All right, so Kaká is the best player of the world right? Messi got second place. There's not a lot to contest specially after we saw how Kaká played in the FIFA Club World Cup final against Boca Juniors. He is definetly the best footballer of the year.

Then we have Marta. A 21-year old tiny and shy girl who simply demolishes defenses. She couldn't care less how tall, strong or rough a defender can be. All she wants is to take that ball all the way and score goals. Best female footballer of the year.

Brazil won the Copa America one more time against all odds. Playing with a young brave team without Ronaldinho, Kaka, Ronaldo or Adriano and with a coach who had no previous experience in the job. Argentina had all its stars a brilliant team, an extremely inspired Riquelme, a magical Messi but they could not defeat Brazil and were beaten 3 x 0.

Now I get to the point: How is it possible that Argentina is on top of FIFA's Ranking?

Oh well, that's why I always hated algebra!

But I promise I'll settle down if someone gives me a reasonable explanation.

Hey friends,

I'm here in Belo Horizonte, Brazil for a ACL surgery (the price of an eternal soccer addiction) and also to have the chance to re-energize myself with the mystery of the great players of the world.

The Brazilian National Championship is almost decided with São Paulo with more than 95% of chances to take the tittle for the second year in a row.

Sometimes it's hard to understand how a country with a horrible difference between rich and poor, a very unfair economy can still create the best players in the world.

The structure of Brazilian Football is bad. A lot of corruption and personal interest leads teams like Flamengo, Corinthians, Atletico-MG, etc... to bankrupcy and abscure deals. But in the end the talent prevails.

And it seems that in 2014 the most sucessful country who ever played this game will have once again the chance to host a World Cup. If I dream of going to South Africa in 2010 I can't even consider missing a WC in Brazil. I can already imagine games at Maracanã, at Mineirão, at Morumbi...

This country breaths football, this country has 200 million coaches and a handful of Ronaldinhos and Robinhos are born EVERYDAY.

But the question is: Should a country with so many problems of violence, economy, politics, education, public health... spend so much money to host a World Cup? What are the pros and the cons if Brazil is really picked to host the 2014 World Cup?

Here is what she said:

"There's no doubt in my mind I would have made those saves," Solo said. "And the fact of the matter is, it's not 2004 anymore. … It's 2007, and I think you have to live in the present. And you can't live by big names. You can't live in the past. It doesn't matter what somebody did in an Olympic gold-medal game in the Olympics three years ago."

I just wrote a comment on her myspace page in which she apologizes for saying this. I believe Hope Solo is a fantastic goalkeeper. She has talent, she is solid and she wants to win. The only thing is: you should not do your laundry outdoors. I undersatand her being upset with coach Ryan. His decision was the most retarded decision I've seen in a long time. The reasons he gave were ver amateur. He said Brianna Scurry stopped Brazil during the 2004 Olympic Games and she could do it again. Of course she could!!! If she had been playing during the tournament!!! But Hope Solo was playing extremely well, she was confident and if he couldn't trust her agaist Brazil he should have at least given Brianna some playing time in the other games.

But nothing of that is an excuse for a profesional player to use a microphone to say what Hope Solo said. Not that what she said didn't make sense but it doesn't make things better either. The game was over, Brazil would have won anyways because they played beautifully. Marta was unstoppable. So why say something that is not gonna help anything?

She caused a very uncomfortable situation just like Greg Ryan created when he benched her. And as my grandma used to say: Don't try to fix a mistake with another one.

What do you guys think????

PS.: You can read Solo's apologies on her myspace blog:

http://blog.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=blog.view&friendID=119877178&blogID=314148328

Let me start this one with some facts and a question, a serious question:

 If your team has a solid goalkeeper who played all the previous games in the International competition you're in and hasn't allowed a single goal in 300 minutes would you bench this person even though there isn't any injury or technical deficiency or relationship problems?????

If you answered NO you're a sane intelligent person but if you said YES you and Coach Greg Ryan from the USA Women's Team can start writing a book on new crazy game strategies.

The only problem is that I don't think anyone will buy that idea after what happened in the BRAZIL vs. USA in the World Cup Semifinal.

I was not going to post until the competition was over. I've been waking up at around 4am to watch some great games and this one was not just great. IT WAS FANTASTIC. So I had to write and avoid being influenced by any result that will come in the Championship Game.

The USA is by far the number one team in the women's rank of soccer. Since their first World Cup Tittle in 1991 and with the golden generation of Michelle Akers, Kristine Lilly, Julie Fouldy and the amazing Mia Hamm, the United States has always excelled in showing the best female soccer in the world. 

