FOOTBALL

Selasa, 08 Juli 2014

World Cup 2014: Faith and football as Brazil unites to pray for glory

It is hard to think of a country that combines sport and spirituality quite like Brazil.

Neymar may be out of the World Cup, but Brazil has kept the faith; Brazil still believes.

With coach Luiz Felipe Scolari not able to rely on an individual to drive the Selecao to the final in Rio on Sunday, the nation is looking to a higher power.

Brazil is embracing a blend of religion, emotion and superstition. And that is as true of the 200 million people of this vast, varied country, as it is of the national team.

During the run to Tuesday's semi-final against Germany, the players have used religious symbols, lucky charms, music and prayer.

It is often said that, in Brazil, football is a religion, but it is a much more complicated picture than that. Football is instead a platform for the country's religions to find a voice.

The Brazil team have been united by their combined belief throughout this World Cup.

Scolari has used it to bond and motivate the players. Before the victory over Colombia, he visited a chapel in the grounds of the team hotel in Fortaleza. In the dressing room before the match, the squad repeated the Lord's Prayer. And at the final whistle, defender David Luiz sank to his knees and prayed again.

Defender David Luiz is deeply religious and says his faith gives him strength and inspiration

"My faith in Jesus gives me strength to keep on going out onto the field and to do my best," he says. "But I also want to inspire others - that is what God inspires me to do. For me, true life is found in the relationship with Jesus Christ. I believe that everything in life belongs to God and he has a clear plan for us if we follow him."

There are two clear faiths within the team, the Catholics and the evangelicals. Unlike past World Cups, where the players prayed separately, in Brazil the squad have come together to pray, they have found unity.

Luiz and Neymar are among the evangelicals, as are Fernandinho and Fred.

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Injured Neymar thanks Brazil fans for support

Neymar may be injured, but the striker's faith remains unequivocal.

His trademark celebration is a simple finger pointed to the sky with an upward glance, he met the mother of his child through the church and donates 10% of his vast earnings to a charity called Athletes for Christ. As a child, he wore a headband that read "100% Jesus" and went to church in Sao Vincent.

After he was ruled out of the tournament,his actress girlfriend Bruna Marquezinewrote a message on Instagram, quoting from the Bible. John 13:7 "Jesus said to him: What I do thou knowest not now; but you will understand later."

Scolari is a devout Catholic. His faith came to the fore publicly in 2002,when after winning the World Cup with Brazil he dropped to his knees with his staff and prayed after the victory over Germany in Yokohama.

Brazil's Kaka celebrated AC Milan's 2007 Champions League final win against Liverpool by falling to his knees and looking to the sky in prayer

Many of the players did the same - Edmilson, Lucio and Kaka praying with their hands clenched together. When Scolari returned home to the state of Rio Grande do Sul, in the south of Brazil, he walked 12 miles to a pilgrimage site.

He is known to place statues of Our Lady of Caravaggio and Our Lady of Fatima, a 20th century tradition of a reported appearance of the Virgin Mary in a Portuguese village, in the dressing room. "I like my faith," he has said. "It gives us power."

Before the penalty shootout in their last-16 game against Chile, Brazil captain Thiago Silva prayed alone on the sidelines.

"I asked God to bless our players, especially [goalkeeper] Julio Cesar. He deserved that," he said.

What no-one knew was Cesar had placed a religious charm in his goal before the penalties began. It had been handed to him at the end of extra time by reserve goalkeeper Victor.

Music is my religion

Religion is one pillar of Brazilian life, music is another. The team have arrived at every game in this tournament with the team Samba band in full swing. Daniel Alves is the focal point, he sings and plays the drums. Dante plays a guitar, Jo rattles a tambourine, Willian often gets involved as does Neymar. The team make music in the dressing room, on the team plane and mainly before games on the team coach.

"There is faith and there is superstition," Victor said. "In my case, it's faith. I am religious and I try to reinforce my spiritual side before every game. It is a way to strengthen myself and support my friends with my prayers. I had not planned to give it to Julio, but it happened on the spur of the moment.

