Santos - Champions of the Copa Libertadores 2011

As I was growing up in São Paulo, Brazil, I always heard how incredible the Santos team was. The great attack formed by Dorval, Mengálvio, Coutinho, Pelé and Pepe was really unstoppable. The only one I really had a chance to see in action was Pelé. And boy was he ahead of his times. I remember a game against Palmeiras where he tapped the ball for about 40 yards through an ocean of defenders and almost scored on a volley.

My dad had a very funny incident with Pelé in Santos when we were there on vacations at my Grandmother's house. As he backed the car out of the driveway and got out to close the gate (yes a manual gate)he heard a thud and turned. Someone had bumped into his car. The driver? Pelé. Below was the result of that encounter, Pelé's autograph dated July 31, 1964.


I am a Santos fanatic. I watch every game I can even living in the US. In the past 10 years with so much investment in their academy program Santos became a powerhouse again. The likes of Robinho, Elano, Diego and Alex Costa are all famous now. Neymar and Ganso are the current greats of this team, the first 19 and the second 21 years old. Santos won national championships in 2002 and 2004, state championships in 2006, 2007, 2010 and 2011 and the Brazilian Cup in 2010 which qualified them for the continental competition called the Libertadores.


The only championships I hadn't seen them win until now was the Copa Libertadores and the Club World Cup. This past Wednesday, June 22nd they played a great game against Uruguayan powerhouse Penarol, defeating them 2-1 and taking the Libertadores Cup. This win qualifies them to go to the Club World Cup which will be played in Tokyo next December. I can't wait to see Santos versus the great Barcelona. Neymar, the new kid on the block, versus Messi the current best player in the world. Ganso versus Xavi, two of best midfielders in the world in my humble opinion. This will be a fantastic game providing both clubs win their semifinals.

There are 6 clubs who are winners of their continental cups. The European and South American champions (Barcelona and Santos) automatically start the competition in the semifinals. So to win the championship they need to win 2 games. The remaining 4 teams have to play quarter-final games so for them the journey to the championship is 3 games. This is because none of the other continents has ever won the club World Cup.

I am looking forward to this game. Be on the lookout for Neymar and Ganso. Together in a little over a year they have won 4 championships for Santos F.C. and now they are starters in the Brazilian national team that will be playing the National Team South American Championship this coming July hosted by Argentina.

Below are game highlights:

Some Advice on Nutrition

Very good Advice on Dehydration and Nutrition for soccer.

Panyee FC: A Very Inspiring Soccer Story

TMB Panyee FC short film.
How fun it is to be a kid!



Share with your little ones.

The Great "Elastico" - Flip Flap

This is my tribute to the Great Roberto Rivelino. The player that brought the "Elastico" or Flip-Flap Dribble to Outdoor Soccer from Futsal. I was lucky enough to see him play live many times and what a surprise I had when he nutmegeed a player and scored a great goal:




Nowadays many players can do it. Some of the images below are from the 1974 World Cup.



And here is a fantastic compilation of the same move by other players:


As you can see from these videos this is a great move to get through defenders because the ball suddenly goes from one side to the other. As if an elastic pulled it to the opposite direction.

If you try it a few times you will get it!

When Imagination Defies Reality

This post is just meant to inspire you for your weekend games.
Here is a compilation of some of the best goals I have seen over the years:
Alex for Palmeiras Vs. Sao Paulo

Neymar for Santos Vs. Santo Andre

5 best Goals of World Cup 2010

Enjoy!

What a Wonderful Experience

Yesterday, March 22 2011, I attended a practice from the US National team here in Cary, North Carolina. I have been going to the Soccer Stadium in Cary since it opened. I have actually played in the training fields quite a few times with my own soccer team.

