http://blogs.independent.co.uk| Blogs from the Independent newspaper - news, views and features from the world's most free-thinking newspaper| Tue, 18 Jun 2013 04:00:37 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.9.2| en hourly 1 http://blogs.independent.co.uk/2013/06/14/end-of-the-beginning-confederations-cup-an-important-world-cup-yardstick-for-brazil/ http://blogs.independent.co.uk/2013/06/14/end-of-the-beginning-confederations-cup-an-important-world-cup-yardstick-for-brazil/#comments Fri, 14 Jun 2013 14:58:36 +0000 James Young http://blogs.independent.co.uk/?p=35585 With apologies to Donna Summer, this time we know it’s (almost) for real. At least for Brazil. ]]> http://blogs.independent.co.uk/2013/06/14/end-of-the-beginning-confederations-cup-an-important-world-cup-yardstick-for-brazil/feed/ 0 http://blogs.independent.co.uk/2013/05/24/new-day-slowly-rising-as-brasileirao-gets-underway-brazilian-football-stumbles-rather-than-leaps-into-the-future/ http://blogs.independent.co.uk/2013/05/24/new-day-slowly-rising-as-brasileirao-gets-underway-brazilian-football-stumbles-rather-than-leaps-into-the-future/#comments Fri, 24 May 2013 15:31:51 +0000 James Young http://blogs.independent.co.uk/?p=35188 The average Serie A crowd last year was 13,000 - comparable to Australia’s A-League.]]> http://blogs.independent.co.uk/2013/05/24/new-day-slowly-rising-as-brasileirao-gets-underway-brazilian-football-stumbles-rather-than-leaps-into-the-future/feed/ 0 http://blogs.independent.co.uk/2013/05/15/the-ghost-at-the-feast-luiz-felipe-scolari-hopes-that-dropping-ronaldinho-for-the-confederations-cup-wont-come-back-to-haunt-brazil/ http://blogs.independent.co.uk/2013/05/15/the-ghost-at-the-feast-luiz-felipe-scolari-hopes-that-dropping-ronaldinho-for-the-confederations-cup-wont-come-back-to-haunt-brazil/#comments Wed, 15 May 2013 12:54:24 +0000 James Young http://blogs.independent.co.uk/?p=34931 There was no place for Kaká, Alexandre Pato of Corinthians, Chelsea’s Ramires, and, most perplexingly of all, Ronaldinho Gáucho]]> http://blogs.independent.co.uk/2013/05/15/the-ghost-at-the-feast-luiz-felipe-scolari-hopes-that-dropping-ronaldinho-for-the-confederations-cup-wont-come-back-to-haunt-brazil/feed/ 2 http://blogs.independent.co.uk/2013/04/26/the-feel-good-factor-in-belo-horizonte-may-not-extend-to-the-brazil-national-team/ http://blogs.independent.co.uk/2013/04/26/the-feel-good-factor-in-belo-horizonte-may-not-extend-to-the-brazil-national-team/#comments Fri, 26 Apr 2013 14:58:31 +0000 James Young http://blogs.independent.co.uk/?p=34490 Rio de Janeiro? As stale as yesterday’s päo de queijo. São Paulo? As cutting edge as a mid-nineties Now That’s What I Call Music CD. These days, the footballing place to be in Brazil is Belo Horizonte.]]> http://blogs.independent.co.uk/2013/04/26/the-feel-good-factor-in-belo-horizonte-may-not-extend-to-the-brazil-national-team/feed/ 2 http://blogs.independent.co.uk/2013/04/11/zero-dark-thirteen-brazilian-football-wallows-in-the-mire-of-corruption/ http://blogs.independent.co.uk/2013/04/11/zero-dark-thirteen-brazilian-football-wallows-in-the-mire-of-corruption/#comments Thu, 11 Apr 2013 16:59:44 +0000 James Young http://blogs.independent.co.uk/?p=34091 If the 2014 World Cup is to signal the arrival of Brazilian football’s brave new world, a desperately needed fresh start for the game in a country where on-field majesty is usually matched by administrative skulduggery, it can’t come soon enough.]]> http://blogs.independent.co.uk/2013/04/11/zero-dark-thirteen-brazilian-football-wallows-in-the-mire-of-corruption/feed/ 3 http://blogs.independent.co.uk/2013/03/19/north-east-rising-%e2%80%93-why-football-in-brazil%e2%80%99s-poorest-region-may-be-on-the-up/ http://blogs.independent.co.uk/2013/03/19/north-east-rising-%e2%80%93-why-football-in-brazil%e2%80%99s-poorest-region-may-be-on-the-up/#comments Tue, 19 Mar 2013 15:05:38 +0000 James Young http://blogs.independent.co.uk/?p=33480 The nine state nordeste region, home to around 53 million people, is the wrong side of Brazil`s footballing tracks, a world away from the wealth and glamour of the big Rio de Janeiro and São Paulo club.]]