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death2smurfs

Listed below are comments made by death2smurfs between Thursday, 25th June 2009 and Saturday, 24th October 2009.

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Lessons to learn for Colombia & Ecuador 00:51am on 24 Oct 2009 66, Tim's statement about the red card being an advantage to Ghana was easy to understand. Quite simply down to ten men, Ghana had nothing to loose in opening up their play as the expectation from many would be that loosing numerical parity would open the door to defeat. Ghana under these circumstances could just go for it.

Also, I'd just like to say that this Englishman doesn't think Rooney is the best player in the world or perhaps even in England. He is a talent without a question, but I wonder about his development and hitting a glass ceiling but that's a debate for another day.
Grafite poses threat to Man Utd 11:39am on 29 Sep 2009 Tim,

I enjoyed this weeks article as I do most weeks but I have to say my favourite line on the page is your comment "...but he had 2 great passions in life - ball games, and signs saying 'No Ball Games.'"

Just hilarious. Growing up my dad would often say to myself and my brother that we should go out and play, when we did and the football would eventually end up in a flower bed, or a stray kick would send the ball in the direction of either a window or too near his car he would react like we'd offended the Queen!

I really liked your passing comment of the role model effect, wanting to emulate the previous generation. It's a rather nice sentiment and I think in general we all want to do that to some degree. I wonder if this is perhaps more common in sport as it's something that can inspire the imagination even if you don't fully understand.

I can remember watching Steve McManaman's Liverpool debut in the early 90s, I knew next to nothing about football at the time but after the game I wanted to be Steve McManaman but on the left wing (being left footed). Then as my knowledge of football rapidly expanded I later wanted to be Romario although I wanted to play a bit deeper and emulate a player with a left foot and that person was the current Milan coach and the far too handsome Leonardo. And you know something? At the age of 25 I still want to emulate Leonardo. However, my footballing skills never took off, my football brain works but the feet don't!
Maradona learning the hard way 12:19pm on 12 Sep 2009 sorry, meant to say 'plenty of teams big and small WILL succum to it' not with succum to it.
Maradona learning the hard way 12:17pm on 12 Sep 2009 Re. edson146, the article was not set out to be an analysis of the Argentina vs Brazil game - it was clearly set out to discuss some of the issues that Argentina (and Maradona) is facing at the present time, of course highlighted by the loss to Brazil but thats not the be all and end all of it.

As is written above before Maradona came in Argentina had won once in seven games. That's not his fault, being in charge now won't let him replay those games - whether he would have done any better is another matter entirely but the point stands. It is "Diego Maradona's Argentina" - the criticism (and the praise) will be magnified accordingly, due to the mans standing within the game. In some respects like Alan Shearer last year with Newcastle, he's damned if he does, damned if he doesn't. Maradona is undeniably learning as he goes and I thought Tim was even handed in his anaylsis.

When Tim got talking about Brazil, it was talking from an opponents point of view of how to better them. Brazil have recently struggled against deep lying playmakers, and his assessment about the chinks in their armour (also one of the their great strenths) are correct - but as Tim admitted it failed because 1, Argentina didn't have the centre forward to profit. 2, Maradona's half time changes played to Brazil's strengths. 3, Argentine deficiencies in defence. 4, Argentina were rubbish in the second half.

I don't think the article suggested for one moment Brazil won through luck, more Argentina fell into a fight that they could not win. Giving Kaka space is playing russian roulette with yourself and opening up to Brazil's devastating counter attack is footballing suicide - but plenty of teams big and small with succum to it. If Argentina had won that second half it would have been they who were lucky, not Brazil.
Gomes sets sights on World Cup 1:03pm on 13 Jul 2009 I think over the years there have been several excellent south american goal keepers, and Brazil is quite capable of producing them too - indeed I would go as far to say its only a myth that Brazil only produce out field players.

Jose Luis Chilavert, former Paraguay 'keeper was a South American favourite of mine.

