Tottenham midfielder Paulinho criticised by former Brazil star Zico

Former Brazil player Zico has criticised the form of Tottenham midfielder Paulinho ad even suggested that the World Cup hosts' sluggish start to the 2014 competition is partly down to the player.

Speaking with the Guardian, 88-times capped Zico said: "Paulinho once again had a game to forget (against Mexico). He is a problem now because he is a shadow of the player who last year proved so important in creative and defensive duties."
"Paulinho had a tough season at Tottenham and it's blatantly clear that he lacks rhythm and confidence. He is not as incisive as he used to be. That had obvious effects in Brazil's midfield."
It remains to be seen whether head coach Luiz Felipe Scolari sticks with the former Corinthians player for Brazil's final group game tomorrow, against Cameroon in Brasilia.

BRAZIL BEAT: Good luck, Landon! Oops, never mind

MANAUS, Brazil (AP) -- Landon Donovan is still the biggest name in American soccer. He's just not playing for the U.S. at the World Cup.

So an unfortunate tweet from Samsung Mobile Arabia went viral for all the wrong reasons Sunday when the company posted: "Best of luck to Landon Donovan & the USA team."

The 32-year-old Donovan, the American career leader in goals and assists, was cut from the squad last month. He was part of a Samsung ad campaign that included the likes of Argentina star Lionel Messi and England's Wayne Rooney.

The account also tweeted well-wishes to another endorser Sunday: "Cristiano Ronaldo is all set for today's match. We wish Portugal team all the very best." At least Ronaldo is indeed on Portugal's squad for the game against the United States.

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GOALS APLENTY

SAO PAULO (AP) - With his team already comfortably qualified for the round of 16, and only positioning at stake in a matchup with Chile, Netherlands coach Louis van Gaal turned his attention to World Cup games at large, saying he was pleased with the offensive brand of football seen so far.

"The forwards are proving themselves here, especially the strikers who play in European leagues. They've all scored, more than once," he said Sunday.

Van Gaal had particularly warm words for German striker Miroslav Klose, his former player at Bayern Munich, who with a goal against Ghana on Saturday tied Brazilian great Ronaldo as the top career World Cup scorer with 15.

"That is very impressive," Van Gaal said. "I congratulate him."

Van Gaal noted that Klose "comes on for two minutes - he's done it for me too- and scores."

FIFA probes blackface fan photos from Ghana match

RIO DE JANEIRO — FIFA is investigating a possible racial discrimination case after photographs circulated of fans with blackface makeup at Germany’s match against Ghana.
Images posted on social media networks showed two men, appearing to be Germany fans, with blackened faces in the Fortaleza stadium on Saturday.
FIFA says its disciplinary committee is considering opening a case.
FIFA spokeswoman Delia Fischer says “we do not respect any discriminatory messages.”
FIFA holds national football federations responsible for their fans’ behavior inside stadiums.
In a second incident, a man ran onto the pitch in the second half of the 2-2 draw.
The shirtless fan had an email address and telephone number written on his back.
Brazil’s organizing committee spokesman Saint-Clair Milesi says the man, reportedly from Poland, was detained by local authorities.
Copyright 2014 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
 

 

 

 

World Cup 2014: Ahearn Alley goes to Brazil

Bring on the Cats now officially has boots on the ground at the World Cup. Here's what you can expect to see over the next 2 weeks.

So how about this World Cup thing, huh? I’ve been obsessively watching the world’s favorite sporting event since Zinedine Zidane led France to glory in 1998, and this may be the most exciting first nine days ever. We’ve seen plenty of goals, surprises (old spain! cheers england!)and of course, mind-bogglingly stupid decisions by players and referees alike.

Our tireless leader has given us ample coverage of the action on the pitch, made all the more impressive by the fact that he (presumably) hasn’t left the Hellhole that I assume is wherever he lives in Oklahoma. Hopefully, we’ve inspired some readers (and specifically Derek Smith) to look at soccer in a new light and actually enjoy watching the beautiful game.

Now it’s time to kick our coverage up a notch with the trip Jon alluded to in that  very first post nobody read, though if you follow me on Twitter you are surely aware of my trip by now. I typed this post on a plane headed to New York Saturday afternoon, because Nashville to NY to Miami to Brasilia is obviously the most direct route.

I do have tickets to three games (Brasil-Cameroon, Portugal-Ghana and France vs. Group F 2nd place) and may offer some thoughts on those results, but really, Jon and everyone else have that part pretty well covered. If all goes well, my reports from Brasil will focus on the benefits of actually attending what seems to be the world’s biggest party and really, anything else you might want to hear about. Just let me know.