They won 2 World Cups and 2 Olympic Gold Medals. Until today they had been unbeaten for 50 straight games. They have a very good mix of experience (Kristine Lilly still playing) and youth (Abby Wambach) but it all changed this morning.

Womens Soccer in Brazil is not badly structure, it is simply NON-EXISTENT. There is no profesional league, no sponsors, no media coverage, no audience. Most of the players, just like the men's team, come from very poor background but they have to suffer with a lot of prejudice. Many families would rather see their daughters working as maids than playing soccer.

But there is still room for magic.

Have you ever heard of Marta??? Well, I have. I haven't paid a lot of attention on her until the last Olympic Games when she was only 18 years old and was already INCREDIBLE.

Well, if you didn't watch Marta play yet you have no idea what you're missing. I mean, maybe I can help you. Get the skills of Ronaldinho, the speed of Robinho, the pass quality of Beckham, along the quality of being a great team player and you have MARTA.

When Marta plays her game (and she often does) Brazil is a very dangerous team but when Aline controls the defense flawlessly, Elaine and Maicon run up and down the wings, Formiga and Daniela block any attempt of play making in midfield and create themselves a lot of plays, and Cristiane decides that's it's time for a revenge then BRAZIL BECOMES UNBEATABLE!!!

Please... Brazil Soccer Federeation (aka CBF) INVEST IN THOSE GIRLS... Regardless of the result in the Final Game the world would be happier watching more Martas, Cristianes, Danielas, Formigas....

As for the USA, the investment continues. That is a growing experience. The roots of the Women's Soccer Team are very strong here. A strong wind can blow some leaves and bend the branches but the tree will always stand.

Brazil won this one with no questions ... (We just need some really logical answers from Mr. Greg Ryan for the first question of this post)

Brazil was the best team... 4-0 is unquestionable and the numbers are there!

GO BRAZIL!!!

I hope they take this one!!!  

A great game to open the semi-finals of the 2007 Copa America.

A game that could only happen between 2 top world teams. As my friend SoyManya81 would say: "Uruguay rises up to Brasil and Argentina". And it's true.

 Brazil started the game trying to put some pressure on Uruguay's defense. Trying to show their game. And it worked.

At the 12th minute a good passing play at the top of Uruguay's box culminated with a shot by Robinho that Carini couldn't hold and Maicon got the rebound scoring the first goal for the contenders.

After the brazilian goal the lights on the stadium went off and 15 minutes later the game re-started.

Then it was a different game. Uruguay got back together and after 3 good chances Forlan got a rebound from Doni and put the ball inside the net.

Uruguay could only celebrate for 4 minutes cause Maicon (who actually played very well tonight) took a free kick and the ball crossed the small box to find Julio Baptista who just tapped it to the goal putting back ahead in the game again.

End of First Half: Brazil  2  x  1  Uruguay

In the second half the game was balanced. Brazil trying to pass the ball around to waste time and find an opening in Uruguay's defense and La Celeste playing a vertical game. Moving fast on the wings and putting some pressure on Brazil's center backs.

In one of those plays, exploring the space left by Maicon's offensive characteristic, Rodrigues crossed a low ball in Brazil's box , Forlan touched and Abreu took a dive and with the head, kept Uruguay alive back on the game.

After a few minutes of Brazil having problems passing the ball the game soon became an open game with both teams searching for the winnig goal.

But the fact is that

The truth is that Uruguay played much better than Brazil in the second half. Robinho was anulled and the Green Yellow team didn't create one single clear goal opportunity.

But Uruguay also wasn't able to score a third goal and then we had the penalties...

FINAL SCORE: Brazil  2  x  2  Uruguay 

Fair or unfair the penalty shootout is part of soccer. It's not a matter of luck. It's a matter of psychological balance and competence... Luck is always a factor in soccer but only about 15% percent of what happen in a game can be credit for luck. So is the penalty shoot out. 

And that's how it went:

BRAZIL 

Robinho – goal (lower right side of the keeper)

Juan – goal (left side)

Gilberto Silva – goal (lower left side)

Afonso – right post

Diego – goal (lower right side)

Fernando – right post

Gilberto – goal (right side)   

URUGUAY 

Forlan – saved (horribly taken, in the middle of the goal)

Scotti – goal (mid left side of the keeper)

Gonzales - goal

Rodriguez – goal (not too well taken but the ball went in)

Abreu – goal (and what a goal, a cold bloody soft lobby kick in the middle)

Pablo Garcia – left post

Lugano – saved (it’s a curse – the team captain – the best player – he missed)

**********************************************************

I have to say that in both Forlan and Lugano's penalties the brazilian goalkeeper Doni stepped out a little too much but I still think that a penalty kick very well taken is impossible to be saved. Competence and psychological balance.... and a little luck.

