Confederations Cup Final: Review

Final
USA 2 Brazil 3
Johannesburg

The 2009 Confederations Cup Final lived fully up to expectations last night. From the moment we heard the distinctive sound those vuvuzelas to the moment when Brazil lifted the trophy for a record third time, everything seemed to be perfectly predictable and ultimately satisfying.

The USA, fresh from their outstanding 2-0 semi-final win over Spain, arrived intent on making the world sit up and take notice. Brazil merely had their reputation as purveyors of fine football to protect, although the prospect of a defeat to their North American neighbours was also something worth trying to avoid.

Bob Bradley’s USMNT disappointed none of their home fans by being up and out of the blocks first. Fulham’s Clint Dempsey flicked home a Jonathan Spector cross to put the Americans 1-0 up after just ten minutes and a repeat performance of the Spanish win was once again on the cards.

et Brazil didn’t sit back as Robinho tried and failed to grab an equaliser only moments later, his shot saved well by Tim Howard. In fact the US keeper had to be on his mettle again on two subsequent occasions when Maicon and Felipe Melo tested the Everton number 1, and to his credit he remained consistently strong.

It would prove vital in enabling the US to extend their lead and extend it they did when Charlie Davies counter-attacked with speed and crossed for Landon Donovan to drive neatly past Julio Cesar. The Americans led 2-0 and with Howard blocking anything the Brazilians could throw at them, the half time lead was certainly deserved.

Brazil came out in the second half knowing that they had to convert their greater possession and better chances into goals, and within moments of the restart, they got one. Maicon managed to get the ball to Luis Fabiano and with a deft turn and shot, the ball was in and finally past Tim Howard.

With the game standing at 2-1 to the USA, Brazil needed to push on and they thought they had an equaliser just after the hour mark when Kaka’s header was cleared from behind the goalline by Howard – out of sight from any of the officials.

After 74 minutes, the equaliser did arrive. Kaka played a firm, low cross into the area which found Robinho who could only shoot onto the underside of the bar. When the ball bounced out, it was tournament top scorer Luis Fabiano that was first to reach it, heading in from close range to make it 2-2.

With only six minutes remaining and US spirits (and energy levels) flagging, Brazil did what they always seem to do – grab a winning goal when it matters. Elano’s corner was met by Lucio who deftly powered in a header off the inside of the post to win the game 3-2.

It was cruel on the Americans and a great shame for a team that had tried so hard to transform itself from tournament non-achievers to potential tournament winners. In the end, however, our words from the second semi-final rang true again: Brazil are devilishly difficult to beat and can never be written off.

Here in the Final, the US had come out with a plan in mind which so very nearly worked. They defended well, played efficiently on the break and scored important goals, but critically only for one half of the match. It was always going to be difficult to maintain that level of proficiency over the full 90 minutes, and Brazil exposed that harsh truth all too well.

Dunga’s team are to be applauded for their trophy win. They looked professional without really trying to be on occasions, and that in itself requires great skill and technical ability, but let’s acknowledge America’s role in all this.

Not so long ago, they were heading home in something approaching shame for the way they started this competition, yet here they were asking Brazil to score three in 45 minutes to prevent them from being proclaimed the victors. They almost made it, but the fact that they didn’t doesn’t matter. They played their part in entertaining and inspiring all those who watched them and that must also be recognised as adding great value to what has been a very enjoyable tournament indeed.

Confederations Cup Review: Brazil v South Africa

Semi Final
Brazil 1 South Africa 0
Johannesburg

Perhaps unsurprisingly, the fireworks we saw in the previous match between Spain and the US were unsustainable. When the host country South Africa played Brazil on Thursday evening there was little in the way of eye-catching surprises or extraordinary upsets, but it's fair to say we came relatively close to one.

One gets the feeling that Brazil often play on auto-pilot and evidence of this was seen here against their African opponents. Without the need to make any rash, ill thought out gestures, they have the innate ability to pass the ball around until fate decrees that an opportunity presents itself. When it does, they try to score, but if they don’t, no worries – another chance generally comes along shortly after anyway.

The downside to this approach (if indeed there is one) is that the Brazilians sometimes give the impression they’re not bothered about scoring goals and winning matches. Far from the truth as that may be, it certainly gives teams like South Africa the belief that they can win and there were signs in this match that they might.