"He welcomed it. It was a kind of reinforcement. I want to stress the importance of Julio as a goalkeeper. Faith is important, but we can't depend on faith alone. God does his part and we have to do our job on the field. Julio was well prepared."

Brazilian goalkeepers have always been viewed as particularly religious.

Just like religion, music has long been intertwined with the Brazil national team and it is not uncommon for players to form their own Samba band during major tournaments

If star players, such as Neymar, are known as Craques, the great goalkeepers are called saints. On three occasions during this World Cup they have been pictured on television and in newspapers with halos over their heads.

Faith and spirituality is nothing new when it comes to the Brazil national team.

When they won the tournament in 1994, the squad were accompanied in the USA by a team chaplain, former Formula 1 driver Alex Ribeiro. He later published a book called Who won the Cup? Him up there.

Football reflects the depth and variety of Brazilian faith, football grounds are known as temples, players hailed as Gods.

The famous Brazilian club Vasco da Gama even has a chapel the size of a church inside its stadium. To many, Christo Rendentor (Christ the Redeemer) is the national symbol of Brazil.

Religion in Brazil

As recently as the 1940s, 99% of Brazilians were Catholics. Today, that figure is 63%. The proportion of Brazilians belonging to mainstream Protestant churches has been rising, as has the proportion adhering to Islam, Buddhism and Afro-Brazilian religions, such as Candomble and Umbanda.

World Cup: Our verdict

Our football team look back on the World Cup so far and make their predictions for the rest of the tournament.

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Argentina look good bets to go all the way, according to one of our panel

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Did we learn anything from Brazil's quarter-final triumph over Colombia that we didn't already know about the Selecao?

David John: A couple of things. Firstly Brazil are capable of mixing it physically if need be but that approach came back to the haunt them as Colombia were not ready to be pushed around either. Neymar’s injury is a huge blow to their chances and that leads me to a second point – both their goals came from set-pieces so who is going to provide the creative spark from open play? Oscar has played well but his role so far has been to break up play so I wonder if his role will now switch to more of a provider. Whatever Phil Scolari decides, they may have to rely on more than just corners or a David Luiz wonder-strike. Fred remains as exciting as his name implies.

Matt Brocklebank: I don't think we garnered a great deal new but we'll learn a whole lot more after they've played Germany. We knew exactly how physical this Brazil team was going into their quarter-final and Phil Scolari's men showed they can handle themselves in the heat of a battle. They came under intense pressure when Colombia got back into the match with their penalty but Brazil stood firm and dug deep to complete the job.

Sam Pollock: In my eyes, the main problem for Brazil is that their defence is a lot weaker than it first appeared. On paper it was touted as their main strength, for the first time in decades Brazil were meant to have a stronger defence than attack. However both Columbia, and Chile before them, have exposed the Brazilian back line for what they really are. Julio Cesar is suffering from a lack of playing time and was at fault for Columbia’s penalty and subsequent goal in the quarter-final. These self-inflicted mistakes have resulted in some nervy finishes in the knock-out stages and will be something the Germans look to exploit. David Luiz, for all his attacking ability, including that fantastic free-kick which proved to be the difference against Columbia, needs a calm head beside him. However Thiago Silva will most likely be suspended meaning Dante will have have to come in as cover. In what will be the biggest game of their careers, I doubt the Brazilian defence will be able to cope with the attacking threat from Germany.

Who will win the World Cup? Sky Bet's odds!

And how will the hosts and market leaders fare without key men Thiago Silva (suspended) and Neymar in Tuesday's semi-final clash with Germany?

MB: It's a huge blow to lose one of those two but Brazil having to cope without both could prove fatal for their 2014 dreams. It's no surprise to see punters already getting stuck into Germany to progress to the World Cup final as the hosts have been considerably weakened and, while their passion and sheer will to win for their injured superstar will get them so far, I fear Tuesday night might be the end of the road.

