FOOTY FAIR

Throwback Thursdays: The 1996 Summer Olympic Games - When The Super Eagles Soared

2016-08-04T08:00:00.000-04:00

What do Jay-Jay Okocha, Kanu, Javier Zanetti, Hernan Crespo, Rivaldo and the original Ronaldo all have in common?

The answer is that they all took part in a terrific Olympic football tournament in the United States in 1996, that would see Nigeria walk away with the gold twenty years ago this week.

Football has a long, but somewhat strained, history in the Summer Olympic with early battles over whether or not professionals should be allowed to participate in the games and what in fact defined a footballer as a professional.

The timing of the Olympics also doesn't sit well with clubs in Europe in particular, as it clashes with either their preseason training or the early part of their schedules.

The importance that nations place on the Olympic football tournament also varies from country to country.

But in 1996 a talented group of youngsters from Nigeria, led by Dutch coach Jo Bonfrere, took their place in America as one of the 16 nations vying for a gold medal. They would show the world that football at an Olympic Games can be every bit as exciting as that which is played at other more prestigious tournaments.

Drawn in a opening group containing Hungary, Japan and a star studded Brazilian side, Nigeria saw off the Hungarians with a goal from Ajax star Kanu, and then crucially defeated a Japanese side who had stunned Brazil in their opener with goals from Tijani Babangida and Okocha.

Brazil, with a goal from Ronaldo, stopped Nigeria from obtaining maximum points when they defeated them 1-0 in Miami.

With Brazil, Nigeria and Japan all tied at six points at the end of the group stage, it was goal difference that saw Brazil and Nigeria advance to the Quarter-Finals at the expense of the Asian side.

A fine victory over Mexico, with goals by Okocha and future Chelsea defender Celestine Babayaro, eased the Super Eagles into a return engagement with Brazil in the Semi-Final.

Facing a Brazilian side that contained the likes of Bebeto, Juninho, Dida, Roberto Carlos and Rivaldo, to go along with "The Phenomenon" himself Ronaldo, the odds were definitely stacked against the West Africans.

When Flávio Conceição put Brazil up 1-0 with only a minute played, Nigeria's fans surely feared the worst. But with the Super Eagles playing their way back into it, they forced Roberto Carlos to slice the ball into his own net on 20 minutes to draw level.

Unbowed, Brazil's 1994 World Cup winning striker Bebeto fired the South Americans back in front on 28 minutes before Conceição doubled their advantage ten minutes later. Up 3-1 at half-time, Nigeria's dream of Olympic gold seemed to be over.

As the minutes ticked away in the second half, Brazil confidentially controlled the ball and seemed to be conserving themselves for an eventual final against their old rivals Argentina.

With just over ten minutes to play though, Monaco's Victor Ikpeba found the net from 20 metres to give his team a bit of life and then on 90 minutes the impossible happened. Kanu took advantage of a mad scramble in the box to force an equalizer and send the match into extra-time.

The 78,587 fans in Athens, Georgia had been treated to a wonderful spectacle and they were in for an incredible conclusion. Only three minutes into extra-time that man Kanu picked up the ball outside the box, dribbled around a hapless Brazil defender before dispatching the golden goal winner. It was truly one of the greatest football matches seen at an Olympic Games.

Standing in Nigeria's way in the final though was another glittering side in Argentina that contained players such as Claudio Lopez, Ariel Ortega, Roberto Ayala, Diego Simeone, Hernan Crespo and Jose Chamot in their squad.

Again, Nigeria would find themselves down early as Lopez found the net on three minutes to put the South Americans in front. Celestine Babayaro responded for the Super Eagles on 28 minutes and the sides went in at the half deadlocked at one apiece.

Hernan Crespo, who would later become the most expensive player in the world, fired Argentina ahead again from the spot on 50 minutes.

Taribo West, who would enjoy a fine career at clubs such as Auxerre, Inter and AC Milan, was devastated after allowing himself to get drawn into fouling Ortega in the box.

At that point even the most ardent Nigerian supporter could have been forgiven for thinking that their wonderful run was about to come to a disappointing conclusion.

But proving that their heroics against Brazil weren't a fluke, Nigeria kept going at their illustrious opponents and on 74 minutes Daniel Amokachi looped in an equalizer over the head of Argentine keeper Pablo Cavallero.

Deadlocked at 2-2, Argentina nearly found themselves ahead again soon after Amokachi's equalizer, when Lopez forced a fine save out of Joseph Dosu in the Nigerian goal.

Then with only a minute remaining Emmanuel Amunike beat an terribly botched offside trap by the South Americans to seal an unlikely win for the Super Eagles and an Olympic gold medal.

Throwback Thursdays: Brazil 1970 - The Greatest World Cup Side of Them All

2016-07-21T08:00:00.000-04:00

On 21 June 1970, the side who are often cited as the greatest team to ever grace a World Cup, Mario Zagallo's Brazil, defeated Italy 4-1 in Mexico City.

The flowing football played by the Brazilians in the final, was encapsulated by Carlos Alberto's wondrous team goal that rounded off the scoring.

With Tostão picking up the ball in his own half with five minutes to play, he casually rolled the ball back to Brito who then moved it on to Clodoaldo who rather brilliantly dribbled past four Italian players. Pele, Gérson and Clodoaldo then played played the ball around in an intricate triangle, toying with their opponents in an embarrassingly easy manner. Clodoaldo then sent the ball wide left to Rivelino who found Jairzinho streaking down the line. Brazil's leading scorer then clipped the ball to Pele who rolled a perfect pass out to Carlos Alberto, who lashed the ball home.

In the forty-six years since this final, it's hard to recall a better team goal. This was Joga Bonito at it's finest.

It was also a crowning achievement for Pele after he had vowed to never play in the World Cup again after being kicked off the pitch by Bulgarian and Portuguese defenders in 1966 and missing most of Brazil's 1962 campaign with injury.

Going back on that decision in 1969, he became the centerpiece for a rebuilt Brazilian side that featured legends such as Rivelino, Jairzinho, Gérson, Carlos Alberto Torres, Tostão and Clodoaldo.

It has been forgotten in the dusty pages of history though that it was not a dead certainty that they would lift the Jules Rimet Trophy for a third time that summer.

Brazil had changed managers before the finals, and many observers felt that there were simply too many artists and not enough workers in their squad. Zagallo, who had won the World Cup twice as a player (1958 and 1962), would go some way in proving any of the doubters wrong.

Paired with England, Romania and Czechoslovakia in the opening group stage, they kicked off their campaign with a thumping 4-1 win over the Czechs.

In perhaps their toughest match of the finals, they saw off the reigning champions from England 1-0 in their second opening group match to effectively secure their place in the Quarter-Finals. They would edge past Romania 3-2 to take the top spot in the group.

In the first knockout round, they would coast past Peru 4-2, with Tostão scoring a couple of terrific goals.

A 3-1 victory over Uruguay in the Semi-Finals saw Brazil through to the final, where they would brush aside a talented Italian squad.