In the first half, the hosts went straight for the jugular with several decent chances that left Brazil in no doubt they’d have to fight for their place in the Final. Siboniso Gaxa went close early on with a decent 30-yard effort that was only just wide, while new Portsmouth signing Aaron Mokoena headed just over the bar with 20 minutes on the clock. Tsepo Masilela watched his shot tipped over by Julio Cesar shortly after and, for a while, there looked like being only one team in this match.

Brazil, however, managed to rally round as the end of the first half approached and it was Kaka that seemed most intent on engineering something with a range of passing and shooting that briefly threatened a goal against the run of play.

Into the second half and Brazil picked up from where they left off – Kaka heading over the bar – but the South Africans were soon back in the game as Everton’s Steven Pienaar pulled more and more strings in midfield. Shortly after one of his own shots was saved, Teko Modise went close to opening the scoring when his deflected effort had to be tipped wide by Julio Cesar.

With Brazil showing signs of laxity in the way they were converting their chances, the South Africans would have been justified in thinking they’d at least force the game into extra time. Sadly for them it was not to be. In the 82nd minute, Barcelona right back Daniel Alves came on to replace Andre Santos and the effect was emphatic. Only six minutes later, a Mokoena foul led to Alves curling a beautiful free kick beyond the reach of Itumeleng Khune to effectively seal the win for the South Americans.

The defeat must have been hard to take for Joel Santana’s men after they’d showed so much spirit and determination throughout the game, but the Bafana Bafana can take great succour from their performance. But for a better choice of top quality finishers, they’d have probably wrapped the game up by the early part of the second half, but at least the end of their Confederations Cup campaign isn’t entirely shrouded in despair.

After a dismal run of form over the last year or two, they’ve finally instilled a sense of optimism and respect in their fans and observers worldwide, and many now think they’re capable of a decent run in the World Cup when it arrives next year.

As for Brazil, they’ll no doubt go most (if not all) of the way towards lifting the trophy on this basis. Despite being well short of the classic Brazilian teams of the past, they’re at least capable of achieving much while just in auto-pilot, and that in itself is quite something.

Confederations Cup – Day 4 Review

Group B
Egypt 1 Italy 0
Johannesburg

Let’s lay our cards on the table first of all. We’re more than well aware that we predicted Italy to come second in Group B and go on to play Spain in the semi-finals, but that’s because, like you, we thought Italy would beat Egypt. Just goes to show how wrong you can be, doesn’t it?

Of course it could yet happen, but the Egyptians are now level on points with Italy prior to the last round of games in Group B. Having scored three against Brazil and beaten the Italians, Egypt must surely now fancy their chances of picking up another three points against the USA. Not that we’re making an official prediction, mind you.

Italy easily made the better start of the two teams, Rossi fashioning a couple of good chances in the first half hour. Meanwhile at the other end, Egypt’s goalscoring hero against Brazil, Mohamed Zidan, had been virtually marked out of the game by a resolute Italian defence. It didn’t put off Zidan’s compatriots from attacking, however, and Aboutrika was once again a key figure for the Egyptians.

Five minutes before half time, the deadlock was broken. Egypt had a corner kick and surprise surprise, it was Aboutrika that delivered it direct to the head of Mohamed Homos who powered it into the Italian net.

Keen to avoid a shock upset, Italy ploughed forward with more attacking moves but chance after chance was wasted – most notably by Vincenzo Iaquinta who should have done better with one particular one-on-one with Egyptian ‘keeper El Hadary.

In fact the further the game went on, the more El Hadary was called upon to rescue the African champions on a number of occasions, but ultimately it was the woodwork that saved Egypt from dropping two points. With four minutes remaining, Iaquinta’s speculative shot eluded the Egyptian keeper only to bounce back off the post, and that was pretty much the last chance Italy had of rescuing a point from the game.

Egypt ended the match 1-0 winners and with Italy needing to beat Brazil on Sunday, the smart money will surely be on Spain facing the Pharaohs in the semi-finals. Watch this space to find out more…



Group B
USA 0 Brazil 3
Tshwane/Pretoria

Where last time Brazil scored the goals but failed to prevent them going into their own net, this time there was no such otiosity. Against the Americans they were ruthlessly efficient and had the game effectively sown up in the opening half-hour or so.

