Apparently Del Amitri did the theme song for Scotland's 1998 World Cup team. YouTube embedding has been disabled by their label (yeah, because you wouldn't want to let their millions of fans talk about it, right?), but you can watch it here (with a special guest appearance by Colin Hendry's mullet!

Click to continue reading...

Copa Sudamericana reached the semifinals, two Brazilian clubs had the chance to be in the final 4. However, only Fluminense did so. Flu visited Universidad de Chile and one more time relied on Fred. The ex-Lyon seems to be playing for all the matches he did nothing since the beginning of the year.

Click to continue reading...

Sorin played yesterday his last match as a professional footballer. And the stage for the farewell party could be no other place than the Mineirao, in Belo Horizonte. And the teams on the field could be no different than Argentinos Juniors, club where the left-back started his career, and Cruzeiro, club for whom he professes all his love.

Click to continue reading...

With much of the qualification process almost complete and South Africa 2010 looming large, it would make sense to assess some of the world's best custodians who will be present during the World Cup. Goalkeepers such as Petr Cech will be excluded from the discussion since their nation failed to qualify for next summer's big event.

Click to continue reading...

Adriano has been doing really well since returning to Brazil and getting his head back together. So well, in fact, that people are even using his image on their products. Unfortunately, those products are drugs.

From the Corriere dello Sport:

Now that Adriano is back in Rio de Janeiro and is the top scorer in the Brazilian championship with Flamengo, he's so popular that his picture is even selling packets of drugs.

Click to continue reading...

"Devastated, yeah. Devastated. But there was nothing I could do about it...�

Xabi said a long time ago that he wanted another chapter in his career and finally he got it and his team-mates and the coaches couldn't stand in his way. We just have to say thanks and move forward without him.

Click to continue reading...

"Devastated, yeah. Devastated. But there was nothing I could do about it...�

Xabi said a long time ago that he wanted another chapter in his career and finally he got it and his team-mates and the coaches couldn't stand in his way. We just have to say thanks and move forward without him.

Click to continue reading...

The same way the U20 World Cup generated some analysis, the failure of the U17 deserves even more talk. First of all, being eliminated in group that had Mexico, Switzerland and Japan is a shame. There is simply no excuse.

This pathetic elimination was so bad that no projections for the future can be made.

Click to continue reading...

Time is short today, so the weekly stadium spotlight series takes a brief look at a stadium that has a considerable transformation planned for it.

In May, the twelve host cities for the 2014 World Cup finals in Brazil were announced. One of the winning bids was Fortaleza, the state capital of Ceará in Northeastern Brazil.

Click to continue reading...

This is slightly late in the game, as it's a preview for the Norwegian 2009 Tippeligaen. The same Tippeligaen season which ended on Sunday. (Rosenborg are celebrating their 15th title in 17 years while Norway of off celebrating parity.) But this little season preview has popped up and it bears a striking resemblance to the [. Click to continue reading...

Fabio Capello insists England's trip to Qatar to face Brazil in a lucrative friendly next month is a worthwhile exercise. The English Football Association have come under fire for agreeing to the fixture in the middle of a hectic period of Premier League and European action. Stars like Wayne Rooney, John Terry . Click to continue reading...

The 33rd round of Brasileirao put on the top Palmeiras and Sao Paulo, creator (Muricy Ramalho) versus creation (Sao Paulo). Palmeiras leads because of the goal difference, three more than Sao Paulo.

On the weekend, Palmeiras played the derby against Corinthians whereas Sao Paulo played Barueri.

Click to continue reading...

Palmeiras-Corinthians will forever always remind us of that louco Brazilian film, Romeo and Juliet Get Married where the characters come from a family of opposing hardcore supporters. They would've loved result in yesterday's 2-2 draw!

Click to continue reading...

This week sees the return of our former king, our former saviour, Ricardo Izecson dos Santos Leite otherwise known as Kaka. Little was known about the boy wonder from Brazil when Milan signed him back in 2003. But he soon made himself known with some spectacular performances in the Champions League and that wonder goal [. Click to continue reading...

They're such an adorable family so it makes us sad to learn that Ronaldo has filed a lawsuit against his former wife (and probably the best one she was a futebolista after all), Milene Domingues. The suit alleges that his oldest son, Ronald has been 'inadequately taken care of' under her and Ronaldo is also demanding a review of the custody.

Click to continue reading...

Sir Alex Ferguson has always enjoyed a good moan. Especially when it comes to England friendlies. So it wasn't a huge surprise to hear him complain about England's upcoming game vs Brazil in Doha, Qatar on November 14th.

Ferguson doesn't mention the Brazil game specifcially. But he may as well have.

Click to continue reading...

Until the 32nd started, things looked dull for Palmeiras. There was enormous pressure and the fear that the team had just lost the Brasileiro. But after the last mid-week round of Brasileirao, things changed again. Palmeiras won and all direct rivals, but one, lost precious points. With that, the hopes of Palmeiras fans have been renewed.

Click to continue reading...

This morning FIFA confirmed the match referees who will be in charge of the CONCACAF/CONMEBOL playoff. Alberto Undiano Mallenco, who is from Spain, will direct the first leg. He was the match referee for the 2007 U-20 World Cup final, the most recent Real Madrid-Barcelona match, and a number of UEFA Champions League matches. Click to continue reading...