SP: Neymar has been the poster boy at this World Cup and rightly so. Brazil wouldn’t be where they are now without him. All the headlines have been focused on the 22-year-old who suffered a fractured vertebra but I believe that the loss of Thiago Silva is just as damaging. The PSG defender has the ability to keep things solid at the back and allows David Luiz to do what he does best - attack. For me Silva is irreplaceable. Dante is not in the same league and with the likes of Muller, Klose and Kroos to contend with, the Bayern Munich defender has his work cut out. On the other hand, Willian or Bernard could step in for Neymar and still provide that spark upfront alongside Oscar, Hulk and/or Fred.

DJ: As alluded to above, not well. The emotional tide they have ridden can only take them so far and they are going to have to fundamentally play some much better football to beat the Germans. Collectively playing for their stricken team-mate Neymar will give them some sort of focus but the loss of captain and defensive organiser Silva could just be one obstacle too many to overcome.

Messi, Neymar, Muller, Benzema, RVP - the latest odds!

Give us your thoughts on the other semi-final between Holland and Argentina.

DJ: Both Holland and Argentina huffed and puffed to get the better of Costa Rica and Belgium respectively. This game will boil down to two things – either a piece of Lionel Messi magic or the tactics of Holland coach Louis van Gaal. The latter’s stunt to switch goalies before Saturday’s penalty shootout worked so will he have another brazen ploy or two in his playbook to stifle the South Americans? His philosophy towards the game will be crucial as key players like RVP and Wesley Sneijder have looked a bit hit-and-miss and can’t afford to have a below-par performance.

SP: Holland v Argentina is a fixture that would normally make you sit up and take notice. However both teams have rather limped through the knockout stages and haven’t put in the performances of potential champions. Having said that you could argue this for Brazil and Germany. I’m expecting a rather cagy affair with both teams looking to stay in the game for as long as possible rather than playing the attacking fluid football we would normally expect from the two nations. Argentina will be without Angel Di Maria which will be a blow as the winger is in the best form of his life and scored the winning goal against Switzerland. Messi will again have the eyes on the world on him and should go head to head with Holland’s attacking duo of Robben and RVP. Whichever attacking force comes out on top will fire their country in to the World Cup Final on Sunday.

MB: Argentina have failed to set the pulse racing so far, barring a couple of Lionel Messi stunners, but they have squad depth and will need it after Angel Di Maria was ruled out through injury. The Dutch have seemingly dropped their performance levels since thrashing Spain first time out but that's a reflection of how other team's have set up against them. Louis van Gaal looks like a man on a mission and winning the World Cup as a last act in his second term in charge looks a distinct possibility to me. They can beat Argentina and set up an all-European final.

And who is going to lift the trophy in the Maracana?

SP: For me it’s got to be Argentina. Messi is destined to win the World Cup and what better place to do it than at the Maracana in Brazil. It’s his time.

MB: I'm keen on Germany and Holland to make the final as they simply have the best players on paper - that doesn't always work out but I've been totally underwhelmed by Brazil and Argentina so far. If they meet in the final then it'll be a seriously close encounter but the Dutch have more spark in the final third with Robben and Van Persie and I'd be siding with the Oranje.

DJ: Germany

Bet on the World Cup semi-final matches here!

Beyond the obvious household names who have delivered the goods at this wonderful tournament, which single player has really caught your eye with the future in mind?

DJ: Belgian striker Divock Origi. He has shown some lovely skill for a big man and seems to have a real big-stage temperament bearing in mind he is still just a teenager. If Liverpool are on the verge of getting hold of him, the apparent £7m fee looks an absolute steal for such an exciting prospect. I have been very impressed as well with Costa Rica’s Joel Campbell and Arsene Wenger could do worse than give him a look at Arsenal this term.

