Lakenheath Old Boys

We are all former students at Lakenheath High School and other public schools in East Anglia. We were in school in the 70s and 80s and drank deeply from the well of British culture of those decades - the pints, the telly, and of course the footie!

Saturday, July 09, 2011

Brazil v. Paraguay Live!

The next World Cup hosts were fairly miserable in their first competitive outing under new manager Menezes and my hopes for lots of Copa America goals have been unanswered so far, so I don't know what to think about this afternoon's outing against the useful Paraguay. I just know that I'll be stopping my data transcription duties around 2:30 to fix lunch and will look for you lot to join me around 3pm EST on Univision.

111 Comments:

Blogger gooner71 said...

Just back from dropping off a small fortune on new Kevlar belted, high psi Armadillo tires. Hoping that the Selecao aim to thrill this afternoon. Gooner on board!

2:26 PM  
Blogger The Blue Devil said...

Red rims for the Arsenal, mate?

2:31 PM  
Blogger The Blue Devil said...

I've just joined the England v. France Women's World Cup match as it seems to be starting a penalty shoot-out.

England have just converted its first pen.

2:35 PM  
Blogger The Blue Devil said...

England now 2-1 up.

2:36 PM  
Blogger The Blue Devil said...

2-2 - goalkeepers don't even seem to be moving for the penalties and the goals seem especially huge.

2:37 PM  
Blogger The Blue Devil said...

Poor sportsmanship there from the French goalkeeper. Doesn't matter.

3-2 England.

2:38 PM  
Blogger The Blue Devil said...

According to the commentator, England's side practice penalties after every training session. Someone should tell that to the men's set-up.

2:38 PM  
Blogger The Blue Devil said...

Rafferty to make it 4-3 England.

She misses! It's back to evens. Both sides have missed one.

2:39 PM  
Blogger The Blue Devil said...

France now 4-3 up.

2:40 PM  
Blogger The Blue Devil said...

Pressure on Faye White now....

And the captain misses - hits it onto the crossbar and out. She didn't ever look confident and allowed the ball to roll back into a divot around the spot.

So, England's women share the penalty curse with the men. Bloody hell!

2:42 PM  
Blogger The Blue Devil said...

The CBC is continuing its coverage of the WWC with Germany v. Japan coming up but I'm off to Univision coverage of Brazil v. Paraguay.

2:43 PM  
Blogger The Blue Devil said...

I've got this link working for ESPN. I haven't seen anything Copa related but it's working:

http://nwxyz.blogspot.com/p/channel-2.html

2:44 PM  
Blogger The Blue Devil said...

It's Mr. Moustache hosting the festivities on Univision in the "Estudio."

2:45 PM  
Blogger gooner71 said...

No, not this time. I had tire and tube issues and didn't have the money to spend on luxuries like new rims.

2:53 PM  
Blogger The Blue Devil said...

Here's the team news for today's match:

Brazil: Julio Cesar, Dani Alves, Andre Santos, Thiago Silva, Lucio, Lucas, Paulo Henrique, Ramires, Pato, Neymar, Jadson.

Subs: Victor, Jefferson, Maicon, Luisao, David Luiz, Elano, Adriano, Elias, Sandro, Robinho, Fred.

Paraguay: Villar, Veron, Torres, Da Silva, Alcaraz, Ortigoza, Riveros, Vera, Estigarrbia, Santa Cruz, Barrios.

Subs: Barreto, Fernandez, Marecos, Cacares, Piris, Santana, Martinez, Perez, Zeballos, Valdez.

2:56 PM  
Blogger The Blue Devil said...

Welcome, Gooner!

2:56 PM  
Blogger The Blue Devil said...

Wait a moment, Univision and ESPN are contradicting what ESPN Soccernet had posted earlier. Young playmaker Ganso and Robinho have been retained. This is the same Brazil side that failed so miserably to break down Venezuela last weekend.

2:59 PM  
Blogger The Blue Devil said...

I'm really confused now. Univision had Robinho listed on the team sheet. But my ESPN commentary says he's been dropped for Jadson.

3:00 PM  
Blogger The Blue Devil said...

Early shot there from the Paraguayan wide man Estagarrabia.

3:01 PM  
Blogger The Blue Devil said...

Odd looking pitch and stadium here in Cordoba. The pitch is really patchy looking and the crowd on the far side is pretty far away from the pitch with a wide swath of grass and a track around the pitch.

3:02 PM  
Blogger gooner71 said...

Jadson is new this time.

Ganso, well let's see.

Robinho? I hope someone reminds him and Menenzes that no-one, NO-ONE, tunes into watch the descendants of Pele, Tostao, Falcao, Zico, and Socrates for crap grooming techniques.