In summarizing the Seleção's triumph, sports writer Jeff Powell commented: "Brazil '70 were a team of superstars dedicated not just to a cause but an ideal, a dream of what football should be."

A fitting tribute to a wonderful side.

Throwback Thursdays: Ronaldo and Brazil's Redemption in Japan

2016-06-30T08:00:00.000-04:00

Heading into the 1998 World Cup the most famous player on the planet was Brazil's seemingly unstoppable striker Ronaldo.

The star packed Brazilian side heading to France that year, with Ronaldo at the forefront, was widely expected to repeat their Cup winning exploits of USA 94 but to do it with a bit more style than they had four years previous.

Unfortunately, things did not go according to plan and that squad has become better known for a flashy advertisement they did for Nike in an airport and also for their against France in the 1998 World Cup Final. Ronaldo, football's brightest light, had suffered a reported seizure on the eve of the match and was completely ineffective against the hosts.

A determined Brazil, under manager Luiz Felipe Scolari, returned to football's biggest stage in 2002 hoping to go one further though and this time they would not be denied. Although the side under 'Big Phil' was a bit more pragmatic than the "Joga Bonito" side of 1998, any squad featuring the scintillating talents of Ronaldo, Rivaldo and newcomer Ronaldinho was never going to be dull.

After winning all three of their group matches rather handily, Brazil saw off Belgium 2-0 in the Round of 16 before edging out England 2-1 in the Quarter-Final and a surprising Turkey side 1-0 in the Semi-Final.

On 30 June 2002 at the International Stadium in Yokohama, Japan, Brazil took on Germany with another chance to capture a record fifth World Cup crown.

Although he was not perhaps the force he had been four years previous, thanks to a series of injuries in the intervening years, Ronaldo had still lit up the tournament in Japan/South Korea with six goals and he wasn't finished.

A mistake by German keeper Oliver Kahn in the 67th-minute let Ronaldo in for the opening goal of the final, and doubled his sides advantage on 79 minutes after beating the Bayern number one from the top of the box.

That was all the scoring Brazil needed as they saw out the match and went on to the lift the World Cup trophy once again.

1987 - The Last Time Brazil Were Eliminated at the Group Stages of Copa América

2016-06-13T12:00:00.000-04:00

It is not one bit surprising that it would take a hand-ball kind of goal for Peru to eliminate Brazil from the 2016 Copa América Centenario tournament; after all, the record five-time World Cup champions have won the South American tournament on eight occasions, while claiming a top 4 spot 29 times.

As the final whistle sounded in Brazil's 1-0 loss to their group B opponents Peru, Raúl Ruidíaz's hand-assisted tally for the Peruvian side marked the first time Brazil would not compete past the group stages at the Copa América in 29 years.

In each of the past 11 tournaments which make up the 29-year gap, the Canarinho qualified out of the group stages, on many occasions with ease, and have won the South American football title five times. So what was it like exactly the last time they couldn't get past the first round?

Four years after Brazil lost out in the final match at the 1983 Copa América to rivals Uruguay, a tournament which back then was played on a home and away basis with no host nation, the runner-ups were travelling to Argentina in 1987 for a Copa América tournament that once again after 20 years had a single host. Having historically never won the competition while it is hosted within Argentine borders the odds were stacked against Brazil, with the host nation having just won the 1986 World Cup title, while Brazil was experiencing a bit of a lull in their footballing world dominance.

In a tournament without invitee nations and Uruguay being handed an automatic spot in the semi-finals, the remaining 9 CONMEBOL nations were divided into three groups of three teams where only the top team progresses to the next round (the semi-finals); Brazil were drawn with Venezuela and Chile in Group B.

With manager Carlos Alberto Silva's young squad selection for the tournament which only included two players over the age of 30, Brazil's 5-0 win over Venezuela was a promising start to the tournament, and with Chile's much less impressive 3-1 victory over the same opponents even a draw in their second match of the tournament would hand the Brazilians a spot in the semi-finals.

But unlike Peru in last night's match, the Chileans would humiliate Brazil, much to the delight of the local Argentine's. At the Estadio Olímpico Chateau Carrera (now the Estadio Mario Alberto Kempes) in front of 15,000 spectators, Chile would go 1-0 up in the first half and would never look back. With the one goal lead staying true at the end of the first 45, Brazil's chances were shattered completely after the restart when Chile found the net again in the 48th, 68th and once more in the 75th minute to send Brazil crashing out of the tournament. Scoring a brace each, Chilean strikers Ivo Basay and Juan Carlos Letelier wouldn't score in the tournament again even though their side managed a 2-1 win in the semi-finals, eventually being shut-out by champions Uruguay in the final match.

For Brazil, this tournament would mark the last time they were eliminated at the group stages of the Copa América; that of course until last night's match, a controversial 1-0 victory for opponents Peru that sees the five-time World Champions heading to the airport along with Group B fellow eliminated squad Haiti.

Football's Joy of Five (Quiz)

2016-05-03T08:00:00.000-04:00

With Juventus rather incredibly winning their fifth straight Serie A title this season, they joined a select group of club's that have topped their respective league tables at the end of a season on at least five straight occasions.

Those clubs, along with a few famous footballing nations and several free-scoring players, are the focus of today's Joy of Five quiz:

myiq

5 Brilliant Quotes From Eduardo Galeano

2016-04-24T08:00:00.000-04:00

Uruguayan journalist, activist and author Eduardo Galeano passed away last year at age 74, is known through much of the world for his seminal book on the turbulent history of Latin America entitled Open Veins of Latin America: Five Centuries of the Pillage of a Continent, which details the effects of European and American exploitation across the Latin world.

Besides his staunch leftist politics and subsequent problems with Uruguay's then-military government, Galeano had a deep love for the beautiful game and was later referred to by his contemporaries as "global soccer's pre-eminent man of letters".

In 1995 he released the brilliant El fútbol a sol y sombra, or Soccer in Sun and Shadow, a cultural history of football which balanced his love of football with his difficulties in reconciling the ugly sides of it. Which is something that many of us struggle with, particularly when considering the corrupt state of FIFA and the scandalous conditions that the migrant workers are enduring while building the stadiums for Qatar 2022.

The following are five of Galeano's more poignant and also joyful quotes on football:

5. Nobody saw a wild wolf on the field. Disguised as an old woman, his fangs and claws hidden, he strolled along, making a show of showering innocent passes and other works of charity. Meanwhile he slipped unnoticed into the box. The net was bridal veil of an irresistible girl. In front of the open goal he licked his chops. And in one fell swoop he stood naked, then bit.
— Galeano describing the famous German international Gerd Müller.

4. Violence is not in the genes of these people who love to celebrate and are wild about the joys of music and football. Colombians suffer from violence like a disease, but they don’t wear it like a birthmark on their foreheads. The machinery of power, on the other hand, is indeed a cause of violence: as in all of Latin America, injustice and humiliation poison people’s souls.
— Galeano on the 1994 murder of Colombian defender Andrés Escobar.

