PSG Switch Works for Luiz
Given Chelsea’s start to the season many neutral fans would assume that David Luiz had taken a wrong turn by joining PSG in the summer. Sitting pretty, unbeaten at the top of the Premier League table and playing some of the best football around, there are few clubs that Europe’s top players would rather be at than Chelsea but, for Luiz, the switch could still prove to be a huge success.
Champions League Promise
Following last night’s impressive 3-1 win at home to Ajax, Luiz’ team are one point clear at the top of Champions League Group E and the Brazilian has called on the squad to make a huge push to finish above Barca. Keeping the Spanish giants off top spot will require PSG avoiding defeat at the Nou Camp when the two sides meet on 10th December but, having already recorded a 3-2 win over Luis Enrique’s side this season, they will be confident of coming away with at least the point that they need. With Chelsea assured of top spot in Group G, Luiz could come up against his old side later in the competition.
Image by: Ben Tavener
Misleading Table
A glance at the French Ligue 1 table might make fans and football tipsters, like those at bluesq.com, question whether Luiz was right to leave London for Paris. With the reigning French Champions currently in second spot behind Marseille it would be easy to suggest that Chelsea are out-performing the French club but a more thorough investigation shows that, actually, there is little to choose between the seasons that both clubs are enjoying. Like Chelsea, PSG remain unbeaten in the league but they have been pushed into second by an outstanding Marseille side who have won 10 of their 14 games. PSG have, however, already inflicted one defeat on Marseille and had they converted just one of their six draws into a win then they would have been clear at the top of the table.
Successful Campaigns
The final analysis of the wisdom behind Luiz’ move may have to wait until the end of the season but what seems certain is that both his current club and his former employers can look forward to very successful campaigns. Whether or not one of them will end up lifting the Champions League in June remains to be seen, but it would come as little surprise if they did.
Neymar Epitomises Poker Boom in Brazil
The 2014 World Cup has left a rather sour taste in the mouths of those of us that love to follow Brazilian football. There was so much expectation, so much hope and so much passion only for it all to finally come to an end in an embarrassing defeat to the Germans.
Whilst that defeat should be forgotten about and never spoken of again, something good did actually come out of it. Another industry called poker was given a timely boost that has now seen it become a current trend.
We all know that one of the reasons for the defeat was due to the absence of the injured Neymar, the player that just last season signed for Barcelona and has carried on scoring for fun since leaving Santos. Well, you might have heard a story of how Neymar could no longer watch the demise of his team against Chelsea and actually tweeted that he went to play poker instead!
Since then he has been tweeting all kinds of pictures of him playing poker both online and live – something which has helped give the poker scene in the country a huge boost.
Poker Once Again Booming in Brazil
That magical tweet started something in the country as it helped to dispel the depression for many after the World Cup, as they found themselves following a new game that had become something of a trend in recent years.
In fact, other Brazilian legends such as Ronaldo and Bebeto are keen players of the game that is now picking up pace in their home country. Poker’s popularity has grown at an incredible rate and the World Series of Poker Main Event even had Brazilian player Bruno Politano make the final table.
Politano had a rail of supporters for that final table that included Neymar and international teammate Kaka. Unfortunately, Politano was unable to win the world’s most prestigious poker title but he certainly helped to keep the Brazilian poker boom’s momentum moving along nicely. Just imagine what would have happened had he gone on and won the $10 million that was on offer for first place.
Whilst Neymar and these other footballing legends have no doubt been a massive contributing factor to the rise in popularity of poker in Brazil, the foundations were initially put in place by PokerStars and Full Tilt who have been attempting to bridge the gap between poker and South America.
The two online poker giants are behind the two major live tournaments that are played in Brazil: the Brazilian Series of Poker (BSOP) and Latin America Poker Tour (LAPT) that have proved to be big successes.
PokerStars and Full Tilt have already been a massive part in the success of poker all around the world and they are always looking to bring the joys of the game to parts of the world that have not really had access to it before. They are also looking to expand their offerings with by offering casino type games too.
Full Tilt has entered the online casino market already this year with huge success in Europe; something that we are sure will soon follow to other continents around the world.
With the popularity of the tours in Brazil and the number of new players that are turning into professional players, it would certainly seem that the future of poker in the country is starting to look very good indeed.
So in summary, although the World Cup did not go according to plans for Brazilian fans, that defeat did play its part in another sport gaining huge popularity in the country.
Seleção start to lift spirits again
It is only just over three months since Brazil’s World Cup humiliation but there are signs that the 7-1 hammering against Germany may actually be a good thing for the Selecao in the long run.
Even before that surreal game, it was obvious that Luiz Felipe Scolari’s brand of football was outdated and some of the displays earlier in the tournament were dreadful.
