She's having a PHENOMENAL tournament. Five goals so far. Even more than my dear Martita! She's like the female Messi with the ball at her feet! Dribbling maestra! I say if she leads Brazil to a gold medal, its in the bag for her! Thoughts?
Quem não tem cão, caça com gato. The old Brz proverb fits as a glove. (In English, it means: 'if you don't have a dog, chase with your cat'). Argentina 3 x 0 Brazil might have given the false impression to the world that the glorious 5-time World Champion canarinhos' Olympic hopes in China were footballistically shattered. WHAT A TERRIBLE MISTAKE. Everybody knows that specially in the Olympic Games no country can consider itself complete in ANY modality if it doesn't consider the other half of the world, precisely the one that produced the Messi's, the Ronaldos, the Pibes and the ‘Blond Arrows’, the Cruyjffs and Platinis, the Pelés and Garrinchas - the extraordinary feminine world. In a competition of such high level they divide the glories with their less populous counterpart: Isinbayeva and Asafa Powell, Shawn Johnson and Kobe Bryant, Kournikova and Rafael Nadal, etc etc. And, in 2008, to Brazil luck, if our men happened to fail, we were the only ones among the world football powerhouses that could count on our women to save our reputation (with the exception of Germany – but those, poor, after their last game are until now looking for Marta & Co and asking each other what was really the colour of the ball). A superpower in a sport is a nation that historically dominates both men’s and women’s sides: like U.S. in basketball. Something that just in the last years Brazil really became – and, what a happy coincidence – right when we commemorate 50 years of world dominance. Probably the only real world football superpower ever. Not because of the men: because of the…girls. Nothing more important than to be able to say: hey, our guys were (or have been) historically good in the sport - but ALSO our WOMEN. If Argentina wins the gold in the man’s football tournament and Brazil does the same in the feminine – sorry Argies – you can be sure we’ll be rigorously tied at the end of the Beijing Games. And Cristiane will be (already is) instrumental in that. Who doesn’t have ‘he-dogs', also chases with ‘she-cats’! … Watch her in that video: http://www.videostono.com/youtube/RkXHz-0M4qk/Brasil-4-x-0-Alemanha-Beijing-2008
To be honest...that wasn't much of a highlight by Christiane. She just dribbled to her right. Wow. I think I've seen lots of players do that. There were 2 German players who SHOULD'VE brought her down and my guess is they each thought the other was going to do that. I sense a lot of overconfidence on Brazil's part and a beatdown is imminent... USA 3 Brazil 1
I've said this before; it's quite possible that the USA could shalack Brazil. This tournament has been way too unpredictable. How are they being overconfident? I haven't ready or seen anything of the sort. The team seemed to be joyful that they had made it to final match. I haven't seen anyone dribble like through the German defense. I'm still perplexed as to what was going on with Team Germany.
To be honest – I sense a touch of jealousy there... ’Just a dribble to the right’?! ‘Lots of players who do that’?... So tell me (prove it) how come ANYBODY who thrashes through 4 players of the best defense of the world - & detail: in an Olympic semifinal - is just ‘dribbling to the right’?… Still, I wasn't saying that she was the only one who did that. And that those 'lots of other players' - who according to what you said (but didn’t prove) 'did the same' - weren't…great either. Which only seems to indicate that, nowadays, on the contrary of men's football, there is quality football in quantity in women's tournaments. I’m sorry though: it’s not my fault if so many football universes have been lately shattered by Cristiane, Marta & Co. Blame those damned girls. They DID try (one of them – the last one - even fully blocked her passage: Cristiane was simply faster though and passed by her like knife on butter. And believe me: she can be physical too. Buddy, You did decide to risk everything, wasn’it? … A soccer ball is not made out of crystal, Mrs. Wizard. But leather, sweat & tears … And in the last times nobody caressed it, sweated and cried (of sorrow & joy) more than that Brazil squad. If - this time - after a real ‘beatdown’ of the defending World Champions - you want them feeling like shit, they’d better not even go to the stadium tomorrow. Anyway, you wisely know that in football many things can happen – and consequently you’re fully entitled to daydreaming. Either a defeat (why not?) or another 4 x 0 (that indeed was a real beatdown, don’t you think so?) could happen. With way more possibilities for the 2nd option - let's convene. You know you're now the underdogs. Sleep with your crystal ball tonight, dear Jarn - if you're able to shut your eyes ...
