World Cup Champs - Deutschland

Well, that's all she wrote...today closes the books on a great World Cup.

Germany (1) - Argentina (0) in Extra Time

I think everyone was happy to see the World Cup end in dramatic fashion without a penalty shoot-out.

After a tough, physical game in which both teams missed golden opportunities to score, it was Mario Goetze scoring on a lovely volley in the 113th minute for the game winner.

Everyone agrees that Germany was the best team of the tournament and has a bright future ahead.

Messi brought his team to the finals but couldn't carry them over the finish line. He has the Golden Ball to show for his efforts but undoubtedly would have preferred the Copa do Mundial.

James ("Hamez") Rodriguez takes home the Golden Boot for the most goals scored in the tourney (six).

Germany will take home a cool $35 million bucks to go along with their fourth trophy. They now sit tied with Italy, one behind all-time leaders, Brazil. Could 2018 be the year they tie Brazil for all-time wins? Let the Speculatron start spinning!

And, just to keep it classy, here is a wrap-up of some good-looking fans. Now remember, there were several million people attending these games. Trust me, most looked more like this.

Congrats to all fans and participants. Let's remember that the beautiful game is a much better way to assert world dominance and bragging rights than say, war.

Consolation Match - Brazil is Inconsolable

Well, today was the consolation match for third place.

Netherlands (3) - Brazil (0)

Frankly, Brazil looked like they didn't want any redemption from the semi-final spanking put on by Germany.

Two minutes into the consolation match, it was already over.

Brazil ceded a second goal in the 17th minute, and never mounted a challenge until Netherlands scored a third time in the closing minutes.

The Brazilian national team will have to do some soul-searching.

Most teams would be thrilled to make it to the semis, but two straight dull performances made their earlier victories seem more like the exception than the rule.

Hopefully the final tomorrow (Argentina v Germany) will be a classic for the ages, as other than Brazil's sudden implosion, this has been a great World Cup.

Enjoy!

World Cup - Argentina in Penalties!

So the World Cup final match in Rio is set!

Argentina 0 (4) - Netherlands 0 (2)

In a rather conservatively-played game, both defenses were solid through 120 minutes.

In the end, Argentina were far superior in penalties.

Sergio Romero saved two of four penalties, which was more than Argentina needed, making all four they attempted. Did watching tape of the Dutch penalties against Costa Rica game give the Argentine GK the edge he needed?

Jasper Cillessen looked wan and outmatched in goal. Louis van Gaal lacked a remaining sub to swap in Tim Krul for the penalty shootout. I found Krul's antics and gamesmanship to be unsporting during the Costa Rica match, but at least he looked ready to stop some penalty shots.

Regardless, the Dutch will now face Brazil in the consolation match. Is it harder to lose in a 1-7 blow-out or a penalty squeaker? Who can regroup to take home third place? My money is on the Dutch but my heart is hoping for a Brazil victory.

As for the final, I have to hand it to Messi and company. I never thought they would make it past the quarter-finals.

Now, they will have to face the imposing Germans.

After yesterday's rout, Germany is the obvious favorite. Does Messi have one last win that he can pull out of his bag of tricks? It will be an uphill battle for Argentina, but even Brazil was able to break down the German defense in yesterday's game. Argentina showed stout defense against a formidable Dutch attack today.

My guess is that it is 2-0 Germany, but I'd love to see Argentina pull off the upset.

Brazil Maintains Class in Face of Crushing Defeat

Opa!

Germany (7) - Brazil (1)

There's an old saying, "Defense wins championships."

It is clear that Brazil missed Thiago Silva more than they missed Neymar today.

Brazil was able to repeatedly break down the German defense (and even finish one goal), but it was the back line that was Brazil's downfall.

This is a truism in soccer...if you stop the other team 9 out of 10 times, you'll likely lose 0-1. The defense gets blamed and the offense gets all the glory for the occasional goal.

But, today, Germany made Julio Cesar look like a duck in a shooting gallery. Someone can score a goal by himself, but defense is always a team effort, and Brazil just wasn't organized in the back.

There will be much hand-wringing and soul-searching.

With any luck, Brazil will rebound in the consolation match and take home third-place overall.

Let's keep this in perspective...

