The Weakest Brazil at the World Cup Ever?

Isn't this the weakest Brazil team in the history of WC? Surely Fabiano scored 3 goals but he aint in top 8 strikers in the world. Fabiano is behind so many strikers including CR9, Messi, Rooney, Torres, David Villa, Tevez, Higguain and Drogba. That is already the top eight before I add more like Eto'o and Ibracadabra. 

Brazil have world cup pedigree that helps them get over world cup woes. When you ask word cup stalwarts about the best Brazillian team ever they will tell you of the Brazil of 82 having among others Vava, Socrates, Zico, Junior and Careca. When Italy's Paulo Rossi eliminated them in the quartersBrazil were the better ... See Moreside and hit the frame thrice despite losing 3-2. (Sorry not Vava that was during Garrincha (the little bird's time in the 60s)).

In 86 they took the same team and again failed short.

When they went 24years without the trophy in 94 they realised that taking stars to the world cup was not the answer to winning the cup. Players like Rai were left out while lesser knowns like Dunga where drafted into the tean FFWD 1 month later they ended a 2 decade long wait for the WC.

In 98 & 06 when they were heavily favoured to win the thing, they had star power more than a tean to win then the tourney. In 98 it was Romario, Edmundo the Animal, a young Ronaldo, Denilson the most exensive player on earth and Roberto Carlos. In 06 it was Ronaldo, Ronaldinho, Kaka, Rivaldo, Adriano, et all. On both campaigns Brazil had the star names but never the teams and never won the world cups. Now Dunga seems to have a team and who knows?

But isn't it the weakest ever? Philosophically, you could argue that their weakest teams have always been when they have taken stars ahead of a functional team. This time they ve dropoed Ronaldinho, Pato and Adriano, who knows?

I am not saying they will win jack. Just admit if they are the weakest Brazilian team ever.

Ooops I forgot that they lost to a determined Hoalland team and they lack discipline too, two red cards in one tournament for Brazil? That should be a first!

The Vuvuzela and the Controversy

What's plastic, a metre long, brightly coloured and sounds like an elephant? It's the vuvuzela, the noise-making trumpet of South African football fans, and it's come to symbolise the sport in the country.

Forget about the contentious calls on the soccer pitch. It’s the fracas off the field that’s causing the most headaches.

The vuvuzela, the infamous plastic trumpet that makes a deafening sound variously compared to a herd of charging elephants or a hive of angry bees, has become a symbol of the first-ever World Cup in Africa – even though it has spurred an online rebellion from armchair fans around the globe.

But Sepp Blatter, the head of soccer’s governing body, had this to tweet Monday to those who want the instrument banned: “I have always said that Africa has a different rhythm, a different sound. I don’t see banning the music traditions of fans in their own country.”

During the 2010 FIFA World Cup, Hyundai and a local South African advertising agency called Jupiter Drawing Room created the largest working vuvuzela in the world — 114 feet (35 m) long — on an unfinished flyover road in Cape Town. The vuvuzela is powered by several air horns attached at the "mouthpiece" end, and it will be blown at the beginning of each of the World Cup matches.

Its a pity that the vuvuzela is being fought hard by so many people who are now feeling self-righteous about it that it is too noise and all that. It is only because the Vuvuzela is an African toy which is becoming a fad and many people are not happy to see somethign African being such a hit.

Vuvuzela is now a huge hit on twitter and during the World Cup posting have at times flooded twietter beyond capacity and largely due to the debate about the vuvuzela. Some sports like the NCAA in America has already banned it but the vuvuzela is going places.

In many countries people are buying it and tooting it. Tweeting about it is seen as cool and below are my two favourite vuvuzela tweets:

1. The new Linkin Park song is called CALA BOCA GALVAO. This song will have special
appearance by Lady Gaga dressed as a Vuvuzela.

2. BP reveals it will bring oil to surface ship via huge, 5k foot #vuvuzela - annoyingly toots its own horn.

After the Confederations Cup FIFA received complaints from multiple European broadcasters who wanted it banned for the 2010 FIFA World Cup because the sound drowns out the commentators. Prior to the event Netherlands coach Bert van Marwijk and Spanish midfielder Xabi Alonso also called for a ban, the latter saying the horns make it hard for players to communicate and concentrate while adding nothing to the atmosphere

During the world cup, many competitors have criticised and complained about the noise caused by the vuvuzela horns, including France's Patrice Evra who blamed the horns for the team's poor performance. He also claimed that the sound of the vuvuzelas away from the stadiums hampered the ability of the players to get their rest. Other critics include Lionel Messi who complained that the sound of the vuvuzelas hampered communication among players on the pitch, and broadcasting companies, who complained that commentators' voices were being drowned out by the sound. Portugal's Cristiano Ronaldo went on record to state that the sound of the vuvuzelas disturbed the teams' concentration.

However other commentators have defended the vuvuzela as being an integral and unique part of South African football culture and say it adds to the atmosphere of the game. BBC sports commentator Farayi Mungazi said the sound of the horn was the "recognised sound of football in South Africa" and is "absolutely essential for an authentic South African footballing experience". He also said there was no point in taking the world cup to Africa and then "trying to give it a European feel". The Daily Telegraph's chief sports reporter Paul Kelso described critics of the vuvuzela as 'killjoys' and said they should "stop moaning".