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from Reuters Soccer Blog:

Will God be Brazilian in 2014?

"God is Brazilian" is a favourite phrase for Brazilians when fortune smiles on their country.

Former president Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva famously uttered it after massive new oil reserves were discovered off the coast in 2007.

Often, it is used with a dose of irony after something turns out right even when circumstances suggested it would or should not -- such as a game where Brazil find themselves on the back foot for 89 minutes and then sneak a late winner.

The phrase would also fit perfectly if, having dallied and left preparations to the last possible moment, Brazil pulled off a successful and seamless World Cup in 2014.

FIFA president Sepp Blatter highlighted concerns when he said: "It's tomorrow, the Brazilians think its just the day after tomorrow."

He added that Brazil were further behind than predecessors South Africa had been three years before the 2010 tournament.

His comments clearly tweaked Brazilian nerves and drew an angry response from Ricardo Teixeira, who is both head of the Brazilian organising committee and the Brazilian Football Confederation (CBF).

from Reuters Soccer Blog:

Scotland on their way back to London, but England match must wait a while

Scotland's soccer team return to London for the first time since 1999 at the end of this month -- but they won't be playing England at Wembley.

Instead they will face five-times world champions Brazil in a high profile friendly at the Emirates Stadium which should be filled close to its 60,000 capacity.

If that game goes ahead without trouble -- which is the most likely outcome -- it could give added impetus to the English FA's plans to host a one-off "home international" series in 2013 to mark their 150th anniversary.

That could then mark Scotland's return to Wembley for the first time since the stadium was re-opened four years ago.

The game against Brazil though, and Scotland's return to London, evoke memories of the days when Scotland were regular visitors to Wembley, playing England there in alternate years in the world's oldest international series that began in 1872.

The reasons why the matches ended after the short-lived Rous Cup in 1989 following the demise of the Home Championship between the four British nations in 1984, have been well documented down the years.

Questions began to be asked after the 1977 game at Wembley when Scottish fans rioted after a 2-1 victory, demolishing the goalposts and wreaking havoc on the Underground and in central London.

from Reuters Soccer Blog:

Farewell Ronaldo, one of the game’s greats

Ronaldo has just made the official announcement that he is to retire with immediate effect, bringing to an end one of the great soccer stories.

The 34-year-old Brazilian announced his decision at a news conference in Sao Paulo a few moments ago, after concluding that the battle for fitness -- always a bruising struggle -- was one he could no longer win.

I suspect a few people will react by shrugging their shoulders and saying they didn't even know he was still playing but the end of the road for such a great player deserves marking properly, so here's an appreciation by our own Brian Homewood, for many years our correpondent in Rio de Janeiro.

By Brian Homewood

Three times World Player of the Year, twice World Cup winner and overall topscorer in the tournament's history -- not a bad record for a player who suffered three serious knee injuries and was constantly fighting weight problems.

Ronaldo was often mocked for his extra kilos and not  even the country’s president could resist the temptation to have a dig.

During a video conference with the team on the eve of the 2006 World Cup, after Ronaldo had weighed in at 95 kilos for the training camp, then President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva asked: “And what about Ronaldo, is he fat or isn’t he?”

from Reuters Soccer Blog:

Where does benchwarmer Ronaldinho go from here?

AC Milan are flying high at the top of Serie A but Ronaldinho is stuck to the bench with Massimiliano Allegri-branded glue.

The struggling Brazilian has started once in the last nine games and that was in the lacklustre 2-0 home defeat by Ajax Amsterdam, Milan's only loss during the spell.

Most soccer fans outside Italy have probably never heard of Milan boss Allegri, plucked out of relative obscurity at Cagliari, but he has certainly made a name for himself in Serie A by deciding his side would be better off without carrying a player who may be Silvio Berlusconi's favourite but whose powers have long since faded.

It is now a case Ronaldinhoinhoinho such is the forward's diminutive status in Milan's grand plan.

Along with Zlatan Ibrahimovic, Allegri has re-energised the Rossoneri and after going six points clear they now look big favourites for a first scudetto since 2004 - thus ending Inter Milan's five-year reign, 

New signings Kevin Prince Boateng, Robinho and Ibra scored in that order for the second straight league game in Sunday's 3-0 win at Bologna, leading newspapers to parody Ronaldinho with a new dream-laden moniker - Boatinhovic.

The trio, the January return to fitness of Alexandre Pato and Allegri's call for a new signing in the transfer window to replace the injured Filippo Inzaghi mean Ronaldinho's future at the San Siro looks bleak.

from Reuters Soccer Blog:

Reuters World Cup 2010 podcast — quarter-finals (II)

Listen!

