“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)

“One down, one to go for Lucimar Da Silva Ferreira, or as he far prefers to be known, Lucio. On May 22 the combative and classy center back helped Internazionale to the big club prize, Europe’s Champions League. And now he’s in South Africa, preparing and hoping to scale the summit of the international game and bring home the World Cup.” (SI – Tim Vickery)

“Last season Flamengo came from nowhere to win their sixth title – and first since 1992 – with perennial stand-in Andrade establishing himself as first-team coach in the process. However, quite apart from the distraction of the Libertadores Cup, a repeat performance will be difficult. The contracts of glamorous strike pair Vagner Love and Adriano run out in mid-campaign – and even if the latter stays his tendency to miss training is always liable to set off mini crises in the club’s ever-turbulent environment.” (World Soccer – Tim Vickery), (World Soccer – Tim Vickery)

“In the 1974 World Cup Brazil took such a beating from Holland that four years later it was obsessed with imitating the “total football” of the Dutch, with their constant positional changes and intense pressure on the ball. It didn’t work. As one Brazilian journalist commented,’in a team game like soccer you need to have the right cultural base to introduce modifications’.” (SI – Tim Vickery)

“It is hard to think of a position in sport that carries the same pressure as keeping goal for Brazil in a World Cup. While there is often little to do, there is even less margin for error. Do it badly and the hopes of an entire nation crash from a height unmatched anywhere else.” (World Soccer – Tim Vickery)