Despite beating Croatia 3-1 on the opening day, Brazil could easily have lost the game and Mexico were also unfortunate not to take more than a point from their match against Scolari’s increasingly long-ball side.
Fighting amongst themselves
An inept Cameroon side were beaten 4-1 to lift spirits among Brazilian fans but the Indomitable Lions were more interested in fighting amongst themselves than playing the hosts.
Victories against Chile and Colombia had more to do with curious refereeing decisions than brilliant Brazilian play and, although the manner of Germany’s semi-final victory was remarkable, it was clear that Scolari’s side had used up their luck much earlier in the competition.
Scolari resigned, eventually, but the appointment of Dunga, who had previously managed the side between 2006 and 2010, was not universally welcomed as it seemed to be yet another backwards step.
However, the initial signs are encouraging. Just 59 days after the 7-1 embarrassment in Belo Horizonte, Brazil beat Colombia 1-0 and followed it up with a one-goal victory against Ecuador.
Gloom starts to lift
In October a 2-0 victory against World Cup finalists Argentina was followed three days later by a 4-0 hammering of Japan in Singapore.
Slowly but surely the gloom that followed the Germany drubbing has started to lift and Brazil are starting to look to the future again with international football betting patterns suggesting they will be one of the favourites to lift the 2018 World Cup in Russia.
Dunga has attempted to play attacking football, while keeping a solid defence, and his policy appears to be working as the four successive clean sheets testify.
Brazil can still call on some of the best players on the planet. Neymar has returned to action after the back injury he suffered at the World Cup, when his absence appeared to drain all the confidence out of his team-mates.
An unlikely star
The Barcelona star scored all four goals against Japan while the likes of Oscar, David Luiz and Marcelo, who all started in the semi-final, have somehow responded to the stunning defeat by playing well for their respective clubs.
Neymar has scored 40 goals in 58 matches for his country while the likes of Fred, Julio Cesar and Paulinho appear to have been ditched by Dunga, seemingly the scapegoats for the World Cup catastrophe.
Diego Tardelli has emerged as an unlikely star after scoring both the goals in the victory against Argentina.
The 29-year-old has spent most of his career in Brazil, apart from a brief loan spell with PSV Eindhoven and a disastrous time in Russia with Anzhi Makhachkala.
But he may well have been the sort of homegrown player Brazilian fans could have warmed to at the World Cup.
Brazil for the 2018 World Cup?
Dunga’s return to the Brazil management setup has seen the seleção win four from four games; beating World Cup quarter-final opponents Colombia 1-0, Ecuador 1-0, Argentina 2-0 and Japan 4-0. Although this has done little to reduce the hurt the nation felt after their ignominious World Cup exit, it does seem to highlight a step in the right direction. That direction is obviously winning the next World Cup in Russia. So can it be done or have Brazil wasted their golden opportunity of world success?
If you take away home support out of the equation then winning the World Cup in Russia is more plausible for Brazil. You ask why? Well the main reason is that disaster brings about seismic change, something that the Brazilian squad will undergo, much like Germany after their disastrous Euro 2004 campaign. Here are the key ingredients for success in 2018.
Dunga (right) by Aecio Neves
Youth
As we have seen in his friendly squads, Dunga is discarding with the deadwood that Luis Felipe Scolari called players. The much chastised Fred has retired, and the elder statesmen of Scolari’s squad will gradually be eased out after the Copa America. Dunga has now made room for young, hungry players to come up and try and make the national jersey their own – it is stupefying that players like Philippe Coutinho, Alex Sandro and Marquinhos have just 10 caps between them. These poor saplings have not been able to get enough light and therefore withered, but, by stripping back the old boys these youngsters will get the experience they need and flourish and the world stage.
Neymar
Neymar is the big one. The 22-year-old, who is already the captain of the national side, is widely regarded as one of the best talents in world football; 2014 saw a 22-year-old Neymar lead Brazil at the World Cup, can you imagine how good a 26-year-old Neymar will be? By then his playing ability will likely be equal to that of Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi.
Neymar by Jose Martinez
Come 2018, Neymar will be more than capable of leading; his record of 40 goals in 58 international appearances suggests that he is already ready. Dunga must be very pleased with how his captain is performing in La Liga; the Barcelona man has nine goals from nine games, which has subsequently led to Betfair and other bookmakers installing him as third favourite behind Ronaldo and Messi to finish top goalscorer. The longer Neymar plays in Europe the better he gets; and the better he gets, the better Brazil get.
Scheduling
Scheduling is also going to help Brazil. We have mentioned that Dunga is going to inject youth into his squad, and while friendlies are good for blooding youngsters they are not brilliant for creating a cohesive squad. Thankfully, the Selecao will be playing in two Copa Americas before the 2018 World Cup. The first, in Chile (2015), will allow Dunga to experiment with his youngsters in a competitive environment, while the second, which is held the year after in the USA, should see this young side become one of the dominant forces in world football.
