Blog Profile / Tim Vickery
| URL : | http://www.bbc.co.uk/blogs/timvickery/ | |
|---|---|---|
| Filed Under: | Sports / Football | |
| Posts on Regator: | 41 | |
| Posts / Week: | 0.4 | |
| Archived Since: | July 7, 2011 | |
Blog Post Archive
Palmeiras appeal could decide club's destiny
All's fair in love, war and relegation battles - or Palmeiras seem to think so.
The Sao Paulo giants, the team of the city's Italian community, are in trouble. Back in July they won the Brazilian Cup, guaranteeing a place in next year's...Show More Summary
Brazil look on target without a number nine
"I was too busy scoring goals to learn how to play football," says Dario, a legendary figure in Brazilian football from the 1960s and 70s. A charismatic character, Dario invents phrases as easily as he used to put the ball in the net. Show More Summary
Venezuela profit without kicking a ball
A gap has opened up as South America's World Cup qualification campaign reaches the halfway stage. Victories on Friday for Argentina, Colombia and Ecuador mean that three teams have pulled away from the pack.
But the round had another winner, who did not even take the field on Friday. Show More Summary
Oscar - a midfielder in the full sense of the word
Little more than a month into the season, new signing Oscar is already a Stamford Bridge sensation.
I must confess that I took a bit longer to be won over by him - before making up for lost time by coming to the conclusion that he could...Show More Summary
Higher hopes for South America's World Cup players
World Cup qualification in Europe has a few good games along with plenty of mismatches. In South America, meanwhile, every game in the long campaign is resonant with rivalry and relevance.
The best development in the history of the continent's...Show More Summary
Beaten Uruguay have no time to sulk
In the context of a league campaign, a resounding win or a heavy defeat never ends at the final whistle. More important than the points won or lost can be the team's reaction. Can it rally in the face of adversity, or guard against excessive...Show More Summary
Aguero & Messi - Argentina's perfect partners
Manchester City coach Roberto Mancini was frustrated when his striker Sergio Aguero was called up by Argentina for a friendly against Germany two weeks ago.
And he is exasperated to see Aguero's name in his country's squad for the coming...Show More Summary
Neymar must leave comfort zone to fulfil promise
On Wednesday Neymar helped Brazil to a morale-boosting 3-0 win away to Sweden. The next evening he was back in action on the other side of the Atlantic, in Florianopolis in the south of Brazil, where he played the starring role as Santos...Show More Summary
Brazil's Menezes under pressure after Olympic defeat
In the culture of Brazilian football there are few crimes more serious than losing in a final.
The celebrations have been planned and the champagne is on ice. Then, when things go wrong, everyone sees it and the humiliation is complete...Show More Summary
How Olympic football affects the World Cup
Olympic football may not be the main event of the Olympic Games but those teams taking part have an excellent opportunity to try things out as they prepare for the next World Cup.
This has rarely been clearer than at Old Trafford onShow More Summary
South Americans ready to stop Spanish stroll
Spain's win at Euro 2012 - their third consecutive major tournament win - has sparked off all kinds of comparisons in the bar room debate over the best international team of all time.
Of course, such conversations have a strong subjective...Show More Summary
Spain success built on clear football identity
With a goal scrambled in from a set piece, Brazil beat Spain 1-0 in the final of the 2003 Under-17 World Cup in Finland. Spain, though, played most of the football.
“We were the Brazilians today,” said their coach Juan Santiesteban,Show More Summary
Argentine title race is a sprint, relegation a marathon
In the rollercoaster of tournament football it took Russia little more than a week to move from possible winners to definite failures at Euro 2012. Spare a thought, then, for Argentine club Tigre who could move to either extreme in the...Show More Summary
Euro 2012 - a World Cup without Brazil and Argentina?
A Rio newspaper on Sunday asserted that the European Championship is a World Cup without Brazil and Argentina. It is an expression used on both sides of the Atlantic - but that does not make it fair.
European teams have disputed the last two World Cup finals but the continent also provides some of the dullest teams in the tournament. Show More Summary
Brazil feels hand of history upon it
From Roberto Carlos and Juan Sebastian Veron, through Roque Santa Cruz, Ronaldinho and Kaka, to Lionel Messi (with Argentina's Under-20s) and Sergio Aguero, to the likes of Neymar today, the biggest privilege South American football has given me is a chance to catch the early steps of players on the way to global stardom. Show More Summary
A top league with both quality and unpredictability
Even the most enthusiastic inhabitant of the Matthew Harding Stand might be reluctant to argue that Chelsea are the best team in Europe. But they dug deep, rode their luck, came up big at key moments and went home with the trophy. And...Show More Summary
Lords of the dance
Rashidi Yekini has died at a tragically early age, but in his all-too-brief time on earth he certainly left his mark. He will be remembered all over the globe not just for scoring Nigeria's first ever World Cup goal (against Bulgaria...Show More Summary
How the away goals rule counts double in South America
Imagine if Didier Drogba had missed that chance against Barcelona last week at the end of the first half.
It was Chelsea's only shot on target in the match. Had it not gone in, would their approach in the second half have been bolder?
I am inclined to doubt it. Show More Summary
Santos continue to punch above their weight
If the Titanic was too big to sink, then Santos FC would be too small to shake the world - flawed logic on both counts.
On 14 April, 1912 - the very day the Titanic hit an iceberg which caused it to sink - Santos were founded, beginning...Show More Summary
Benfica's Brazilian import-export connection
If they were unable to do it in front of their own fans, can Benfica manage to beat Chelsea at Stamford Bridge this Wednesday?
Some might make the point that they were hardly at home last week.
The Lisbon giants kicked off without aShow More Summary