Fútbolita

So the boys of Corinthians joined their fans and celebrity friends in yesterday’s centenary celebrations! More than 130,000 people packed the Vale do Anhangabaú, Sao Paulo’s equivalent of the Hyde Park region (or slightly better, amicis?) Que legal! In the midsts of all the celebrations and Lula-loving, somebody forgot to call Pele. How dare they!

According to the Brazilian media, many fans who packed the place “suffered a lot, were overwhelmed by the crowd and tried to break into the press area, but the police acted quickly and prevented them from doing more.”

“This is a wonderful party, just gotta thank you,” said Ronaldo Lima to the adoring crowd. “I will not say too much or I may cry,” he added, singing a congratulatory song for the club.

via Globoesporte

From the looks of it, all Detinho (next to Ronaldo) wants is a FREE PASS to Mano Menezes‘ next seleção bootcamp! That expression on his face says it all. You could dial an ambulance and you still won’t be able to incept the Menezes/Detinho mind game because dude is dying to go to Granja Comary ASAP. They have a secret pact which does not include Roberto Carlos, infelizmente.

The point of this is to put our hands together, stand in a circle and say “Bem-vindo!!!” to the former Corinthians coach who will needing some of Dopey’s sleeping pills now as the official Brazilian national team coach! E ai MANO?!

Take a good look at the man whose first job is to say “Felipe Melo Who?”

Photos via Mauricio Lima/AFP

Sometimes, we wonder what it must be like to have Ronaldo O Fenomeno as your dad. Apart from waking up everyday to see your father’s public antics with a woman who isn’t your mother being splashed all over the gossip rags, it must be cool. And maybe a little weird! What does that make Bia Antony, then? Ronald’s aunt?

Anyway, here’s Ronald (yes, that’s his name!) enjoying some quality father-son bonding session at Deco’s friendly match held in Indaiatuba, a city north of of Sao Paulo.

Photos via AFP (Mauricio Lima)

Well, it wasn’t exactly his birthday but O fenomeno deserves a pat on the back and maybe a call-up by Dopey (for an exhibition game) for being so cool at his son’s birthday! If he turned up at my door looking like that, my dad would immediately ask if he was from the loony bin. OK, what the heck… my dad LIVES for Ronaldo!

At the same event, a fan tried to kiss her hero (since his partner, Bia Antony wasn’t around… it would’ve been AWKWARD with Milene, Ron’s ex-wife being there), there was a buffet, song and dance although obviously they forgot to hire Roberto Carlos as the clown for the evening’s entertainment. Meu deus, he’d be perfect for it, blowing balloons and all!

Anyway, Ronald turned two days ago and oh boy, he’s really growing up fast. Just as long as he isn’t listening to Miley Cyrus or harbouring dreams of becoming a break dancer (that was in 2002), there’s no need to run for cover… yet!

via Ego

So Brazil’s U-17 coach, Lucho Nizzo paid a visit to the Arsenal’s Brasileiros yesterday (including Eduardo da Silva, who is now effectively a Croat….but they still love him the same!). He was apparently invited to England by his former U-15 prodigy, Denilson. The official purpose of his trip was to learn more about Arsenal’s working methods. We all know that the REAL reason Uncle Lucho came was for a taste of the infamous Brazilian soup prepared by Gilberto Silva before he left for Greek shores. Admiti-lo!

So the Messiah netted two goals (and we all know he is still the undisputed SuperStar) but everyone, please put your hands together for Bobojan who also scored in Barca’s demolition of Stuttgart last night! Buen trabajo, muchacho. Tiempo de helados!

So your favourite Brazilian Great who is approaching retirement soon aka Ronaldo Lima has gotten himself into another funny mess again. In a flight he boarded that was heading to Bogota last week, he complained that the sandwiches on board were a “misery”. Shortly after that, the flight attendant (accidentally, we’re guessing) passed him some lasagna that was meant for the pilot. “I pay a hundred real for you to leave this lasagna here,” instructed Ronaldo. The flight attendant refused and Ronaldo ended up only with the sandwich!

via Ego/AP

Ah, someone’s ego has been bruised! And it’s none other than your favourite Cabezazo or headbutter, Materazzi!! Since he’s merely shaking his legs at Inter these days, all talk of the World Cup is practically irrelevant to him. Well, not like the tournament needs a crying circus anyway.“I know where I will be on June 11, the day of the first match of the  World Cup: in my trailer traveling in America. I will not be watching the tournament (and I do not know the time (of the matches),” Materazzi declared to La Repubblica. Run along then, Cabebazo!