You will hear lots of words like "embarrassment" and "shame" tossed around in the next few days.

While they didn't put their best foot forward today, Brazil and the players have nothing to be ashamed about.

Most teams in the world have never even made it to the semis. In the US, it would be cause for celebration if the USMNT made it that far.

The players played with pride. They played with class. They showed that you can have character even when losing. At the end, there were prayers, not cheap shots.

Brazil and Brazilians should hold their heads high.

They have been model hosts, both in victory and defeat.

Viva Brasil!

Muito obrigado.

Recife - Tues July 1 - US R16

We're all pretty sick by now.  My wife says I've been running a fever for several days, but I ignore it.

We're excited by the trip but ready to go home. We've never missed NJ so much.

But there is more excitement for the day...our anniversary is coming up, and our friend Bia has agreed to make all the arrangement at a local restaurant (thanks Bia!).

But first...more soccer. Argentina is in the Round of 16 today, as is the US, who face Belgium.

I spend the morning arranging a rental car for our layover in Sao Paolo later in the week. I give up on finding a hotel for that day. We get in at 3 am. I don't know if they'll even hold a reservation that late.

We print boarding passes for our flight tomorrow night.

It is already close to noon. We grab a light bite in the bodega downstairs and set off heading south. We avoid Mario's beach.

Last night, Zach and I walked this stretch for the first time, and there is some action here at night. People jog and exercise in outdoor parks. Food vendors fill a square by the blue church that I saw last night from our friend-of-a-friend-of-a-friend's soccer court.

We walk a mile or two and shop for souvenirs and gifts.  I show Michele where Zach played soccer, and the airlock leading to the apartment's soccer and tennis courts. We take photos of the blue church. 

We wander through some reasonably urban but safe-looking parts of town. It is time to find some lunch and the Messi game. We duck into a small motel lobby and get directions to a local cafeteria-style restaurant (por Kilo). It is packed with a lunchtime crowd, hoping to watch Messi defeat the Swiss.

We order a coffee and some juice. The waiter brings a sub-arctic beer in its own sarcophagus-shaped cooler. The kids decide they want some food. We sit for about an hour watching the game, still tied and going to overtime.

Kids are sick and exhausted, so we walk home and watch Messi's assist in overtime back at the apartment.

Michele and I make plans to watch the US-Belgium R16 game in a US-friendly bar.

We take a cab to "The Underground" in time for kick-off and find a seat at the bar. We order a caipirinha (no lime shortage here), a beer, and some onion rings. We're saving room for tonight's dinner. As overtime looms, I ask my friend to delay the reservation. The joke's on me...an 8:00 reservation means you're not expected until 9:00 anyway.

The US keeps it interesting but ultimately loses. The bar is devastated. We have already moved on.

A friend picks us up for dinner and we head to a great Brazilian barbeque dinner at Churrascaria Ponteio recommended by one of the Raphaels and joined by the other.

We are joined by many of the wonderful friends we've met during our stay (our familia brasiliero).

The waiters bring around all sorts of grilled meats on long skewers. Each diner has tongs to grab the meat as it is sliced off the skewer. We try chicken heart. It is gamey but Andrew Zimmern would be proud.

Bia has arranged flowers, balloons, and a cake. We receive several thoughtful gifts. A grand time is had by all.

Final cost for dinner for ten at a fancy restaurant is about that of a single Cat 1 ticket to a Round of 16 playoff game at the nearby Arena Pernambuco.

Such is Brazil, where a hamburger can cost you $12.50 USD at Carl's Jr., but you can eat an amazing meal with wine for under $25 USD.

Wanna try Brazilian barbeque? You'll find them wherever there is a large Brazilian population. Google for "Churrascaria in New York city" or "Churrascaria in Newark". 

Happy Anniversary, Love.

Boa noite to all!

Recife - Monday June 30 - Beach and Soccer

The days have long since blurred. Last night that I was up until 3:00 am catching up on blog posts. 

A few days earlier, I had bought some stamps at the Correios (post office) at the mall. I had bought only one postcard, but a friend had given us a welcome bag when we landed, which included a few postcards along with a map, a pen, and a nice notepad.

