Footballing World | South America

England Fight On - International Review

By Mike Martin ⋅ November 19, 2007 ⋅ Post a comment

GROUP A
Two goals from prolific forward Ebi Smolarek gave Poland a 2-0 win and the three points they needed to seal qualification. Despite having finished third in the World Cups of 1974 and 1982 and qualifying also in 1978, 1986, 2002 and 2006 it is the first time Poland have ever made the European […]

International Preview

By Mike Martin ⋅ November 15, 2007 ⋅ One comment

GROUP A: Finland v Azerbaijan, Poland v Belgium, Portugal v Armenia, Serbia v Kazakhstan
Poland will qualify if they beat an improving but inexperienced Belgium in Chorzów, while Portugal will be confident of a home win over lowly Armenia. The pressure is all on Serbia and Finland, who both know that failure to win will […]

River Plate 2-0 Boca Juniors

By Sam Dobniewski ⋅ October 9, 2007 ⋅ 4 comments

Match: River Plate 2v0 Boca Juniors
Date: Sunday 7th October 2007
Stadium: El Monumental (River), Buenos Aires
Competition: League
Attendence: 60,000
Often described worldwide as the most passionate football rivalry on the planet – meetings between Argentina’s super-clubs never fails to cook up an explosive ninety-minutes of hot-blooded action.
It’s an occasion that brings the whole of Argentina to a standstill […]

U.S.A. 0 Brazil 4

By Mike Martin ⋅ September 27, 2007 ⋅ Post a comment

Brazil cruised into Sunday’s Women’s World Cup with an emphatic 4-0 win over favourites USA but the match was marred by an abysmal refereeing mistake at the end of the first half.
All the attention at kick-off was on USA coach Greg Ryan’s decision to drop goalkeeper Hope Solo and her replacement Briana Scully had a […]

Brazil’s Soul Search

By Mike Martin ⋅ September 24, 2007 ⋅ One comment

Normally an article on a young player from South America begins thus: “You may not have heard of him, but Ernesto Weistomonho…”.
I won’t bother this time, because a combination of YouTube, various newspaper columnists and Eurosport’s blanket coverage of World Youth Championships means that, among the footballing fraternity, Kerlon Moura Souza is now a household […]

Boca Fancy Some Románce

By Sam Dobniewski ⋅ August 27, 2007 ⋅ One comment

Argentine superstar Juan Román Riquelme admits he is so desperate to re-join Boca Juniors that he’s offered to play a whole season without wages.
The 29-year-old, who has recently been linked with moves to Atlético Madrid and Tottenham Hotspur was the catalyst as Boca won the Copa Libertadores last season.
The former Barcelona player was sent on loan to his boyhood club […]

Argentine football: The Good, The Bad and The Ugly

By Sam Dobniewski ⋅ August 19, 2007 ⋅ Post a comment

Sam Dobniewski explores the unique and always controversial world of football in Argentina, with the fun and fireworks mixed with riots and violence.
It is a tough world for clubs in South America. A lack of finance and facilities are just two of the reasons football on the continent fails to progress onto new and more […]

Foreign ventures paying tropical dividends

By Matthew Day ⋅ August 13, 2007 ⋅ 5 comments

The failure of South Americans to adjust to the climate – weather – and culture – the Premier League – has frequently put managers off purchasing players who have great talent but little stomach for a life in England. Yet the increased expenditure has somewhat reversed this belief and vindication was delivered in the opening […]

Search

South America