SP: Xherdan Shaqiri really caught my eye during this World Cup. The 22-year-old displayed some stellar performances that helped Switzerland reach the last-16, only to be narrowly beaten by an extra time goal from Angel Di Maria against Argentina. Shaqiri has found it difficult of late at Bayern Munich as he’s been unable to force his way in to Pep Guardiola’s starting XI. However, with rumoured interest from Liverpool, the youngster proved he is more than capable of playing at the top level. Shaqiri played in all four of his country's World Cup games and scored three goals, all coming against Honduras inn Manaus. Very few people can say they’ve scored a hat-trick at a World Cup aged just 22. Shaqiri then displayed his second man of the match performance in two games against Ecuador in their final group game, sending them through to the next round. Speculation is bound to mount on the future of the Bayern star, especially after having such a strong World Cup campaign, and I expect a big future for the tricky midfielder.

MB: There have been so many brilliant performances from young players in Brazil, not least Colombian star James Rodriguez, who looks set to finish as the top goalscorer with six. Beyond him, I was pleasantly surprised by Kevin De Bruyne, who was deemed not good enough by Jose Mourinho but looks to have matured quickly since returning to Wolfsburg. He is still only 23 and has a very bright future on the international stage as well as domestically.

Check out all of Sky Bet's World Cup odds!

Kamis, 03 Juli 2014

World Cup 2014: It's a whole different ball game

series of World Cup documentaries highlights the peculiar ways football has changed – and shows that modern trends distort our memories of how it used to be played

Hand of Diego: Maradona scores the controversial first goal against England in the 1986 World Cup quarter-final Photo: POPPERFOTO

By Michael Deacon

4:25PM BST 02 Jul 2014

Comment

The first thing that struck me was the boots. They were black. Every single pair on the pitch. None were white, or red, or orange, or pink. Just black. Black as Bovril.

I found it odd. Which, now I think about it, is itself odd. Only quite recently – within the last 10 years or so – has it become the convention for footballers to wear colourful boots. For the majority of my football-watching life, they wore black and black only. At the time, it seemed the natural order of things. I would have been bemused if not outraged to learn that, by the 2014 World Cup, it would be normal to wear boots that not only were coloured, but didn’t even match: left boot in blue, say, and right boot in pink. Yet now, to my 21st-century eyes, watching old footage of teams in black boots feels peculiar. Somehow it makes the players appear clumsier, even flat-footed. They look as if they’re all clumping around in school shoes.

I was thinking about this while watching World Cup Films, the Fifa-commissioned series that’s been running on BBC Two over the past few weekends. Each edition is a 90-minute documentary telling the story of a single World Cup. Yet the stories aren’t why I watch them. I watch them for the skin-prickling weirdness of observing how football has changed down the years, almost without my noticing. I started watching football in 1990, when I was nine, yet today the footage of that year’s World Cup looks so alien to me I can’t quite believe the tournament took place in my lifetime. What was once normal is now strange.

So the boots, first of all. Then the ball. I don’t know what they made footballs out of in the 1950s, but my best guess would be granite. The ball would bounce heavily, even sullenly. Seeming to resent being booted into the air, it would gain its revenge by cracking open the skull of any man reckless enough to head it. By the Sixties the ball was lighter; now it was made merely of solid oak. Long-range shots would roll gradually in the direction of the goal. Inexplicably, despite having had about a fortnight to lie down and block its path, the goalkeeper would often allow it to trundle under him and into the net.

But it isn’t only goalkeepers who seem to have been slower in the past. Outfield players seem to have run more slowly, too. (Understandable, I suppose, given that they were wearing school shoes.) After the first few of Fifa’s World Cup documentaries I began to wonder whether, until about 1970, the game was in fact played underwater. Still, if it was, the players’ breathing apparatus was well concealed. Or maybe they did without it, scornfully believing that oxygen canisters were for cissies. Footballers were men, in those days.

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I’m not saying footballers were less skilful in the distant past. Cruyff, Beckenbauer, Eusebio, Puskas, Moore, Platini – these were players of indisputable gifts. And Pele was immeasurably more talented than the forwards in the current Brazil team. God knows why they keep picking Fred. They’d be better off picking Wilma.