Brazil flew out of the blocks first and were 1-0 up after just seven minutes. A foul by Michael Bradley gave Maicon the chance to steer a free kick towards Felipe Melo who headed it in.

Brazil could have doubled their lead five minutes later were it not for Onyewu’s vital tackle to deny Robinho scoring his first goal of the competition. Yet the Americans were powerless to stop the Man City forward scoring with 20 minutes on the clock. When DaMarcus Beasely allowed the ball to slip under his foot near to the Brazilian goal, Kaka was nearby to initiate a swift and clinical counter-attack which resulted in Robinho slotting past Tim Howard at the other end of the pitch.

When half time came, a huge victory looked highly likely for Brazil and indeed could have already been achieved, but at 2-0 there was a little more work to be done to snuff out the USA’s chances.

In the second period, Brazil launched attack after attack on the American goal, and Tim Howard was easily the busier of the two goalkeepers. The key moment, however, came when American midfielder Sacha Kljestan was sent off in the 55th minute for a bad tackle on Ramires. After that, Bob Bradley’s side were even weaker and paid the ultimate price when Maicon’s slick one-two with Kaka in the box led to a fine shot past Howard to make it 3-0.

In the interests of balance, the USA did hit the crossbar late on in the game, but it would have made little difference had it gone in. They were well beaten by a much more diligent Brazilian side and an imminent exit from this competition now looks almost certain.

Brazil, however, were impressive in the way they controlled the game from start to finish, and their encounter with Italy on Sunday now looks to be nothing short of a mouth-watering prospect.

Confederations Cup – Day 2 Review

Group B
Brazil 4 Egypt 3
Mangaung/Bloemfontein

If Group A provided a soporific opening to the 2009 Confederations Cup, Group B was the wake up call everyone must have been hoping for.

The first game of the day was an exciting encounter between the champions of South America and Africa which proved to be a lot closer than expected. Brazil, for their part, entered into battle in familiar fashion, passing the ball well in midfield and generally out-muscling the opposition.

In fact so efficient were they that they took the lead after only five minutes thanks to some nifty ball juggling in the area by Kaka who calmly slotted past Egyptian keeper Essam El Hadary to make it 1-0. Yet it was here that Brazil were to learn their lesson for the day – that Egypt are not a team to dismiss easily.

Just four minutes later, Borussia Dortmund striker Mohamed Zidan was on hand to head in a cross from Mohamed Aboutrika which highlighted Brazil’s defensive frailties no end. But we all know that Brazil play best when on the attack, and so it was proven when a further three minutes later Elano’s free kick found Luis Fabiano in the box who deftly flicked the ball home beyond the reach of El Hadary.

Brazil were back in front 2-1 and they extended their lead eight minutes before the break. Elano executed another perfect set-piece when his corner was headed in from close range by Roma defender Juan.

So far, so predictable perhaps, but Egypt burst out of the blocks at the start of the second half as if they meant business. With 54 minutes on the clock, African Player of the Year Aboutrika showed his ability to pass and move with the best of them when he set up Mohamed Shawky who scored with a fine finish from the edge of the penalty area.

Then, almost straight from the restart, Aboutrika played a through-ball in to FIFA Man of the Match Zidan who only had to slot the ball past Julio Cesar to make it 3-3.

Brazil were reeling from Egypt’s swift fightback but their lack of organisation at the back was entirely the reason why they’d lost their lead for the second time – that, and the fact that Egypt were giving as good as they got offensively.

With the game evenly poised, the defining moment came in the 90th minute when a free kick was volleyed goalwards by Brazilian captain Lucio only for the ball to be cleared off the line. Though referee Howard Webb initially awarded a corner, he later changed his decision to a penalty having been informed that Ahmed Al Muhamadi had used his arm to deliberately block the ball. Al Muhamadi was subsequently sent off and Kaka scored his second from the spot to win the game.

So Brazil pick up the three points from their first game, but it wasn’t a cakewalk for them. Furthermore Egypt’s next opponents, Italy, may now be revaluating Egypt’s chances of winning following their own first game of the competition.