As long as nothing went wrong, I should have arrived in Brasilia by the time you read this, giving me several hours to find a place to watch USA-Portugal and more than a day to prepare for Brasil-Cameroon at Estadio Nacional, which has the potential to be the highlight of the trip or a total disaster if something crazy happens. Expect to see a post about that early next week, then some other things before I leave for Rio on July 1.

My four days in Brasil’s most vibrant city will be without a computer, and I’ll be within walking distance of Copacabana Beach, the main one you’ve seen on your TV screens. As long as I don’t die or decide to stay there and marry a beautiful Brazilian woman, there will probably be a long, rambling post about all the things I can remember while keeping in mind my dad reads this blog.

That’s about all there is to report for now, as this long day of flights and missing soccer sadly continues. But I have no doubt it will all be worth it, and I’ll do my best to offer a window into the experience of a lifetime, which officially ends July 6.

One final note: If the US can somehow finish ahead of Germany (a more likely scenario now after Saturday’s draw with Ghana) and win Group G, then win a Round of 16 match (likely against Russia or South Korea), we would play a quarterfinal while I’m in Rio. On the Fourth of July. Do you believe in miracles?

Del Bosque criticizes Spanish players’ attitudes

CURITIBA, Brazil — Spain’s coach Vicente del Bosque has criticized his players after the team’s first taste of failure at a major tournament in six years.
Spain heads home after Monday’s Group B match against Australia as the first defending champion to be knocked out of the tournament after just two games.
Del Bosque says in an interview with Spanish broadcaster Cuatro that, “I always think about the collective and the players only think about themselves.”
Del Bosque — normally a diplomatic figure — says a training ground incident with Cesc Fabregas on Saturday was not a problem.
The Spanish coach says he’s still motivated to coach the European champions.
Copyright 2014 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

Fifa World Cup Brazil 2014: Messi wants more offensive Argentina against Iran

        



Belo Horizonte: Lionel Messi has challenged Argentina coach Alejandro Sabella to give him a more attacking role when the South Americans face Iran on Saturday seeking a win to seal a place in the World Cup second round.

Messi wants to be part of a three-man attack with Sergio Aguero and Gonzalo Higuain as they were in the second half of the 2-1 win over Bosnia to open Group F

It was a rare public questioning of Sabella's tactics. But the coach insisted he has no problem with team captain Messi speaking out ahead of the Belo Horizonte game.

Higuain came on as a substitute to set up Messi to score just his second ever World Cup goal against Bosnia on Sunday. Messi said he feels more comfortable playing with Higuain and Aguero in attack.

"We are Argentina and I think we need to concentrate on ourselves without fixating on who we are playing," said the four-time world player of the year.

"We feel more comfortable with two up front and me behind because it makes it easier to counter-attack and, because we have more people in attack, we have more possibilities."

Messi's stunning goal eased eased some of the pressure on him to start performing on the world stage.

However, his underwhelming first-half performance was still criticised and he admitted he needs to play closer to the opposition's goal.

"In the first-half I found it difficult to get a hold of the ball and when I did I was very far from goal.

"The truth is when I did have the ball I lost it a number of times and at other times I was playing it backwards. I was annoyed at not being able to play the game I had planned."

Sabella took Messi's comments in his stride.

"Messi has said many times that he likes the 4-3-3 system. He didn't say anything new and he said it respectfully. It doesn't bother me at all," Sabella told reporters. "We live in a cordial atmosphere with respect for everyone."

Along with Higuain, Fernando Gago could return in midfield at the expense of Maxi Rodriguez as he too made a positive impression as a substitute against Bosnia.

Javier Mascherano is also expected to win his 100th cap in midfield and insisted he is as hungry for success as he was on his international debut.

"I am not one of those players that makes the difference on the pitch, but more a player that sacrifices myself for the team. What is my secret? I live for this."

Iran made an encouraging start to their campaign too, holding African champions Nigeria to a 0-0 draw in Curitiba on Monday.

Coach Carlos Queiroz fiercely defended his side's tactics in that match given their lack of facilities and poor preparation in comparison to their more opponents in Group F.

Striker Reza Ghoochannejhad believes his side can enjoy the experience of taking one of the world's best sides with nothing expected of them.

"We have to enjoy it and follow the coach's instructions to the letter. We've got absolutely nothing to lose in this match," said the Charlton Athletic striker.

"Argentina are among the favourites this year, while the same can't be said for us. All the pressure will be on their shoulders and we will have to show our resilience, like against Nigeria."