By now, I've actually seen all the places shown on the postcards, so I can send them in good conscience. I fill out a bunch of postcards, including to my physical therapist who has helped to make the trip possible. I've been walking and standing for hours per day, and my knee has held up admirably.

The weather has turned sunny again after some downpours the last four or five days. The kids and Michele will head to the beach while I run some errands.

I need more stamps for some additional postcards, and we've nearly burned through both our Reais and greenbacks. 

I spend R$15 of my last R$100 on airmail stamps for postcards. I am confident I can get money today, I just know it.

I head to our bank at the mall ("shopping"), theoretically owned by the same (Spanish) bank that took over my US branch. A few days ago we had no luck with various ATMs. If I can't get cash today, I'll have to figure out who I can borrow cash from, or perhaps get someone in the US to wire me money. We've been using our charge card to conserve our cash, but taxis have cost us a lot, and, while many places take credit cards, plenty do not.

I ask directions to my branch within the mall. They have an info booth staffed with English speakers who apparently think we are not too swift, since we speak no Portuguese. Friends had warned me that Brazilians aren't good with directions. They are actually fine with directions, except they don't know "left" from "right." Without exception, Brazilians giving us directions would say "direito" while pointing to the left, and "esquerda" while pointing the the right. It has clearly gotten to the point where this mass delusion has become the norm. If you used the proper directions, people would think you stupid or pretentious.

My bank is as far as possible at the other end of the mall, which would be no big deal, except my foot is bleeding where my sandal has cut into it. I guess I just don't have what it takes to wear a Brazilian thong.

Along the walk, I encounter a giant Brazuca, intended for fans to take their picture with. A man is taking a picture of the Brazuca alone. I motion for him to get in the picture, and I will take a photo of/for him. Clearly he is insane. He motions for me to get in the picture with the Brazuca. It remains unclear to both of us what good a picture of me would do in his camera phone. Maybe he just didn't trust me to take a picture of him and figured I'd leave him alone if he took a picture of me. Such is Brazil. OTOH, we encountered the same thing in a restaurant on Saturday...Zach motioning to offer to take a picture of some people celebrating Brazil's latest win, and them motioning for him to be in their picture. It isn't just a language barrier, it is a cultural difference among thousands of cultural differences that make daily life exciting, challenging, confusing, and exhausting.

I limp through the mall and into the bank branch. Immediately, I notice three things:

• The sign reading "This bank closes at noon on days when the Brazilian national men's football team is playing."

• Three armed guards, including one sitting in a life-guard chair.

• The plastic, bulletproof divider and revolving door. Apparently, they are trying to keep Magneto either in or out. Fools! The guards' guns are still metallic!

I haven't bathed in a while and I'm wearing the same shorts for the third day in a row. At least my underwear hasn't passed its expiration date.

A bank employee at a nearby desk convinces me to take a seat. She speaks no English but will call someone who does. After a few minutes in the waiting area, I am beckoned to the desk with a gesture that looks Italian for, "you don't have a linguica's chance in hell." She is dialing for me and finally gets an English speaker on the line.

I am handed the receiver but receive little. The phone-only customer service rep confirms that my US bank card is useless. I can neither withdraw cash at an ATM or in person at the teller. The rep suggests I find the "Banco do 24 Horas" ATM or try to contact international customer service. I tried the ATMs from "Banco do 24 Horas" twenty-four horas ago without luck, which is why I am here.  As for international customer service, I'd be happy to call them if you can tell me the number. No, she can't, but she'll tell the in-branch rep, in Portuguese, to google for it. I make a mental note to use Google Translate to translate the word "google."

I sit patiently while the local rep attempts to find a phone number for me.  I have no working smartphone to distract me. The only brochures are in Portuguese and way beyond my vocabulary level, which is below that of a Brazilian cão ou gato. So I have nothing to do but watch the woman at the desk try to search for a phone number....for 30 minutos. She is dressed very professionally, but doesn't speak a word of English. So she is very unlike the numerous other young Brazilians we've met who have spent a year of high school learning English in the US. She is pretty but very "made up" with heavy make-up and dyed hair. She wears a heavy gold watch, way too gaudy to avoid attention on the street or public transit. I begin to understand why upscale and wanna-be-upscale Brazilians drive everywhere. 

