Match Day 1 review and Match Day 2 preview

Match day one brought about very few surprises as all the home teams came out on top.  There were a few disappointing performances and it is clear this will be one of the tightest and most competitive qualifying races in recent memory.   Below the previews for match day 2 on Tuesday October 11, along with analysis of match day 1 performances.  (home teams in CAPS)

BOLIVIA vs. Colombia

Referee:            Carlos Amarilla (PAR)

Assistant # 1:    Nicolás Yegros (PAR)

Assistant # 2:    Milcíades Saldivar (PAR)

4^th Official :       Antonio Arias (PAR)

Bolivia comes into this match off a 4-2 loss in Uruguay.  They started off well enough as they were level at 1 before Uruguay took control of the game and ran off to a 4-1 lead before Marcelo Martins got one back for the Bolivians.  In truth they did not expect anything from this game and will be focused on taking full points in their home opener against Colombia.  The altitude of La Paz will give Bolivia a huge advantage.  Colombia was off on Day 1 and start off with a tough fixture.  Atletico Madrid star Radamel Falcao Garcia has been in excellent form and is one of the most lethal forwards in South America.  Playmakers James Rodriguez (Porto- Portugal) and Giovanni Moreno (Racing- Argentina) are part of a young generation of players which are looking to lead Colombia to its first world cup since 2002.  Although they should make a run at the 2014 event, this will not be a happy memory in that road.  Bolivia should run out winners in this match as they know their only chance of competing for a top 5 spot is getting full points at home.  La Paz has seen the fall of many, including a 6-1 thrashing of Messi and co. last qualifying cycle.  Expect Colombia to keep it closer but not much more than that.

Prediction: Bolivia 4 – Colombia 1

CHILE vs. Peru

Referee:            Raúl Orosco (BOL)

Assistant #1:     Jorge Calderon  (BOL)

Assistant #2:     Efraín Castro (BOL)

4^th Official:        Joaquín Antequera(BOL)

These are two teams that come from opposite performances on Friday.  Chile has humiliated in Argentina 4-1, in a game in which they never offered any resistance.  Suazo was ineffective up front and the midfield led by Valdivia and Matias Fernandez was poor to say the least.  There have been reports out of Chile of unrest within the locker room, as well as a report of fighting among players at an after hours club.  A negative result here will put them on a tailspin which may lead to changes before November’s matches.  Peru comes off an inspiring performance in Lima where they thoroughly outclassed Paraguay and could have won by a bigger margin.  Guerrero was the man of the day with 2 goals and a number of other near miss chances.  The midfield was solid with Balbin and Chievo Verona man Cruzado.  Up front Farfan, Pizarro and Guerrero were a headache for a Paraguayan defense that had no answer for them all night.  However, Chile will be chomping at the bit to erase their disastrous performance on Friday and should have a full stadium on their side.  Peru should do well enough to gain a tie from this match.

            Prediction: Chile 0 – Peru 0

   PARAGUAY vs. Uruguay

Referee:             Wilson Seneme (BRA)

Assistant #1:      Roberto Braatz (BRA)

Assistant #2:     Altemir Hausmann (BRA)

4^th Official:        Marcelo Henrique (BRA)

  

Although Paraguay had made the finals of Copa America, they were unimpressive, and had made the finals by not winning a single game.  They lacked scoring punch but defended well.  Against Peru they did not create a single dangerous scoring chance and their defending was suspect.  Real Betis striker Roque Santa Cruz was barely seen on the field, and Paraguay’s biggest threat, the set piece, was a non-factor.  Uruguay made short work of a feisty Bolivia squad.  Forlan, Cavani, and Suarez will be a handful for anyone for stop, and especially for Paraguay.  Peru exposed the lack of pace and grit in the Paraguayan defense and midfield which Uruguay will do as well.  Uruguay will become the first road team to capture all the spoils and make light work of Paraguay.