3. Thirty-two teams travelled to Japan and Korea to wage the seventeenth World Cup Championship in the shiny new stadiums of twenty cities. Pakistani children sewed the high-tech ball for Adidas that started rolling on opening night in the stadium at Seoul: a rubber chamber, surrounded by a cloth net covered with foam, all inside a skin of white polymer decorated with the symbol of fire. A ball to lure fortunes from grass.”
— Galeano on the 2002 World Cup.

2. Arthur Friedenreich, son of a German immigrant and a black washerwoman, played in the first division for twenty-six years and never earned a cent. No one scored more goals than he in the history of football, not even that other great Brazilian artilleryman, Pelé, who remains professional football’s leading scorer. Freidenreich accumulated 1,329, Pelé 1,279. The green-eyed mulatto founded the Brazilian style of play. He, or the devil who got into him through the sole of his foot, broke all the rules in the English manuals: Friedenreich brought to the solemn stadium of the whites the irreverence of brown boys who entertained themselves fighting over a rag ball in the slums. Thus was born a style open to fantasy, one which prefers pleasure to results. From Friedenreich onward, there have been no right angles in Brazilian football, just as there are none in the mountains of Rio de Janeiro or the buildings of Oscar Niemeyer.
— Galeano on Arthur Friedenreich and Brazilian football.

1. Years have gone by and I’ve finally learned to accept myself for who I am: a beggar for good football. I go about the world, hand outstretched, and in the stadiums I plead: ‘A pretty move, for the love of God.’ And when good football happens, I give thanks for the miracle and I don’t give a damn which team or country performs it.
—Galeano on his love for good football.

Cheating and Corruption in Football - Part 5 of 5: The Goalkeeper Who Cut His Own Head Open

2016-04-12T08:00:00.000-04:00

Although it happened over a quarter of a century ago and the fallout ended up effecting the perpetrator Roberto Rojas' Chile side more than their own team, there are still a lot of Brazilian fans that shudder when they reflect on a fateful World Cup qualifier between the two countries in 1989.

Before describing one of the most nefarious acts of cheating ever witnessed in a top level match, it's best to provide a bit of background on the stakes involved before kickoff at the Maracana twenty seven years ago.

Brazil, the five time World Champions, are the only nation to have participated in every World Cup. In 1989 though, they had to avoid defeat to Chile at home in their final qualifier to ensure their place in Italia '90 the following summer.

With a squad blessed with legendary players such as Romario, Bebeto, Branco, Dunga and Careca it was an unusual situation to be in, particularly when considering that much of that squad would go on to lift the World Cup five years later.

With just over 20 minutes to go in their tension packed tilt with Chile though, Brazil looked to be heading to Italy following a goal from Careca in the 49th minute.

But then disaster struck. A flare was thrown over Chilean goalkeeper Roberto Rojas' head and the keeper tumbled to the ground clutching his face.

His furious teammates waved the referee over to the scene of the crime and pointed out the blood pouring out of his head, soaking his jersey.

The referee abandoned the match immediately and Brazil's players were left trembling with the thought that they were going to be thrown out of the World Cup; a tournament that they see as their birth right.

The Chilean media immediately claimed that they had witnessed the flare striking Rojas and had obviously caused his injury, and in the days before smartphones and digital cameras there was scant footage to refute their claims.

Fortunately for Brazil, one of their own countrymen serving as a pitch side photographer had captured four or five clear images of the flare landing at least a meter away from Rojas and the goalkeeper's subsequent play acting.

It turned out that the Chile stopper, who coincidentally played his club football for Sao Paulo, had concealed a razor blade in his glove and purposely cut himself in planned move to force the referee to abandon the match if the score was in Brazil's favour.

The photos of the incident were turned over to FIFA and Brazil was awarded a 2-0 victory which sent them off to the 1990 World Cup.

Chile was subsequently banned from World Cup qualifying in 1994 and Rojas was given a lifetime ban from competitive football, along with his manager Orlando Aravena and the team doctor Daniel Rodriguez.

Missed Connections: Sides That Surprisingly Haven't Played Each Other More Often

2016-04-06T09:23:00.000-04:00

Some club and international sides just seem to be made to play one another as they dominate competitions such as the UEFA Champions League, the FIFA World Cup or other "inter-nations" title. Nonetheless, as unlikely as it may seem, this list is about sides that you would swear have played one another a lot more often than they actually have.

Liverpool v Manchester United (European Competition)

Until their recent Europa League meeting, Liverpool and Manchester United have never met in Europe before. The two English football rivals have made it to the same UEFA competitions on numerous ocassions, but 2016 would mark their first ever showdown, with Liverpool knocking The Red Devils out of the tournament over a two-leg battle.

Brazil v Germany (World Cup)

With 9 FIFA World Cup titles between them and at least one of them qualifying to the semi-finals of the tournament in each of the World Cup editions since 1934 (2nd World Cup), it's hard to believe that the two have not played each other even once until 2002 when Brazil beat the Germans in that year's World Cup final match. Brazil did play an East German side in 1974, but West Germany is considered as modern Germany when football statistics are tallied.

Benfica v Real Madrid

Despite both clubs being extremely successful in their domestic leagues, Spanish side Real Madrid and Portuguese club Benfica haven't played a competitive match against one another since 1965. A bit hard to believe as it seems we see the two compete in the Champions League every single season. The last time the two met, Benfica knocked Real Madrid out of the 1964-65 European Cup competition with a 6-3 aggregate win in the quarter-finals.

England v Scotland

In 1870, the first international football match in history was one played between Scotland and England. The two rivals have played each other many times since, but in recent years the two have not been able to "lock horns" in any competitive match. Aside from a couple friendlies, England and Sctoland haven't played against each other in a competitive match since 1999; that's 17 years for those that lost track of time. That is all about to change however, as the two were drawn into the same group in the qualifying stages for the 2018 FIFA World Cup in Russia.

Barcelona v Bayern Munich v Real Madrid (Champions League Final)

Real Madrid's first European Cup title came in 1952, FC Bayern's in 1974 and Barcelona's first Champions League trophy in 1992. But despite the incredible 20 titles and 11 runner-up achievements between the three clubs, they have never faced each other in the final. A little hard to believe, considering they seem like the only 3 sides we ever watch in the latter stages of the competition (at least in the last decade or so).

If you have more impressive missed connections you'd like to tell us about, comment below!

Incredible Matches: France v Brazil (1986 FIFA World Cup Quarter Final)

2016-02-21T10:12:00.000-05:00

The 1986 FIFA World Cup in Mexico produced quite a few incredible moments and matches, one of which was the meeting between France and Brazil in the quarter-finals. Still regarded as two of the best teams to have never won the cup itself, the two put on a show of skill and speed like no other in that particular tournament.

Four years earlier France made it all the way to the semis, losing to West Germany and then Poland in the match for third place. Brazil on the other hand were eliminated in the second round by Italy despite having one of the most skilled teams ever. With the likes of Junior, Zico, Sócrates, and Falcão in the squad, Brazil was seen as the team to beat despite being 16 years removed from their last World Cup title. With the French having already eliminated defending champions Italy in the previous round, this was bound to be a great match.

