“Ronaldinho has been recalled to the Brazil squad for the forthcoming friendly against Argentina and there are some who might think the call has come six months too late. When it all went wrong in the second half of that World Cup semi-final against the Netherlands, and coach Dunga looked along his substitutes bench in search of a saviour, was he really more pleased to see the likes of Julio Baptista than Ronaldinho?” (BBC – Tim Vickery)

“In 1922, when English politician Stanley Baldwin wanted to launch a revolt against Prime Minister David Lloyd George, he described his adversary as ‘a dynamic force’. And, he added, ‘a dynamic force is a very terrible thing’. Those of us who love football will know what he means. The game runs on passion, from fans, players and coaches. Take the passion away and the game is nothing but too much is deadly.” (BBC – Tim Vickery)

“It is one of the ancient battles of sport, the struggle between talent and the ravages of time. And it’s being fought out as the Brazilian Championship reaches a thrilling finale. With eight rounds to go – and at least four clubs still in contention – one of the big questions is this: Can he really do it again? Is Ronaldo capable of staging yet another extraordinary comeback?” (BBC – Tim Vickery)

“Brazil will expect another commanding performance from Thiago Silva when they take on Ukraine at Derby’s Pride Park in an international friendly on Monday. The 26-year-old Milan defender was in fine form in last Thursday’s 3-0 win over Iran – especially important as his centre-back partner David Luiz had a poor game, obliging Thiago Silva to show off his excellent sense of cover.” (BBC – Tim Vickery)

“The Mano Menezes roadshow rolls on. Brazil’s new coach and his young side chalked up their second triumph with a 3-0 win over Iran in Abu Dhabi Thursday. But though the margin of victory was greater than August’s 2-0 win over the U.S., this was the tougher game — and all the more fascinating for it. Brazil’s central idea was the same as for the debut match of Menezes against Bob Bradley’s team — a fluid, attacking game plan using a 4-2-3-1 system. (SI – Tim Vickery)

“Symbol of exotic Brazil, Carmen Miranda was in fact born in Portugal. When she was young, her family decided to try their luck down South American way. These days, the flow is in the opposite direction. Bananas, said Carmen, were her business. The business of Braga, meanwhile, is importing Brazilians. The provincial club, who visit Arsenal on Wednesday, are attempting to disturb the peace of Portugal’s traditional big three – Benfica, Porto and Sporting – with a squad that includes 17 representatives of the country’s former colony.” (BBC – Tim Vickery)

“Along with the other candidates to host the World Cup in 2018, England had to select its host cities and stadiums well in advance. And so earlier this month, the Fifa inspection committee could ride the tube, visit the venues, talk to officials and end up with a firm idea of what they will be getting if England gets the nod. It is unfortunate that the 2014 hosts did not have to go through a similar process.” (BBC – Tim Vickery)

“Neymar saying no to Chelsea’s millions and staying with Santos is being seen as a huge victory for Brazilian football. This might be going just a little too far but more than anything else, it is a victory for common sense. The 18-year-old is a magnificent prospect. He is sleek and skilful, able to beat the defender on either side, capable of combining well, and full of tricks he can put to productive use in and around the penalty area. He is a goalscorer and goal maker but he is still raw.” (BBC – Tim Vickery)

“The prospect of the first Mexican winners of the Copa Libertadores flickered briefly on Wednesday night. In last week’s first leg of the final, Chivas Guadalajara had been outplayed and beaten 2-1 at home by Internacional of Brazil. Few people gave them much of a chance in the return game. In front of their own fans in Porto Alegre, Internacional had a 100 percent home record.” (SI – Tim Vickery)

“Robinho is in footballing limbo. He sat out Manchester City’s opening game of the Premier League campaign and although he might be in action in midweek in the Europa League, or possibly playing his football somewhere else before the end of the month, he needs to sort things out fast because this is a huge season for him. I well recall his debut in the Brazilian Championship for an astonishingly young Santos side that went on to lift the title. That was eight years ago. Eight years from now, Robinho will be 34 going on 35, so his time at the top has probably already passed the halfway mark and yet a huge question mark still hangs over him.” (BBC – Tim Vickery)

“When the fixtures for the forthcoming season were made public, many fans would have immediately checked to see when their team were due to meet their big local rival. Derbies are part of the essence of football, perhaps even more so in South America than in Europe. The logic is clear. Distances are vast in South America, forcing the game to develop locally. Brazil has only had a genuinely national championship since 1971, while the Peruvian league was restricted to Lima until 1967.” (BBC – Tim Vickery)

“Less than a month after the disappointment that accompanies any World Cup not won, Brazil has already put South Africa behind it with the hiring of coach Mano Menezes and the naming of a renewed squad for next month’s meeting with the U.S. Half of Menezes’ group of 24 play their club soccer in Brazil, but this will be a difficult line to maintain; within weeks Robinho is due to return to Manchester City, midfielder Sandro will join Tottenham and striker Andre will move to Dynamo Kiev.” (SI)

Mano Menezes
“When Brazil shine, the players get the credit for their flair and brilliance. When they fall short of expectations, the coach gets the blame. Being in charge of Brazilian team is like sitting in a coconut shy – plenty of things are thrown in your direction. And the bombardment could be especially fierce in the case of new boss Mano Menezes, who is taking over with everyone knowing that he was not the first choice for the job.” (BBC – Tim Vickery)