            Prediction: Paraguay 0 – Uruguay 2

VENEZUELA vs. Argentina

Referee:            Roberto  Silvera (URU)

Assistant #1:     Miguel Ángel Nievas (URU)

Assistant #2:     Carlos Pastorino (URU)

4^th Official:        Darío Ubriaco (URU)

Venezuela sent an alternate team to the heights of Ecuador in hopes of stealing a point, but the plan backfired.  They left many of their top players at home to prepare for their home opener against star-studded Argentina.  Venezuela will field a highly talented team with the likes of River Plate (Argentina) midfielder Cesar Eduardo Gonzales, Borussia Mönchengladbach (Germany) midfielder Juan Arango and Spanish La Liga strikers Miku and Salomon Rondon.  This is widely considered the most talented squad that Venezuela has ever fielded and their expectation is to qualify to their first world cup ever.  They are the only South American nation never to compete in  a world cup.  In front of them will be an Argentina squad that blitz through highly regarded Chile and gave notice that they may finally have found the right formula on the field to match its steep price tag.  Di Maria, Higuain, and Messi ran rampant against a weak Chile defense, and could have scored more than the 4 they put in.  Both teams will play an open style, attacking game, which should make for an entertaining match.  Venezuela will do well to grab a point in this match and will have to be careful not to be run off the field in their attempt to satisfy a home crowd that will be looking for a historic win.

            Prediction: Venezuela 1 – Argentina 1

South American World Cup Qualifying Preview: Match day 1 and 2 (October 7th and 11th) Part I

            The long road to Brazil 2014 starts next Friday for nine hopefuls in South America.  First, let’s review the format for qualifying in South America (CONMEBOL).  The format for CONMEBOL's 2014 World Cup qualifying tournament is identical to the previous four editions. All CONMEBOL national teams will play against each other twice on a home-and-away basis in a single group for 4.5 spots in Brazil 2014. The top four teams will automatically qualify to the finals. The fifth-placed team will compete in a play-off against the fifth-placed team from Asia’s World Cup qualifying tournament. The order of matches is identical to that of the 2006 and 2010 tournaments. Since Brazil has qualified automatically as the host nation, one team will have a bye on the date they would normally be scheduled to play Brazil.

            Ok, not that the formalities are out of the way, it is fair to say that there are two teams that seem like locks to qualify: Argentina and current Copa America winners Uruguay.  After this, it is a wide open field.  Paraguay and Chile seem to be frontrunners for the remaining two automatic spots, but Copa America surprise Peru look to have their best chance in almost 30 years to make a run at an automatic spot, or at least the play-off against an Asian qualifier.  Also in the running is an Ecuador side which is a always a tough puzzle to solve in the altitude of Quito, and region Cinderella Venezuela.  Colombia will look to get back to the marquee event for the first time since 2002, and are led by Atletico Madrid star Radamel Falcao Garcia.  The only team which seems to be a long shot is Bolivia.  Although they always cause problems when playing at home in La Paz, they usually are easy prey outside of the friendly confines of the Hernando Siles Stadium.

            We will preview the games for match day 1 which will be played on Friday October 7^th.  Previews for match day 2 on October 11^th will be previewed by Saturday.  On to the games: (home team listed in CAPS)

URUGUAY vs. Bolivia

Referee:                     Víctor Hugo Carrillo (PER)

Assistant # 1:              Luis Avila (PER)

Assistant # 2:             César Escano (PER)

4^th Official:                  Henry Gambetta (PER)

This is most likely the easiest game to predict.  Uruguay is the reigning Copa America champions and will prove to be too much for a limited Bolivia squad.  The Bolivians pulled off an early surprise in their Copa America debut by holding Argentina to a 1-1 deadlock, and even held a 1-0 late in the match.  However, “El Centenario” in Uruguay is one of the most difficult and intimidating places to play in the region.  Napoli standout Edison Cavani is in top form and has scored 6 goals in 6 appearances in all competitions for the Serie A squad.  He will partner up front with Inter Milan star Diego Forlan to form on of the most potent tandems in South America.  Bolivia will need a standout performance from Colon of Argentina veteran defender Ronald Raldes to have any chance of keeping this game close.  Up front, Shakhtar Donetsk striker Marcelo Martins will most likely be the lone man up front and the only chance Bolivia will have to putting a scare into the Uruguayans, but do not hold your breath on that. 