So Tio ThunderThighs, better known as Roberto Carlos was unveiled as an official Corinthiano alongside his own figurine yesterday. At least the figurine looked more tolerant than the man himself. Anyway, tio will now play alongside his best friend from 2002, Ronaldo Lima… and they will now proceed to spend more weekends watering plants together. “Ronaldo is not my friend, he is my brother. I lived longer with him than with my own family,” ThunderThighs said. He then added : “Listening to this mass (of people) screaming my name is creepy. The reward will be given on the field.”

Here’s another classic New Year’s eve Crackòvia episode. This one features the characters of Guti and Ramos ringing in 2010 by eating 12 grapes, dancing to techno (as usual) and dressing up in… cloaks! Espanyol’s Raul Tamudo (the same character who played Leo Messi) also enforced this tradition on his guests, Nakamura and goalie, Carlos Kameni. And if you observe Tamudo’s sofa lining carefully, it’s draped with a Real Madrid banner!

You’ve seen him flop at Bayern… but did you see the Luca Toni Going Away party that he threw before his move to Roma? Here it is! With plenty of booze and a light-headed Ribery. At least his new Roma boss, Ranieri Doubtfire loves him. “He is in better shape than I expected. He will now play against Cagliari. Roma is different with Luca Toni,” he declared.

via Reuters, TV3 and Gazetta dello Sport

This Flamengo victory reminds me of our amiga, Ana, who is now back in Brazil for the holidays. “Why do you support Sao Paulo? Only geeks support Sao Paulo. Like the fat, white men who wear ties. I love Flamengo… Flamengo is my team!” she once declared. Yes, but we don’t have Churrasco Kings like Adriano and neither do we need to hit every samba school in the nation!

Anyway, the most supported club in Brazil are now one match away from their first Brasileirao title since 1992. After goals from Zé Roberto and Léo Moura in yesterday’s own clasico against Corinthians, they only need to beat Gremio next weekend to secure the trophy. Ah, President Lula must be crying but este é o futebol. Check out the fans below who were all excited about welcoming home their heroes at the airport!

Photos via UOL/Globo

• That’s The Dona’s son, Diego Sinagra and not a reincarnation of Wolverine, mind you. He demands that you give his papa all the respect in the world! “He was brutally attacked. Qualifying for the World Cup is his victory. My father deserved it as well as the rest of the nation. Of course, the football team can and must improve, but players like Messi are back to what he was before. I’m sure my father will bring great joy to the people of Argentina,” he declared. By the way, Diego Jr’s mother is Cristina Sinagra, a Neopolitan woman whom The Dona had an affair with when he was at Napoli. And no, he probably doesn’t get text messages from The Dona’s favourite son, Kun Aguero. Qué triste!




• Uh-oh.. it has now emerged that Riquelme is in talks to move to Corinthians! No surprise there, he said so himself earlier this year. Corinthians’ President, Andres Sanches said : “I will not deceive spectators and say that Riquelme has (already joined). Once we are endorsed by the investor, we will start negotiations with the club and player. For now, there’s nothing.”
• It was Del Piero’s 35th birthday yesterday, and they still love him despite his injuries. That’s the mark of a true captain! Trezeguet says “Hmmmm”.



• Last but not least, we can’t say adieu without a little CQC and Andreoli loconess. Here’s Futbolita’s Favourite Host at Sorin’s last professional game against Argentino Juniors last week. From daring them to eat a peach to asking the trainer and players in the dressing room politically incorrect questions, ele é um gênio!

Photos via La voce di Napoli & Reuters

Palmeiras-Corinthians will forever always remind us of that louco Brazilian film, Romeo and Juliet Get Married where the characters come from a family of opposing hardcore supporters. They would’ve loved result in yesterday’s 2-2 draw! Ronaldo Lima scored a double for the Timao while Danilo and Maurício did the favour for Palmeiras. All the goals came in the first half.