3:02 PM  
Blogger The Blue Devil said...

Oh - Barrios played Santa Cruz in there and he should have scored!

3:02 PM  
Blogger gooner71 said...

That really is a shocking finish. Santa Cruz must make the keeper save it from there.

3:03 PM  
Blogger The Blue Devil said...

Dani Alves pushes Estagarrabia over there and there are plenty of boos and whistles from the crowd.

3:04 PM  
Blogger The Blue Devil said...

Lots of short passes in midfield from Brazil but they're really having trouble clicking here. Paraguay have shown the ingenuity early doors.

3:05 PM  
Blogger The Blue Devil said...

Pato's not going to enjoy chasing long balls like that.

3:05 PM  
Blogger The Blue Devil said...

Nice free kick opportunity now. Another foul by Dani Alves.

3:06 PM  
Blogger The Blue Devil said...

Torres over the free kick. Comes to nothing.

3:06 PM  
Blogger gooner71 said...

I've got less and less time for Alves. Put him into the most in-form club team in the world, and sure, he has a role. But I've seen teams set out to make him defend and depending on whether the ref has enough character to ignore his diving, he struggles. His hair and tats complete the picture of a complete wanker.

3:07 PM  
Blogger The Blue Devil said...

Ganso chopped there by Vera. I'd like to see him get some more of the ball.

The commentators are now talking about a scuffle in the tunnel between Neymar and the Venezuelan coaching staff after last weekend's match. I hadn't heard that.

3:08 PM  
Blogger The Blue Devil said...

Agreed about Dani Alves. Good going forward but he's got no discipline or sense of positioning and his tackling is shocking. Estagarrabia could have some real joy today on that side.

3:08 PM  
Blogger The Blue Devil said...

Lucio, who is a good tackler, showing Dani how it's done there.

3:09 PM  
Blogger gooner71 said...

Interesting. They had a segment where he was making a statement to the press. It was in Spanish, so I thought it was more, sorry for being so useless in the first match.

3:09 PM  
Blogger The Blue Devil said...

It's a good sign that Menezes is willing to sacrifice a big time Charlie like Robinho but I don't think Jadson is the answer. Surely there are better options.

3:10 PM  
Blogger gooner71 said...

I like the not-DCUnited Fred. I'd have a bit of that today.

3:11 PM  
Blogger The Blue Devil said...

Far too slow and predictable through the midfield by Brazil. The commentators are blaming it on the bobbly pitch but I'm not buying that. There's no width or variety in their attack so far.

3:11 PM  
Blogger The Blue Devil said...

Long from Thiago Silva to a brilliant run from Pato. He nearly brought it down but it was a half chance at best.

3:12 PM  
Blogger The Blue Devil said...

Elano is my go-to guy off the bench. He's got some guile.

3:13 PM  
Blogger The Blue Devil said...

Paraguay claiming a handball by Dani Alves. I didn't see it.

3:14 PM  
Blogger The Blue Devil said...

Very scrappy now.

3:14 PM  
Blogger gooner71 said...

1 Valdir Peres • 2 Leandro • 3 Oscar • 4 Luizinho • 5 Toninho Cerezo • 6 Júnior • 7 Paulo Isidoro • 8 Sócrates • 9 Serginho • 10 Zico • 11 Éder • 12 Paulo Sérgio • 13 Edevaldo • 14 Juninho • 15 Falcão • 16 Edinho • 17 Pedrinho • 18 Batista • 19 Renato • 20 Roberto Dinamite • 21 Dirceu • 22 Carlos

Which of the Brazilians today would get a place in the 82 squad. And those guys were minimum 2-pack a day smokers!

3:17 PM  
Blogger The Blue Devil said...

Chelski must be reconsidering their splash-out on Neymar at this point. He really doesn't look up for it. Do they really want another Sheva disaster?

3:17 PM  
Blogger The Blue Devil said...

Probably just a couple of the defenders - Lucio, Andre Santos, maybe Thiago Silva.

3:18 PM  
Blogger gooner71 said...

I don't think Alves meant it, but that should have been called if there was another Paraguayan in the box. Lucky boy.

3:19 PM  
Blogger The Blue Devil said...

Oh - and Julio Cesar. The Brazilian keepers are miles ahead of their past counterparts now.

3:19 PM  
Blogger The Blue Devil said...

Nice stuff from Jadson, one touch to Pato who tried to round the keeper but Villar did well there.

3:20 PM  
Blogger The Blue Devil said...

Uruguay and Mexico are in the U-17 final, eh? That's interesting.

3:20 PM  
Blogger gooner71 said...

What's up with Pato? That was a casual finish. A guy like Gyan that bears down, he'd have finished that. Chicharito? 1-0.