Prediction: Uruguay 3- Bolivia 0

ECUADOR vs. Venezuela

Referee:                     Enrique Osses (CHI)

Assistant # 1:                         Patricio Basualto (CHI)

Assistant # 2:                         Julio Diaz (CHI)

4^th Official:                 Patricio Polic (CHI)

Ecuador missed out on South Africa 2010 after consecutive appearances in 2002 and 2006.  Their form has dipped since 2006 and their performance Copa America this past summer was lackluster to say the least.  Ecuador will be led by Manchester United starlet Antonio Valencia and a brigade of players who ply their trade in the Mexican First Division: Cristian Benitez, Cristian Suarez, Jaime Ayovi, Michael Arroyo, and Walter Ayovi.  Another huge advantage for Ecuador will be playing in the altitude of Quito, where even the best teams have trouble adapting to the thin air.  Venezuela comes off their best performance ever in a Copa America.  They placed forth in the continental event, and look to have a legitimate shot grabbing a spot in Brazil 2014.  Venezuela will be led in the back by Deportivo Lara (Ven) defender Jose Manuel Rey.  He is a veteran of the squad and will give Ecuador headaches on set pieces.  Luis Manuel Seijas (Standard Liege- Bel) will lead a technically gifted midfield which will try to keep possession of the ball and look to steal a point in Ecuador.  Coach Cesar Farias has selected a squad which has been especially selected to play in altitude and a separate squad will travel to Argentina days later for match day 2.  This strategy worked for Venezuela last qualifiers when they pulled off a shock 1-0 victory in La Paz, Bolivia.  Expect them to get a result here as well.

Prediction: Ecuador 1 – Venezuela 1

ARGENTINA vs. CHILE

Referee:         Wilmar Roldan (COL)

1^st Assistant:   Abraham Gonzalez (COL)

2^nd Assistant:             Humberto Clavijo(COL)

4^th Official:     José Buitrago (COL)

Argentina come off a disappointing Copa America on home soil and will face a tough challenge from Chile to open qualifying.  Chile will be without all-world playmaker Alexis Sanchez for the first two match days, but still have enough firepower to beat anyone in the world on any given day.  The midfield will be in charge of playmakers Matias Fernandez (Sporting-Portugal) and Jorge Valdivia (Palmeiras- Brazil) who will look to link up with lethal striker Humberto Suazo (Monterrey-Mexico).  Chile recently put a scare into Spain in a FIFA date friendly, as the game ended in a 2-2 draw.  The Chileans had a 2-0 lead before Spain was able to scratch out a tie on a dubious penalty call at the end.  Although many are down on Argentina, and their form has been mediocre at best since the World cup, they still posses the best player in the world in Lionel Messi.  All Argentina needs is the “10” to wave his wand and magic happens on the field.  Having said that, these magical moments have been few and far between from Messi, and this World Cup cycle could be his last chance to stamp his name with the national team.  Rodrigo Palacio (Genoa- Italy) has been is spectacular form as has been midfield playmaker Ever Banegas (Valencia-Spain).  This should prove to be the best match of the day, and also should create the most scoring chances.  There is not much that separates these two teams, and the final score will indicate that.

 Prediction: Argentina 2 – Chile 2

PERÚ vs. Paraguay

Referee:                     Sergio Pezzotta (ARG)

1^st Assistant:               Ricardo Casas (ARG)

2^nd Assistant:                         Hernán Maidana (ARG)

4^th Official:                 Diego Abal (BRA)

The last game of match day 1 will be held at the newly renovated Estadio Nacional in Lima, Peru.  Peru will look to ride the wave of their 3^rd place finish in Copa America to their first World Cup since 1982.  Their front line will be led by strikers Claudio Pizarro (Werder Bremen-Germany) and Paolo Guerrero (Hamburger- Germany). Pizarro in particular has been in good form for his club and Peru will lean on him to bring the same goal scoring touch with him to Lima.  Peru are suspect in net where they will go with Raul Fernandez (Nice-France) who has had little playing time with his club team.  Paraguay are odds on favorites to grab one of the four automatic spots to Brazil 2014.  The Copa America finalists will use their rugged and defensive style game to frustrate most of their opponents.  Roque Santa Cruz (Real Betis- Spain) should prove a handful to a weak Peruvian backline as should speedy Rubin Kazan forward Nelson Haedo Valdez. Rugged defenders Paolo Da Silva (Real Zaragoza-Spain) and Dario Veron (UNAM-Mexico) will be in charge of stopping Claudio Pizarro and co.  At the end, the home crowd should see the home team through to the full three points.     

