One of my favourite interviews ever. Brazil legend and World Cup winning captain Carlos Alberto is so candid with his opinions on the beautiful game. From Messi and Ronaldo, to Neymar and the current Brazil squad, he didn’t hold back with his thoughts. It was a dream to get to speak to him. Another legend gone.
http://talksport.com/radio/extra-time/130425/carlos-alberto-brazils-world-cup-chances-their-premier-league-stars-and-196344
La Liga Lounge returns with a Brazilian blend, dedicating the entire show to one man…Neymar!
The most talked about transfer in football over the last two seasons is finally done. Neymar joins Barcelona from Santos and we look at how this deal could work out.
Will Neymar complement Messi or will he try to compete with him? Can these two superstars co-exist? Or are there too many cooks in the Camp Nou kitchen?
Neymar is also slight and doesn’t carry too much weight. Can he bulk up and also change his style of football to adapt playing in Europe? Will he be a huge success like Ronaldinho or will he end up a high-profile flop? Remember Keirrison?
We dissect this subject like a frog and are also joined by Brazil legend and 1970’s World Cup winner and captain Carlos Alberto. The scorer of the greatest goal ever seen in the World Cup doesn’t hold back when talking about Brazil’s current football starlet.
Sit back. Relax. Grab a chair in the lounge. It’s happy hour. It’s a special. It’s “The One with Neymar to Barcelona.”
There are some moments in life when you feel exceptionally lucky. You want to freeze time in a bottle. You never want the moment to end. Talking to Brazil, Santos and New York Cosmos legend Carlos Alberto Torres was exactly that moment for me.
The 1970 World Cup Final goal he scored versus Italy is undoubtedly the greatest we’ve ever seen. It was a stunning team effort that showcased why we’ve all loved watching Brazil in the World Cup. The goal also solidified Carlos Alberto’s name in football’s history books and is a moment he admits changed his life forever.
A true gentlemen of the game, Carlos is proud to have returned to his beloved New York Cosmos as an Ambassador. Together with other legends of the game like his best friend Pele, Franz Beckenbauer and Giorgio Chinaglia, they set the Big Apple on fire, put the sport on the map in the United States and galvanized a nation to fall in love with football.
Talking to him about that historical final, the 1982 Brazil World Cup team, Pele, Maradona, Messi, Neymar and more felt like all the Christmas mornings I’ve ever had rolled-up into one. He unwrapped his thoughts and provided honest opinions like a gift that kept on giving.
I hope you enjoy listening to one of football’s legends as much as I enjoyed talking to him.
http://www.talksport.co.uk/radio/extra-time/130425/carlos-alberto-brazils-world-cup-chances-their-premier-league-stars-and-196344
Football. Soccer. Call it what you want. It’s just like being down the pub with your mates.
Lob us @soccerdiva.
How are you enjoying the 2010 World Cup from South Africa? Has it lived up to your expectations? Is your country performing as you believed it would? What is the biggest story for you so far? How do you feel about the vuvuzela?
I can personally remember far more exciting group stages at the World Cup. There were definitely some thrilling finishes towards the end, but overall, that edge-of-your-seat type action was lacking tremendously for me. And I also have a problem with the weather and how cold it always looks. Seeing Casillas wearing a scarf during the World Cup is just wrong. I can respect the tournament being held in South Africa, but ultimately, the World Cup always smacks of summer and unfortunately, I’m not feeling the sizzle at all this time around.
The other problem with the tournament is the lack of attendance in the group stages. Most of the stadiums were not full and if it wasn’t for the vuvuzela, would there have been an atmosphere in some of the early games at all? Sure everyone has complained about the vuvuzela, but if you ask me, I think it saved the blushes of FIFA by filling the seats with sound as opposed to their ability to sell the tickets and fill the seats with warm bodies.
I’m also a little bored with Brazil and Argentina being so dominant again. Sure they are playing beautiful football and I would prefer to see Argentina win it all over Brazil. I know that is probably weird coming from a Brit and deep down I’m still hoping this is the year someone unpredictable wins the whole enchilada. But if we’re running with a favourite, I hope it’s Argentina who makes it to the final and I have this silly optimism they will meet England and we will payback Maradona for the Hand of God once and for all!
The truth is anything can happen. Who would have predicted France’s public implosion? And what about Italy’s collapse? It was a total embarrassment as they tried to defend their title. I feel bad for their supporters. We feel your pain. And speaking of pain, some of the refereeing has been hellacious. Some refs have made terrible decisions that would inspire any government in any country across our universe! Fans get ripped enough at it is in life and they certainly don’t want some amateur ref from Mali screwing them over at the World Cup! Come on referees! Sort it out FIFA.