I have been to a lot of soccer training facilities in the world, and have to say that few match the quality of the turf, the surroundings with trees and nature and the tranquility that a team can have to train. No wonder the US federation keeps selecting it as its training facility. The weather in March also helps. It was around 68 degrees and very pleasant.
I have to praise the maintenance team that must be incredibly dedicated. I have seen how they cover the entire training fields with these enormous tarps which protect the grass from the worst cold temperatures. This requires a lot of planning, care and dedication.
The US National team is preparing for 2 friendly matches against Argentina and Paraguay in the upcoming week, that’s why they are together. In this group are Landon Donovan, who has played in the past 3 World Cups; Clint Dempsey who has played in the past 2 and is having a stellar season in England, Casey Keller also having a great season in England and many other US stars.

They performed a series of drills, scrimmages and warm ups, always showing great dedication and professionalism. Yesterday was Tuesday and many of them had late games on Sunday afternoon in Europe and flew immediately to the US. And of the 23 players only one wasn’t able to arrive on time. This shows the dedication and commitment that these players have to defend the US National team.
A soccer career is short, at best 15 years if a player is lucky to stay healthy and not see their physical attributes such as speed and strength decrease over the years. A star player can reach 100 caps with their national team, but it’s not common. Landon Donovan has 129 caps at age 29, really an amazing feat along with a record of 45 goals scored. After him Carlos Bocanegra, the team captain has 85 caps, Clint Dempsey 68 and Oguchi Onyewu 58.
The whole session lasted a little over an hour and it was a great experience. It was open only for RailHawks season ticket holders and I openly thank my friend Rick Thompson, another huge soccer fanatic, for the opportunity to attend this event.

Where are All Those Wonderful Direct Kicks?

Where are All Those Wonderful Direct Kicks?
When I was growing up in Brazil I used to go to a lot of games, I mean 2-3 times a week I would go to the Stadium with my father and brother. It was fun. I remember from that time that each team had a specialist in taking direct kicks.
Sometimes, when there was a fault close to the box, the fans would celebrate as if it was a goal. That is because they knew that their direct kick had a very high chance of being capitalized into a goal.
In the past 10 years it seems that it is an art that is being lost. Apart from David Beckham and Cristiano Ronaldo I don’t recall any prolific direct kick playing currently in top teams.
I grew up learning all these direct kick styles which I divided into 3 different categories: the “Spinner”, the “Placer” and the “Cannon”.
Each one of these had its pros and its cons and much defined characteristics.
The “Spinner” put an incredible curve in the ball with the outside of his foot. This type of shot requires incredible leg power. Most of these of kickers are stocky in built and have amazingly thick thighs.
Nelinho – Cruzeiro – Inter – 1975 Libertadores – Incredible Spin

The “Cannon” is also usually of a more stocky build with thick legs. The shot is usually taken with the top of the foot, with some spin on it but not as much as the one in the previous video. The goal on this video shows how important set pieces are. Notice how there is a teammate on the wall and look closely at what he does when the ball is shot towards him.
Rivelino – Brazil - East Germany, 1974 World Cup – Power and accuracy

The “Placer” hits the ball with the inside of his foot, almost chipping it over the wall. It’s a shot that requires a lot of finesse. It doesn’t require a lot of power but it sure requires a lot of talent.
Zico – Brazil – Scotland, 1982 World Cup – Couldn’t have placed the ball better with his hands

Any of these 3 styles require an incredible amount of dedication and training. However, with soccer being such a low scoring game, having a player who can decide a game on a direct kick increases a team’s chance to win.
Which style do you think fits your personal preference?