Prediction: Peru 2 – Paraguay 1

Copa America Part II….Handing out grades

 

Argentina   D

Copa America was simply a disaster and a total failure on the part of the hosts as this tournament was set up for a Brazil vs. Argentina final.  CONMEBOL wants to make the public believe that this is not true, and that it was dumb luck that Argentina was drawn into a group with region minnow Bolivia and Costa Rica’s U-21 team.  Little did they know that Bolivia and Colombia would hold mighty Argentina to consecutive draws and they would need a win against a Costa Rica youth squad which was simply happy to participate.  Argentina looks a slow and plotting bunch with little to no creativity from the midfield.  The few sparks of good soccer came when Messi was able to wave his wand, but this was few and far between.  Ever Banegas, Esteban Cambiasso, and Fernando Gago were lackluster.  Lavezzi was out of sorts and played with no purpose or direction.  Tevez may have played his last international game for Argentina and Kun Aguero did not connect well with Messi.  Big changes are needed before qualifying begins and it should start with the man in charge.  Batista may survive as coach until the beginning of qualifying, but only a strong showing with attractive soccer will save his job.

Bolivia                 C      

The grade may seem a bit high, but consider the expectation level coming into the tournament.  Bolivia was not expected to survive the group stage, and they didn’t disappoint.  They started off strong, even holding a shock 1-0 lead over Argentina late into the second half of the game.  However, consecutive losses to Colombia and Costa Rica erased any momentum from their opening game.  Brazilian born Evinaldo and Brazilian-Bolivian Martins Moreno were lively up front and provided opponents with a fair share of headaches.  They will have a long road ahead in qualifying, their only chance being to capture maximum points in the altitude of La Paz.

Brazil                   D

Se my earlier post (Thoughts on Copa America Part one) on why everything went wrong for the Scratch Do Oro.  In short they did not gel as a unit, and too often relied on individual runs by Robinho and Neymar.  Although many will agree that they were unlucky to lose to Paraguay in the quarter-finals, they embarrassed themselves in the penalty shootout by missing all four of their shots.  As World Cup 2014 hosts, Brazil has three years to get its act together or face the possibility of crashing out early in their competition.

Colombia   C

No one can doubt the technical ability of the Colombian squad.  Radamel Falcao Garcia is lethal up front along with strike partner Dayro Moreno.  The midfield was led by classy playmaker Fredy Guarin, who was shielded at all times by combative Abel Aguilar.  AC Milan defender Mario Alberto Yepes was in top form, especially in his sides 0-0 draw with host Argentina.  The defensive line had to be alert with a subpar and nerve-racking goalie Neco Martinez.  Many will point to Falcao’s missed  penalty shot against Peru as the turning point in their quarter-final loss to Peru, but Neco Martinez’s blunders in extra time led directly to Peru’s goals and Colombia’s demise in the tournament.   Also, coach Hernan Dario Gomez will have to explain why Racing (Argentina) playmaker Teofilo Gutierrez was left on the bench for most of the competition.

Costa Rica and Mexico  (Incomplete)

It is not fair to give a grade to either squad.  Both showed up with a youth team, and were there more for the experience and had little expectations.  Both teams were outmanned and outclassed on many occasions.  Costa Rica was able to pull off a win against a weak Bolivia squad with an inspired performance by Joel Campbell.  His performance has opened the eyes of many clubs in Europe.  The issue of youth squads and “B” teams being sent by CONCACAF nations to Copa America needs to be resolved for the next edition.  It is a mockery that the biggest event in South America allows these teams to participate. 

