Scolari’s Redemption

Ball Harambee By Bagga Wilks

One swallow does not make a summer. Brazil’s 3-0 victory over France in a friendly played at home breaks the cycle of poor performances since Scolari replaced Mano Menezes as the coach of the Brazilian national team. The victory against France gives Scolari a temporary reprieve but the real test of the Brazilian national squad’s capabilities will come at the Confederation Cup that begins June 15 and runs until June 30.

Brazil is the host country for the World Cup in 2014 and the national aspiration is to return Brazilian football to its glory days by winning its sixth lien on the World Cup.

Brazil last won the World Cup in 2002. That team with Ronaldinho, Ronaldo, Rivaldo, Cafu and Roberto Carlos trounced the rest of the world. Since 2002, the Brazilian national team has stumbled and in the present FIFA ranking is at the country’s lowest, placed at 22.

In 2006, France with the aging Zidane, Henry and Patrick Veira knocked out Brazil in the semi-final and in 2010 in South Africa, Holland eliminated Brazil in the quarter finals. Brazil’s football has been struggling to rebound. Mano Menezes replaced Dunga after the 2010 World Cup but under his managerial watch, Brazil was unimpressive against the top tier teams in the world. Scolari, who was the coach in 2002, has been brought back to capture old glory. His beginning was quite shaky. Brazil lost to England at Wembley; drew with Italy and Russia; beat Bolivia and drew with Chile. Things were looking quite chilly for the Scolari epoch.

The victory against a lackluster French team provides the Brazilian national team with some confidence. Previous matches, the defense seemed porous. Against France, they were able to shut the door for 90 minutes. Particularly in the second half, Scolari’s youthful squad played with greater fluidity and deserved the 3-0 victory.

Neymar is still struggling to recapture his magic but Oscar, Paulinho, Lucas Moura and Luiz Gustavo are emerging as the new nucleus. Brazil’s fans are contentious of mediocrity. Brazil will hear the boos unless they can show they are in the same class as the previous great World Cup teams. Brazil has emerged in a multi-polar world and is recognized as a great power at the same time when their recognition as a great soccer power has declined. The Confederation Cup will give us some sense if the new generation of stars can return Brazilian soccer to recapture the Samba magic.

Scolari Hears the Boos

Ball Harambee By Bagga Wilks



The Brazilian Football Federation has changed horses in mid-stream. They have fired Mano Menezes and replaced him with “Big Phil” Scolari. Since the second coming of Scolari, the Brazilian national team has not made much of a dramatic turn around. The Selecao possesses an abundance of talent but the molding of a great team has just not occurred. The Confederation Cup will be a test as to what this Scolari aggregation is capable of achieving.

At the end of the friendly with Chile that was drawn 2-2, the disappointed Brazilian fans, 50,000 strong, booed the poor performance of the team. As a result, Scolari in the Confederation Cup has opted to go with the young, the promising and the untested. In the Confederation aggregation, there is no Kaka, no Robinho, and no Ronaldinho. And even though Chelsea’s Ramires is in the bloom of his career, he was not included.

All signs pointed to Neymar being signed by Barcelona and making his departure from Brazil. Neymar, from whom much is expected in 2014, has been roughed up not by his opponents but by the fans at Santos and in Brazil in general. Scolari has been encouraging Neymar to play abroad and to develop his full potential. Santos recognizes that the timing is right and if they waited another year, Neymar would have been out of contract and they would have received no compensation for his departure.



World Cup teams need new stars to emerge and establish their credentials on the world stage. Bernard, Ronaldinho’s team-mate at Athletico Mineiro, is designated as a rising star. Often designated stars flop on the international stage like Ganso. But Neymar is no Atlas and cannot single-handedly carry Brazil to another notch in 2014.

Scolari is in the spotlight. Time is of the essence and if he “bombs” in the Confederation Cup, then the boos will not only be directed at the players but at the new manager. Scolari is a long way from covered with glory.

Scolari’s Tinkering: Kaka or Ronaldinho

Ball Harambee By Bagga Wilks

Time is running out for the Brazilian team to get their act together for the 2014 World Cup in Brazil. Brazil who was rated as the top team in the world in 2002 is now rated at number eighteen and falling. In recent warm-up games, the Selecao have lost to England (2-1), drawn with Italy (1-1) and drawn with Russia (2-2).

