Archive for June 12th, 2009

Has the panic set in yet for all you Man U fans like me? No. This is good for Man U. Ronaldo wants out so get him outta here. One thing I have learned in all my years either playing, coaching, writing or broadcasting sports is this, if a player wants out don’t keep him around. He will become a cancer on the team and it will spread and begin to affect the others around him. Once that process happens it is all down hill from there.

I think that’s what happened to Manchester United in the Champions League Final.

Let us look at the facts. Cristiano Ronaldo scored fifty goals two seasons ago. Last year he scored only 18 goals. What gives here? Sure, the cat was hurt but instinct tells me something else was up.  He wanted out.

Good-bye. Good luck and may Gods speed be with you.

What is that old saying the grass is always greener on the other side until you get there. Ronaldo may have just stepped into a hellhole. Time will tell.

 Brasil is off to defend the Confederation Cup. The Brasil National team arrived in South Africa today.

Even after kicking major butt in world cup qualifying this past week, Dunga is still in lots of hot water. The Brasilian Press and the fans want him fired. Brasileiros never accepted Dunga as their head man when he was hired in 2006. He has done a very good job.

He has taken a team of fading stars and fat stars who thought just by showing up they were going win and got rid of them.  He turned the team into a bunch lean younger players who want to win.

Gone are Ronaldo, Ronaldinho Gaucho, and Adriano and he replaced them Robinho, Kaka, Daniel Alves, The Duck Pato, and the minister of defense keeper Julio Cesar who have a burning desire to prove to the world they are the best team on the planet.

Brasil’s first match is against Egypt on Monday June 15^th.

The USA opens with Italy on the same day.

Argentina is now in a state of mourning after the 2-0 whitewash at the hands of Ecuador on Wednesday night. www.uol.com.br puts it this way:    Com Maradona como comandante, a seleção argentina não está tendo vida fácil para conquistar sua classificação para a Copa do Mundo de 2010, na África do Sul. Nesta quarta-feira, enquanto o líder Brasil virou contra o Paraguai, por 2 a 1, os vizinhos sofreram mais uma derrota. A Argentina caiu diante do Equador por 2 a 0 e é apenas quarta colocada na classificação.

The article further states: Segundo o Olé, os problemas da Argentina não se encerraram com a saída de campo. Maradona e seus comandados tiveram dificuldades em pegar o voo de volta ao país. O avião que seria utilizado para levar o time teve problemas de potência em uma de suas turbinas e teve de passar por uma longa revisão até a liberação para decolar.

Maradona has a lot of problems with his selection of the team. Argentina is up in arms against Maradona. He is not living up to the teams potential.  He needs to lighten up and make some changes.

Yet. Maradona isn’t worried. He seems to very upbeat after this 2-0 loss to Ecuador on Wednesday.

The Argentina Press has this to say about the 2-0 loss to Ecuador: La delegación argentina ya está viajando hacia Buenos Aires. El arribo está previsto para poco después de la medianoche. La Selección regresa tras perder el miércoles 2-0 ante Ecuador y sufrir problemas con el avión que en principio debía trasladarla al país.

 La delegación argentina que concurrió para el partido por la Eliminatoria Sudamericana ante Ecuador, finalmente partió desde el aeropuerto de Quito pasadas las 18.30 de nuestro país en un vuelo charter. El arribo a Ezeiza está previsto para poco después de la medianoche.

The Argentina Press is treating Maradona with kid gloves. He is a national hero. Is he a good coach? NO? And this is a resounding no.

I like Maradona. There is something likable about him. He is a man after my own heart.

Buenos Aires paper has this to say;  L a resaca del encuentro deja un Ecuador heroico y señala a Maradona y Messi como los principales culpables. En Ecuador el ambiente es de euforia. El Comercio titulaba ‘La Tri enciende la alegría’, El Expreso ‘El Tri entra en la pelea’, La Hora ‘Golazos de esperanza’ y El Universo señala, en su crónica titulada ‘Tricolor 2, Maradona 0′, “ni Messi, considerado mejor futbolista del planeta, ni la prepotencia del astro Maradona en el banquillo, fueron obstáculo para que el fútbol ecuatoriano viva ayer otra tarde gloriosa”.En Argentina las primeras son pesimistas, como la de Clarín que habla de ‘Una derrota y cada vez más dudas’. La Nación es más incisiva en su análisis: “Maradona demoró los cambios. Cuando ingresaron Bergessio y Verón el equipo estaba en franca declinación y los refrescos se contagiaron de la imprecisión y el abatimiento general”. Y Olé advierte: “Diego avisó que hasta él se tirará para empujar la pelota. En la intimidad, se percibe, hay más preocupación que demagogia. El pase al Mundial está difícil y ahora viene la serie de Brasil y Paraguay”. Por último, Torneos y Competencias, cadena televisiva que tiene los derechos de la albiceleste, acusa a Messi “de falta de liderazgo” y revela que en el lanzamiento del penalti La Pulga pidió a Tévez lanzarlo, pero El Apache se negó y Messi acató la decisión sin rechistar.

Let the chips fall where they may. This little voice inside of me says that Maradona  will right the ship.

Check out these sites

www.palau.org

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