Chile           B

Under new coach Claudio Borghi, “La Roja” has continued its exciting and attacking soccer which was on display in last year’s World Cup.  Alexis Sanchez and Jorge “El Mago” Valdivia were superb in the midfield.  Unfortunately Matias Fernandez was injured early in the tournament and was a non-factor.  Only an inspired performance by Venezuela saw them booted from the competition.  Expect to see Chile near the top of qualifying throughout the next couple of years.

Ecuador     C-

Ecuador has been on a steady decline since their participation in World Cup 2006 in Germany.  They crashed out only gaining one point in three games, a 2-2 draw with Paraguay.  They were outclassed in a 4-2 loss to Brazil and a 1-0 loss to Venezuela.  Felipe Caicedo was the lone bright spot, and scored Ecuador’s only 2 goals in their 4-2 loss to Brazil.

Paraguay   B-

This may seem harsh for one of the finalists, but the fact is that they left Argentina without recording a single win.  They tied all three of their group games, albeit in dramatic fashion in a couple of contests, where they blew late leads to Brazil and Venezuela.  They then scored a grand total of ZERO goals the knockout stages to advance to the finals, where they scores, yep you guessed it, NO GOALS.  Their quarter-final and semi-final games were among the most boring in the competition.  Their 5 goals were scored by 5 different players, including three of their forwards: Santa Cruz, Haedo Valdez, and Lucas Barrios.  Goalie Justo Villar was undoubtedly their best player, standing on his head in their quarter-final win against Brazil.

Peru           A

The shock of the tournament without a doubt.  Coach Markarian did more with less and took his squad to an unexpected 3^rd place finish.  Hamburg striker Paolo Guerrero was awarded the golden boot of Copa America with 5 goals in 5 games.  Fiorentina attacking midfielder Juan Vargas was unstoppable flying down the left flank and diminutive winger William Chiroque was a tournament revelation.  This was a rebirth of sorts for a soccer nation starved for wins in the last decade. 

           

Uruguay     A

Well deserved champions, who showed strength in all their lines.  Goalie Fernando Muslera was stellar and the best in the competition.  Captain Diego Lugano was a rock in the back along with Sebastian Coates.  Although Diego Forlan did not find the score sheet until the finals, he was the motor in the midfield and helped create chances for team leading scorer Luis Suarez.  Diego Perez and Arevalo Rios did the dirty work in the midfield to help open holes for Alvaro Pereria.  Even sweeter was the fact they eliminated arch rival Argentina in their own backyard, and lifted the trophy in Buenos Aires.

Venezuela   B+

The other surprise of the tournament was led by captain and playmaker Juan Arango.  Forwards Rondon and Miku were a handful to control and caused many chances for the “vino tinto.”  They produced the most exciting finished by far in the competition with there heroic 3-3 tie against Paraguay, a game they were losing 3-1 with five minutes to play.  They also knocked off Chile on a late tally by Gabriel Cichero.  Center-back Vizcarrondo was in top form, and was only exposed in the third place game by golden boot winner Paolo Guerrero. 

Thoughts on Copa America (part one)

So we are at the semi-finals of the 2011 Copa America.  It has been full of what many would call surprises, but in actuality reflects some of the realities currently faced by the heavy hitters in the area.  Today we will go over the some of the “surprise” teams and the teams that have disappointed so far.  We will start with some of the “surprise” teams in the tournament.

Peru:

Easily the biggest surprise of the final four, Peru finished last in the last round of the Qualifying for South Africa 2010.  They came into the tournament with key losses due to injuries to defender Carlos Zambrano (St. Pauli- Germany),  forwards Jefferson Farfan (Schalke 04-Germany) and Claudio Pizarro (Werder Bremen- Germany), and attacking midfielder Luis Ramirez (Corinthians- Brazil).    