Brazil scored 2 goals, so did Uruguay... And any of them could have made to the Final. This time was Brazil.

PENALTY SHOOTOUT SCORE: BRAZIL  5  x  4  URUGUAY

This is soccer 

IN TIME:

* Brazil should be extremely happy being the runner up because the Champion will come from tomorrow's game: Argentina vs. Mexico ... But that only if the "Gods of Soccer" decide to let the best team raise the cup... We never know!

URUGUAY 

Although Uruguay collects 14 Copa America titles, the team has been a big disappointment since their last continental trophy in 1995 when they hosted Copa America.

The nation also failed to qualify for the last World Cup. Of course this is a reflex of the poor performance and lack of quality in the national clubs competition. When was the last time Peñarol or Nacional hit the news?

The country is small and with no media attention there's no investment, without investment there's no local evolution in the sport.

When a good player emerges in Uruguay it doesn't take long until a club from Europe or from the neighbors Brasil and Argentina sneak him away from his land with promises of better incomes and more visibility. i don't blame them.

But now Uruguay has the chance of a come back. And waht a come back that would be! La Celeste will face Brazil in the semifinals and they are motivated!

This year they want to take a step further than their second place in the 1999 Copa America.

The thing about analying Uruguay is that not all of the players are really known to most of people. But what is easy to tell is that every sector of the field has its leader.

Carini has been the goalkeeper for La Celeste since 1999. I still remeber when they talked about him as the new Mazurkiewski but maybe because of the poor performance of the national team in the last years that promise is still only a promise, but Carini is a solid, experience leader for the team and as they say, a good team starts with a good goalie.

La Celeste plays with 3 center backs and that's where you're gonna find not only a great player but also the main team leader and captain: Diego Lugano. The 26 year old is a natural winner. He is the one who really knows the ways of the brazilian soccer after playing (and winning titles) with São Paulo FC.

Diego Scotti and Dario Rodriguez complete Uruguay's defensive line.

Five players will block the midfield and create the plays. I honestly and humbly don't know a lot about them. SO PLEASE HELP ME WITH MORE INFO ON URUGUAY'S MIDFIELDERS. SoyManya81, this is a job for you my friend.

Than we complete La Celeste with Diego Forlan and Alvaro Recoba.

"El Chino" Recoba is a national team player for uruguay since 1995. He has been playing for Internazionale of milan since 1999. He is not the most efficient striker but he's consistent and a fighter. There's no lost ball for Recoba.

Forlan is the goal man. He is a quite oportunist player but has ups and downs during a game. Sometimes clumsy, sometimes genius. But its better not to leave him unmarked because his 54 goals in 3 seasons defending Villareal can talk more than any words I write here.

Diego Forlan wants to revive Alcides Gigghia and send Brazil back home

*********************************************************************

BRAZIL 

Brazil is always Brazil.

This sentence itself summarizes what this nation represents for soccer in the world. In every single soccer competition in the planet that Brazil participates they can be considered one of the favorites to win. That's why "A seleção Canarinho" causes so much discussion when they can't play what everybody expects.

Many critics are blaming coach Dunga for letting go of players like Ze Roberto, Kaka, Ronaldinho. Adriano, Ronaldo and bringing some new faces like Afonso Alves, Elano and Vagner Love.

But we cannot forget that in the last Copa America (2004) coach Carlos Alberto Parreira didn't use Ronaldinho, Kaka, Robinho nor Ronaldo and yet that young team beat a powerful Argentina in the final in an electrifying game decided on the penalty shoot-out.

Which brings us back to the first sentence: BRAZIL IS ALWAYS BRAZIL.

I mentioned prevously that every good team starts with a good goalie. This isn't the case with Brazil. Doni does not offer the crucial safety that a great goalkeeper should offer. I would never hire him to play for my team and I believe I'm not alone in this. But oh, well...

Brazil's defense is not individually weak. Alex and Juan are actually good defenders. But the problem is the lack of coverage when the wings attack, and boy, they like to attack. Maicon and Gilberto are naturally offensive (not so good ones) but they sometimes go up at the same time leaving the load to the defensive midfielders and to the center backs.