Corner Kick: an Underestimated Friend

Corner Kick: an Underestimated Friend
An Olympic Goal in soccer happens when the ball is kicked directly from the corner kick into the net without any other player touching it. It is very uncommon. The name came from a goal scored by Argentinean Cesáreo Onzari in a game between Argentina and Uruguay (then Olympic Champions). It was the first of this kind and it was named Olympic Goal. This type of coal is so rare that it only happened once in the 19 World Cups, in 1962.
I recently say a very nice one:

However, scoring directly is very hard, but the corner kick can be used as a great weapon for set pieces. When I used to play in college I had the pleasure of being the named corner kick taker on both sides of the field. By studying some of the most successful corner kick takers I came up with my own plan. On the right side I took the corner kicks with my left foot, hitting the ball with the inside of the foot and curling it towards the net. If the corner was on the left I would do the same but hitting the ball with the inside of my right foot. There were 4 different placements I liked to do:
1- On a sunny day I would curl it towards the net. The sun usually hit the goalkeeper in the face and caused confusion and blurriness. The result, more often than not, was a goal, either an own goal or someone pushing the ball into an empty net.
2- Near post on the corner of the Penalty Area (small box or keeper box). If you have a very tall player who's a good header on the team you can curl the ball to the corner of the small box and he can brush the head on the ball hitting it at a 45 (ow wider) degree angle. This is very effective. I have also seen this play with the ball being redirected with a header to the penalty kick mark (P.K.).
3- The far post at the corner of the small box. This is the hardest of all, as if you don’t calculate the height properly the goalkeeper will intercept the ball. I avoid this if the goalkeeper is tall and can jump higher than average.
4- Aim at the penalty kick mark. This is old school because it works. The P.K. mark is not in the Goal Keeper’s regular zone. If they try to go there they may not be able to avoid the traffic to get to the ball and someone may be able to push it to the net.


These tips should give you a good advantage on corner kicks. Remember that this will take a lot of practice. I used to take about 50 corners kicks from each side once a week. It really paid off for me.

Getting Stronger for Soccer

Back when I was in high school and playing soccer any resistance training was looked upon with a lot of prejudice:

-“Weight training will make you muscle bound, slow and will decrease your flexibility”.

This is what I used to hear all the time. I was a “late bloomer” so I was smaller than the other players in my league. Some of them were pretty strong and big already. I mean, adult big. Playing as a striker was getting much harder for me because, in spite of having good foot skills, I was being pushed off the ball.

I used to do martial arts a couple of times a week and they too were against weight training. Lucky for me, I had a brother who was a few years older, also played soccer and who lifted weights for conditioning. He suggested that I started doing some push-ups 3 times a week. I was about 15 then. On the field I started to feel that I wasn’t being pushed off the ball anymore. I gained a few pounds in my upper body and that made me decide to do something more structured on my own.

Without anyone knowing I bought used set of dumbbells and barbell with just about 50 pounds of weight. I started doing some chest presses, curls and pull-ups. I always had a strong core from the martial arts training so I decided not to overdo those. I kept my workouts to 30 minutes and no more than 3 times a week depending on how busy my week was.

Obviously I got stronger and that helped me immensely in soccer. It’s like I got new game all of a sudden. I also notice that I stopped getting injured because the stronger muscles were helping me.

Nowadays, if you watch professional soccer it’s clear that every played works out to get stronger on the field. Skills alone aren’t enough. Some players are huge, fast, flexible AND skilled. Compare pictures of stars from the past with current stars from the 60s and 70s. The stars of today are much fitter, leaner and much, much more muscular.

So what I suggest is that if you are feeling that you aren’t strong enough on the field, you should probably work on overall strength. Remember, don’t overdo it. Over-training is one of the worse things you can do and in training, many times MORE=LESS. If you are feeling too tired to play what’s the point? Listen to your body and get proper rest.

There are many magazines/books you can get at your public library that will assist you with putting a strength training program together.

It's All About Preparation

I lot of people have asked me how did I prepare for games? How do you get a better edge? Warm ups, mental concentration, anything special?
I think a lot of it comes with the player's personality. I have seen a lot of things work well for different people. When I played competitively, I used to like to set my gear and uniform in a chair in my room the night before the game. This served me as reminder and helped me to know all was in place for "tomorrow's game".