For French captain Michel Platini this would be a very special match as he would both play a massive role in it and as it was contested on the day of his 31st birthday.

The Brazilians did not wait long as São Paulo striker Careca put the South Americans on top just seventeen minutes into the match. But the French proved to be able to match Brazil's speed and with high tempo and skillful play got back into the match after some incredible early displays from Brazil.

Birthday boy Platini made the difference as he would tap the ball in to tie the match at one goal a piece about 5 minutes before half-time. But it would not be the last time Platini would be involved in the match. After an incredible (but scoreless) display of football the rest of the way, the two would face off in the penalty shootout in order to determine who would go on to play in the semi-finals.

Brazil's confident midfielder Sócrates would step up for the first shot, but an incredible left handed save from French keeper Joël Bats set the tone right off the bat. The next six penalty shots found the back of the net and the score was tied at 3-3 with Brazil having shot once more than the French. Up came Michele Platini; having already celebrated the match-tying goal, a good spot-kick would put all the pressure on the Brazilians. Platini's attempt sailed high and wide as the captain tried to place the ball in the top corner to his left; after four shots a piece, the match was still tied.

Brailian fans at the Estadio Jalisco in Guadalajara did not have much time to celebrate Platini's miss however, as center-back Júlio César would put his shot right off Bats' rigth post. The pressure was all on France's Spanish born midfielder Luis Fernández and of course Brazil's keeper Carlos. Fernández did not attempt a fancy shot, but simply put the ball in the bottom left corner; with Carlos going the other way France were moving on in one of the most skillful matches in a World Cup tournament.

Extended highlights:

Just the penalties:

Watch the full match blow:

5 Brazilians Who Flopped in England

2016-01-30T12:00:00.000-05:00

Chelsea confounded some fans and pundits alike this week with their signing of Alexandre Pato on loan from Corinthians.

Although an it's an odd looking signing, if the Brazilian striker can recapture the form he displayed some years back for AC Milan, before injuries seemed to ruin what was once a promising career, he could prove to be a shrewd signing, but that's a big "if".

The fact is that there have been few Brazilians that have truly shone in England, for a variety of reasons, and for every Gilberto Silva there's an Andre Santos and an Afonso Alves.

The following are five of the biggest Brazilian flops that have played in the English top flight:

Mirandinha (Newcastle United 1987-89)

With an impressive scoring record in his home land, much was expected of Mirandinaha when he became the first Brazilian footballer to ply his trade in England upon signing for Newcastle United. Struggling to adapt to the hurly burly of English football in the late 1980's though, he managed only 19 goals in 54 matches before being sent packing.

Jo (Manchester City, 2008-11)

An early signing of Manchester City's recent emergence as a major player in the transfer market, Jo turned out to be a complete disaster for the Blues. After bagging 44 goals in 77 games for CSKA Moscow, much was expected of the Brazilian striker but very little was delivered. Joining the club in August 2008, by Feburary 2009 he had already been loaned out to Everton. Jo managed only one league goal in 21 appearances for City before being sent packing to Internacional of Brazil in 2011.

Roque Junior (Leeds United, 2003-04)

Joining Leeds United on loan from Milan in the Yorkshire club's ultimately doomed final season in the Premier League before relegation and ruin, Roque Junior came to the club as a recent World Cup and Champions League winner. He left after being a part of a desperate backline that conceded 25 goals in 7 matches, while also seeing red in one of his miserable appearances.

Kleberson (Manchester United, 2003-05)

Despite all of the success Sir Alex Ferguson brought to Manchester United and some of the brilliant signings he made, he also brought a few duds to Old Trafford as well. One of which was Brazilian World Cup winner Kleberson. With Ferguson claiming that signing Kleberson was part of the reason he sold Juan Sebastian Veron and Brazil manager Luiz Felipe Scolari stating that he was the driving force behind the country's victorious 2002 campaign, expectations were high for the player. But he failed to deliver, getting injured in his second match for the club and when he regained his fitness he never really fit in at United. Kleberson made 20 appearances across two seasons while scoring only two goals before being sold on.

Anderson (Manchester United, 2007-15)

Signed from Porto for an incredible £26m in the summer of 2007, Anderson never achieved his potential despite sporadic half decent performances for the club. A fondness for food, as evidenced by his ever expanding waistline, seemed to be the players undoing before his free transfer to Internacional in January 2015.

Football Fans Tell FootyFair Which Matches They Wish They Had Been At

2015-12-14T08:00:00.000-05:00

Imagine that you had immeasurable wealth and you could jump into a time machine, most likely a DeLorean because as Doc Brown once said "(this) car's stainless steel body improves the flux dispersal generated by the flux capacitor", and you could transport yourself to any football match in history.

What match would you turn up to?

Would you zip off to Montevideo to see the 1930 World Cup Final between Uruguay and Argentina, or would you turn up at Edgar Street in 1997 to witness the Third Division crunch match between Hereford United and Brighton & Hove Albion?

We asked a few football fans what matches they would have loved to have witnessed live and the following are their varied responses:

Parmar

Supports: Chelsea and Brazil (Or maybe Argentina?)

Matches:

Argentina v West Germany, Azteca, 1986 World Cup Final.

Why? Did you watch the match? Most of you here probably didn't watch it live, I did. Maradona was fucking double teamed all match and even triple teamed at some points in the match. He still found ways to send his strikers through on goal or his wingers down the flanks for runs. What he was able to do in that match might have been greater than his entire body of work in that tournament as a whole.

By the final the world had figured out Maradona was the greatest football player in that time and of that generation. Nothing the Germans did could stop the man.

I might as well throw in there another match I'd have love to have been at, the Champions League Final of 2012 at the Allianz. I'd be a fucking wreck all the way through but knowing what I know now LMFAO I'd want to be there so I could hold up a sign for a couple of people saying "I told you mother fuckers, anything can happen!"

Iain

Supports: Manchester United and England

Matches:
Germany v England, WC Qualifier, Munich, 2001. After years of disappointment and ineptitude, which saw Germany and most of the other big European sides surpass England, we finally looked to have a good generation of players coming through in the early 2000's. This night in Munich, which ended 5-1 to England was stupendous. Like watching decades of frustration stripped away. We humiliated the Germans on their home ground (apologies lads) and it was incredible. I watched this in the Peel Pub in Montreal and got absolutely shit faced that night.

I'd have rather have been in Germany though.

As a United supporter I would have of course liked to have been in Moscow in 2008 or in Barcelona in 1999 for the Champions League Finals, but I think my nerves would have been shot to bits. Rotterdam in 1991 for the Cup Winners' Cup Final would have been a wonderful night, but one United match in particular I'd have like to have been at was the Manchester Derby at Maine Road in 1993-1994. City led 2-0 at HT, then Cantona scores two after the break to equalize and sets up Keano for the winner. Fucking awesome. I taped Soccer Saturday the week they had extended highlights of that one and must have re-watched that match 20 times. That United side was so quick at transitioning from defending to attacking and had great width with a young Giggsy and Andrei Kanchelskis. They were pretty much the opposite of the current team.