What I would say, though, is that in general, previous generations of players looked a lot less athletic. The torso of a leading international footballer today is a honed and toned triangle: broad shoulders, waspish waist. It’s the sort of gym-buffed figure that the skin-tight shirts of the Uruguay squad are designed to show off. Few players of the Seventies and Eighties would have looked quite so at home in a 2014-style kit as Edinson Cavani does. Diego Maradona’s shirts looked skin-tight, but I’m not sure they were designed to be. (Curiously, although shirts were baggier in the Eighties, shorts were skimpier. They might as well have been prancing around in swimming trunks.)

Players of the past spent less time not only in the gym, but in front of the mirror. From 1974 to 1990, it was seemingly required by Fifa that every World Cup goalkeeper had hair the size of a laurel bush. Alan Rough(Scotland, 1978), Harald Schumacher (West Germany, 1982), Dave Beasant (the England bench, 1990)… it was as if they were wearing busbies made of curls. Perhaps in the dressing room beforehand they stuffed packets of sandwiches into them, to be consumed during lulls in play.

Watch the documentaries in chronological order and you see moustaches come and go, and beards, and sideburns, and mullets. For decades, meanwhile, players were apparently content for their forearms to be the same colour as their faces – something no modern professional, with his season ticket for the local tattoo parlour, would even countenance.

But enough about fashion. Back to the play. Until the mid 1990s, pitches appear to have been bogs, ploughed fields or sandpits. And referees, to the modern eye, were heartlessly lenient: at the 1982 World Cup the unpunished assaults on Maradona ceased only when he got himself sent off for kicking back. If Arjen Robben had been born 30 years earlier, he’d be an amputee.

Anyway: it’s all been fascinating to watch. Again, I’m not saying football is necessarily better today; merely that events – even those from your own lifetime – look different when viewed through modern eyes, rather than contemporary ones.

In any case, it’s rarely wise for the present to congratulate itself on not being the past. Presenting Fantasy Football League on BBC Two in the mid Nineties, Frank Skinner and David Baddiel had a regular feature in which they would laugh at footage of Fifties centre-forwards tripping over the ball. They named the feature “Old Football Was Rubbish”. Yet now the football of the mid Nineties is old football, too, and archives of the period demonstrate quite clearly that for every Romario there were at least 89 Carlton Palmers. One day, the World Cup of 2014 will look quaint and comical, too, but for what reasons, we can only guess.

One thing I’m fairly sure of, though: multi-coloured footwear is here to stay. At Manchester United, Michael Keane, the 21-year-old centre-half, is nicknamed “Ref”. This is not a tribute to his air of authority, or his insistence on always playing by the rules. It’s because, like a referee, he still wears black boots.

read more : http://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/football/world-cup/10941249/World-Cup-2014-Its-a-whole-different-ball-game.html

World Cup Fanatics Head Overland For Brazil

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World Cup Fanatics Head Overland For Brazil

While the football has lit up the stadiums at Brazil's World Cup, the host cities have been illuminated by the army of supporters from around the world who have converged here.

The Brazilian government estimate that as many as 600,000 tourists have come to be part of the World Cup party, but there is probably no counting the real number who have travelled from across Latin America to be here.

While visitors from Europe, North America and Asia have flown in, fans from Brazil's neighbours have crossed the borders by road in their thousands.

Few have travelled further however than the Colombians who have driven more than 3,000 miles from their home in Duitama, near Medellin, to Rio.

Roger Zambrono Rojas and Lizeth Soler are students, and together with Lizeth's boyfriend they embarked on their road trip almost two months ago.

The vehicle is a much loved, customised Renault Four in yellow and green, with a bespoke spoiler.

Roger re-covered the seats in leather embroidered with World Cup logos to make the journey more comfortable, and a roof rack carries everything that won't go in the boot, including a barbecue, a tent and a kettle.

A small Colombian flag flutters on the roof, a reminder they are here to see their team take on Brazil in the quarter-finals on Friday.

They set out with a limited budget and have been forced to improvise when it comes to fuel and food.

"I sold my Colombia shirt for petrol money along the way and the guy who bought it from me gave me a Brazilian club shirt, Vasco de Gama, to replace it," says Roger.

"The truck drivers along the way have been really friendly. When they see we are Colombian they have given us food and drink to keep us going."