Group B
USA 1 Italy 3
Tshwane/Pretoria

Italy also had a rude awakening as they reignited their tetchy relationship with the Americans in Group B. Almost two years ago to the day, both teams played out a feisty World Cup First Round match in which three players were sent off – two of them for the US team.

This time around, tempers weren’t quite so high although the Americans did lose a man again. Just past the half-hour mark, Ricardo Clark petulantly lashed out at Gennaro Gattuso after losing the ball and the referee decided he didn’t want to see any more of that, thank you very much.

It was all rather unfortunate given the great start Bob Bradley’s men had made to the match. They’d been very organised, were strong at the back and had the best of the chances, if truth be known. Italy, wearing their new pale blue shirts and brown shorts, were left frustrated – particularly when the USA were awarded a penalty four minutes before half time.

Curiously, Giorgio Chiellini’s kick at Jozy Altidore and the subsequent holding back that caused him to fall in the box were not deemed serious enough to warrant a red card, but a penalty was awarded. Landon Donovan, the US captain, stepped up to give his side a 1-0 lead which few could argue hadn’t been hard earned.

Going into the second half with a man down, the Americans had it all to do in order to retain their lead. Playing with only Altidore up front, Italy had every chance to find an equaliser, but it didn’t arrive until former Manchester United striker Giuseppe Rossi came on as a 57th-minute substitute.

Only a minute later, Rossi picked up the ball on the edge of the centre circle in the American half, ran straight at goal and unleashed an unstoppable shot from 30 yards out that eluded Tim Howard’s right hand. Italy were back in the game and full of belief once again.

After 72 minutes, Daniele De Rossi (the Italian sent off when both sides played in the 2006 World Cup) scored a second from long range when he shot across the face of goal beyond Howard’s left hand. Now 2-1 up, Italy looked in control but the final nail in the coffin wasn’t banged in until the fourth minute of injury time.

With the game almost over, Andrea Pirlo danced past Jay DeMerit on the wing, reached the by-line and chipped a neat ball into the area for American-born Rossi to half-volley into the back of the net. The game ended 3-1 to Italy but the USA will be rueing the chances Altidore and Michael Bradley had early on which, if finished better, could have earned them at least a point.

That said, Italy showed enough steel to edge it on the night and they now lead Group B ahead of their game against Egypt on Thursday. The USA play Brazil in the day’s early kick-off.

World Cup 2010 Qualifying Update (Part 2)

It's now time for Part 2 of our comprehensive update looking at the World Cup qualifiers that which took place during May and June. Having dealt with the African section last week, we now turn our attention to what's happening in…

South America

Overview
Once again, all ten South American teams play each other twice in a single big round robin group. When all the dust has settled, the top four teams go through to South Africa 2010 while the fifth-place team goes into a home-and-away play-off with the 4th placed team in the North and Central America section.

News
During June 2008, the national teams of South America entered battle once again for the first time since November 2007. When play came to a temporary halt seven months previously, the group table looked like this…

As you can see, Paraguay had a narrow lead over the chasing pack of three teams, but what was apparent from this early stage was that none of the ten taking part had managed to keep a 100% record after just four games. Such inconsistency would be a continuing theme throughout the June double header, especially on the part of those three teams trailing Paraguay at the top - Argentina, Brazil, Colombia.

Paraguay showed they meant business with a 2-0 win over Brazil on June 15th, the goals scored by Roque Santa Cruz and Salvador Cabanas. Brazil were sorely lacking the ingenuity and skill of Kaka, was recovering from recent ankle surgery, while Ronaldinho's current lack of form didn't help the five-time world champions either.

Paraguay, on the other hand, seemed much more capable of taking the game to their opponents, although defender Dario Veron nearly jeopardised their position when he got sent off for a second bookable offence after the second goal went in. The home side, however, held on and were no doubt delighted to see their lead at the top of the table grow to three points when Argentina could only draw 1-1 against Ecuador.

Alfio Basile's men almost came a cropper against the Ecuadorians and were it not for Rodrigo Palacio's equaliser four minutes into injury time at the end of the game, Argentina would have suffered their first defeat in a qualifying match since 1993.

