Brazil. Ugh.

[winterbadger]

Brazil is, as a team, what I intensely dislike in individual players--tremendous skill combined with a sense of entitlement, an ego that presumes that nothing it does can ever be wrong, a feeling that if all is going well that's just as it should be and if something goes wrong it's deeply, deeply unfair, even if it's their own bloody fault.

And what infuriates me even more is how it's fed by almost everyone around them--referees, coaches, commentators. Twice in the match against Cote d'Ivoire, Brazilian players initiated dangerous challenges that ended up with them getting (temporarily) hurt. In both cases, play was immediately stopped, a free kick was awarded to Brazil, and the match commentators wittered on about how shocking it was that an opposing player was so careless of a precious Brazilian! FFS! THEY initiated the contact! A player *sliding* into a challenge with little or no warning can hardly blame his opponent if he gets stepped on. A player running into the path of a player sprinting down the sideline with the ball is responsible if he leaps into the path of the possessing player's foot, not the other way around.

I was very glad to see Kaka get sent off. The fact that the CdI player deserved a caution for simulating doesn't have anything to do with the fact that Kaka should have had a straight red for elbowing him in the chest. And about four Brazilians should have had cautions for simulating during the last ten minutes--instead, each of them got a free kick.

Brazil were simply furious and ill tempered because CdI didn't have the sense of humility to lie down and die after giving up three goals. They fought back, scored again, and had several more chances. Good for them, and shame on Brazil.

I've been cheering for the US and Nederlands, for obvious reasons. My third favourite team from here on out is whoever is playing Brazil. Let's go, Portugal!

Comments

[ingenious76.livejournal.com]

I watched USA vs Slovenia - good match, genuinely exciting. The US team are fabulous, they have a lot of balletic grace.

[redactrice.livejournal.com]

Italy, too. What a bunch of actors! It's sad how often the ref buys it.

[winterbadger]

Nothing beats the total implosion of France, tough! Sacred blue and name of a name! What is it Cyrano says? Tonnerre! How the mighty have fallen...

[ban-leodhasach.livejournal.com]

There is a team in every sport like Brazil (New Zealand All Blacks in Rugby) that act as if they invented the game and therefore can make their own rules! It is a shame but (for my own purposes) I'd love to find out how they manage to intimidate the referees so easily?!

I'm sorry to see France go out, there was an element of entertainment value with them this year. I never realised that Domenech picked his team on zodiac signs - how cool (and ridiculous!!) is that? :-)

[winterbadger]

It makes more sense than one of our presidents, who based foreign policy on astrology.