As preparation for game, I like to eat a nice fueling meal about 3 hours before the game. The contents really depend on game time but usually consist in of mostly complex carbohydrates (whole pasta, rice or bread work well for me) with a bit of protein (cheese for example), accompanied by a juice and a fruit. This way I know I'll be fueled but not full. As a supplement I like a complex B and C because I feel these give me more energy at game time. I am no Doctor or Nutritionist (so consult them first) and these are based on personal trial and error.

I have been using Vitamin C and Complex B for years and know many players who do the same. A few years back I got an e-mail from a former team mate telling me about 5 hour energy (which is B complex in liquid form) joking that we knew it all along.

About an hour and a half before the game I like to do a very light weight workout. Nothing for the legs! I usually do some push-ups, pull-ups, curls, sit-ups or plank followed by a very light stretching. This is meant to warm you up and get you ready for battle.

While driving to the field I play my favorite soccer tunes. This is a spot where every player has to pick their own tunes that help them get more focused on the game.

I like to arrive at the field at least 30 minutes before the game (if possible) and warm up by shooting, trapping and dribbling imaginary defenders. Some players like complete isolation and silence before the game. I like to interact little bit but respect the players who don't.

These are the things that really worked for me as a player. What you can do is try some of these and see what works for you. Keep a journal or mental notes and try repeating the things that made you successful and adjust the ones that don't.

The Infamous, Game Resolving Toe Poke

The Infamous, Game Resolving Toe Poke
Being a youth coach, I have to constantly remind my players to use “use the shoe laces” while shooting. They all start using toe pokes because it’s the natural thing to do. However the toe poke usually sends the ball in the wrong direction. Or does it?
Consider these 2 World Cup Goals:
1- Romario in Brazil against Sweden in 1994 in the Silver Dome in Detroit (yes I was there!):

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wrvOo08OeWc



3- Ronaldo in Brazil against Turkey the Semi-Final of the 2002 World Cup in Korea/Japan



http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p1QRAbDc-J0


OK, I am using 2 Brazilian examples, but that is on purpose. Being the inventors of the Futsal, Brazilians has somewhat of an advantage when it comes to toe poking. That is because in Futsal the toe poke is the rule and the “shoe lace” the exception.
If you look closely at both goals, you will see that they had 2 things in common:
a- The forward was being marked by multiple players. Taking a big swing of the leg was literally impossible.
b- The goalkeepers were both moving towards the opposite direction of the shot.

With no time to swing, the toe poke requires a lot less time to fire. It also catches the defense and goalkeeper by surprise because they are waiting for the big swing before jumping. Although neither shot was very powerful but both made into the net.

So how do you train the toe poke? Make a very small goal, 3 feet wide and go about 20-25 yards away from it. Toe-poke the ball until you can get 5 in a row inside the small goal.

What does it really take to be a forward in soccer?
In the past few years I have seen a lot of talented kids try to move from midfield or defense to being a striker. In spite of having great footwork, agility and a good shot they end up failing because of a few details. Here is what worked for me when I was a kid and made this transition from defense to attack:
1- Always attack vertically. What I mean by this is dribble and run with the intent of taking a shot. Unless you are trying to delay the opponent, dribble and attack towards the goal.
2- Work that weak foot! By being able to kick the ball fast because it’s in reach of your weak foot you have a better chance of scoring. You should work so hard at it that people watching you can’t tell which one is your weak foot.
3- Work on the “crunched” cross. I call crunched cross a ball that is 50-50 between the forward and the defense. To be a good striker you need to get to that crossed ball before the defender. When receiving crosses: i) get to ball first, and ii) shoot 1-touch to surprise the defense. Don’t try to take the perfect shot because you will lose precious time. One touch shots, even if weak, usually surprise the keeper.
4- Use your arms. Yes use your arms. Defenders will push you and shove you. This is what defenders do. I am not telling you to foul them. I am telling you to use your arms to protect yourself and the ball. I have seen an epidemic of kids with bruised faces because they can’t defend themselves. Soccer is a contact sport. If you can’t protect yourself you will get hurt over and over again.
5- Do cone work. Use cone training to change direction and shoot. When you are at full speed and change directions you throw the defense off balance. Do it 2, 3 times and you are a few steps ahead of them. You can use a few different sequences to improve your acceleration and cutting speed while keeping control of the ball. Recently retired Brazilian Ronaldo Nazario was a master in this type of skills. Below this post is a link to a soloist sequence.
These were the tips that really worked for me years back.
And here is the link to the video:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3M7R8nKMxlo&feature=player_embedded
Enjoy!