As it is, they should have wrapped the game up much earlier. Though lacking any real spark, the Argentineans had plenty of chances to score but failed to hit the back of the net. Ecuador, meanwhile, managed to bide their time well and when Joffre Guerron and Carlos Tenorio linked up skilfully to set up Patricio Urrutia, the away side found themselves 1-0 up.

Sadly for them, Argentina never gave up and Ecuador's goal only served to wake them up when they most needed to. Finally when Ecuador appeared to have done enough to hang on for an historic win, goalkeeper Roberto Abbondanzieri launched a long goal kick which beat their defence and landed neatly for Palacio who promptly scored. Argentina had survived but Paraguay were now further ahead in the group.

Elsewhere on Matchday 5, Colombia leapfrogged Brazil into third place with a 1-1 draw against lowly Peru while Chile beat bottom-placed Bolivia 2-0. Uruguay and Venezuela completed a trio of 1-1 draws in Montevideo to ensure the middle order stayed much as it was.

Three days later, Matchday 6 threw up a few surprises. For a start, Paraguay lost their first match of the campaign against a Bolivian side that had lost four of its first five games. Once more, the issue of altitude came to the fore as Paraguay looked a shadow of the team that had recently beaten Brazil 2-0, but the pitch in La Paz was also a hindrance as Bolivia took control of the game.

Two goals in three minutes from Joaquin Botero and Ronald Garcia meant the home side were nicely settled after half an hour and Paraguay seemed stunned. No reply of any sort came until the 66th minute when Santa Cruz scored for the second successive match, but even then the Bolivians hit back hard with another brace, this time scored in a seven minute spell thanks to Botero (again) and Marcelo Martins.

The Paraguayans scored a consolation goal through Nelson Valdez eight minutes from time, but by that stage they were well and truly beaten. Lucky for them, perhaps, that two of the teams trying to catch them up in the group, Brazil and Argentina could only draw 0-0 in Belo Horizonte.

Though Argentina played the better football, they were forced to settle for a second draw on-the-trot while Brazil also suffered a second consecutive game without a win - a fact not appreciated by their home fans who jeered throughout the contest and even applauded Lionel Messi when he was substituted late on.

That result meant Chile were able to take fourth place in the group above Brazil thanks to a 3-2 away win against Venezuela. A ding-dong battle resulted in all five goals being scored in the last 35 minutes, the first of which went to Chile's Humberto Suazo from the penalty spot before Venezuela's Giancarlo Maldonaldo equalised five minutes later.

Gonzalo Jara got on the end of a Chilean free kick to put his side back in the lead with 17 minutes remaining, but Juan Arango squeezed home another equaliser seven minutes later. Venezuela pressed hard for a goal to give them the lead late on, but it was Suazo again who claimed all three points for Chile two minutes into stoppage time with a low, accurate shot.

So, Chile now find themselves level on points with third-placed Colombia who could only manage a 0-0 draw away to Ecuador. Brazil are also now feeling the heat from Uruguay, whose 6-0 home thrashing of Peru means they're just a point behind the 2002 world champions, too.

What next for Brazil, then? Ah yes - a nice trip to Santiago on September 7th to play in-form Chile. That should be nice… A day before that, the top two are in action as Argentina play host to Paraguay while Uruguay hope to catch the Brazilians by beating Colombia in a tough match in Bogota.

We'll have all the news on that in about six weeks time, but we'll be back with our next continental round-up of all the recent World Cup qualifiers in a few days time as we turn our attention to the North and Central American Zone.

Adios Venezuela: Copa America 2007 Final Review

Copa America 2007 is finally over. The Final gave us one last surprise (if surprise it be) as Brazil convincingly beat Argentina 3-0 to win the trophy for the eighth time.

Despite now winning three of the previous four tournaments, Brazil didn't enter the Final as favourites on this occasion. Some muted performances early on, including a defeat at the hands of Mexico, meant that the smart money went on Argentina.

The Albicelestes began their campaign with the sort of confident, skilful football that caught the eye at the start of the 2006 World Cup. They were the only team to win all three of their first round games in the 2007 Copa America and having qualified for the Final they could claim sixteen goals scored and only three conceded.

With players like Riquelme, Tevez, Crespo and Mascherano all on top form, Argentina looked set to win the trophy for the first time since 1993. Sadly the similarities with their 2006 World Cup campaign remained evident right to the end as their strong start ended all too soon.