Here’s to hoping that 2018 will see Brazil finish the task they were meant to have done four years prior.
Who will win the 2015 Copa América?
Next year’s Copa América isn’t far away and comes with a little more spice this time after Brazil’s 1-7 home thrashing to Germany in this year’s World Cup. It goes without saying that this was the absolute nadir of Brazil’s footballing history and the current squad of players will be under a lot of pressure to restore the power balance in world football.
The big prize will, of course, be the 2018 World Cp in Russia, but that’s a long way off and it can wait for now. First, the re-formatted Brazil back under the stewardship of Dunga must prove itself again on South American soil – and that means next year’s Copa América.
The finals will be held in Chile from 11th June with the final on July 4th. With the major bookmakers including Unibet, 32 Red and some others, Argentina are 9/4 favourites followed by Brazil at 3/1 and the hosts Chile and 7/2. The real value bet, though, seems to be current holders Uruguay at 8/1.
Most bookies offer free bets or credit etc. for new customers – so that 8/1 may be a shrewd punt on a “bet to nothing” basis. Meanwhile some bookmakers including BGO and the afore-mentioned 32Red also run online casinos in which the bonuses are bigger. The world of mobile casinos, in particular, is highly competitive so if you register to play at the 32red mobile casino, for example, you’ll see you get £32 free for each £20 deposited.
So you should be able to play through a few games of roulette etc., and have a decent amount left over for the sports book. And if you’re betting in the Copa América and you love Brazil – then Dunga has certainly given you room for optimism since the ignominy of the World Cup.
Brazil have now enjoyed four straight wins under Dunga who also seems to have changed the team’s overall playing philosophy. He’s also drawing more players than before from Brazil’s domestic league. In the recent match against Japan, six Seleção players were drawn from the Campeonato Brasileiro during the second half. This is a good sign. Kaka, Everton Ribeiro, Jefferson, Gil, Souza, and Robinho are all playing in the Brazilian top flight at the moment – and all plying their trade on the pitch at international level.
The Copa América will be the first real acid test of the new structure under Dunga. Brazilian fans will expect, as an absolute base, a decent performance and a run to the semis, though most fans will be both wanting and expecting a lot more. Remember that in the 2007 tournament, Dunga took Brazil all he way to the final against arch-enemies Argentina – where most pundits (and bookmakers) firmly expected Brazil to lose. But Brazil won 3–0. And they may well defy the odds again next summer.
Felipe Luis reveals all in Twitter Q&A session
It has been a wonderful year in the life of Felipe Luis who has transformed into one of the best left-backs in world football. The 29-year-old not only became a La Liga winner and picked up a Champions League runners-up medal with Atletico Madrid, but also secured a dream move to Chelsea for 20 million Euros. He has come a long way since progressing through the ranks at Figueirense, with the Brazilian moving to Real Madrid Castilla and Deportivo La Coruna before securing a transfer to Atletico Madrid in 2010. Diego Simeone played a big role in his development in the Spanish capital, with Felipe Luis becoming a fan’s favourite through his endeavour and work-rate in defence. The left-back has also broke into La Selecao, although his omission from the 2014 World Cup raised many eyebrows across Brazil. He is poised to play a significant role in fulfilling Chelsea’s odds with Coral of Premier League title favourites as he provides Jose Mourinho with a wonderful defensive and attacking option at left-back.
As so many of the modern day footballers have chosen to involve themselves with, Felipe Luis has his own Twitter account – a social media site which enables a great bond between professional footballers and fans to be formed. Felipe Luis recently participated in a Q&A session on Twitter where Chelsea fans were invited to ask the left-back any questions in order to learn more about their new player. Amongst the numerous questions he fielded, Felipe Luis provided an interesting insight into life as a professional footballer, his personality and his views on his Chelsea team-mates.
Who is the fastest player at Chelsea?
Chelsea are blessed with a star-studded squad which looks primed to challenge for the Premier League title once again. Training with so many quality players will have provided Felipe Luis with the perfect insight into the ability of his team-mates. Although they may not be considered regular training drills, most professional football clubs hold sprint sessions to discover who is the most athletic and has the best acceleration speeds; it may be considered a fun exercise for the players, but it also provides important information for sports science purposes. Felipe Luis revealed that he believes his Brazilian team-mate Willian is the fastest player at Chelsea, followed by Eden Hazard and Andre Schurrle.
Who is your idol?
Being a Brazilian left-back naturally makes the link with Roberto Carlos inevitable for Felipe Luis, but he confirmed during the Q&A session that he considers the Selecao legend as his role model. Roberto Carlos was one of the best players of his generation, with many years of service at Real Madrid alongside the likes of Zinedine Zidane, David Beckham and Raul illustrating the considerable quality he possessed. Many fans across the world will remember Carlos for the wonderful, bending free-kick he scored against France in 1997 that changed the perception of how players can strike the ball. Felipe Luis ranks Roberto Carlos as one of the best players of all time and considers it an honour to watch him play for the Brazil national team.