3:20 PM  
Blogger The Blue Devil said...

Agreed. He missed a few of those against Venezuela. The run is good but the finish needs to be sharper.

3:21 PM  
Blogger gooner71 said...

Keepers should only be after thoughts in the Brazilian set-up. Yeah, Julio Cesar is better than most, but that should be irrelevant.

3:22 PM  
Blogger The Blue Devil said...

I agree but we both know that since '82 the focus has been on not giving up silly goals rather than anything that's going on up front.

3:24 PM  
Blogger The Blue Devil said...

The lead article on Soccernet is Hugo Rodallega saying "Arsenal want me." Interested?

3:25 PM  
Blogger The Blue Devil said...

Jadson apparently is already 27. Why bother trying to integrate him into the squad at this point. I'd take any 16 year old whiz kid at Santos over that.

3:26 PM  
Blogger The Blue Devil said...

Lucas is caught offside. That was close.

3:27 PM  
Blogger gooner71 said...

Sure. But aren't there any middle aged former footballing Brazilians that could take over and bring back the swagger? Just because low-rent outfits like Blackburn, Stoke, Bolton, and the Birmingham clubs survive playing to the Allardyce blueprint, Chelsea, Man U, Arsenal, L'pool, Citeh, and Spurs don't see the need.

3:27 PM  
Blogger The Blue Devil said...

Half an hour in and I don't see anything more enterprising from Brazil than we had the other night. At this point, it might be more helpful to the set up to get knocked out first round, sack Menezes and start over again.

3:30 PM  
Blogger The Blue Devil said...

Lucas Leiva is a player who's not worthy of the Liverpool shirt, let alone the Brazil one!

3:31 PM  
Blogger The Blue Devil said...

Decent free kick opportunity now for Paraguay. Comes to nothing again.

3:31 PM  
Blogger The Blue Devil said...

Jadson went in studs up there and he's going to pick up a yellow for it.

3:33 PM  
Blogger The Blue Devil said...

It's getting a bit chippy now and the referee is trying to calm the two sides down. Free kick to Brazil.

3:36 PM  
Blogger The Blue Devil said...

Okay, now I'm seeing the aerosol coming out. I kind of like it.

3:36 PM  
Blogger gooner71 said...

I don't see that Rodallega has enough class to step up into a team with more ambition than simple survival.

That was a criminally free kick from Alves. Just listen to the noise before and then after he took it. What a let-down.

3:37 PM  
Blogger The Blue Devil said...

Jadson brought down Lucas there and he's going to have to be careful now.

3:37 PM  
Blogger The Blue Devil said...

GOAL! Jadson breaks the deadlock!

1-0!

3:39 PM  
Blogger The Blue Devil said...

Much more like it. Ganso laid it off to Jadson and he rifled it low into the bottom left corner. Great finish. His first international goal.

3:40 PM  
Blogger The Blue Devil said...

Dangerous through ball for Santa Cruz but Thiago Silva read it well.

3:41 PM  
Blogger The Blue Devil said...

Oh - great ball in from Dani Alves and Pato should have scored there.

3:43 PM  
Blogger The Blue Devil said...

There's got the tiniest bit of swagger now to the Brazilian attack.

3:44 PM  
Blogger gooner71 said...

Sorry. I was getting that message about not being getting connection to blogger for a while.

Jadson's goal was well taken. Maybe that's what's needed so that Brazil kick on a bit here.

3:45 PM  
Blogger The Blue Devil said...

Into stoppage time in the first half now.

3:45 PM  
Blogger The Blue Devil said...

Half time comes and Brazil will be slightly relieved by the 1-0 scoreline even though they haven't looked much more convincing.

3:47 PM  
Blogger gooner71 said...

OK, well it was a bit better from the 30th minute or so, but I still think that the Brazilian blend is not all there.

Is Pato fully fit? He's possibly a little over-cautious when he's got a chance? If there was another striker around, other than good-time-magnet Robinho, I'd think about that change in the second half.

3:49 PM  
Blogger The Blue Devil said...

My boy Elano is coming on now - not sure who's coming off yet.

4:02 PM  
Blogger gooner71 said...

Here's Elano, Bobstradamus!

4:03 PM  
Blogger The Blue Devil said...

MUR was commenting that Pato looks a bit chunkier than usual. I dunno - I don't watch Milan enough to know if he's carrying extra baggage.

4:03 PM  
Blogger The Blue Devil said...

Paraguay getting us underway in Cordoba for the second half.

4:04 PM  
Blogger The Blue Devil said...

It looks as if the goalscorer Jadson has come off - straight swap for Elano then.

4:05 PM  
Blogger The Blue Devil said...

Vera ran into the brick wall of Andre Santos there.