However new coach Sergio Markarian has instilled a defense first strategy with counter attacks lead by attacking midfielder Juan Vargas (Fiorentina-Italy) and lone front man Paolo Guerrero (Hamburger SV- Germany).  These counter attacks keep a balance which is necessary to avoid other teams from throwing everyone forward.  Guerrero has battled alone up front admirably, making many top defenders look silly in the process.  Vargas is able to push forward up the left hand side and cause fits for opposing defenses.  On the right side, Markarian has helped stretch the field with little known and diminutive winger William Chiroque.  The Juan Aurich winger is listed at 5 foot 5 inches but that is generous at best.  The veteran of the Peruvian first division made a splash in Peru’s 1-0 loss to Chile in the final group game.  He remained in the line-up for the quarter final match against Colombia and did not disappoint.  With Vargas and Chiroque on either wing, and Guerrero up front, Peru has kept defenses on its toes and has avoided teams from exploiting a weak midfield and lack of speed on defense.   Center-back Alberto Rodriguez (Braga-Portugal) has been stellar in the back and has cleaned up mistakes made by his fellow defenders Christian Ramos and Walter Vilchez.  Goalkeeper Raul Fernandez has been solid and made a game saving save at the end of regulation against Colombia to keep his team in contention. 

For the first time in years, Peru seems to be heading in the right directions.  Once injured players are integrated back to the squad, Peru seems to have a chance to contend for one of the final world cup spots in the upcoming qualifying season. 

Venezuela

Venezuela has been on a slow but steady rise over the last few world cup cycles.  They reached a high point in qualifying for South Africa 2010, where they finished a respectable 8^th, accumulating 22 points in 18 games.  Led up front by veteran Juan Arango (Borussia Mönchengladbach-Germany) , coach Cesar Farias has been able to put together a young core of little known players with a solid defense.  Little known Oswaldo Viscarrondo has been unpassable in the middle of the defense and has been a key target in set pieces.  Newell’s Old Boys defender Gabriel Cichero has been equally good and has also scored off a set piece in their 2-1 upset of Chile.  Gimnasia of Argentina midfielder Cesar Gonzalez adds class to a midfield which already boasts captain Juan Arango.  Two Spanish based strikers lead the front line with Getafe’s Miku and Malaga’s Jose Salomon Rondon.  The exploits of Rondon in the Spanish La Liga helped his squad avoid relegation with 14 goals in 30 games, setting a record for goals by a Venezuelan in the Spanish top flight set by Juan Arango.  Venezuela showed a never-die attitude in their final group stage game against Paraguay where they scored twice after the 89^th minute mark to stun Paraguay 3-3 and show that they can be patient and opportunistic in their 2-1 defeat of Chile.  Venezuela will use this tournament to propel them into qualifying later this year and should be in line to finish better than 8^th and maybe a spot in their first world cup in team history.

Not good enough for the following two nations…..

Argentina:

Where to start?  For starters they have the unquestioned best player in the world in Leonel Messi and they had the added plus of playing at home.  However, this elimination should not come as a shock to those who have watched this team since the departure of ex-coach Marcelo Bielsa.  Their last major trophy was the Copa America in 1993, 18 years ago!  This is mind-boggling considering Argentine players are some of the top players, on the top European teams.  However, the disaster that just occurred could be seen coming.  Think back to the end of 2010 World Cup Qualifying.  Argentina needed a last gasp, 90^th min goal from Boca Juniors talisman Martin Palermo to defeat last-place Peru, in Buenos Aires 2-1, and then a win in the last fixture against Uruguay to avoid an embarrassing home and away playoff against Costa Rica in order to qualify to the world cup.  They looked mediocre at best in beating South Korea, Nigeria, and Greece in the first round.  They reached the quarter finals by defeating Mexico and was shown the door in an embarrassing 4-0 defeat to Germany.  Since then Maradona was let go as coach and Batista has tried to right the ship.  He has tried to re-shape the team to better compliment Messi, but has failed miserably.  A series of unimpressive friendlies, including ties against USA and Costa Rica, and losses to Poland and Nigeria,  should have been signaled a disaster was about to occur. 