Neymar, 4 vezes

Sensacional o sub-20 do Brasil e Paraguai ontem. Neymar teve seu dia de mito fazendo 4 gols na vitoria de 4-2 e o Brasil tendo 2 expulsos.
Me parece que os juizes da America do Sul todos tem bronca do Brasil. Os 2 cartoes foram bem dados, mas o Paraguai bateu a vontade e deivia ter terminado o jogo com 9.

Com 18 anos e todo esse futebol, vale lembrar que ainda e' um menino. Vai errar muito e aprender. Ja' aprendeu a tomar faltas e ficar quieto, o que e' um passo muito grande. Tem que aprender a nao contestar o tecnico, que esta' vendo o jogo de fora e acompanhando o dia a dia dos treinos. Fora isso, que continue assim em campo.

Rafael Goleiro do Santos ou Santo Rafael?

Gostei de ver a atuação de gala do Rafael na estréia do Paulistão 2007.

Quase inconcebível que o goleiro seja o melhor em campo em uma vitória por 4-1.

Mas aconteceu. Abre o olho Mano!

Uma Farsa

Van Persie é uma Farsa

Essa aconteceu na Copa de 2010. Foi a prieira vez que levei meu filho André para o Brasil. Uma exposição incrível ao futebol para ele, entao com quase 7 anos e já mostrando talento.

Em São Paulo, na praia ou na fazenda em Pinhal todos assistíamos aos jogos.

No dia do jogo das quartas de final contra a Holanda estávamos em São Paulo junto com a família da minha irmã Neta para assistir. A família toda, uma verdadeira festa de gente.

O Brasil começou bem e Robinho fez um gol. Fernando, meu querido sobrinho que é jornalista, cobrindo o jogo ao vivo via internet em seu Laptop.

O André sempre prestando atenção ao jogo, as pessoas e a tudo em volta. Tudo muito diferente da sua vida tranquila nos EUA, aonde a família esta longe.

Num certo ponto do jogo, o jogador Van Persie da Holanda se joga tentando cavar uma falta. E Fernando solta "Esse Van Persie é uma farsa". Essa, para nos dois, virou a frase da Copa.

A Holanda catimbou muito com de Joong e Van Bommel batendo a vontade, Robben se jogando bem ao velho estilo Verdugo Uruguaio. O Juiz Japones errando muito, invertendo faltas fez com que o Brasil quebrasse a concentração.

Felipe Mello Acabou expulso num lance ridículo. Deu no que deu e o Brasil perdeu.

Na volta da viagem, eu e o André entramos num grupo de futebol fantasia do Campeonato Inglês. Agora, sempre que vemos o Arsenal em campo, quando o Van Persie pega na bola sai em uníssono: "Uma Farsa!"

o André voltou apaixonado pelo Brasil e pelo futebol. Na final da Copa torceu para a Espanha e saiu feliz. Agora ele joga sem parar. Assiste, joga botão, video game, lê livros sobre futebol, ouve historias contadas por esse Pai e vemos vídeos de jogadores antigos no youtube.

No fim, futebol acabou sendo a "cola" da conexao com o Brasil. Isso, mesmo o Brasil não tendo ganhado a Copa.

Mas a lembranca da familia junta e' que e' marcante, legal e inesquecivel.

Estaremos no Brasil em 2014!

Janeiro de 2011