I sense that I am in a bad Brazilian soap opera (the TV is laughable here) and that at any moment, I'll be revealed as her long lost uncle and she my niece. Only she had a sex-change operation and is really my nephew Pablo. Or the guard will come out of a coma, or something. Something has to happen. I've been sitting here forever... Her bony wrists and manicured nails dance and pause over the keyboard. She searches fruitlessly on both internal and external sites. The result is clearly bupkis.

Having twiddled my thumbs as much as one can possible twiddle in mixed company, I nod. She smiles apologetically, and I exit through the Magneto-proof revolving door.

I return to the helpful English-speaking mall info desk, and ask where to find a "Banco do 24 Horas" ATM. It is worth another shot before hitting up local friends for cash. The attendant directs me to the supermercado, where I find the ATM in the corner. After a few touch-screen touches, it is calculating my final cost and asking for my approval. Thirty seconds later I have a crisp stack of R$50 bills in my humid little hands. Enough to last us the rest of the trip!

Triumphant, I buy some paper towels and toilet paper to replace what we've used at the apartment we've rented. I can only imagine what Brazilians think of us and our paper product peculiarities.

My family has been at the beach while I've been foraging for cash.

I drop off the paper goods at the apartment and continue onto the beach.

I don't have the energy to write about the beach in depth today but will another time...I'll share only this tidbit for now.

My wife and I are walking along the beach and see an empty coconut bobbing in the surf. This is one of the hundreds, perhaps thousands, of shells discarded from people drinking coconut water on the beach (yes, they just cut open the coconut and stick a straw in to drink the coconut water). My wife, never the environmentalist, looks unusually concerned. Against my better judgment, I ask, "What?"

"The coconut is in the water," she says.

"Yes, I know. What about it?"

"It will attract sharks," she warns.

"Sharks don't eat coconuts!" I exclaim (admittedly, I'll have to google for "do sharks eat coconuts," but will probably have no more luck than the banker this morning...maybe that is what she was googling for the entire time?!)

"Yes they do. They're scavengers."

"Then they won't be as hungry for the children. We're good either way."

My wife looks back along the beach. Are the children still in sight?

We walk a bit further north along the beach, then turn around, eventually reaching the uneaten children.

We leave the beach, but not before a run-in with Mario, which I'll save for another day. Suffice to say we're not going back to that part of the beach while in Brazil.

We gather our belonging and head back north, past the coconut-infested waters, to a pleasant restaurant. It is 3:00 pm and empty, but the service is attentive and the food outstanding. We order two caipirinha, one regular and one with dark rum. This seems to baffle and tax the waiter, but they arrive toot sweet (tout de suite if you prefer, but we're not in Paris).

These are not the unleaded versions we had at the American pre-party last Wednesday night. These kick like a mule and bite like a crocodile.

We take more leftovers and head home. It is already nearly 5:00 and the Germany-Algeria game will be starting soon.

A friend we met last night has invited Zach to play soccer with him and his friends, roughly 18 years old. Zach is almost sixteen, but big and a good player for an American. We wonder if all these Brazilians will be amazing. Zach is supposed to play in another pickup game at 8:00, but this first game is supposed to start at 6:00, so he should have time to do both.

Then Brazil happens.

Our friend, Raphael, asks if he can pick us up at 5:15. Great, we'll play early. But Rapha is on Brazil time and arrives around 5:45. He has to stop to pick up Leonardo, Donatello, Michelangelo, and Joao. There is no room in the SUV, as I decide to tag along, so Joao rides in the trunk. We go back to his apartment, in a high-rise along the beach, about a mile south of our own. We watch some of the Germany-Algeria game. His maid makes us some sandwiches.

Around 6:30, we head out to another apartment belonging to another friend. The building has tennis courts and two full basketball courts that double as soccer fields. The surface is smooth asphalt, and everyone is playing in bare feet. (This is an upscale court, so don't think of disadvantaged urban youth playing in bare feet for lack of shoes.) Everyone's iPhones wait impatiently at the edge of the court. And wait. There are another five people on the adjacent court, but the people we came with warm up for another 30 minutes or so. Two more friends show up and are streaming the Germany-Algeria game, and watching from the nearby swingset. Rapha has to drop someone off at the airport. He'll be back in 10 minutes (Portuguese for "1 hour").