Scolari is not waiting on official friendlies and have started playing friendlies using their local based players. In a game against Bolivia, Brazil won handsomely 4-0 and against Chile drew 2-2.

Brazil has two pending international friendlies coming up against England and France. Brazil is the host of the Confederation Cup which serves as the forerunner for the World Cup. The Confederation Cup will be played in Brazil from June 15-30, 2013 and should be a test as to where the Scolari coached squad is in preparation for 2014 World Cup. In the Confederation Cup, Brazil will compete against Spain, Germany, Argentina, Japan and others.

There is no lack of talent inside or outside of Brazil. Brazil did not perform well in the 2006 World Cup when they were knocked out by France. Under Dunga’s tutelage, Brazil also was knocked out in the quarter final in South Africa when they lost to the Netherlands. From 2012 to 2013 Brazil has been struggling to be like Brazil. Under Mano Menezes the Selecao never found their stride and in a practice match against Germany were clobbered. The Brazilian Federation lost confidence in Mano and called back Scolari who had won the World Cup for Brazil in 2002. Scolari in 2014 will either be the hero or the goat.

In a recent interview with a Brazilian publication, Scolari indicated that he will go either with Kaka or Ronaldinho as his playmaker. Kaka was recalled for the friendlies against Italy and Russia. Ronaldinho was recalled for the English game and then again for the matches against Bolivia and Chile. Kaka has not managed to break into Real Madrid’s starting team and has not looked like the Kaka of old. Ronaldinho in the game at Wembley against England was taken off at half time but against Bolivia, the old maestro looked like the Ronaldinho of old. Scolari has stated that he has been impressed with Ronaldinho’s form at Atletico Minero. In the Bolivian game, Neymar and Ronaldinho combined beautifully and Neymar has expressed a preference for playing beside Ronaldinho.

Scolari will soon name his squad for the Confederation Cup and that will tell us which players are likely to represent Brazil in the 2014 World Cup. There is no shortage of talent. As central defenders, there are David Luiz, Thiago Silva, Dante and Dede. As full backs, there are Dani Alves, Rafael, Marcelo and Adriano. In mid-field, there is Paulinho, Hermanes, Ramires, Oscar and Ferdinand. As forwards, there is Hulk, Neymar, Kaka, Ronaldinho, Osvaldo, Damiao and Fred. Kaka or Ronaldinho is considered to play the role as playmaker, but Scolari should not overlook Coutinho who has shown at Liverpool that he is a mega star in the making.

Scolari must bring players who can forge the right chemistry. That togetherness will determine whether Scolari is the right man for the job or one who will suffer a similar fate like his predecessors, Dungo and Menezes. In the world of soccer, managers can determine whether teams achieve greatness or wallow in mediocrity. At this juncture in their football history, Brazil is in need of a Sir Alex Ferguson. If Scolari succeeds, he will be known not as “Big Phil” but as “Sir Felipe”.

What a Difference a Player Makes

Ball Harambee By Bagga Wilks

The Manchester Derby brought out the best in the English Premier League and the worst in soccer fanatics.  Manchester United came out on top and it took a momentous free kick from Van Persie to win the game in overtime.  Van Persie has made quite a difference at Manchester United and his goal-scoring will enable Manchester United to be champions of the Barclay’s E.P.L.

Manchester City fought back after being down 2-0 and it was their impact player, Yaya Toure, who brought them back. Zabaleta scored the goal that brought Manchester City level.  Interestingly, Manchester United scored when Yaya Toure had to leave the field because of an injury.

Manchester City’s manager, Mancini, thought that starting Mario Balotelli could have been his trump card in the critical game but he had to replace the volatile Balotelli with the mercurial Tevez shortly after half time.

Rooney showed the impact nature of his game by scoring the first two goals for Manchester United.  When Rooney is off, he can be dreadful but when he is in form, he plays the playmaker-striker position as superbly as any in the game.  He has matured as a player and is not that easily ruffled anymore on the pitch.