Julio Baptista gave Brazil the best of starts after just four minutes when he collected Elano's long ball down the right and smashed in a fine shot past Argentinean goalkeeper Roberto Abbondanzieri.

Argentina almost equalised straight after that when Riquelme saw a left-foot strike come back off the near post but a few minutes later Doni in the Brazilian goal had to palm away a curling Riquelme shot to deny the Boca Juniors front man again.

But the game finally swung fully in Brazil's favour five minutes before half time when Ayala stretched out a leg to block a cross from Alves on the right wing and ended up poking the ball past the stranded Abbondanzieri into his own net.

The second half saw a depleted-looking Argentina lacking a little conviction in their attacking play and what did amount to any serious challenges on goal were easily dealt with by the Brazilian defence.

As Argentina opened up more and more in search of a first goal, so Brazil reverted more and more to counter-attacking play and this proved effective when Vagner Love slipped a ball through to Alves on the right side of the penalty area to make it 3-0.

And so it was that Brazil triumphed once again, proving that a slow start is not necessarily a bad thing - so long as you can build on it throughout the rest of the competition. As the old Dorothy Fields song goes, 'it's not where you start, it's where you finish' and as any fan of the Spanish national team at the World Cup will testify, success is nothing unless you can make it happen in the Final.

Copa America 2007: Semi Final Review

Written by Chris (B Squad)

As a prelude to the upcoming Copa America final, I thought I would recap the semi finals. Both matches were incredibly entertaining and well worth the price of admission. It is a bit disappointing to have a Brazil/Argentina final, only in the sense that it seemed predestined. The final is sure to be class in every way. It is just unfortunate that industry has lost out to imagination.

Brazil 2-2 Uruguay (Brazil win 5-4 on penalties)
This match was fabulous. Uruguay worked so hard, but you got the feeling it would never be enough to get over the hump. Brazil, in this game as in all the others of this competition, played lackadaisical with the occasional sprinkle of magic. Each time Brazil scored it seemed to be the end for Uruguay, but to their credit they never gave in.

Forlan was at the top of his game. The first goal was very well taken and the flick on to Abreu for the second was genius. I've never particularly liked Uruguay, but when the ball tumbled over the keeper, I jumped from my couch. It may have been a little schadenfreude, but it was mostly just the culmination of a truly exciting match. And I know Brazil should have had a few penalties calls and should never have been in the position to go to penalties. They may have had some good karma on their side because of it.

As for the shootout, Uruguay had every chance to send Brazil home and failed. Forlan delivered what could be one the worst spot kicks I have ever seen. From hero to goat seems to be his lot in life. And after so many shots off the post, Uruguay stood with one kick for victory, and it hit the post.

Now I don't agree with the way Brazil won, and I wish FIFA would address this (and I'm a Liverpool fan), but as I said, Brazil had some karma in the bank. Maybe the blackout in the middle of the match was foreshadowing for Uruguay. I do have to say that Uruguay have been incredibly poor sports about losing. Both in this competition and in the U-20 World Cup, Uruguay start fights after the final whistle. Overall, though, a very respectable tournament for them. And there is yet another final for the Brazilians.

Argentina 3-0 Mexico
This scoreline is deceiving. The match was much closer than 3-0 and Mexico was unlucky to fall in the way that they did. But football is all about finishing, and that's what separated these two sides. Mexico would have been up 2-0 in the first half but for a few inches and some white posts.

Riquelme was transcendent, despite being hacked down constantly. The free kick that resulted in the opening goal was nothing short of incredible, good finish from Heinze as well. Again in the second half, Mexico had opportunities and went begging.

Then their was the Messi wondergoal, which, for me, was the goal of the cup. He will soon be pressing to be the best player on the planet, if he isn't already. Riquelme put the icing on the cake with a very Zidanesque penalty on a soft foul call at the edge of the box. Nonetheless, considering how he has played, you'd have to say he deserved it.



(Side note: While writing this, I'm watching the '93 Copa Final, which Argentina won over Mexico thanks to a Batistuta brace. It's funny how you remember these players as great, but it's not until you see the replays years later that you appreciate how truly skilled they were.)