Since 1958 Pelé had become known as the best player in the world, and there were great expectations to the Brazilian national team as the World Cup returned to South America, to Chile specifically.It was sadly one of the most vile tournaments in terms of fair play and bad refereeing, with some matches that will only go over to history for their violence, notably Yugoslavia-USSR and Chile-Italy. Click to continue reading...

Henrik Larsson and a teary-eyed farewell. Dinamo Zagreb get a heavy sentence from UEFA. (Dinamo Zagreb Offside) Where are the Carling Cup Cinderellas? (Fanhouse UK) The problems at Real start deep within. (SoccerLens) Sport.co.uk lists ten poor transfers. (Sport) UF gives their take demolishes that list. Click to continue reading...

It's a little-known fact that Hulk, star of Portugal and selected to the Brazilian national team for the first time yesterday, once played for Japanese team Consadole Sapporo. Supporters made a banner for Hulk in his Japanese and Brazilian kit.

Photo credit: Sasakei on Flickr, via the Pitch Invasion Photo Pool.

Click to continue reading...

Remember a few years ago how everyone --myself included-- was all OMFG when "How Soccer Explains The World Came Out"? I was all tits-over-tail about and then my man Tom Fina, The Angriest Man in Metroland™, hit me with the heat one night that "Frank Foer is just Kuper light".
Intrigued, I had to find out who this Simon Kuper was so I read his engrossing "Soccer Against the Enemy" and found myself swiftly agreeing with Fina. Click to continue reading...

Just a quick note to say that FIFA's monthly women's wrap is up here, it includes the latest transfer goss from the WPS (Sky Blue FC seem to have done VERY well for themselves), Marta's stint back in her home country of Brazil which culimated in a 9-0 win in the championship final. Yep, 9-0. Short wrap on European leagues and the W-League gets a mention. Click to continue reading...

A measly six days ago, Bobo Vieri a man without a club since he terminated his deal with Atalanta because fans "expected too much from him" announced his retirement by unequivocally stating:

"I don't want to play anymore and I'm not even tempted to play abroad."

And now, just SIX DAYS LATER he's about to sign with Brazilian minnows Botafogo.

Click to continue reading...

The ex- Brazil international shows what he really needs to recover from injuries. One of the most pathetic moments of his career. More than taking care of your socks when France is kicking out of the World Cup:

Click to continue reading...

So Dopey officially called up 24 homensfor the selecao's upcoming friendly matches next month. Ooooh yes, we mean that exciting one against England in Qatar on the 14th and the other one against Oman in Muscat.

Click to continue reading...

Marseille Offside gives us a clip of the post-PSG-Marseille cancellation mayhem with someone being plowed by a car. Rafa's still not out of the doghouse. (Football 365) To love and hate Diego Maradona. (Futfanatico) The world's worst tournament kicks off. (La Liga Loca) Brazil should kick back to the old model. Click to continue reading...

FC Porto striker Hulk has earned his first ever call-up to the Brazilian national team. Brazilian manager Dunga gave the striker a call-up for next month's friendlies against England and Oman.

Hulk will be lining up against some of Brazil's brightest stars when he makes his international debut, as his fellow strikers will be Manchester City's Robinho, Villareal's Nilmar, and Confederations Cup sensation Luis Fabiano of Sevilla.

Click to continue reading...

Brazil coach Dunga has named his squad for the November's friendlies against England and Oman. Of note is that FC Porto striker Hulk , fellow striker Carlos Eduardo of TSG 1899 Hoffenheim and Michel Bastos of Olympique Lyon are included in the squad and could possibly make their international debuts. Click to continue reading...

Flamengo v Fluminense, Brazil

Over the coming weeks we'll be giving you the run down on the World's most passionate and fiercest rivalry in football. We start our list with two Brazilian giants.

History
Known as ‘Fla-Flu' this is Brazil's most passionate rivalry, dating back to 1911 when 9 Fluminense players quit the club to form Flamengo, which at the time was just a rowing club, any one for Pimms old boy?

Click to continue reading...

We got another edition of World Cup Buzz Top 5. This time we're going to breakdown the 5 best national team coaches right now. These 5 men have led their charges to surprise heights in qualifying for the 2010 World Cup or in some cases right on the door step of reserving their place in South Africa.

Click to continue reading...

.... Lots of it. After looking like the virtual champion of Campeonato Brasileiro, Palmeiras lost points and the chances of confirming the title. And with that, 4 clubs have now the chance of taking the title away from the side headed by Muricy Ramalho. In the 31st round of Brasileiro, Atletico-MG, Inter, Sao Paulo and Flamengo won their matches and are just a few step away from jumping to first (something that can happen in the next round).

Click to continue reading...

Both Costa Rica and Uruguay are making their arrangements for the World Cup playoff next month and scrambling to find out as much about the opponent as possible. René Simões is in Brazil right now, but he made a side trip to Montevideo with his head trainer to reserve training and living accommodations and do some additional scouting. Click to continue reading...

Hey guys, I'm back from the dead. Due to� commitments� with school I haven't had time to update. However, I'll be hard at work with a new format to the posts. That includes translating and posting articles from Globoesporte, Futebol Uol Esporte, and of course the club's official website. I think this would be the best way to keep others up to date on the workings of the club. Click to continue reading...

The two Brazilian clubs still in the Copa Sudamericana did not start well the quarter-finals of Copa Sudamericana. Botafogo and Fluminense will have a lot of work if they plan to advance to the semis. Botafogo visited Cerro Porteno in Paraguay and lost 2-1. Reinaldo scored for Bota, but if the club from Rio wants to advance, it must win at Maracana.

Click to continue reading...