    Liverpool etched out a victory over West Ham on their home grounds.  Allerdyce’s tigers at West Ham had Liverpool, devoid of Luis Suarez, on the run.  West Ham played their pressure football and looked like winning the game.  Unfortunately for West Ham, their impact player in mid-field, Diame pulled a ham-string in the middle of the second half and with that vacuum in mid-field Brandan Rogers’ boys were able to get on top of West Ham.  It is an important win for Rogers and should give the young team confidence as they close out the first half of the season.  Their defensive mid-field player, Lucas, is back from his injury and should be an impact player going forward for the remainder of the fixtures providing he can avoid re-occurrence of his injury.

Arsenal managed a 2-0 victory over West Brom that started the season blazing but is now running at a lukewarm temperature. Wilshire seems to be coming back into his own and could turn around the fortunes of the declining Arsenal.  Arsenal lacks impact players and if Diaby can return and remain uninjured he could be the player who makes a difference.  We are a few weeks from the January transfer window and the scrooge-like Arsenal will have to start spending some money to lift its chances of being a serious competitor in the E.P.L.  The impact player that will be avidly sought is Falcao of Atletico, the Colombian, who has emerged as a coveted striker and at this juncture, one of the best in the world.  Neymar, the Brazilian, does not appear to have any desire to leave the comfort zone of his Brazilian club team, Santos, and to test the turbulent waters of playing in Europe.  If Neymar is to be considered one of the great players of the game, he will have to show his mettle in Europe, perhaps after the 2014 World Cup in Brazil.

Ball Harambee Dec. 19

Messi is the King of the Hill By Bagga Wilks

Some months ago Pele compared Neymar and Messi as two of the world’s top footballers. According to the Gospel of Pele, Neymar had the potential of being better than him. Neymar was a far more completed footballer than Messi as he kicked with both feet. Pele also encouraged Neymar to stay at Santos and play in the Brazilian league until after the World Cup in Brazil in 2014.

In recent years, aging Brazilian footballers like Ronaldo, Adriano, Elano, Ronaldinho, et al, having lost a few steps, have left European clubs to return to Brazil as a way of extending their careers.

Brazil is a rising world power. It is an integral part of what world economists call the BRIC emerging markets, Brazil, Russia, India and China. At the same time that Brazil has emerged as a world power, it is declining as a football powerhouse. The Brazilian national football team performed poorly in the 2010 World Cup in South Africa and in the 2006 World Cup in Germany. The game has changed but Brazil is still playing at the same old anachronistic tempo.

At the FIFA club championships in Tokyo, Japan, that was telecast on Fox Soccer at 5:30 a.m. Sunday morning, Barcelona of Spain completely dominated Santos of Brazil. What made the game of historical importance was that it brought together Messi of Barcelona on the same pitch as Neymer of Santos. The two great players were on the world stage. Also the Brazilian league would be tested whether it was in the same class as the elite teams or leagues in Europe. It was not much of a contest as Barcelona pawed with Santos and simply held the lion share of possession and seemingly scored at will.

Messi was surrounded by a great aggregation of players, Iniesta, Xavi, Fabregas, Alves, Thiago and Busquet. Messi time and time again destroyed Santos’ pervious defense. He clearly demonstrated that Neymar is still a “babe in the woods” and is not yet in the class of the great Argentinian.

The question for Neymar and his Brazilian advisors is is it possible for Neymar to morph into a great player by limiting himself to the mediocre competition that he faces playing in the Brazilian league? Neymar is 19 years old and there is no question about his talent. But achieving greatness in the world of soccer requires more than national ability. It means developing a mental toughness, adhering to a strict physical regiment, staying uninjured and with the introspection to work on one’s game. Messi is beyond those trials. He is truly one of the great players in the history of the game and his wizardry against Santos in Tokyo is a testimony to his elite stature. Neymar is still climbing the hill of greatness and must in coming years maneuver the steep slopes. He has miles and miles to climb before he is in the class of Messi. Lionel Messi is sitting on the top of the hill of world soccer and before his playing days are over,he may be rated above King Pele but he will need to win a few World Cups for his country Argentina.

Has Copa America lived up to its billing?

The presumption was that there would be another epic final between Brazil and Argentina but both teams have been left in the dust, both favorites being eliminated on penalty kicks. Other highly ranked Copa American team, Columbia and Chile have been knocked out leaving in their wake, Uruguay, Peru, Paraguay and Venezuela.