4:06 PM  
Blogger The Blue Devil said...

Ramires wins a free kick for Brazil.

4:07 PM  
Blogger gooner71 said...

I think that goal was probably all the positive they were likely to get from Jadson. His tackling was getting x-rated and they don't want to risk going down a man.

4:09 PM  
Blogger The Blue Devil said...

Pato picks up a yellow for a strong challenge there.

4:10 PM  
Blogger The Blue Devil said...

Oh - that was poor from Ganso as he tried to find Neymar out wide.

4:11 PM  
Blogger The Blue Devil said...

Ganso is probably going to have to come off before long. He's doing some damage to his reputation as he loses the ball too easily once again.

4:12 PM  
Blogger The Blue Devil said...

Now - it's Neymar who coughs up the ball. Brazil are certainly giving Paraguay all the encourage in the world to have a go.

4:13 PM  
Blogger The Blue Devil said...

Neymar did reasonably well there to dig out a long, hopeful ball from Pato before coming back in and shooting but it was well over.

4:13 PM  
Blogger The Blue Devil said...

GOAL! Route 1 stuff from Paraguay and Roque Santa Cruz equalizes.

1-1!

4:14 PM  
Blogger gooner71 said...

I didn't expect that. After Neymar nearly created something brilliant out of nothing, a break from Paraguay levels the scores.

4:15 PM  
Blogger The Blue Devil said...

Interestingly, Nelson Valdez was lining up to replace Santa Cruz as the veteran striker scored there. He's equaled the record for goalscoring for Paraguay now.

4:15 PM  
Blogger The Blue Devil said...

Valdez comes on now but it's Barrios who trots off.

4:15 PM  
Blogger gooner71 said...

Valdez comes on. He's a stud so now it's definitely Paraguay on the front foot.

4:16 PM  
Blogger The Blue Devil said...

Pato has drifted out wide right now and seems really out of sorts. I'd have him off now too.

4:16 PM  
Blogger The Blue Devil said...

I didn't expect that either. The Brazilian backfour lost their shape for the first time in the match. I had thought that Brazil might now stumble through a really unconvincing 1-0 win and thus qualify for the quarters but Paraguay had other ideas.

4:17 PM  
Blogger The Blue Devil said...

Lucas picks up a yellow card as Paraguay have a free kick. Wasted.

4:18 PM  
Blogger The Blue Devil said...

Entering the last half hour here and this one could still swing either way.

4:22 PM  
Blogger The Blue Devil said...

Oh - Ganso played Neymar through but Villar did well. A moment's hesitation from Neymar and the chance was snuffed out.

4:24 PM  
Blogger The Blue Devil said...

GOAL! Now it's Nostrastevus as Valdez slots home a second goal for Paraguay!

What a turnup - 2-1!

4:26 PM  
Blogger The Blue Devil said...

Victor Cacares comes on for Riveros.

4:27 PM  
Blogger The Blue Devil said...

Time for some changes from Menezes now. What's he got up his sleeve?

4:27 PM  
Blogger The Blue Devil said...

Another Lucas is coming on for Ramires - presumably an attacking move.

4:28 PM  
Blogger The Blue Devil said...

Twenty minutes left. Brazil teetering on the brink of first round elimination.

4:30 PM  
Blogger The Blue Devil said...

Argybargy there between Lucas and Ortogossa.

4:31 PM  
Blogger The Blue Devil said...

The Univision lads keep showing Valdez's goal as if to suggest that the ricochet that carried the ball in came off his arm. Surely unintentional though.

4:32 PM  
Blogger The Blue Devil said...

Oh - Ganso crossed well but Pato couldn't really be bothered.

4:35 PM  
Blogger The Blue Devil said...

Only two victories in their last seven games for Brazil now.

4:39 PM  
Blogger The Blue Devil said...

Really poor cross over there from Neymar when they had a good position.

4:39 PM  
Blogger The Blue Devil said...

Here's your boy, Fred, about to come on now, Gooner.

4:40 PM  
Blogger The Blue Devil said...

It's Neymar being sacrificed now. Are you watching, Chelski bosses?

4:41 PM  
Blogger The Blue Devil said...

Under ten minutes now. I have to say that Menezes has followed our advice. He dropped a big name, kept the faith with Ganso, brought Elano and Fred on in the second half. But it still hasn't done the biz.

4:41 PM  
Blogger The Blue Devil said...

Paraguay come close to a third there.

4:42 PM  
Blogger The Blue Devil said...

GOAL! Fred does the biz with a lovely turn and shot.

Desmond!

4:49 PM  
Blogger The Blue Devil said...

That's it then. 2-2. Fred saves the day.

Brazil still need a win against Ecuador in the last match.

4:51 PM  

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