David Luiz Copa America mistake, Legends matches, Joachim Low’s celebrations: Paper Talk
COPA America is meant to be Brazil’s opportunity for redemption.
Dunga, and so many Selecao fans, feel the 7-1 loss to Germany on their own soil at last year’s World Cup was an aberration, and with Neymar back, normal business can resume.
David Luiz forgot that normal business doesn’t mean more defensive calamities, with the defender playing his part alongside keeper Jefferson in conceding a goal that was a stark reminder of the World Cup shellacking that shocked the world.
With just three minutes on the clock, the $90m Paris Saint-Germain defender player a risky back-pass to his keeper, who made an absolute meal of his clearance. The ball went straight to Christian Cueva, who made no mistake in opening the scoring.
Thankfully, Brazil does have Neymar fit and firing. With him in their side, they are a totally different proposition.
BRILLIANT: Neymar sets up Brazil triumph
UP FOR THE CUP: The Brazilian better than Neymar
The only thing better than Neymar’s work and Douglas Costa’s finish was the commentary. Have a listen for yourself, you’ll know what we mean ...
JOGI LOW NOT THAT IMPRESSED
Joachim Low is not just renowned as one of football’s best tacticians, but he is also one of world football’s most fashionable managers.
Still, it was a bit surprising to see Jogi bring out the nail set during Germany’s Euro qualifier over the weekend.
Their 7-0 win over Gibralter was so par for the course for the World Cup winner, he was caught filing his nails as his side notched their fourth goal home.
As far as post-goal celebrations go, that’s one we haven’t seen before.
Imagine Ange doing that ...
LEGNEDARY STUFF
It wasn’t just Harry Kewell rolling back the years in Legends’ matches overnight.
Roberto Carlos showed he hasn’t lost any of his sublime touch …
Some of Manchester United and Bayern Munich’s most famous names were also getting amongst it, in a match at Old Trafford.
Paul Scholes was right in the thick of the action in the match, a 4-2 win to the hosts featuring goals from Louis Saha, Dwight Yorke, Andy Cole and Jesper Blomqvist. Alexander Zickler and Michael Tarnat were the Bayern scorers.
Man Utd XI: Van der Sar; P. Neville, Johnsen, Stam, Irwin; Park, Scholes, Fortune; Yorke, Saha, Cole
Subs: Van der Gouw, Silvestre; Blackmore, Martin, Beardsmore, Poborsky, Thornley, Blomqvist, Ritchie, Dublin
Bayern Munich XI: Butt; Jorginho, van Buyten, R.Kovac, Pflügler; van Bommel, Breitner, N.Kovac; Paulo Sergio, Makaay, Zickler
Subs: Junghans, Kreuzer, Tarnat, Schupp, Zimmermann, Gaudino, Sternkopf, Witeczek, M. Rummenigge
GOLAZO
The Socceroos enjoyed a bye over the weekend but Asian World Cup qualifying got under way, featuring this astonishing volley from Jordan Hassan Abdel Fattah against Tajikistan in a 3-1 win from the Middle East nation.
ONCE A GOONER, ALWAYS A GOONER ... FOR SOME
Cesc Fabregas might be comfortable with his move from Arsenal to Chelsea via Barcelona, but it seems not all his former teammates are quite as forgiving.
After former midfield teammate Aleksandr Hleb greeted Sergio Busquets and Gerard Pique in the tunnel before Belarus’ Euro qualifier against Spain, he brushed Fabregas.
GREAT WEDDING PRESENT
So what exactly did Pique do with the net from the UEFA Champions League final?
El Mundo Deportivo report that it was a wedding present for a friend who celebrated over the ewekend.
Three points in Slovenia was great news for Roy Hodgson, but he wasn’t happy with the treatment the locals dished out to his team.
“There were one or two players who took nasty knocks,’ Hodgson told Sky Sports News.
“We’ve got a suspected jaw problem with Fabian Delph which we’re looking into because he took an elbow.
“Wayne took a very nasty elbow and I thought it was quite a nasty foul on Raheem Sterling.
“The frustration got to the Slovenian players a little bit towards the end but I thought our players showed enormous discipline.
“Not one of those players react and Raheem played on after taking a nasty kick and prevented us from having to play with 10 men.”
ENJOYING HIMSELF ... A BIT TOO MUCH
Jack Grealish is one of the EPL’s next big things, but the Aston Villa teen is certainly enjoying some down time in his off-season in a trip to Tenerife.