Tag Archives: Brazil football

“Three people have silenced the Maracanã,” Uruguay’s right-winger Alcides Ghiggia boasts to a BBC interviewer, “Frank Sinatra, the Pope and me.” It is 16 July 1950 in Rio de Janeiro. Brazil are up against their South American neighbours in the final match of the fourth Fifa Mundial. The Maracanã is …

As the business end of 1974 World Cup loomed, for the sentimentalists, the field of title contenders still included Brazil. But for most, it had thinned to three: The Netherlands, hosts West Germany and upstarts Poland. And like in a good shoot-’em-up western, the main characters were all nervously eyeing …

“World Cup isn’t relevant anymore,” a 30-year-old sports editor colleague told me a few years ago. “[Uefa] Champions League is the most important event in football; it’s what everybody wants to see—where all the top players are.” That’s Bobby, pronouncing, now that the Qatar 2022 groups have been more or …

Mr Live Wire has not seen so many disappointed faces in yellow jerseys since the 2015 General Elections. For the fourth straight tournament, perennial World Cup favourites, Brazil, failed to navigate their way to the final, as the five-time champions tumbled out in the quarters after a 2-1 loss to …

Now that’s more like it! After Sunday’s forgettable fare, the Russia 2018 World Cup burst to life once more today as Brazil bested Mexico 2-0 while Belgium staged a monumental recovery to kayo Japan 3-2 in the Round of 16 competition. Brazil, the five-time World Cup champions, and Belgium, who …

In the city of Brasilia, fireworks went off, residents jumped up and down at malls and drivers honked their car horns. And the Brazil team had not even stepped on to the field yet! The Germans call it schadenfreude, which roughly translates to the enjoyment of another’s misfortune. And not …

Pre-tournament favourites, Brazil, secured their first win of the Russia 2018 World Cup this afternoon and there was a goal for gifted talisman, Neymar, too, as the South American giants shot down Costa Rica 2-0 in St Petersburg. The result left the “Samba Boys” requiring only a draw against Serbia …

“There are those who argue that this year’s team may well be the most balanced Brazilian teams we have ever seen, with strengths up front, in midfield, in defence and between the uprights… “[But] I believe Germany pose a significant threat to their title aspirations.” Former Trinidad and Tobago Women’s …

Trinidad and Tobago two-time World Youth Cup midfielder Sean De Silva on our local youth development dilemma, Ronaldo de Lima inspiration, Tony Kroos’ control and dancing around his dad with the “Samba Boys”—in the third edition of Wired868’s five-part series, “Ball is Life!”

“Grouped with Costa Rica, Serbia and Switzerland, the Samba Boys will, I expect, put everybody else on the back-foot by the time the group stage is over. And then go on to beat all comers because they have a little matter of a big 2014 7-1 embarrassment to settle. “… …

“On the heels of their great 2014 triumph, much of the German leadership rode off into the sunset, leaving many wondering if that mass exodus would be fatal. But since Lahm, Schweinsteiger, Podolski and Mertesacker all left with medal in hand, Hummels, Muller and Kroos have stepped into their massive …

“”…talent alone does not make you the team to beat; it never has, it never will. And although I am very excited to see what Deschamps’ brigade of young attacking talent will do on the world’s biggest stage, when I look at France’s unpredictability at recent World Cups, I simply …