Lizeth says the chance to travel to a World Cup in Brazil was too good to miss despite the discomfort.

"It's not the biggest car but the new seats help. We are very proud to be following Colombia in Brazil," she said.

The camaraderie among supporters is evident along the beach. When the Renault declined to start, a group of Argentines offered a push start to help the Colombians on the long road to Fortaleza for the game against Brazil.

The northern end of the Copacabana seafront resembles a caravan park by the middle of the second week as supporters park up for the football.

Chileans were prominent among them in the build up to their game against Spain, however they were outnumbered by the Argentinians.

An estimated 120,000 drove across the border to Porto Alegre for their group match in the most southerly venue, and many have stayed.

The influx prompted the authorities in Rio to turn part of the Samba-drome, normally used only for the Lent carnival, into an impromptu campsite. Argentines are the majority residents.

Mauro Mignaqui is a factory worker who has taken the summer off to travel up Brazil's Atlantic coast with a group of friends, surfing between matches.

"We all believe that Argentina will win, we all believe we will be taking the trophy home," he said.

Brazilians have proved perfect hosts so far, though they would rather they left empty handed.

read more : https://uk.news.yahoo.com/world-cup-fanatics-head-overland-brazil-014147048.html#9dR2KxV

World Cup 2014: Why US will conquer world football

Get used to this, world

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The United States did better than expected at this year's World Cup. But experts say that's just the beginning - bright times are ahead for the USA team.

It was called the Group of Death - Team USA's seeding for the 2014 World Cup saw them up against tough competition, with many analysts predicting the Americans would get pummelled from the first kick-off.

But they exceeded expectations by making it through to the knockout round, and losing 2-1 to Belgium in extra-time.

Although they got further in 2002, reaching the last eight, this time the team's never-say-die spirit earned them plaudits from across the football world.

Don't mistake this strong showing for a bit of dumb luck. Analysts say the US will be a serious competitor in future World Cup tournaments.

There are three factors necessary for football success, according to 'Soccernomics: Why England Loses, Why Spain, Germany, and Brazil Win, and Why the US, Japan, Australia - and Even Iraq - Are Destined to Become the Kings of the World's Most Popular Sport'.

Those factors are a big population, a strong economy, and a fervent fan base. For years, the US has had two out of three - a big population from which to draw top talent and the money to support a training infrastructure and elite football community. But with little interest from most Americans, talented athletes and top dollars went elsewhere.

Players like Julian Green, who scored against Belgium, indicate a bright future

In terms of football, the USA "was missing the know-how", says Simon Kuper, the book's co-author. "It was quite low, but it has risen very rapidly."

And thanks to the following five factors, the US can count on rising football fortunes.

1. Development

Until very recently, Team USA had a specific way for cultivating stars. "We would identify them at a young age and send them to a place called the residency program," says George Quraishi, founder and editor of the football magazine Howler.

From ages 14-18, the players would live together, train together and play together. It was an expensive proposition, and a risky one.

"It was basically saying we are going to place a bet on these players," says Quraishi, and stick with them throughout their careers.

Now the US has a system more like Europe's. Promising youth play in development squads for Major League Soccer (MLS) teams, creating a dynamic, deep pool of talent.

2. Recruitment

US coach Jurgen Klinsmann has made a big push to recruit American players raised in football-strong countries such as Germany.

Jermaine Jones, who scored against Portugal, is one of those recruits, and has been singled out by Klinsmann for the professional edge he brings to the team - something he gained by competing at an elite level in Germany for years.

Jermaine Jones (#23) is American by birth but German-trained

"An American who lived in the US and developed here, likely went to college and was playing at a low level at the age of 22, when Jermaine Jones had been scrapping and playing against professional players since he was 16," says Quraishi.

And due to the growth of MLS, America is producing more top talent.

"In 2010 we had six players from our entire league competing in the World Cup, with four on the US team," says Dan Courtemanche, executive vice president of communications for Major League Soccer.

"This year, we have 22 players in the World Cup, 10 competing for the US."