Bramble

Supports: Manchester United and England

Matches:
If I had to pick one from modern history it'd have to be United's 7-1 demolishing of AS Roma. That match was probably the pinnacle of English football in the Champions league while it was the absolute lowest point for Italian football. Especially since the first leg was a really hard fought 1-1 draw. We came home and just destroyed them in every part of the field. Geez remembering that makes me feel sad after yesterday's freaking performance against AFC Bournemouth.

I'd also have to say I'd have liked to have been at the USA 94 match between Brasil vs Netherlands. There were five goals in that game and Brasil took a two nil lead, gave it up and then got it back. I watched it on TV but man that would have been amazing to go to live. On that note it shouldve been played in a different location as the fan atmosphere was nowhere near what it should've been, because it was in America and the newborn US Soccer fans didn't know how to get "Footy crazy" yet.

Luka

Supports: Hajduk Split and Croatia

Match:
If I could attend any match in history before my birth it would undoubtedly be Hajduk Split v Crvena Zvezda (aka Red Star Belgrade) fixture that took place on October 29, 1950. It was the second last match of the season and despite being undefeated with 8 wins and 8 ties, Hajduk needed to win the last two matches of the season against Crvena Zvezda and bottom dwellers Budućnost to ensure the league title. Now, there are several reasons why this is such an iconic match in Hajduk’s history.

1. This was before European competition, so for the club, the league title was the ultimate prize.

2. Hajduk had not yet won the league since it was reformed after WWII where the club fought hard to keep its identity and away from the control of the Communist Party (then Partizan army) which wanted to move the club to Belgrade and rename it Partizan.

3. Hajduk had a remarkable squad. The keeper, Vladimir Beara was one of the greatest of his generation with even Lev Yashin insisting that he was a greater keeper than himself. The left winger, Bernard Vukas is recognized as the greatest Croatian footballer of the 20th century by the Croatian FA and is a 2x Olympic Silver medalist (back when it meant something). Frane Matošić, Hajduk’s greatest goalscorer and greatest ever captain. Many attribute the fact that Hajduk is still a club to Matošić’s leadership and defiance in WWII. And Slavko Luštica, who like the others would go on to win a silver medal for Yugoslavia at the 1952 Olympics.

4. The oldest supporters group in Europe was formed the day before the match to give the club extra support to win the match. Torcida Split, was formed by a group of students (just as the club was 40 years earlier) inspired by the Torcidas in Brazil that they had heard about during the World Cup that past summer. This was a pivotal moment and would change the Football culture in Europe forever. The support seen on that day had never been seen before in Europe and caused backlash from the government in Belgrade who tried to ban Torcida and sanction Hajduk.

5. The game is reportedly a classic, a packed stadium of around 40k, fervent support and many of the best players in Yugoslavia on display. The game ended 2-1 for Hajduk with the winner scored in the 86th minute by Božo Broketa. Hajduk went on to win the league after defeating Budućnost 2-0 two weeks later.

Juan

Supports: Liverpool and Spain

Match:
I think the 2005 CL final would have been wild to have seen. A roller coaster of emotions for me.

Kon

Supports: Newcastle and Ukraine

Match:
October 20, 1996 St. James' Park. Newcastle 5-0 Manchester United. Would give my left ball to have been there!

Throwback Thursdays: The 2005 FIFA Club World Cup

2015-12-10T08:00:00.000-05:00

After a series of false starts, and despite a lot of cynicism in some quarters, the FIFA Club World Cup kicked off in it's current form ten years ago this week in Japan.

The tournament that year was made up of six teams, one from each of the FIFA confederations that hold champions cup tournaments. The participants included the champions of Africa (Egypt's Al-Ahly), Asia (Saudi Arabia's Al-Ittihad), North, Central America and the Caribbean (Costa Rica's Saprissa), Oceania (Sydney FC), Europe (Liverpool), and South America (Brazil's São Paulo).

With the previous incarnation of the tournament, that took place in Brazil in 2000, being a bit of a convoluted mess that was stretched out over a group stage and knockout rounds, the feeling was that FIFA simply had to get it right this time around.

The tournament in 2000, which featured two teams from Europe (Real Madrid and Manchester United) and two South American teams (Corinthians and Vasco da Gama) to go along with qualifiers from the other confederations, necessitated an excessive number of matches packed into an already busy football calendar and this had the European sides in particular balking at future events like this.

Manchester United, in particular, were unhappy with the conditions of the tournament as they felt railroaded into it by an English Football Association that was trying desperately to land the 2006 World Cup.

United, rather controversially, dropped out of the English FA Cup as a result of their participation in FIFA's event.
It was the first time in the history of the famous old event that a cup holder failed to enter into the tournament to defend their trophy.

To avoid these issues, FIFA organized the revamped Club World Cup so that the four "weaker" federations would enter the tournament in the Quarter-Final Stage with the winners moving on and the losers playing in a fifth place decider.

The Quarter-Final winners would then play the champions of Europe and South America in the Semi-Finals, with the winners moving on and the losers playing in a third place match.

So while club's from the smaller federations could potentially play three tournament matches, the giants of Europe and South America would only ever have to play twice.

Al-Ittihad won the first match of the tournament 1-0 over Egypt's Al-Ahly to earn themselves a Semi-Final match up with São Paulo, while Saprissa edged out Sydney FC by a score of 1-0 as well.

Sydney went home with a consolation 2-1 win over Al-Ahly in the fifth place match.

In the Semi-Finals, as expected, Liverpool romped past Saprissa 3-0, but São Paulo were taken to the wire by a determined Al-Ittihad side and only prevailed 3-2 to make it to the final.

The final, between Champions League holder's Liverpool FC and São Paulo finished 1-0 to the Brazilians, with the only goal scored by defensive midfielder Mineiro.

How Well Do You Know the Club Crests of South America? (Quiz)

2015-11-07T08:00:00.000-05:00

Rise and shine it's Saturday morning!

Before heading out the door to support your local club or flipping on the television set to catch the first match of the day, why not try out this quiz on South American club crests?

Quiz Maker

Brazil's Sao Paulo Goes to the Dogs

2015-09-29T08:00:00.000-04:00

Typically when teams enter the pitch these days, they're accompanied by small children. But for Sao Paulo's Brazilian Campeonato Serie A clash with Palmeiras on Sunday they opted for something a little different.

Taking to the pitch with mascots of the canine variety, Sao Paulo came out with four legged friends instead of kids to raise awareness of a city wide initiative to encourage people to take in stray dogs.

The pooches seemed to enjoy themselves on the pitch, and by all accounts they raised a few "oohs" and "ahhhs" from the watching spectators.

On the pitch Sao Paulo managed a few "oohs" and "ahhhs" themselves after Robinho scored a dramatic 93rd minute equalizer to salvage a 1-1 draw to take a bite out of Palmeiras' hopes of putting a firm leash around a top four spot in the league.