Hello there, Ms. Drama Queen! No "universes" have been "shattered". The Brazil squad soundly beat a weak German team that struggled through the tournament and almost went out in the qualifying round.
Is FIFA Player of the Year decided by who is the biggest whining crybaby? If so, then Cristiane should run away with it. It was so great to see the US win, and almost as fulfilling, seeing her cry. Absolutely loved it. I hope she's miserable for a long time because she is a pathetic person. I'll never forget the way she reacted after the bogus 2nd yellow called on Boxx.
So this really bothered you that bad? Rememeber that was Boxx's second yellow. I'm a Shannon Boxx fan from her ND playing days, but that wasn't Christianes fault tha Boxx got the second yellow. The Swiss Miss probably had enough of Boxx's rough play during the game. Boxx was tackling pretty recklessly at times. You know, as much as I'm happy the US won the gold, I actually feel bad for the Brazilians. Their Fed gives them very little money to begin with. Many of these girls come from poor families in Brazil while our girls are nurtured their whole soccer careers from AYSO to expensive Club teams to College. IMO Brazil needed this Gold Medal more than US to stay afloat. They were probably crying because a gold would have really meant something for young girls wanting to play soccer in Brazil. Would it make you feel better if the Brazilian Soccer Fed said lets just scrap womens soccer? Players enjoying someone on the other team getting kicked out is not new. I see it happen all the time. The Italians were thrilled as can be when Zidane got thrown out in the World Cup. That's just how it is. The US players running around where the Brazilians were after the game rubbing it in their faces is not pathetic? I bet if it was the other way around you would think so. Our players have cried many times after loosing. I've followed this team long enough to know. It doesn't make her a pathetic person because she was happy that her team was up one player. You gotta get your USA rose colored glasses off and be objective once in a while. Christaine is still a tremendous player. IMHO this is all about the Hope Solo-hero/Ryan-devil and it so happened that it was Brazil we lost to in the WC when all this happened. So for us it's all one big ball of wax. And did Florida alumni Wambach getting injured by one of the Brazilians just befor the OLYs be a reason for your hatred? Just wondering.
I didn't say it was Cristiane's fault. But her reaction to the call was all her. It was completely classless. I think celebrating a player being ejected, esp. on such a crap call, is childish and weak. You are right about one thing. She is an absolutely tremendous player. Technically gifted, as are many of the Brazilians. I can appreciate the beautiful soccer. Just wish she wasn't such a whiner when every call doesn't go her way. Not every US player is nurtured or comes from a wealthy background. And just because the Brazilians don't, doesn't mean they needed this gold medal more than the US. The US is trying to get a professional league going, this gold medal was important to helping that get off the ground, the way the 1999 world cup title was for the WUSA. The US players were celebrating on the field. Brazil's players just happened to still be on the field. They weren't rubbing anything in anyones faces. Now, if they showed up to Brazil's team hotel and took pictures of them crying, then maybe you can compare the actions. Abby's injury had nothing to do with my dislike for Cristiane or Brazil. Abby's injury was a freak play, no one was at fault there. If anyone was, it was probably Abby who took a bit of a reckless strike at the ball. I have disliked Brazil since before that or the 2007 World Cup. Pretty much have always disliked them because of their constant diving, whining and crying. They play attractive soccer, they are very talented, but the minute something doesn't go their way, they are whining like someone stole their favorite toy. Enough. I think my biggest problem is they act like they are the best, they are very arrogant, but when it comes down to it, they haven't won anything that means jack in the world of soccer.
Hey, there's precedent for this. Back in the early 90's, Italia's men's volleyball pro league went big-time, attracted significant corporate sponsorships, threw money at really good foreigners (e.g. Karch, Timmons, Dvorak -- we had so many of our guys there that they actually put together a USA-vs-Italy All Stars charity match, which we won 3-0 ). Come Barcelona '92, and #1 Italia got taken by Netherlands to 16-16 in the 5th -- back then, the 5th (only) was rally-scoring, hard cap at 17 . Italia had to serve, IIRC van der Goor wussed out and dinked over the block, 17-16 3-2 Netherlands. The next day, the top three corporate sponsors pulled out of Italy's pro league. Of course, the league survived, and thrives to this day. Italia is a great place for hot-headed overreactions. Remember when Ahn Jung Hwan's header knocked Italy out of the WC'02 quarterfinals? Perugia's president threw a tantrum on live TV, and fired him! A week later, he recanted, and asked him to return. That's amore!