Argentina outplayed Uruguay but lost. Brazil dominated Paraguay but lost in penalty kicks. Chile had the better of Venezuela but Venezuela came through with an early goal and a late goal. That kind of result is understandable but FIFA needs to find a resolution to a game other than by penalty kicks.

After 90 minutes in regulation time, there are two 15 minutes half. Rather than resorting to penalty kicks, there should be 15 minute segments decided by sudden death. The penalty shoot-out is too much like a crap shoot and soccer deserves a classier ending to a hard fought contest.

Brazil Falters

By Bagga Wilks

Mano Menezes has been experimenting with the Brazilian squad since he succeeded Dunga as the coach of the Brazilian national team. In essence the experiment has come to a close as Menezes has settled on his squad of 22 that he has selected for Copa America. A squad is not a team and that was obvious from Brazil’s goal-less draw with Venezuela.

Menezes has adopted a 4-3-3 formation and on paper, the aggregation has the potential to be one of Brazil’s great national teams. Up front, there is Neymar, Robinho and Plato. In the mid-field, there is the highly touted Ganso, and there is Ramires and Lucas as the defensive mid-fielders. Brazil is quite solid in the back with Lucio and Thiago Silva as the central defenders and Dani Alves and Santos as the two full backs. And there is Julio Cesar in goal, one of the best between the sticks in the world.

In recent World Cups, Brazil has produced great teams. The 1970 team with Pele, Carlos Alberto, Gerson and Jairzinho was formidable. That team destroyed Italy in the 1970 World Cup Final.

Menenzes Precarious Perch

By Bagga Wilks

Brazil and the Netherlands in a friendly on Saturday, June 4, 2011 played to a scoreless draw. The Brazilian national team will play another friendly on Tuesday, June 7 against Romania. That will be the last the team will play before the squad is reduced to 22 and to make final preparations for Copa America which begins in early July. Copa America will be a big test for Mano Menezes. If Brazil does not do well that will be his final curtain as Coach of the National team.

Menezes started out splendidly. Under his stewardship, Brazil seemed to be on a role. The team played exceedingly well against the United States. Against France, they were dominant until their mid-field player who was representing the Brazilian team for the first time received a red card. The task of keeping eleven men on the field is a new and vexing problem for the Brazilian squad. In the quarter-final of the World Cup against the Netherlands, Felipe Melo was sent off. In the recent game against the Netherlands, Ramires was sent off ten minutes before the final whistle. Ramires seems to be having a problem staying on the pitch for 90 minutes. In the Champions League game against Manchester United, his persistent fouling also led to an early shower.

There is no room for error when one is selected to coach the Brazilian national team. Dunga had his run and transformed Brazil into a defensive Italian –like makeover. Scolari who has returned to coaching in Brazil was successful in 2002 but he had Ronaldinho and Ronaldo when they were both at the top of their game.

Off With Your Head!

Marked Brazilian striker Neymar decided to avoid the attention by putting on a mask after scoring a beautiful goal in the Copa Libertadores against Colo Colo. Here's the thing though, it's a mask of himself. Just a touch of narcissism that the referee was not a fan of and gave the 19 year old striker his second yellow card. We all know what that means. Take a trip to the showers.

It looks like the masks are a hit with the ladies...

Mano Menezes: The Changing of the Guard

By Bagga Wilks

The 2010 Brazilian coach, Dunga, has become a relic of the past. The new Brazilian coach, Mano Menezes, began with a nigh clean slate, keeping only a few of the Brazilian 2010 World Cup team in his new quest for glory.

After losing to Argentina and France in successive friendlies, Menezes appears to be seeking a blend of the old and the new. For the game against Scotland, he brought back a couple of Dunga’s stalwarts, Lucio and Maicon and resuscitated Elano who after life at Manchester City has found a home back at Santos, Brazil. Maicon sat on the bench as Danny Alves started over him and Luiz, Chelsea’s new sensation, gave way to Lucio who partnered with Thiaga Silva.

Brazil is preparing for Copa America that will be held in Argentina in July of this year and of course there is the World Cup that will be held in Brazil in 2014.
Both Ronaldinho and Robinho were left out of the squad and with the array of young talent coming through the ranks, it is unlikely that there will be any place in the starting eleven for what can be considered the old guard.