Tevez For No.9 Slot

Another opinion poll, this time on-line for Buenos Aires paper Infobae shows overwhelming backing for giving Carlos Tevez a starting place against Mexico. Coach Basile preferred to replace the injured Hernán Crespo with like-for-like Diego Milito for the game against Peru.
But Milito looked out of place among Argentina’s illustrious attack and it was only with [...]

Colombian Coach Gets Vote Of Confidence

Despite only winning one game, and that against the USA’s third team, before seeing his team take its leave of the Copa before it fully got going, Colombia’s football fans have backed Jorge Luis Pinto to stay on as coach for the World Cup qualifying campaign.
In an opinion poll conducted for El Tiempo of Bogotá [...]

Peru Keep Faith With Coach Uribe

Despite their unimpressive Copa America campaign, which culminated in a 4-0 hiding by favourites Argentina, Peru’s FA have kept faith with coach Julio César Uribe, according to Lima radio station RPP. He’s now been charged with qualifying Peru for their first World Cup since 1982.
The station said one of the reasons Uribe would be kept [...]

Chile’s Press Demand Head of Coach Acosta

The Chilean press have reacted with outrage after their side’s humiliating surrender to Brazil on Saturday when the scandal hit side were brushed aside 6-1 with several papers calling for the sacking of coach Nelson Acosta.
Chile players are accused of running amok in their hotel after a drinking session just three nights before the quarter-final [...]

Dunga’s Blogging As Well

Dunga’s doesn’t seem to be as punctual keeping his blog up to date as ourselves, but then he’s somewhat busier. Or maybe it’s all the translation into English that’s slowing him down. Either way you read it here: www.capitaodunga.com.br

Uruguay’s Tabárez: Now Starts Another Copa

Uruguay’s coach Oscar Tabárez says that his side’s semi-final tomorrow night against Brazil marks “the start of another Copa” and has promised to fight it out with Brazil for control of midfield. “Brazil is very strong in the centre of the park…but if we do what we intend then I believe they could have difficulties,” [...]

Messi Mania Madness

http://venezuela07.wordpress.com/2007/07/09/girls-obessed-with-leo-messi/
Perhaps the maddest clip yet out of Venezuela……thanks to venezuela07 for showing us this. He’s doing something similar over at venezuela07.wordpress.com/

Dunga Holds Off Naming Team To Face Uruguay

Brazilian coach Dunga will not be rushed into naming an unchanged side to face Uruguay in tomorrow’s semi-final, despite his last team selection hammering Chile 6-1 on Saturday.
“Just because we won, I don’t want to say that the winning team will not change. A team which wins evolves,” said the coach to journalists earlier today.
Dunga [...]

Our Man Leaves The ‘City Of Ice’

I bid farewell to Barquisimeto and Argentina today and head back to Maracaibo to catch the first semi-final between Brazil and Uruguay.
Maracaibo is known as the City of Ice. Even though the mercury frequently hits 100, the city is like an igloo. Indoors at least.
While the streets are sweltering, industrial air conditioning chills almost every [...]

Argentina’s Roman Summer

It was always going to be a Roman summer.
Juan Roman Riquelme has already brightened June with his displays for Boca Juniors. Three goals in two games against Gremio helped Boca win the Copa Libertadores and confirmed his place as the most technically gifted player currently plying his trade in South America.
Now, the enigmatic midfielder is [...]

Today’s Headlines

“Argentina builds another goal-fest to affirm a route with intimidates” – La Nacion, Argentina
“Basile: This was our best game” – Clarín, Argentina
“The made us dance a tango” – Todo Sport, Peru
“They played like never before…..and won like never before” – El Universal, Mexico
“The catastrophe of the national team” – Ultima Hora, Paraguay

1950 and All That

For Brazilians and Uruguayans alike, one of the most unforgettable World Cup matches of all time was the final match of the 1950 World Cup.
Brazil were hot favourites to win the trophy for the first time in front of almost 200,000 fans at the newly built Maracana. But Uruguay silenced the home crowd with a [...]

Semi-Final Line-Ups

Tuesday:
Uruguay -v- Brazil  (21:50 Maracaibo)
Wednesday:
Mexico -v- Argentina  (21:50 Puerto Ordaz)
Uruguay and Brazil were both poor in the group stages but came to life on Saturday once they reached the knockout stages and their semi is a South American clásico with a huge history.
The Mexico-v-Argentina match-up has less tradition but these two teams have been in [...]

Last Night’s Goals

Mexico 6-0 Paraguay: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DjV6P_vsqpk
Argentina 4-0 Peru: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K3Q0Y-z7QIY
Another 10 goals last night to go with the 12 from Saturday in what could be the biggest goals tally in the quarter-finals stage of a major tournament. Last night there were several more top strikes.
We’d like to pick one by the brilliant sub Carlitos Tevez, whose introduction at [...]