Mineiro and Gilberto Silva - who is the team captain - are solid defensive mids. They are not very good passers and this can create problem when Brazil tries to connect midfield and attack.

Josué is the one that will intermediate this transition he will work as defensive midfielder when Brazil doesn't have the ball and he will help Julio Baptista supplies the forwards when the ball is recovered.

Julio Baptista started the competition on the bench (so did Josue) but he gained the position by playing a very good second half against Ecuador and an even better game agains Chile. He will do what Kaká would be doing if he was on this team. The only difference is that he is NOT Kaka.

Vagner Love finally found his way to the net last game. It would be embarassing if he didn't right? After all there were 6 goals and even Josué scored his. He is dangerous and if he can finally find a confortable position on the field he can really bother a defense.

Do I need to talk about Robinho??? Pelé's protegé has proved he was for sure one of the main responsibles for Real Madrid's title in La Liga. The fast, talented, and extremely smiley forward TERRORIZES defenders with moves that almost one of them already know but they still can't stop him. Will he be able to lead Brazil to a back to back Championship?

 Robinho might be the man to help Dunga keep his job

*******************************************************************************

MEXICO

After losing the Gold Cup a don't think the Mexican supporters thought that their team would play so well in the Copa America. But I said that on the first post of my former blog;  Mexico feels much more confortable playing against South American teams. It suits their game, their speed, and then there was Castillo. I still didn't understand why Hugo Sanchez didn't put the kid to play against the USA since the beginning, but that's part of the past now.

Castillo is the present. The gift for all the Mexican supporters who were waiting to see this team finally take home this cup. The gifted mexican born, uruguayan breed, is a star in greece but chose to wear his homeland jersey. He is not only the present, he also represent the possibility of a brilliant future for Mexico soccer.

But can they beat the favorites???

Ochoa or Sanchez?? What a pleasant difficult task. If Brazil suffers for not having a trustworthy goalkeeper, Mexico has two.

Rafa Marquez is the maestro of the defense. Solid, experiencend and talented. He is always where he should be and with very good passes makes the transiction to the midfield.

Torrado is the destroyer. He is fast and discipline. Sometimes not very good passing the ball but always there to take it away from the opponent.

Guardado was the man we were waiting to see back on the team. And he came back as if nothing had happened: playing hard, showing his talent, he might be one of my favorite players of this team.

Then there is Nery Castillo... The man that humiliated Brazil's defense with a goal that is probably the most beautiful of the competition. Determination, talent and passion. If Mexico wins this title he should be the one taking the trophy home for a week just as a reward for the great performace he's displaying.

Oh, and I can't forget GRANDPA Cuauhtemoc. I wouldn't even like to play on the same team with him. He cries, he complains with everybody and about everything. He is just like that old grumpy grandpa that hates everything. BUT he is very important for this team. In 15 minutes on the field (that's how much time he can play without collapsing) he is able to create amazing plays, score goals and of course annoy the opponent and the referee, oh and ME.

It might take a whole army to stop Nery Castillo from scoring 

********************************************************************************

ARGENTINA

The better the team the easier it is to talk about.

If soccer was a fair game we could just give Argentina the Cup and that's it.

The best team so far. 100%. 4 games, 4 expressive wins. The team scored 13 goals and suffered only 3.

They came to this competition THIRSTY... They want this Copa America sooo bad and they are playing so well and they have so many talents that what could go wrong???

Well, we are talking about soccer my friends... Anything can happen. La Albi-Celeste has 14 titles (just like Uruguay) but it also has been 14 years (since 1993) that they don't win the competition.

In addition to that, for the last 3 world cups Argentina is said to be one of the favorites, always bringing great players, but also, always letting its fanatic supporters down.

I would hate to see Riquelme, one of the most talented players of this generation, retire from the National team without the glory of winnig a last tittle with the jersey that once belonged to Maradona. He deserves it. The whole team deserves. But between deserving and actually winning it's a long way.

Messi, Tevez and Riquelme the wonder kids and the master

**********************************************************************

NOW WITH MY PREDICTIONS:

I know we have two VERY HARD games to predict but I'm not afraid to risk. I can be wrong tomorrow but it's all part of my job so here we go

BRAZIL will beat URUGUAY (the score doesn't really matter at this point)

and... ARGENTINA will be surprised by MEXICO's fast attack.

The Final will be between:

BRAZIL  x  MEXICO