Some Interesting Facts About "That" Sad Brazilian Super Fan With the Moustache

2015-08-15T16:00:00.000-04:00

Surely most fans watching Brazil's embarrassing loss to eventual World Cup winners Germany in last year's tournament will remember the many sad Brazilian fans' faces. But none stood out more than that of the mustache wearing old man holding the shiny world cup trophy replica in his hand. After the loss sunk in and in a sight of true sportsmanship, the old man approached a German fan in the stadium and handed her his replica. But who is this "super fan" that has been seen in the stands during Brazil's matches for a number of years now?

Here are 5 interesting facts about "Gaúcho na Copa".

#5 - The man

The old man's name is Clovis Acosta Fernandes, also known as "Gaúcho na Copa". He's 60 years old and currently works as a real estate agent when not travelling around with that replica World Cup trophy. His hat, scarf and boots are actually traditional gaúcho attire, which earned him the nickname.

#4 - 1970, a dream is born

The 1970 FIFA World Cup was the first televised world cup tournament in Brazil. After seeing the competition on the telly Clovis was so amazed that he started planning his travels, saying "One day I will watch a World Cup 'live and in color'. If that's God's will, I will do it". But it would take him 20 years to realize his dream and in 1990 he attended the World Cup tournament in Italy.

#3 - No more pizza

Although now Mr. Fernandes is a real estate agent, back in 1990 he was the owner of a pizzeria in his hometown Porto Alegre. But once football became his passion, work was no longer on his mind and he even called himself irresponsible, saying "I've turned myself into an irresponsible person. I stopped seeing work as being the most important aspect of my life." He later sold his restaurant to his brother.

#2 - FIFA

In 2002 "Gaúcho na Copa" was selected by FIFA as the "Star Supporter" of the Brazilian national squad. Since 1990 he has attended 7 World Cups, 6 Copa Américas, 4 Confederation Cups and 1 Olympic Games. He has been to a total of 66 countries and 154 games! It's been theorized that after the game against Cameroon, he'd become the 12th player that wore the Brazilian shirt the most.

#1 - Car for a playstation

When the "Gaúcho" travels to a tournament he travels by air. But once on land he and his group of travel buddies rent cars. In 2002 in Japan this was an issue as his international driver's license wasn't enough for the Japanese company to insure his rental vehicle. As such, he purchased a car instead. Once the tournament was over and surely in good spirits as his native Brazil claimed their record fifth championship, Clovis traded the car in exchange for a PlayStation game console for his son.

5 Match Day Foods From Around the World

2015-08-11T08:00:00.000-04:00

If you're going to spend a day watching football and perhaps even indulging in the odd beer or ten, it's advisable that you line your belly with a bit of food so things don't get out of hand.

But what to eat? Here in North America, most of us generally rely on typical fast food like burgers, pizza or wings to get us through a match day, but some of us will get a bit adventurous and opt for a tasty shawarma to fill the gap.

Speaking of shawarma, some football fans will use a day out away from their significant other as an opportunity to overindulge in not just booze and bad language, but also food. One of my Toronto FC supporting friends once had a large pre-match steak dinner at the pub, then popped next door to Alexandria Shawarma for a large special and when I later caught up to him in the ground he was in line for pizza. Three massive meals in less than an hour, wonderful stuff really.

But what are match day foods like in other countries? What fuels our football supporting brothers and sisters the world over, because a fiery passion for your club and a gut full of beer has often led to dicey results on an empty stomach.

The following are a five examples of football foods from around the world:

Trinidad and Tobago

In Trinidad and Tobago the pre-match snack of choice is by most accounts are "Doubles", which consists of peppered chickpeas, coconut, cucumber and spicy chutney enveloped between two pieces of deep-fried flat bread. Sounds nicer than the filthy boiled hotdog I enjoyed on Saturday.

El Salvador

The lazy and perhaps most accurate thing to list as a pre-match meal for Salvadoran football fans would be the "Pupusa", but I think that's cheating as most people from El Salvador I know don't need any excuse or event to tuck into the country's beloved food of choice. A pupusa is a thick, handmade corn tortilla that is typically filled with a blend of cheese, seasoned and ground pork meat called chicharrón, and refried beans. Another popular snack in and around football grounds in El Salvador, and one that I've had the pleasure of enjoying myself at a match there, is Yuca Frita with hot sauce. It's basically fried cassava chips. They go great with beer, but what doesn't?

England

No prizes for guessing that the food of choice before a match in England is a nice meat pie. Although the pie game has seemingly gotten worse in England in recent years, with giant commercial entities mass producing and ruining the class British staple. But that said, a good steak and kidney pie made with puff pastry, beef dripping, nice generous chunks of beef, ox kidney, onions, mushrooms, carrots and a few other tasty ingredients is still a good way to prepare for an afternoon of beer drinking and questioning whether or not the referee is a wanker.

Brazil

One of the more popular snacks in around many Brazilian football grounds is sanduíche de calabresa which is basically a pepperoni sandwich. Now as much as I enjoy a bit of pepperoni on my pizza, I was a little disappointed when I learned this was the go to for Brazilian football fans because when I think of Brazilian food I generally get all weak in the knees picturing an obscene amount of barbequed meat arriving at my table at a churrascaria.

Croatia

For football fans in Croatia one of the more popular dishes of choice before a match is the ćevapčići or chevaps a skinless sausage, usually made from mince pork and beef, along with garlic, onion, paprika and a few other choice ingredients. Although there are some variations it's often served with ajvar (roasted capsicum and eggplant relish), sour cream, lemon wedges and flat bread. Certainly beats a plate of salty nachos and process cheese sauce for $8 a plate doesn't it?

Foto Friday - Brazil, The Beautiful Game

2015-08-07T08:00:00.000-04:00

Photographer Christopher Pillitz took to the streets of Brazil in this project which illustrates just how broad the impact of football is in the South American country. From jail yards to secluded matches that involve a team comprised of monks, the beautiful game has found its way to every corner of the nation and is beautifully displayed in this collection of photographs.

6 Sad Footballer Quotes

2015-07-27T18:05:00.002-04:00

Funny quotes from footballers and managers are quite popular and there are many of them around. And although we tend to feature aspects more on the humorous side of football, today's short quote collection is dedicated to more serious subject matter; the sadder situations the game brings.

"I don't understand, we're a team right? It's not all my fault" - Fred retiring Brazil national team after unsuccesful World Cup

“By winning the World Cup, we didn’t change the world, we didn’t bring down the price of bread. It was a lovely thought that football players can solve people’s problems; I wish we could. We’d all be better off.” - Diego Maradona after 1986 World Cup

"It is okay. Everything has been said." - The last words of Robert Enke in his very last interview on German TV, two days before committing suicide.

“Why, Speedo? Why didn’t you give me or one of your other close mates a ring if you were feeling so bad?” - Alan Shearer after Gary Speed's death

"Life doesn't end here." - Andrés Escobar after scoring the own goal at World Cup 1994, days before being shot to death in Medellin.