So on to the Final, which is destined to be filled with skill, trickery, and bit of histrionics. Brazil has the class to win, but you would have to favor Argentina. Riquelme, Tevez, Messi, and the high-scoring Mascherano (who knew), will just be too much for the Brazilians to contain.

News Catch-up

A selection of recent news stories from the world of football that we'd love to have talked about earlier but frankly didn't have the time...

Neil Desperandum

How very sad. How incredibly ignorant and pathetic.

That was my reaction to the utterances of Sheffield United manager Neil Warnock last Friday as he was interviewed on the eve of their match against West Ham. Warnock was aggrieved by the fact that West Ham were likely to avoid relegation due to a goal scored by Hayden Mullins against the Blades in their previous encounter which should not have been given and another scored recently by Bobby Zamora against Blackburn where the ball never actually crossed the line.

Such things happen in football as we all know, but because Warnock's side are now slipping dangerously close to the relegation zone that West Ham may now scramble out of, he feels West Ham don't deserve to stay up. By his reckoning, West Ham have played poorly all season as reflected in the poor number of points they've accrued (which no-one can deny), but what an insult it would be if they avoided the drop on the back of those two 'non-goals'?

He even went on to say that “everyone else will be very bitter” if the Hammers were to stay in the Premiership (by a single point) too.

Well here's a reminder for Mr. Warnock: the Premiership is played over an entire season, and if at the end of that season West Ham somehow manage to gain just enough points to stay up while Sheffield United endure months without a win, he'll have no-one to blame but his miserable old self.

It's hard to be spiteful about an individual - especially one who this season has been less irascible and outspoken than in the past - but on the basis of his comments last week it has to be said that this emotionless man deserves to be banished back to the lower leagues he languished in for so long.

Chelsea v Man U x 3

So we appear to be heading for a triple showdown between Chelsea and Manchester United, but what are we to make of it all?

If the great fixture organiser in the sky has his way, we could be seeing a European Champions League Final, an FA Cup Final and a Premiership decider all featuring the top two teams in England. Such a mouthwatering prospect... or is it?

On paper, it could be a chance to see two teams that both think they're the best thing since sliced bread battling it out in a goal-packed and somewhat fractious series of games, but do we need to see the same thing played out in triplicate?

Yes, they're both great teams that at times play to a breathtakingly high standard, but the big games are an ideal opportunity to showcase the variety and talent of as many teams as possible and to that end it's a pity we may be denied the chance to see it.

And I know what you're going to say - it's not the fault of Chelsea or Man United that they've been successful enough to get where they are - but it's got to be a fear amongst many that follow the game that this may be the start of a trend that leads to only the biggest teams battling it out for glory.

In the meantime, let's keep our fingers crossed that we at least get to see one game between the two that shows the quality they have as a sign of the best that the Premiership has to offer.

Brazil to host the 2014 World Cup... maybe...

On the eve of UEFA's announcement on who's to host the 2012 European Championships, FIFA has given notification that Colombia have now dropped out of the race to host the 2014 World Cup. This leaves Brazil as the only contenders under FIFA's continental rotation policy that dictates that the World Cup after next should be held in South America.

But before you pack your yellow and green shirt and head off for your apartment overlooking Copacabana beach, be warned: things aren't as cut and dried as they look.

The problem is that Brazil lack the wherewithal to host the World Cup. Its stadia are in desperate need of an overhaul, its transport links are feeble and the money to improve both is practically non-existent. Even if the Brazilian government could somehow stump up the money to make such wide-ranging improvements, it would meet vehement opposition from the public who feel it would be better spent on education, crime and poverty.

And yet by taking on such a huge project, Brazil could make things better for themselves. The jobs created to improve the transport systems and build nearby hotels could invigorate the local and national economy. The notoriously low attendance figures for league football would undoubtedly be boosted and who knows - maybe tomorrow's young players would want to ply their trade in their home country rather than in Europe?

Deep down, I suspect many of us would love to see the World Cup return to Brazil for the first time since 1950. It represents the spiritual and emotional aspects of the competition and the game of football itself to millions all over the world, so it seems only right that Brazil should provide it with a temporary home in seven years time. Don't be surprised, though, if sheer practicality dictates that the World Cup doesn't on this occasion return to the birthplace of Jairzinho, Rivelino and Pélé.