Batista started by playing Messi with Napoli star Lavezzi and Manchester City front-man Carlos Tevez.  A slow and unimaginative midfield with Ever Banegas , Esteban Cambiaso, and Javier Mascherano made Argentina predictable and solely dependant on Messi pulling off a miraculous run to have a chance on goal.  These weaknesses were exploited by lowly Bolivia in a 1-1 draw, which Argentina was able to tie only due to a miraculous shot by late substitute Kun Aguero. Eventually Lavezzi and Tevez gave way to Kun Aguero and Angel Di Maria, but the results were the same.  The midfield creation was handed over to slow-footed, and bench-warmer Fernando Gago of Real Madrid.  Many times Messi looked isolated, even on a field full of European stars.  There was no link between the midfield and Messi and little chemistry with the wingers.  Colombia exploited a weak defense led by Gabriel Milito and Pablo Zabaleta.  Of course Messi is to blame as well.  Many times he was frustrated and disconnected from the run of play.  Many will say that Palermo playmaker Javier Pastore is the ideal partner for Messi, but he seemed lost and clueless, not precise with his passing, and many times simply played square balls to the nearest teammate when he entered as a substitute.  Gonzalo Higuain misses too many scoring chances to play at this level, and thus Argentina play without a true number “9” up front.  There is much work ahead for coach Batista ahead of world cup qualifying later this year. 

Brazil:

Coach Mano Menezes took over for Dunga after Brazil was bounced in the semi-finals of the last world cup.  Many criticized Dunga’s style of play because it did not pay homage to the jogo bonito brand of soccer.  Mano Menezes was supposed to bring back the flair and creativity we all associate with Brazilian soccer.  Santos superstars Neymar and Ganso, along with AC Milan striker Pato and midfielder Robinho were going to take Copa America by storm. 

Reality quickly set in after they were held to a draw by Venezuela and escaped with a last minute draw against Paraguay.  A 4-2 win against a declining Ecuador masked the overall problems which Brazil demonstrated in their first  two games.  Much talked about Neymar was substituted out in critical points in Brazil’s last two games, which speaks volumes about the coaches confidence in the young starlet.  The talent is undeniable, but much maturity is still needed for Neymar to be a sure-fire superstar.  He too often plays as if playing on the local playground, and forgets soccer is a team game while playing with blinders on.  Furthermore, referees have grown tired of his diving and flopping and often times referees do not give him the benefit of the doubt on fouls.  Ganso was handed the coveted “10” shirt and at moments looked the part with his slick passing and uncanny field vision.  However, these moments were few and far between for the Brazilian attack to be effective.  Dani Alves was out of sorts and found himself on the bench in favor of Inter Milan’s Maicon, who brought more depth to the Brazilian attack on the right side.  Attacking left-back Andre Santos was average at best and provided little to the attack.  Robinho was his usual self, which is to say unconvincing and uninspiring.  He made ineffective runs and errand passes all tournaments.  Pato was given little service as Neymar and Robinho did their worst “FIFA STREET” imitation.  Chelsea midfielder Ramires was nowhere to be seen in his defensive midfielder spot.  His passes were erratic and often times lost possession in the midfield, which led to opponent counter-attacks. 

Defenders Lucio and Thiago Silva were solid, but goalkeeper Julio Cesar was suspect, giving up questionable goals to Ecuador. 

Although many will say they were unlucky not to beat Paraguay in the quarter-final round, the fact remains this team only plays in spurts with little consistency.  Also, there is no excuse for missing FOUR straight penalty shots in the shootout.  There is no doubt that the field was in horrid conditions, but these are professional players, making more money than we can imagine to kick a ball about a field.  I can’t imagine Kobe Bryant missing four straight free throws to lose a playoff game, do you?

Quick Thoughts

Was that John Elway or Mark Sanchez out there for the Jets today?  The jets are making Jet fans suffer the last 4 weeks with last minute wins, but  maybe they are on a magic carpet ride that will end in Dallas for superbowl Sunday.
Santonio Holmes and Bryalan Edwards are making defenses scramble along with with comeback player of the year Tomlison.

Hopefully you did not blink as Sergio Martinez destroyed Sean        
Williams last night in Atlantic City.  More coming on Wednesday....