> http://blogs.independent.co.uk/2013/03/19/north-east-rising-%e2%80%93-why-football-in-brazil%e2%80%99s-poorest-region-may-be-on-the-up/feed/ 8 http://blogs.independent.co.uk/2013/03/01/cup-of-sorrows-tragedy-overshadows-this-years-libertadores/ http://blogs.independent.co.uk/2013/03/01/cup-of-sorrows-tragedy-overshadows-this-years-libertadores/#comments Fri, 01 Mar 2013 17:50:50 +0000 James Young http://blogs.independent.co.uk/?p=32928 The Pacaembu terraces, usually packed with swaying hordes of Corinthians’ famously zealous fans, lay grey and silent during Wednesday’s Libertadores game against Millonarios of Colombia.]]> http://blogs.independent.co.uk/2013/03/01/cup-of-sorrows-tragedy-overshadows-this-years-libertadores/feed/ 4 http://blogs.independent.co.uk/2013/02/12/survival-of-the-fittest-%e2%80%93-a-libertadores-preview/ http://blogs.independent.co.uk/2013/02/12/survival-of-the-fittest-%e2%80%93-a-libertadores-preview/#comments Tue, 12 Feb 2013 14:01:47 +0000 James Young http://blogs.independent.co.uk/?p=32475 The group phase of South America’s juiciest footballing carrot, the Copa Libertadores, gets underway tonight at the Parque Central stadium in Montevideo.]]> http://blogs.independent.co.uk/2013/02/12/survival-of-the-fittest-%e2%80%93-a-libertadores-preview/feed/ 2 http://blogs.independent.co.uk/2013/02/06/brazil-are-on-a-steep-learning-curve-and-england-represents-a-real-challenge/ http://blogs.independent.co.uk/2013/02/06/brazil-are-on-a-steep-learning-curve-and-england-represents-a-real-challenge/#comments Wed, 06 Feb 2013 11:31:11 +0000 James Young http://blogs.independent.co.uk/?p=32304 A new manager, a famous stadium, proper opposition, and the World Cup coming up fast on the horizon? For Brazil, 2014 starts now.]]> http://blogs.independent.co.uk/2013/02/06/brazil-are-on-a-steep-learning-curve-and-england-represents-a-real-challenge/feed/ 0 http://blogs.independent.co.uk/2013/01/23/back-to-the-future-felipe-scolari-shows-that-oldies-like-ronaldinho-can-be-goodies-for-brazil/ http://blogs.independent.co.uk/2013/01/23/back-to-the-future-felipe-scolari-shows-that-oldies-like-ronaldinho-can-be-goodies-for-brazil/#comments Wed, 23 Jan 2013 15:04:58 +0000 James Young http://blogs.independent.co.uk/?p=31907 Ronaldinho has reinvented himself since moving to Belo Horizonte. The legs are no longer what they were, but in their place a wiser, cannier playmaker has emerged. ]]> http://blogs.independent.co.uk/2013/01/23/back-to-the-future-felipe-scolari-shows-that-oldies-like-ronaldinho-can-be-goodies-for-brazil/feed/ 0 http://blogs.independent.co.uk/2012/12/17/made-it-ma-top-of-the-world-how-corinthians-left-chelsea-singing-the-blues-at-the-world-club-cup/ http://blogs.independent.co.uk/2012/12/17/made-it-ma-top-of-the-world-how-corinthians-left-chelsea-singing-the-blues-at-the-world-club-cup/#comments Mon, 17 Dec 2012 13:54:15 +0000 James Young http://blogs.independent.co.uk/?p=30861 It’s not known if Jimmy Cagney, responsible for the words above, had a favourite Brazilian football team, but if he did, the smart money might go on it having been Corinthians. ]]> http://blogs.independent.co.uk/2012/12/17/made-it-ma-top-of-the-world-how-corinthians-left-chelsea-singing-the-blues-at-the-world-club-cup/feed/ 2 http://blogs.independent.co.uk/2012/11/27/brazilian-football%e2%80%99s-big-dog-culture-leaves-mano-menezes-looking-like-a-chihuahua/ http://blogs.independent.co.uk/2012/11/27/brazilian-football%e2%80%99s-big-dog-culture-leaves-mano-menezes-looking-like-a-chihuahua/#comments Tue, 27 Nov 2012 01:02:28 +0000 James Young http://blogs.independent.co.uk/?p=30231 And so it goes. Brazilian football management proves once more that it is no country for level headed, if slightly ponderous, middle-aged men. ]]> http://blogs.independent.co.uk/2012/11/27/brazilian-football%e2%80%99s-big-dog-culture-leaves-mano-menezes-looking-like-a-chihuahua/feed/ 3