In the other game, Nilmar’s former team, Internacional, were unable to pull off a victory against Botafogo. They were down 0-1 in the second minute when Juninho struck for the visiting side. However, Inter still think they can win the Championship.

“It’s no use trying to make excuses. We do not play well. We conceded a goal early. We had a lot of pressure from the fans. We have to recognize that everyone fought to the end to try to break even and turn the game,” said coach Mário Sérgio. Well, at least their fans know how to turn the heat up…literally!

Photos via UOL and Reuters

That mop of hair Riquelme is smoldering belongs to none other than the Messiah. Obviously times have changed and one year on, no one would have anticipated his fall out with The Dona. And and if the rumours are true, Riquelme will be joining the Timão gatos at Corinthians next season. It’ll be pretty cool to see him with Ronaldo Lima… maybe even better than watching Veterans Football F.C that Milan are offering now!

“Corinthians called my representative several times,” Riquelme told Ole. “I don’t know if I’ll be contacting the club, but I’m right here. I have an important year ahead and want to do the best I can (for Boca). Let’s see if I am lucky to be champion again and after June 30, we’ll see what we’ll do.” Anyway, the rumored sum is believed to be U.S.$5 million a season and don’t worry, this does not include a large payout to Tevez’s shady agents.

That chica on the extreme right has such a classic facial expression! “UGH” is all she can manage… after all, why is it always so difficult to find hardcore mujers at the front (unless it’s the World Cup). Let’s start a trend, shall we?!

Anyway, the much-awaited Paulista derby between Corinthians and Sao Paulo ended up in a 1-1 draw and Fattynaldo opened the scoring in the 20th minute. He’s arguably the Timao’s lucky charm because he has never lost a game for Corinthians in five classic encounters. The tricolor fought back in the second half with Dagoberto, Hernanes and Borges exchanging passes to squeeze in an equalizer. At the same time, Corinthians created more space for counter-attacks but they couldn’t stop Washington from scoring in the 24th minute of the second half.

Ya’ll over there… hiding by the corner of the room… don’t be shy! Let’s all help O Fenômeno celebrate his 33rd birthday with his wife Bia Anthony in tow. Unfortunately, Hello Kitty wasn’t invited to the Club Royal in São Paulo, though and neither were his Corinthians teammates. How rude! Instead, Brazilian A-Listers like Luciano Huck, Angélica and Wanessa Camargo joined in the celebrations. Boring… they should’ve headed to the amusement park instead.

Anyway, Bia is four months pregnant with Ronaldo’s third son. Desculpe, but no one is as adoravel as his first son, Ronald. They actually named him after Ronald McDonald.

via Ego

Her team may be at the bottom of the Brasileirao table but Sport Club’s Wanessa Matos is this year’s newly elected Musa do Brasileirão after winning 55% of the votes! The annual “beauty pageant” is held alongside the Brasileirao  and every team in the league submits their own beauty queen.

Wanessa defeated Corinthians’ Siara Pacheco, Santos’ Thalita Wagner and Goiás’ Lucilene Ceatano in a series of ‘challenges’ to take the crown. Last year’s winner was Palmeiras representative, Ariane Gonzalez. “I’m so happy, I don’t even know what to say!” exclaimed Wanessa, 22, after winning. Watch the finals below.

• Back to football, Palmeiras held Sao Paulo to a stalemate (uhhh.. boring!!), but they remain at the top of the championship after Inter (the Brazilian ones) thrashed Goais 4-0.
• Elsewhere, Gremio were held to an entertaining 3-3 draw by Botafogo at the Engenhao stadium in Rio. A double from Jonas and a third from Souza was equalised by Botafogo courtesy of Reinaldo, Victor Simoes and Leandro Guerreiro, who came in three minutes before the final whistle.
• Flamengo cruised past Santo Andre 3-0 at Maracana stadium. Denis Marques, Leo Moura and Ze Roberto scored for the most widely supported club in the country.

via Gettyimages

Oh… you can always count on the Corinthians fans to go all out every week! By that, we mean carrying black balloons and body slamming amidst the sticky crowd. Wouldn’t you like to be there, futbolitas?