It is about 7:30 and people start showing up. It is Americans vs. Brazilians in the first game. Zach is paired with 3 or 4 American friends visiting Rapha. Zach dances around the court and the opponents. He is easily the best player on the court and he knows it. He has fun beating the Brazilians at their own game. It really comes down to practice, and clearly none of them play the game seriously. But they have Hobbit feet and he does not, so his foot is soon bleeding from the pavement. It is 8:00, time for the other match. We decide to go. Rapha offers us a ride, but another ten friends have now arrived en masse, and it is a good time to make our exit. It is only a mile walk up the beach.

We arrive home, bandage Zach's foot, and set off to find the other pickup game to which Zach has been invited by another friend of mine, also named Raphael. (Turns out about 1/4 of all Brazilians are named Raphael.) It is supposed to be at the gym just up the street from my apartment....or not. We go there and have no luck finding the game. We go back and check the address, and find the apartment building a block from where we are staying. From outside, we can hear the shouting of a soccer game but the guard doesn't speak English. We finally convince him to let us through and he leads us to the basement/garage. There, among the cars in the garage is a full-size basketball court with undersized soccer nets at each end. It is as grimy and dingy as the first court was upscale and well-lit. But the players are of a different caliber...

As my friend Raphael said, there will be Brazilians and some Japaneses playing. Most are between 20 and 30 years old and can really play. The court is slippery with gravelly dirt. Zach is easily the youngest but not the smallest. The rules are that each game ends in ten minutes or after two goals are scored. There are three of four teams of five players each, so everyone can rotate in.

Zach subs in and soon thereafter makes a nice give-and-go for an easy goal. The other players reassess ("the American kid can play," they think). He makes another nice move for an easy assist, and again people mumble aloud. A teammate lofts a ball into the corner, Zach runs under it and heads it home for another nice goal. A collective cheer goes up for the jogo bonito.

Opposing teams come and go for the next thirty minutes; Zach's team stays on the court and wins six or seven straight games. We stay another hour or so. When he offers to play goal, people insist he play the field. The Japaneses can really handle the ball, but Zach outweighs them by 40 pounds and easily pushes them off the ball. Alliances shift and one of the better players--"the Argentinian"--who has been a teammate most of the night is now an opponent. Zach man-marks him and takes pride in shutting him down.

He is a pig in shit. I am chatting with other people when I hear another cheer go up for a nice play. I look towards the court to see Zach trotting away from the net as if he just scored a goal.

We head home around 10 pm, Zach beaming as he tells the story of how he did a Maradona on the Argentinian and then buried the ball in the back of the net.

Just another day in Brazil.

World Cup - Second Semi Finalized!

And then there were four....

Today's matches saw two favorites edge the underdogs in the narrowest of fashions.

Argentina (1) - Belgium (0)

Belgium's luck ran out today as there were bested by Argentina.

Even when Messi doesn't get the assist or goal, he still gets the credit for drawing defenders to him and starting the play off with a penetrating pass.

The Albiceleste scored in the 8th minute and their defense was stiff enough to deny Belgium's weak forays for the rest of the afternoon.

Messi was stuffed on a break-away in the closing minutes, but the Argentinian fans were still in a frenzy. They have had the easiest road to the semis. Messi will need to be in top form if the scrappy Argentinians are to win against the Dutch. Let's hope Ángel di María will recover from his leg injury in time for the semi.

Netherlands 0 (4) - Costa Rica 0 (3)

The Dutch dominated much of the play, but it was the stingy Costa Rican defense that was the story of the day.

The game went the distance, including two scoreless overtimes.

Keylor Navas, the Costa Rican goalkeeper, played flawlessly all day, repeatedly denying the Dutch, but he was unable to stop any of their penalties, which they buried with aplomb.

Just before it went to penalties, Netherlands substituted in specialist Tim Krul, who replaced Cillessen for the shootout. Krul guessed right on all five of Costa Rica's penalties and was able to stop two, which was enough to win the shootout 4-3.

The Dutch had never won a World Cup game in overtime (0-7). This win sets up a semi-final against the peaking Argentinians. Can Messi and company pull off the upset?