“All the fun and joy has gone out of my game. I don't want this torture anymore.” - Sebastian Deisler

Throwback Thursdays: Germany 7 - Brazil 1

2015-07-09T12:00:00.000-04:00

Yesterday marked the one year anniversary of what is undoubtedly the most seismic result in the 85 year history of the FIFA World Cup.

The result I'm referring to of course is Germany's earth-shattering 7-1 thrashing of Brazil in the 2014 World Cup semi-final, a result that will continue to jump out decades from now when football fans like myself pore over the scores from tournaments of the past.

It was a watershed moment for both German and Brazilian football, which felt dreamlike on the day. Brazil's heaviest defeat in a competitive fixture since their 6-0 loss to Uruguay in 1920 and undoubtedly the most humiliating elimination of a host side in the history of the World Cup.

For Germany it was the culmination of a little over a decade's worth of improving the standard of their youth development and the integration of these players into their full side.

The likes of Manuel Neuer, Jerome Boateng, Sami Khedira, Mats Hummels and Mesut Ozil had been on Germany's 2009 UEFA European U21 Championship winning squad and last summer's tournament in Brazil was when this great side reached their peak following impressive performances at senior level in the 2010 World Cup and 2012 European Championship.

For Brazil the result would prompt a lot of soul searching about the current state of football in a country that, to the outside world, seems to take it's greatness for granted. Almost spoiled by the staggering success of five World Cup wins, the Brazilian Football Confederation seems to have taken their eye off the fact that besides Neymar they have few players that can match the quality of their stars of old.

Even heading into the Semi-Final last summer with Germany there were warning signs that Brazil might be in trouble, as they weren't altogether impressive in advancing with seven points from a group containing Croatia, Mexico and a very sub par Cameroon side. They were in fact very fortunate to beat Croatia in the opener, due in no small part to a very dodgy penalty kick being awarded in their favour.

In the round of 16, their luck held out again as they were outplayed for long stretches by a vibrant Chile side, who almost won the match at the death before falling to the hosts on penalty kicks.

Colombia, the darlings of the tournament with their bright new star James Rodriguez, were seen off by a score of 2-1 in the Quarter-Finals in a bruising encounter which left Brazil without Neymar, who suffered a fractured vertebra, and Thiago Silva, who was suspended.

Germany on the other hand had gotten out of a difficult looking group containing Portugal, Ghana and the United States with seven points themselves before winning tight contests over Algeria and France in the knockout stages.

If neutrals were giving Germany a slight advantage heading into the Semi-Final, they still couldn't have expected what was to come.

The night of July 8, 2015 in Belo Horizonte had an odd feel to it from the start. With Julio Cesar and David Luiz holding the shirt of the injured Neymar during the national anthems as if the player had died, and with other Brazilian players seemingly on the verge of tears, the emotional state of the side should have been more of a concern to manager Luis Felipe Scolari.

After an even opening ten minutes, Thomas Muller shook off the hapless Luiz on a corner to open the scoring for Germany on 11 minutes and after a frantic attempt by Brazil to get back into the match the wheels dramatically fell off.

In the 23rd minute Miroslav Klose doubled Germany's lead, his 16th career World Cup goal which broke Ronaldo's mark, and then a further six minutes of madness saw Toni Kroos pot two goals and Sami Khedira help himself to one.

By the 29th minute Brazil were down 5-0 and had already, for all intents and purposes, been humiliated.

To compound their suffering, second half substitute Andre Schurrle added goals in the 69th and 79th minute, before Oscar scored the most meaningless consolation goal in the history of international football in the 90th minute.

To the Germans credit they had stopped celebrating their goals by the time of going four up, and could have probably scored more in the second half.

Brazil's play was so mistake ridden it became a mystery how they had managed to get to this stage at all.

Germany would go on to defeat Argentina 1-0 in extra-time in the final to cap their fourth World Cup win, while Brazil would lose 3-0 to the Netherlands in the third place play-off. Both of those results now seem immaterial in a sense after the Semi-Final that preceded it.

The match wasn't a freak, but a perfect double helix-like coming together of a German side on the rise and a Brazilian side in decline.

USA-Japan, a Record Breaking 7 Goal Thriller

2015-07-06T16:00:00.000-04:00

Yesterday's Women's World Cup final match between the United States of America and defending champions Japan at BC Place in Vancouver, Canada was not only the highest scoring Women's final in the history of the competition, but it also became just the third major senior international final (both men and women) in which 7 goals were scored.

It may seem strange that in no other tournament final but two a 4-3, 5-2, 6-1 or a 7-0 score was previously registered, but it's true.

Sweden 1958

The first major international final that had 7 goals scored between the two teams was the 1958 FIFA World Cup final played between Brazil and hosts Sweden at the now demolished Råsunda Stadium. The score was identical to that of yesterday's women's final; a 5-2 final win for Brazil.

Unlike USA and Japan however, the match on June 29, 1958 did not start favorably for the eventual winners Brazil. It was in fact the hosts that took charge of the match early after going 1-0 up in just the 4th minute. But the Brazilians would answer quickly and often, first tying the match up at 1-1 after 5 minutes and then scoring three more goals before the home side could muster their 2nd and only other goal of the finals.

Mexico 1999

The only other 7 goal final to date was that of the FIFA Confederation Cup Final in 1999 hosted by Mexico. After finishing a top of their respective groups, both the hosts Mexico and previous year's FIFA World Cup finalist Brazil came into the final at the legendary Estadio Azteca full of confidence. The hosts started strong, scoring twice before the 30 minute mark, with the Brazilians managing one before the half with Mexico leading 2-1 after 45 minutes. After the restart Brazil would tie the game up after just 2 minutes, but the Mexicans would score twice more before Brazil's third goal and would go on to win by a 4-3 final.

Highest scores in other tournament finals

No other major tournament final has been able to produce a final that featured more than 6 goals. The previous highest score at the Women's World Cup final was the four goal 2-2 final that led to a penalty shootouts between Japan and the United States last time around in Germany four years ago.

The men's World Cup featured a 6 goal final on three occasions, all ending in identical 4-2 scores. The first ever World Cup in Uruguay 1930 saw the hosts defeat Argentina by a 4-2 final. Eight years later in France, the Italians won against Hungary by the same score, and England's only World Cup title in 1966 was also won by a 4-2 final, although the match actually ended at 2-2 before Three Lions' Geoff Hurst managed to score twice in extra-time.

The oldest international tournament the Copa America has never produced a final with more than 4 total goals between the two contenders, although this is likely more due to the fact that between 1916 and 1967 the winning team was that which finished first overall, without a proper final being played.

In the CONCACAF gold cup the highest scoring final was that between Mexico and USA in 2009, although a "thriller" would probably not be a correct description for that particular 5-0 Mexico victory.

