copacabana beach during a youth football tournament by Neymar, is a shirt reminiscing a classic look, once again carrying a Cantona collar.
The latest ‘Amarelinha’ makes it debut on Wednesday night, where we see the return of Ronaldinho. AFR will be at Wembley to watch ‘O Canarinho’ do what they do best - jogar futebol. See you there…
[Posted by Dom]
Who’s getting ready to… learn a little Portuguese, watch Neymar carry Brazil, see Spain continue to control the game with their tiki-taka, expect England to win it all, support Landon and Clint’s last run with the USMNT, scream “Allez Les Bleus!”, give it up for Mexico’s golden generation, bet on the Ivory Coast’s Touré brothers, scout the next star coming out of South Korea, look at Joachim Low’s German hand gestures, or argue that Messi can finally lead Argentina? We are. What are you ready for?
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