Anyway, the Timão fought to a 3-3 draw against Botafogo yesterday and it seemed like the referee left his brains at home.  There was an apparent hand ball in a Botafogo goal and Corinthians had a dodgy penalty ruled in favour of them. Dentinho scored a double for Corinthians while Andre Lima’s handball was allowed.

In another match, Palmeiras defeated Internacional 2-1 thanks to the brilliant Diego Souza. Unfortunately, it’s a sad day because Sao Paulo lost their second spot place to Goais after their loss to Atletico Paranaense. This ends our seven-match winning streak. Damn!!!

Not that it’s any surprise (tipo is like a baby making machine, sim?) but Ronaldo Lima is about to become a father for the third time. His wife, Bia Anthony, just gave birth to daughter Maria Sofia eight months ago!

“It was a surprise as we don’t know the sex of the baby yet and we haven’t discussed names. Ronaldo is a wonderful father,” Bia said.

At least Bia has decided on one thing – the fact that the birth will be all-natural. “It’ll be done normally, without anesthesia. I believe that cesarean section should be used only as a last resort. “

As for Ronaldo, he was less willing to share details of his new kid. He said :“Everyone knows that I do not like to talk about my private life. This is a personal matter. It is true that we’re expecting a child and (it’s) is a wonderful thing.”

• So Corinthians proved that they’re back on their feet (Ronaldo Lima’s still injured, pessoas) yesterday with their 2-1 win over the Nilmar-less Internacional in Porto Alegre. Jean and Jorge Henrique both netted in goals [watch them below.]
• Santos edged Gremio 1-0 at Vila Belmiro stadium behind an 80th-minute header by striker Paulo Henrique, keeping Gremio winless away from home in this year’s competition. There’s something for Pele to smile about.
• Sao Paulo also defeated Fluminense 1-0 thanks to Richarlyson and are now closer to the top of the table. Forca caras!

• Unfortunately Brasileirao’s reigning top scorer, Adriano hasn’t been living up to his name. Instead, the king of churrascarias wasted his chances during Gremio’s 4-1 drubbing of Flamengo yesterday. Goals from Perea, Réver and a double from Jonas chalked up three points for the Gaúchos, who’re now in a better position to secure a spot in the Libertadores. Sorry, Ana…now you can’t make those tricolor jokes at me!
  
• Speaking of Sao Paulo, they’ve extended their winning streak to six games after a 2-1 win over Sport thanks to goals from Washington and Hugggoooooo.
  
• Palmeiras battled to a 1-1 draw against Botafogo who were the first to score in the 23rd minute. Lucio Flavio fed the ball to Andre Lima who blasted it beautifully into the net. [Watch the video below!]
  
• Corinthians, who’re still without the injured Ronaldo, defeated Atletico Mineiro 2-0 at the Pacaembu stadium to end their five-match winless streak. The four-time national champions have not won a game since their 2-1 result against Vitoria on July 23.

Boca’s homeboy, Riquelme has insisted that he’s not going anywhere despite reports linking him to Corinthians. Still, he’d love to play alongside Ronaldo Lima (yes, the same man who was greeted by 100 tranvestites at Rio’s airport. Never mess with these folks – ever!)

“Corinthians did not contact me. As always, I (believe) that Corinthians should say something and if (Boca) gives (me) permission, I will talk. Anyone would be motivated to play alongside Ronaldo, but (Boca Juniors) is my home and I have an important season ahead. I am very happy here and want to win titles,” he declared.

The Apertura kicks off next month.

Oh Ronaldo, he makes it so easy for us sometimes! Anyway, mano has spoken up about CR’s arrival at Madrid and why you should believe in Adriano Barbecue Chips again.

“In my case and that of Adriano, we both made history in the field. So, when we do something wrong, everything gets blown out of proportion. But who has never failed at work or arrived late? Flamengo should protect him more. Adriano still has a lot to give to football. He is a great player and will be crucial for the team,” said Ronaldo

On his counterpart of the same name, Greaseano, he said : “Comparisons are inevitable. Cristiano Ronaldo is writing his own story. I already did and I still doing in Corinthians. Let let him enjoy this moment. “

“This is the second most important era of galacticos and there’s a strong command. I played well in the first year and second half of the next. It is not easy to have a team full of stars,” he admitted.