In the last few years Brazil have had Marcos, Dida and Julio Cesar. Dida's form may have slipped more recently but he was a good keeper. Tafferel was an excellent Brazilian goal keeper in the 90s (at least I remember him to have been so).

I don't think its fair to mock Brazilian / South American keepers when Scott Carson played for England and for many years before he matured David James was often refered to Calamity James by fans and the press.
Gomes sets sights on World Cup 10:42am on 13 Jul 2009 After seeing Ronaldo's hatrick last week (one with his left, two with his right wasn't it?) it's clear that the finesse of how he strikes the ball is still there. It's a delight to watch. The only way I can see him being recalled is if he loses about a stone in weight.

I was wondering whether the top Brazilian stars face a different kind of pressure to their Argentinian counterparts? Tim, you were kind enough to comment on my thoughts a couple weeks ago of Ronaldinho being mentally shot after the pressures of 2006 and I thought further on this last week.

I may not be looking at this objectively but maybe because of their social backgrounds, Ronaldo at the world cup final in 1998 and Ronaldinho in 2006, both came under what I would describe as intense claustrophobic pressure. I don't think this pressure is common across all top Brazilian stars, I saw the media frenzy when Kaka attended Robinho's wedding at the weekend and I don't think the pressure he faces is the same as what Ronaldo faced in the 98 final or Ronaldinho in 2006. Perhaps it could change at next years world cup, but maybe because he comes from a different social background then things are different for him and what he represents.

I don't know if the pressure I described above is afflicted on the 'chosen' Argentine players, perhaps Messi's cause is helped because he moved to Spain when he was 12 or maybe the pressure on Argintine superstars is different again?
Trouble blights Huracan's renaissance 10:46am on 29 Jun 2009 How do other areas of South America compare to Argentina in regards to the trouble mentioned in your blog? Is it something that can take a lead from some of the leagues in Europe to find a solution or is the answer found in South America.

You mention business and culture and I think it's an interesting one, especially when you not only having fighting between fans of rival clubs but also within the clubs themselves.

What sort of reaction / coverage does it get from both the media and the national football associations and indeed CONMEBOL?

Although European leagues are not perfect, you would expect Platini to be shouting bloody murder if what you described was happening in the high profile leagues belonging to UEFA.
Brazil - youth, power, and a distaste for the passing game 00:23am on 28 Jun 2009 145 - I have no idea if emerson is still at milan... he was 12 months ago, I think! I used to think emerson was brilliant a few years ago. I'd be lying if I said I watched greek football but what i hear of gilberto progress over there he's doing well for himself.

Right thats me done, I'll be back for the new blog on monday, which I hope will follow a good brazilian performance.
Brazil - youth, power, and a distaste for the passing game 00:59am on 27 Jun 2009 142 - Its late and I'm a little tired but did you suggest that galoucura was european? I'm sure he's from Brazil very pro Brazil at that....

And galoucura, your right gilberto's time at arsenal is long gone - like his legs had at the end of his time in london, but a new chapter of football in greece has worked out well for everyone involved.
Brazil - youth, power, and a distaste for the passing game 00:26am on 25 Jun 2009 Galoucura, you last post is well reasoned & I would tend to agree. Personally I think some of your posts are a bit off the mark but not in this instance.

I'm not sure comparing the England 11 which played Andorra with the current Brazil 11 was necessarily fair. That England 11 wasn't a first choice team by any means, it would have been better to look at the 3 or 4 previous games for a better comparison but as the USA emphasised against Spain no result is a given. However likely or unlikely England could beat Brazil by 4 or Brazil could win by 6.

Gilberto Silva is not the player that he was but I don't know who else you play there. However I was quite impressed with Gilberto in the group game against the USA, to be truthful I was not expecting much after the midfield performance against Egypt but I was shown to be wrong.

Now Lucio! There's a defender I really like. Never convinced that he's appreciated for how good he really is in the UK, but I'm a fan.

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