As with the South American tournament, the Euros' and Asian Cup's highest scoring finals also featured a maximum of 4 goals. A 1976 2-2 European final between Czechoslovakia and West Germany saw the Czechs win their first and only final after a 5-3 penalty kick triumph. The other was the most recent final in 2012 hosted in Ukraine, with Spain's thrashing of Italy by a 4-0 final score. As far as Asia goes, their tournament managed a 4 goal final just once, that in 2004 with Japan defeating hosts China by a 3-1 final.

The Africa Cup of Nations has produced a 6 goal thriller once, which was quite similar to England's World Cup winning final in 1966. Four years before England's triumph, Ethiopia and the United Arab Republic (today's Egypt) also drew their final match at 2-2, before the hosts (Ethiopia) would go on to score twice in the extra frame and win by a 4-2 final.

Last but not least, Oceania's largest victory margin in a tournament final was 6 goals on three occasions (kind of). The first and only clear cut 6 goal final came in 1980 when Australia defeated Tahiti by a 4-2 final score. The second and third were both victories in a finals format that featured a two-legged affair for the tournament final. In 1996 Australia defeated Tahiti by a 6-0 margin, eventually winning the final with an 11-0 aggregate score, and in 2004 it was the Socceroos once more this time defeating Solomon Islands by a 6-0 final in the second leg of the OFC Nations Cup final after having won the first 5-1.

No Easy Road for Argentina at the Copa America

2015-06-23T08:00:00.000-04:00

As the 2015 Copa America moved into the knockout stages this week I couldn't help but be startled by the quality of opposition that Argentina will potentially come up against if they are to have any chance in lifting the trophy.

After Argentina finished off Jamaica 1-0 to top their group, a bemused Lionel Messi who won his 100th cap on the night was asked by opposition forward DeShorn Brown to pose for a selfie.

While some of us shook our head at the latest example of annoying trends seeping into modern football, the Argentine's were likely already looking ahead to a decidedly difficult knockout phase.

Despite winning their respective group, Argentina will first come up against a Colombia side in the Quarter-Finals, who were made it to the last eight in last summer's World Cup.

Should Argentina make it past Colombia, they will then likely come up against Brazil who face Paraguay in their Quarter Final.

Brazil though have been rocked by the loss of Neymar, who was red carded after his country's group stage loss to Colombia and then showered the referee with abuse.

Getting into the stretched hypothetical stage now, if Argentina gets past Brazil they would almost certainly face one of the two strongest sides on the other side of the bracket in Chile or Uruguay.

Breaking it down like this, and after watching an action packed group stage, it's apparent how strong this tournament is despite it not getting the coverage or fan fate of the European Championships.

The knockout rounds are certainly shaping up to be very interesting indeed and if you're Argentina there doesn't appear to be an easy route to the final.

Brazilian Club Internacional Make Supporters Sit Next to Rival Fans

2015-06-10T12:00:00.000-04:00

Football related violence in Brazil has always been a huge issue in the country that arguably produces the most talented footballers in the entire world. Rival supporters take any chance they get to fight and assault the opposition fans and it seems that Sport Club Internacional has found an unusual solution for the problem.

In a shock move in May the club announced that if fans wanted to come watch a live match they would need to enter the stadium with a rival supporter and then spend the entire match sitting next to their hated rivals.

Internacional's President of Media and Marketing Luiz Henrique Nuñez explained: "Rivals on and off the field must live within the limits of respect and humanity".

Apparently, the experiment was a success and as you can see from the photos below Internacional and rival Gremio fans enjoyed the match together and as reported without a single incident. As a matter of fact the club ran the same program twice more after the initial trial.

"It is still early to say that this action is able to stop the violence in stadiums in days of great rivalries, but it certainly decreases, inhibits and is an important starting point to solve this issue," said Nuñez.

10 Facts About the Copa América

2015-06-06T08:00:00.000-04:00

The 2015 Copa América kicks off on June 11 in Chile as ten South American national sides from CONMEBOL and two guest nations will try to be the last one standing on July 4.

The following are ten facts about the tournament:

- ONE -

This year's Copa América is the forty-fourth edition of a competition that was first played in Argentina in 1916, making it the oldest international continental tournament in world football.

- TWO -

After the first tournament in Argentina, Brazil were all set to host the finals in 1918 but had to cancel the event after a major flu outbreak in Rio de Janiero. Fortunately, Brazil were able to successfully host the competition the following year.

- THREE -

Uruguay, the defending champions from 2011, are the most successful team in the tournament's history with fifteen titles.

- FOUR -

Due to animosity between Argentina and Uruguay after the 1930 World Cup Final between the two countries, there was no South American Championship between 1929 and 1935. With Argentina claiming they had been subjected to unfair abuse and pressure by the victorious hosts of the first World Cup, football relations between the two was broken off for several years and this made a South American tournament virtually impossible to stage until they had buried the hatchet.

- FIVE -

Real Madrid legend Alfredo Di Stéfano only played six matches for the country of his birth, Argentina, and all of them came at the 1947 championships where his six goals helped his country to victory in the competition.

- SIX -

The tournament almost died in the 1950's as disorganization and disinterest reigned supreme. The chaotic nature of the scheduling, and rise to prominence of the World Cup, led to some sides not taking the competition seriously. In 1959 their were in fact two tournaments held, one in Argentina and one in Ecuador. The newly crowned world champions Brazil couldn't be bothered sending their full side to Ecuador, so they instead sent a team made up only of players from Pernambuco. Fortunately by the 1970's the importance of the tournament was renewed and today it's rightly viewed as one of the major events in world football.

- SEVEN -

Argentina's Martin Palermo found himself in the Guinness Book of Records for the wrong reason after a 1999 Copa América match against Colombia when he incredibly missed a record three penalties in a 3-0 loss.

- EIGHT -

The 2011 Copa América in Argentina was the first in the tournament's history to feature neither Brazil or Argentina in the Semi-Finals. Both nations were ousted in the Quarter-Finals on penalty kicks by Paraguay and Uruguay respectively.

- NINE -

The tournament's current configuration is made to accommodate twelve teams, but as CONMEBOL comprises only ten national associations two guest nations are invited to the tournament. This year Mexico and Jamaica will take part in the Copa América as guest nations.

- TEN -

The Copa América, in its present form, is contested every three or four years, but never in a World Cup year. Although to confuse matters there will be one hosted by the United States next year to mark the competitions one hundred year anniversary. Got all of that?

Amazing Brazilian Club Illustrations by Samuel Bono (Gallery)

2015-05-12T16:00:00.000-04:00

Brazilian artist Samuel Bono has a unique illustration style which he used to create banners for 14 clubs calling the project "Canecas dos clubes Brasileiros". You can check out Samuel on Facebook.

Foto Friday: "Doctor" Sócrates

2015-05-01T08:00:00.001-04:00

Foto Friday is all about the beautiful, rarely seen, iconic photography from the world of football. Brazilian footballer Sócrates was as unique as they come and so was his life. Activist, doctor, politician and of course a legendary Brazilian player, Sócrates was an icon in South America and the world over. This week on Foto Friday we feature great shots from his life on and off the pitch.