Join us for a look back at the extraordinary first two quarter-finals at the World Cup and a look forward to Germany v Argentina and Spain v Paraguay. Paul Radford, Felix Bate, Jon Bramley and Kevin Fylan argue over the merits of penalty goals in soccer and consider Ghana's desperate misfortune.

from Reuters Soccer Blog:

Reuters World Cup podcast — quarter-finals (I)

Join us for an in-depth look at the first two World Cup quarter-finals, Netherlands v Brazil and Uruguay v Ghana, with our soccer experts Paul Radford, Owen Wyatt, Felix Bate, Mark Gleeson, Helen Popper and Kevin Fylan.

from Reuters Soccer Blog:

World Cup 2010 quarter-finals podcast

Welcome to our latest Reuters 2010 World Cup podcast, as we follow the lead of the world's most famous psychic octopus and try to predict what will happen in the quarter-finals. Kevin Fylan is joined by Paul Radford, Jon Bramley, Ken Ferris and Mr Mark Gleeson.

from Reuters Soccer Blog:

Don’t blame the referees, blame the players

I watched the Brazil v Ivory Coast match in the bar of a Cape Town media hotel on Sunday and, not that it was really needed, was given another reminder of what an impossible job referees have in modern football.

When Luis Fabiano broke through to score Brazil's second goal, the reaction of around 60 watching journalists ranged from joy to disappointment - but nobody was crying "handball."

After three TV replays, suddenly it seemed that French referee Stephane Lannoy had blundered in missing what had now somehow become an "obvious handball."

More replays, a second handling offence revealed, and it was a world conspiracy against African soccer.

Heads were shaken, insults hurled and Lannoy's competence ridiculed by the assembled throng of "experts" who had, to a man, also missed the offences in real time.

As the match degenerated into its late farce, Lannoy was again abused. But even if the World Cup had been operating under Europa League rules with five match officials on duty, it would have been difficult to see everything that was going on.

from Reuters Soccer Blog:

World Cup squad news: Capello calls on Carragher, Ronaldinho left out

Fabio Capello has announced his provisional 30-man squad for the World Cup and the big news is that Jamie Carragher is back, while there is no place for Bobby Zamora or Owen Hargreaves.

Meanwhile Brazil have omitted Ronaldinho as expected and Italy coach Marcello Lippi has decided to leave Francesco Totti at home. Fernando Torres and Cesc Fabregas are in Spain's squad despite injuries.

But it is England's squad which probably has the most surprises so here it is:

Goalkeepers: Joe Hart, David James, Robert Green

Defenders: Leighton Baines, Jamie Carragher, Ashley Cole, Michael Dawson, Rio Ferdinand, Glen Johnson, Ledley King, John Terry, Matthew Upson, Stephen Warnock

Midfielders: Gareth Barry, Michael Carrick, Joe Cole, Steven Gerrard, Tom Huddlestone, Adam Johnson, Frank Lampard, Aaron Lennon, James Milner, Scott Parker, Theo Walcott, Shaun Wright-Phillips

Forwards: Darren Bent, Peter Crouch, Jermain Defoe, Emile Heskey, Wayne Rooney

from Reuters Soccer Blog:

Can Ronaldinho really get back to his best?

Ronaldinho is enjoying his best form in four years but he is still some way off the awesome performances he managed in the middle of the last decade (Noughties? ).

Sunday's hat-trick in AC Milan's 4-0 win over Siena featured a penalty and a close range header, but the third goal where he sent a perfect shot into the top corner from distance was a reminder of the Brazilian at his Barcelona best.

But only a reminder. He has lost a yard of pace and some of the passes he tries to make are baffling. Increasingly though, he is splitting defences open and playing with that really broad smile on his face, which has rarely happened since winning the Champions League with Barca in 2006.

It's the Milan derby on Sunday and leaders Inter will be keeping an extra eye on the 29-year-old.

The main reason he is flourishing is rookie coach Leonardo's new tactics, which have propelled Milan to second in Serie A after an awful start. Ronaldinho is now playing on the left of a front three rather than behind a front two meaning he has slightly less responsibility and if a pass isn't on, a bog-standard cross towards Marco Borriello's head will at least excite the crowd. 

Another reason is the absence of Kaka. With both of them at the San Siro last season, at times it was like they were falling over each other.

He tried a bicycle kick on Sunday, something I've not see him do in ages. But it didn't go in. I think that might be the difference at the moment between old Ronaldinho and new Ronaldinho.