Winner will face either Brazil or Germany in the final!

World Cup - First Semi-Final is Set!

Quarter-final action kicked off today.

Germany and Brazil took care of business, but Neymar took a knee to the back...

Germany (1) - France (0)

On a day when defenders got offensive, Mats Hummels started off the action early. Heading in a direct kick in the 13th minute, Germany never looked back against the limp French.

That said, it is nice to see France make a deep run after their disastrous 2010 campaign.

While Die Mannschaft sounds like a Bruce Willis elevator porno movie, it apparently translates to "consistency."

The Germans have now reached the semis a record twelve times!

The last time the World Cup occurred in Brazil (1950), the Germans were banned. Since then, they have never ended worse than 7th and have three championships to their name.

To win their fourth championship, they will first need to face...

 Brazil (2) - Colombia (1)

...Brazil, who was able to dispatch a revitalized Colombia program.

Continuing a stellar offensive day for defenders,  Thiago Silva scored early and David Luiz scored late to provide the eventual game-winner, despite a late PK by James (pronounced "HAH-mayz") Rodriguez.

But Silva made a silly foul while the Colombian GK was punting the ball. This earned him a yellow card and a suspension for the game against Germany.

Equally worrisome, Neymar took a knee to the back late in the game and was carted off on a stretcher. Will he be match fit in time for Tuesday's big semi?

Update: Unfortunately not! Neymar is out for remainder of World Cup - four to six weeks.

Tomorrow....More Messi, and the Flying Dutchmen make their run at a possible title shot...

World Cup - Quarter-Final Preview

July 4th and 5th are sure to feature some great football!

Brazil v Columbia


Brazil squeaked past Chile, who their coach, Luiz Felipe Scolari, claimed was his biggest fear.

After passing that test, are they peaking at the right time? The hopes of a nation ride on Neymar's slight frame.

Now that the USA has been sent packing, I am rooting for only one team...five-time World Cup winners Brazil. Can they make it six? Everyone seems to doubt it, but a Neymar team is never desperate.


France v Germany

The Germans I spoke with said they fear France, Italy, and Spain. With only France left in the tourney, do the Germans view this as the only roadblock to their first title in 24 years (and their fourth overall)?

I think Germany will beat France, even though France has been playing better as of late.

But Germany best not take any of the remaining teams lightly. I've picked Germany to lose to Brazil in the semis, although I am the only one I've met (including Brazilians) who thinks Brazil will make it to the Final.

Argentina v Belgium

Belgium looked great against the US, but who, besides Portugal and Ghana, doesn't?

Everyone who isn't Belgian wants to see Messi in the Semis.

My guess is Argentina will pull off one more victory before losing to...

Netherland v Costa Rica

...the Flying Dutchmen, who face the Ticos in their quarter-final.

Neither team looked great in the Round of 16.

The Dutch had to stage a very late comeback against a formidable Mexico.

Costa Rica was pushed to penalties by a Greek team that may have been underestimated.

Predictions:

Brazil and Germany will face each other in one semi. My heart picks Brazil but my head says Germany.

Netherlands will face Argentina in the other semi. Netherlands will reach (and win) the final to finally add a World Cup to their trophy case.

World Cup - Day 20 - Fireworks but no Celebration

The Round of 16 concludes today!

Argentina (1) - Switzerland (0)

For the fourth time in seven R16 matches, we go to overtime.

Will we go to penalties?

No, Messi will have an assist to someone whose name only Argentinians will ever remember.

And Albiceleste will go to the Quarters against...

Belgium (2) - USA (1) 

...Belgium, who pretty much kicked the USA's butt for 105 of the 120+ minutes of playing time.

For the fifth time in eight R16 matches, we go to overtime again.


After 90 minutes in which Belgium dominated but couldn't sneak one past the amazing Tim Howard, the fireworks began in overtime.

The first Belgian goal was a punch to the gut, but it was the second that proved the eventual game winner.

Americans couldn't rally from the 0-2 deficit, but Julian Green (late sub) kept the game interesting to the final whistle.

They join Algeria in losing 1-2 in overtime to a superior team.

Good run, Yanks, but we would have loved to see you make at least the Quarters, which I'll preview in the next post.