The Biggest Brazilian Transfers During the Pre-Season
Brazil’s exit from the World Cup to a resounding 7-1 score line to Germany wasn’t the only thing to note from an extremely busy pre-season period. There has also been a raft of high-profile transfers including Brazilian talent. The most notable of course was the surprise departure of central defender David Luiz from Chelsea. Jose Mourinho’s cautious approach to games seems to have been the catalyst to letting Luiz move to the big spending Paris Saint Germain for a reported £40 million. The sheer size of the transfer along with Mourinho’s reliance upon John Terry and Gary Cahill as his preferred choice in defence seems to have been the main reasons for Luiz’s exit.
Fernando was another notable transfer, as he left Porto for Premier League champions Manchester City. The defensive midfielder joins fellow Brazilian Fernandihno at the Etihad Stadium. However the most recent transfer involved the former World Player of the Year, Ronaldinho as he left Brazil club Atletico Mineiro, joining Mexican outfit Queretaro. The former Brazil international had been a free agent since leaving the Brazilian club last July.
Another defensive midfielder Sandro became disillusioned with life at White Hart Lane and left Tottenham to rejoin his old manager Harry Redknapp at QPR. Young starlet Otavio joined Porto from Internacional and Doria went to France to play for Marsielle.
All in all it’s been a very busy transfer window for many Brazilian players. From a fans perspective, it can become quite overwhelming keeping up to date with all the transfer news during pre-season. Also, what with many Brazilian’s plying their trade abroad, keeping up with how they are performing can also be daunting. However, don’t panic!
With Apple now announcing that there are over 1 million apps available alone in their App Store, there are a myriad of different apps available to cater for everyone’s general interests. Sports apps are big business in the app world, with many leading news portals releasing their own apps. And with “much of the market growth coming from the increased adoption of smartphones by consumers,” according to PocketFruity developer Gaming Realms, the amount of apps available is only going to grow exponentially.
Although there are also a lot of substandard apps available, we have come up with a list of 4 apps that you should download to keep up to date with all the news on your favourite Brazilian players and teams.
- 1 – Sky Sports App – Definitive up dates from the Premier League to keep up to updated with news regarding Fernando, Fernandinho, Oscar, Willian and Ramirez.
- 2 – One Football App – Add your favourite teams from around the world and it will send you notifications straight to your phone regarding all your team’s latest news, scores and fixtures.
- 3 – Football Transfer News – Provides the user with all the latest transfers from all the main leagues across the world including: France, England, Germany, Spain, Brazil and Italy.
- 4 – One Football Brasil App – Dedicated entirely to the Brazilian leagues this app is adapted from the One Football App previously mentioned in this list.
Brazil World Cup 2014 Squad
It’s what you’ve all been waiting for. Here is the 23-man provisional squad for the World Cup finals, the players that Luiz Felipe Scolari will do the job:
Goalkeepers: Julio Cesar (Toronto FC), Jefferson (Botafogo), Victor (Atletico Mineiro)
Defenders: Marcelo (Real Madrid), Daniel Alves (Barcelona), Maicon (AS Roma), Maxwell, Thiago Silva (both Paris St Germain), David Luiz (Chelsea), Dante (Bayern Munich), Henrique (Napoli)
Midfielders: Paulinho (Tottenham Hotspur), Ramires, Willian, Oscar (all Chelsea), Hernanes (Inter Milan), Luiz Gustavo (VfL Wolfsburg), Fernandinho (Manchester City)
Forwards: Bernard (Shakhtar Donetsk), Neymar (Barcelona), Fred (Fluminense), Jo (Atletico Mineiro), Hulk (Zenit St Petersburg)
Neymar In TIME
You know you’ve hit it big when you’re on the front cover of TIME magazine. In fact, can anyone tell us who was the last Brazilian footballer to be on the front of the magazine?
Here is the article: http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,2136829,00.html
Rousseff and Blatter to discuss disputes regarding the organization of 2014 World Cup in Brazil
FIFA has asked Brazil to suspend several laws while it hosts the World Cup, including one that requires theatrical and sports events to provide half-price tickets to people over 65, the Estado de Sao Paulo reported.
The laws, FIFA says, threaten to increase the governing body’s costs, reduce its ability to protect its brands and sponsors’ trademarks and to saddle FIFA with other legal liabilities, Estado said, citing Orlando Silva, Brazil’s sports minister.
Read more about this story: en.mercopress.com/2011/10/03/rousseff-and-blatter-to-discuss-disputes-regarding-organization-of-2014-world-cup