Archive for June 3rd, 2009

Nothing much happening until Saturday June 6^th when World Cup qualifying begins so I guess we will twiddle our thumbs. Not!

The Argentina and American press are having a field day with Maradona’s selection of the World Cup team. The press is ripping him a new one. Justified? No, not really. Sure, Argentina had their butts handed to them on a paper platter by Bolivia 6-1 in their last outing.

Let’s look at the facts. Bolivia is almost twelve thousand feet above sea level. Have you ever played in that altitude?   I have. I lived and played sports in Albuquerque and Santa Fe, New Mexico five thousand and seven thousand feet above sea level respectively. I also competed in Los Alamos, which is nine thousand feet above sea level.

I can share with this it is very hard to get your breath when you are trying to run at full force. 

You can’t breath.

Look, I don’t know if Maradona is a good coach but he was given the reigns to run the team.

Players will always bitch and complain. That’s the nature of the beast. Riquelme needs to grow up. If you can’t take the heat then quit.

It’s easy to sit in the press box and coach a team. Try coaching one sometime. I have it is very difficult to blend all kinds of personalities into playing as a cohesive unit.

Trust me on this one.

Argentina has some of the best players in the world. Messi, Tevez, and Sergio Aguero.

Argentina takes on Columbia on Saturday June 6^th.

My guess Argentina will win hands down.

If you want to talk about heat Dunga, the Brasilian headman is in pressure cooker. Brasil looks like world-beaters one minute and in the next minute, they can’t even beat the little sisters of the poor. This man is constantly under a rectal exam 24-7.

Dunga decided to leave off the World Cup qualifying and Confederations Cup Team two of the most popular players in Brasil Ronaldo and Ronaldinho. The Brasilian press started squealing like pigs about Ronaldo and Ronaldinho being let off the squads but lets look at the record. Ronaldo is coming off a near career ending knee injury. He missed almost two years of competition. Ronaldo is not match ready to perform at a high level.

Ronaldinho head’s not in the game. He was reduced to a part time player and he had a hard time dealing with that. The one thing you don’t need is a head case when your are trying to secure a berth in the World Cup and win the Confederations Cup.

www.uol.com.brwrote this about the teams selection and upcoming matches: Dunga tem um novo obstáculo em seu trabalho à frente da seleção brasileira: o mercado europeu. Um dia após a apresentação dos 23 convocados, a possível venda de Kaká se tornou o tema principal ao redor da equipe e deixou o treinador em alerta. Para não ver o meia e outros jogadores desconcentrados, o comandante gaúcho já conversou com alguns atletas sobre o tema. 

A loose translation goes like this: Dunga has some new obstacles to face about his team’s selection.

 The story further states: “O período na seleção é muito curto, temos que aproveitá-lo. Estamos disputando uma vaga na Copa do Mundo, temos dois jogos importantes e os jogadores não vão definir o futuro em dez dias. Além disso, não causa preocupação pensar se vai jogar no Real Madrid, na Inter, no Barcelona ou no Milan. É uma satisfação”, opinou Dunga.

Dunga said that his time with the team is very short. Yes, there is a dispute about the teams selection but the next two games are very important for the teams future.

Brasil has huge encounter with Uruguay on Saturday June 6^th in Montevideo. Uruguay is currently in fifth spot with 17 points.

Brasil historically has a hard time playing in Montevideo.

Lets hope for the best.

We’ll talk more ion Thursday.

Check these sites out. They are great.

www.palau.org

http://www2.hillsong.com/tv/home.asp