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.
posted by The Blue Devil @ 12:48 PM
111 Comments:
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!
Red rims for the Arsenal, mate?
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.
England now 2-1 up.
2-2 - goalkeepers don't even seem to be moving for the penalties and the goals seem especially huge.
Poor sportsmanship there from the French goalkeeper. Doesn't matter.
3-2 England.
According to the commentator, England's side practice penalties after every training session. Someone should tell that to the men's set-up.
Rafferty to make it 4-3 England.
She misses! It's back to evens. Both sides have missed one.
France now 4-3 up.
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!
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.
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
It's Mr. Moustache hosting the festivities on Univision in the "Estudio."
No, not this time. I had tire and tube issues and didn't have the money to spend on luxuries like new rims.
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.
Welcome, Gooner!
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.
I'm really confused now. Univision had Robinho listed on the team sheet. But my ESPN commentary says he's been dropped for Jadson.
Early shot there from the Paraguayan wide man Estagarrabia.
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.
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.
Oh - Barrios played Santa Cruz in there and he should have scored!
That really is a shocking finish. Santa Cruz must make the keeper save it from there.
Dani Alves pushes Estagarrabia over there and there are plenty of boos and whistles from the crowd.
Lots of short passes in midfield from Brazil but they're really having trouble clicking here. Paraguay have shown the ingenuity early doors.
Pato's not going to enjoy chasing long balls like that.
Nice free kick opportunity now. Another foul by Dani Alves.
Torres over the free kick. Comes to nothing.
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.
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.
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.
Lucio, who is a good tackler, showing Dani how it's done there.
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.
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.
I like the not-DCUnited Fred. I'd have a bit of that today.
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.
Long from Thiago Silva to a brilliant run from Pato. He nearly brought it down but it was a half chance at best.
Elano is my go-to guy off the bench. He's got some guile.
Paraguay claiming a handball by Dani Alves. I didn't see it.
Very scrappy now.
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!
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?
Probably just a couple of the defenders - Lucio, Andre Santos, maybe Thiago Silva.
I don't think Alves meant it, but that should have been called if there was another Paraguayan in the box. Lucky boy.
Oh - and Julio Cesar. The Brazilian keepers are miles ahead of their past counterparts now.
Nice stuff from Jadson, one touch to Pato who tried to round the keeper but Villar did well there.
Uruguay and Mexico are in the U-17 final, eh? That's interesting.
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.
Agreed. He missed a few of those against Venezuela. The run is good but the finish needs to be sharper.
Keepers should only be after thoughts in the Brazilian set-up. Yeah, Julio Cesar is better than most, but that should be irrelevant.
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.
The lead article on Soccernet is Hugo Rodallega saying "Arsenal want me." Interested?
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.
Lucas is caught offside. That was close.
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.
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.
Lucas Leiva is a player who's not worthy of the Liverpool shirt, let alone the Brazil one!
Decent free kick opportunity now for Paraguay. Comes to nothing again.
Jadson went in studs up there and he's going to pick up a yellow for it.
It's getting a bit chippy now and the referee is trying to calm the two sides down. Free kick to Brazil.
Okay, now I'm seeing the aerosol coming out. I kind of like it.
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.
Jadson brought down Lucas there and he's going to have to be careful now.
GOAL! Jadson breaks the deadlock!
1-0!
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.
Dangerous through ball for Santa Cruz but Thiago Silva read it well.
Oh - great ball in from Dani Alves and Pato should have scored there.
There's got the tiniest bit of swagger now to the Brazilian attack.
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.
Into stoppage time in the first half now.
Half time comes and Brazil will be slightly relieved by the 1-0 scoreline even though they haven't looked much more convincing.
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.
My boy Elano is coming on now - not sure who's coming off yet.
Here's Elano, Bobstradamus!
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.
Paraguay getting us underway in Cordoba for the second half.
It looks as if the goalscorer Jadson has come off - straight swap for Elano then.
Vera ran into the brick wall of Andre Santos there.
Ramires wins a free kick for Brazil.
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.
Pato picks up a yellow for a strong challenge there.
Oh - that was poor from Ganso as he tried to find Neymar out wide.
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.
Now - it's Neymar who coughs up the ball. Brazil are certainly giving Paraguay all the encourage in the world to have a go.
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.
GOAL! Route 1 stuff from Paraguay and Roque Santa Cruz equalizes.
1-1!
I didn't expect that. After Neymar nearly created something brilliant out of nothing, a break from Paraguay levels the scores.
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.
Valdez comes on now but it's Barrios who trots off.
Valdez comes on. He's a stud so now it's definitely Paraguay on the front foot.
Pato has drifted out wide right now and seems really out of sorts. I'd have him off now too.
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.
Lucas picks up a yellow card as Paraguay have a free kick. Wasted.
Entering the last half hour here and this one could still swing either way.
Oh - Ganso played Neymar through but Villar did well. A moment's hesitation from Neymar and the chance was snuffed out.
GOAL! Now it's Nostrastevus as Valdez slots home a second goal for Paraguay!
What a turnup - 2-1!
Victor Cacares comes on for Riveros.
Time for some changes from Menezes now. What's he got up his sleeve?
Another Lucas is coming on for Ramires - presumably an attacking move.
Twenty minutes left. Brazil teetering on the brink of first round elimination.
Argybargy there between Lucas and Ortogossa.
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.
Oh - Ganso crossed well but Pato couldn't really be bothered.
Only two victories in their last seven games for Brazil now.
Really poor cross over there from Neymar when they had a good position.
Here's your boy, Fred, about to come on now, Gooner.
It's Neymar being sacrificed now. Are you watching, Chelski bosses?
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.
Paraguay come close to a third there.
GOAL! Fred does the biz with a lovely turn and shot.
Desmond!
That's it then. 2-2. Fred saves the day.
Brazil still need a win against Ecuador in the last match.
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