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World Cup flops, but Brazil pick up team of the year
award yet again
DESPITE losing their grip on the World Cup with a quarter-final exit in
Germany this year, Brazil were named FIFA's football team of the year
yesterday for the fifth successive occasion.
After Brazil's four years at the top, this year seemed to be the obvious
time for a new winner to emerge.
However, Italy's triumph in Germany where they lifted the World Cup for
the first time since 1982 has counted for little in the FIFA awards, which
are based on ranking points accumulated over the year.
Brazil finished with 1,588 points in the final rankings for 2006 released
yesterday by football's world governing body. Brazil had 10 wins, one
draw and one defeat - the World Cup defeat to France.
"Brazil's four victories in Germany and highly consistent performances
in friendly matches, irrespective of their opponents and the venue, were
still more than the most promising chasing teams had to offer," said
a FIFA statement.
Italy came second with 1,560 points and could have gone top if the team
had fared better after beating France on penalty kicks to win a fourth
World Cup title in July.
After the World Cup, Italy lost 2-0 to Croatia and drew 1-1 with Turkey
in friendlies, and drew 1-1 with Lithuania and lost 3-1 to France in European
Championship qualifiers.
Yesterday the Italians had to be content with the accolade of "mover
of the year" having risen from 12th to second in the world rankings.
The top 10 hasn't changed since last month - Argentina in third, followed
by France, England, Germany, Netherlands, Portugal, Nigeria and the Czech
Republic. Scotland have dropped one place from 24 to 25.
The highest movers in the top 25 are Guinea, who moved from 27 to 23.
Meanwhile, Colombia will formally express their desire to host the 2014
FIFA World Cup following a recent submission from Brazil. Colombia will
present a letter of intent to FIFA and also will confirm its desire host
the tournament at a meeting Wednesday of the South American confederation
(CONMEBOL), Luis Bedoya, president of the Colombian soccer federation
said yesterday.
In July, President Alvaro Uribe said he wanted the country to host the
quadrennial championship.
"The country can do it and can do it well," he said during a
speech to inaugurate the Central America and Caribbean Games in the coastal
resort town of Cartagena.
Colombia was chosen as the host for the 1986 World Cup, but withdrew due
to financial problems in 1982. Mexico was selected to replace it six months
later.
"What we have presented very clearly is that they let us compete
to host the championship," Colombian Vice President Francisco Santos
has said.
Bedoya said the government already has formally guaranteed its support,
as required by FIFA.
"The idea is that South America does not present a single candidate.
The ideal is that it puts forward two or three countries and includes
the intention of Brazil and Colombia," Bedoya told local Radio Caracol.
As part of FIFA's continental rotation policy, the 2014 championship is
set for South America. The 2010 Cup is scheduled for South Africa.
FIFA's executive committee is to announce the host of the 2014 World Cup
in November.
European champions Barcelona jetted out of Japan yesterday shocked and
dejected after being ambushed in the final of the Club World Cup.
The Catalans became the latest victims of a South American smash-and-grab
raid as they were stunned 1-0 by Internacional of Brazil in front of 67,000
people in Yokohama on Sunday. Barcelona had totally dominated until substitute
Adriano's breakaway winner in the 82nd minute shattered the Spanish side's
hopes of an historic first world title.
"We're not failures suddenly," Barca coach Frank Rijkaard told
reporters but the Dutchman's body language suggested he was suffering.
"We have great players but we weren't functioning properly. We paid
for missing so many chances."
After only two years of the fledgling FIFA competition involving the world's
six continental champions, there appears to be a jinx on European clubs.
The manner of Barca's defeat evoked memories of last year's final when
Liverpool had three goals ruled out in a controversial 1-0 loss.
FIFA staged a first world club championship six years ago when Brazil's
Corinthians won the title on home soil.
But soccer's governing body was forced pulled the plug on the competition
in 2001 after the collapse of marketing partner ISMM/ISL.
Barcelona had been odds-on favourites to become the first European winners
and go one better than Johan Cruyff's stylish side of the early 1990s.
But they failed to produce the finishing touch their slick build-up play
deserved against a resolute Inter side.
Ronaldinho, inspirational in the 4-0 demolition of Mexico's America in
the semi-finals, appeared to have his mind on yesterday's FIFA world player
of the year awards in Zurich. The Brazilian, whisked away by jet with
FIFA president Sepp Blatter after the game, faded badly in the second
half.
MASSIMO MARZOCCHI. SPORT.scotsman.com,
Tue 19 Dec 2006
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