There have been some good goals and perhaps a couple of great goals. We’ve seen very few sexy free-kicks converted and I’m not sure if there is a new star that has emerged just yet for us all to be salivating over. And the already established stars like Ronaldo, Rooney and Messi haven’t really lit it up yet have they? Messi’s had some pretty play overall, but we’ve seen no individual magic just yet and I think that’s what this World Cup is lacking.
Hopefully the last 16 will make me eat all of my above mentioned words. Hopefully the stars will come out and shine bright because the story so far is…Slovakia and Uruguay?
Are you ready for the British Soccer Diva World Cup competition?
Last time around Fabio Cannavaro had the honour of lifting the World Cup for his beloved Italy. Fast forward four years and we excitedly find ourselves closer to another mouth-watering tournament.
The passion, the glory, the unpredictability and despair make-up some of the greatest sporting memories of our lifetime. Villains and heroes are waiting to be crowned. Are you ready? I can’t take the wait much longer.
Can England really do it? Will Brazil stand in everyone’s way again? How about the Italians and their incredible ability to do well in big tournaments? Is this Holland’s time? What about the reliable Germans? Are the U.S.A. ready to cause a huge upset? Will an Asian country rise and take it all? Can an African nation win the World Cup? Is it possible that we could see a Messi vs Ronaldo final, or will Rooney get his revenge on the winker? I can’t stand it.
This is a competition that unites the world and the world could sure use a month off this summer! We can’t wait until the economy, the politics and the daily grind of life comes to an incredible halt. We are ready for what is undoubtedly the most anticipated sporting event in the universe. How many times have we all played out scoring the winning goal for our country in the World Cup? Even girls do that boys!
When you post your comments to this story, please also include the 2 teams you think will qualify from each group to the knockout stages. Make it clear who you think will finish 1st and 2nd. You get 2 points for the top team and 1 point for the group runner-up. We’d also like for you to pick a “dark horse” team. You only get one choice so make it a good one. If your “dark horse” team makes it, you get a bonus 3 points. And finally, to make this puppy even more fun, we’d like you to pick the two teams you think will make it to the final. You will get 5 points for each team. Once we move to the knockout phase, we will then introduce another round of picks to the competition.
The world waits. Fans of football live in hope. Boyhood dreams are waiting to be fulfilled. Who is your money on..?
Chelsea have sacked Phil Scolari as their manager. After only seven months in the job, the big Brazlian is out and I for one am not surprised. This time, Roman Abramovich has got it right. Managing in the Premier League is very different to being an international manager. The job comes with such intense pressure and the daily grind is tough, tough, tough, even for a coach from Brazil. I laughed when Scolari said in a press conference, “you think this is pressure. No this is not pressure. This is such a small country, there is no pressure. Brazil is pressure.” Really Phil?
I was never enthused when Chelsea announced him as their new manager. They were much better off keeping Avram Grant who was at least building on what Jose Mourinho had done. But the owner chose to go with a big name and supposedly big personality. It failed miserably and towards the end, Scolari lost the owner, the fans and even the dressing room. When players start to complain about training methods and a lack of intensity, you know everything is about to implode. Scolari deserved the sack.
The first signs of trouble were when Liverpool ended their ridiculous run of games unbeaten at Stamford Bridge. Under Mourinho and even Avram Grant, you always had a feeling Chelsea could win a game even if they were a goal down. But that fire and drive was gone. The bravado was no more. He also lost at home to an under-achieving Arsenal team. And to be frank, Manchester United humiliated Chelsea at Old Trafford. He was unable to inspire his team to beat any of the elite four in the Premier League.
How much of Chelsea’s problems this season are related to Steve Clarke going to West Ham? He was a huge influence in the dressing room and on the training pitch. The players trusted him. You can never under estimate the value of an assistant coach built like Clarke. Wouldn’t it be interesting if Chelsea tried to prize Clarke and Zola from West Ham? Anything is possible in today’s game. Zola is unproven as a manager, but he is a Chelsea legend and together with Clarke, they could be the magic ingredient that leads the Blues back to their confident, arrogant ways.
For now, this might be a good thing for Chelsea. Anyone coming in as manager can only have a positive effect. Who’d have thought the morale would be so low under Scolar? The so-called “Mr.Motivator” didn’t turn out to be the Messiah they had all hoped for. And he never looked the part of being Chelsea manager did he? Arsene Wenger, Sir Alex Ferguson and Rafa Benitez always wear a suit when their team is playing. There is the odd occasion you’ll find them in a tracksuit, but that is rare. Jose Mourinho always looked the part as well. I was always taught that if you have been given the responsibility in an important role in your career, you should always look the part. And for a team that can boast to be located in one of London’s poshest areas, their manager didn’t present himself that way. He didn’t seem dressed for success from the beginning, and just like his tactics, Scolari always looked a mess. Down the King’s Road, that’s enough to give anyone the boot…