Filed under: UEFA Champions League | Tags: Anderson, Daniel Alves, EC Bahia, European Super Cup, FC Barcelona, Manchester United, Rafael da Silva, Sevilla FC, Sylvinho, UEFA Cup
Four Brazilians have helped Barcelona and Manchester United on their way to the 2009 Champions League final this Wednesday in Rome. But the one who has played more matches among them is exactly the player out of action tonight. Barcelona right wing back Daniel Alves took part in nine matches in the Champions League but picked up a second booking in the second leg of the semifinal against Chelsea and will watch the final from the stands.
“I am happy I helped the team to get to the final, but sad that I will not be on the pitch. I do not think Barcelona will be less stronger without me. It will not change the way our team plays. I am very confident we can win,” says Daniel.
The former EC Bahia and Sevilla FC player has already won three European trophies in his career (two Uefa Cups and one Super Cup with Sevilla). The one missing is the biggest of them all.
“It is not every day a team plays a Champions League final. We are very happy for that and trying to enjoy the moment. Manchester United is a great opponent and has the best player in the world, Cristiano Ronaldo. But Barcelona will show the same football it has played this season. If we have a great game we will be champions.”
Barcelona will have one Brazilian in action this Wednesday, the left-back Sylvinho. Manchester United has right-back Rafael da Silva and midfielder Anderson in its squad for the final.
Filed under: UEFA Champions League | Tags: Alex Ferguson, Anderson, Arsenal, Manchester United, Paul Scholes, Premier League, Seleção
Two seasons at Manchester United, two Champions League finals – and very close to his second Premier League winning medal. Anderson Luís de Abreu Oliveira is just a 21-year-old and is already in the football history books as the most sucessful Brazilian player in English football. He wants more and hopes to achieve that with an extra help from the Red Devils fans.
“We have the possibility to put this squad among Manchester United’s best of all times. We have fantastic fans that will invade Rome to support us in the Champions League final. It is one more dream coming true,” says Anderson.
The week is even more special for the young Brazilian after Manchester United manager Sir Alex Ferguson said he can be the new Paul Scholes and chose Anderson ahead of the Man United idol for the Champions League semifinal match against Arsenal in London.
“It is great to know someone like Ferguson admires you. I don’t have enough words to thank him for all he has done for me at Manchester United. About replacing Scholes, it is a great honour to me. I hope I can continue doing what people expect from me. I want to make history in this club,” added the midfielder, also a regular in the Seleção under coach Dunga.
Anderson now says Manchester United will be focused on winning the Premier League trophy as soon as posible. Then, they will just have the Champions League final to worry about.
“We want to concentrate in the European final. We will have time for it and we will be in our best shape. To be able to beat us, our opponent will have to play too well.”
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Filed under: English Premier League | Tags: Anderson, Champions League, Grêmio, Liverpool, Lucas, Manchester United, Porto, Premier League
A fantastic pass for Manchester United’s first goal in the 2-0 win over Portsmouth, and the hard work that has earned him a lot of praise in England – and has made him explain back home why he is not the player he used to be. Anderson is back at his best after suffering with injuries this season. Wednesday’s night victory was so important to him and United that the Brazilian says he and the fans have started feeling the smell of more silverware.
“We are totally focused on winning the Premier League as soon as possible and then concentrate in the Champions League. We respected our opponents but the ‘smell of the Premier League trophy’ is already in the air. The fans are excited with the possibility of a quadruple, of winning four trophies this season. We see that on flags and banners and this gives us, players, even more confidence. We want to make history in Europe,” says Anderson, through his spokesman.
The midfielder is yet to score his first goal for Manchester United in more than 70 appearances, but he swears he is more than happy to help with assistances and passes, like the one to Ryan Giggs who then sent the ball for Wayne Roney to score 1-0 against Portsmouth.
“I joked with the guys that the strikers should give me some of their cash because of my assistances. It makes things much easier for them,” laughs Anderson.
Only 21, Anderson has already won a Copa América with the Seleção and his honours with Manchester United include one Champions League, one Premier League, one Club World Cup and the League Cup.
He started his career at Grêmio FBPA labeled as new Ronaldinho, coming from the same ranks and because of his talent and hairstyle. He won the Brazilian Second Divison with Grêmio, scoring in the historic Batalha dos Aflitos (“Battle of the Afflicted”) against Náutico, a match also mentioned by Liverpool midfielder and former Anderson teammate Lucas in one interview to FC Brazil.
Anderson then moved to FC Porto where he won two Portuguese leagues and one Portuguese Cup. He was elected the best player of the 2005 U-17 World Cup in Peru and has also won the bronze medal in the 2008 Beijing Olympics.
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Filed under: FA Cup | Tags: Fabio da Silva, Manchester United, Rafael da Silva
"What about some tips after the game, Phil?"
Bernardo Pires Domingues
Instead of a notable win, Manchester United fans at Wembley this Sunday witnessed what can be yet another milestone for a new long-lasting family tale at the Red Devils.
Sir Alex Ferguson decision to leave Gary Neville on the bench rather than giving him the captain armband prevented the FA Cup semi-final against Everton from being remembered as the game in which the right-back and his brother and former United’s team mate Phil faced each other captaining their respective sides.
On the other hand, the manager’s team selection put together for the first time in the senior squad’s starting 11 both of the club’s new acquisitions from the same family: the Brazilian 18-year-old full-back twins Rafael and Fabio da Silva.
In the right side Rafael, who has had more starts than his brother this season and has even a goal against Arsenal at the Emirates to his name, struggled to cope with Pienaar’s offensives. Attacking-wise, though, one of his crosses was fired goalwards by Danny Wellbeck and almost ended up in the back of the net after a deflection off Joleon Lescott.
Fabio had an easier time at both ends of the pitch, but came off in the second half suffering from cramps.
“The youngsters did pretty well, in the first half especially. In the second, maybe because we’re all young, we lowered our level a little bit. My performance was regular, neither very good nor very bad. I think this was the game in which I got more nervous than any other, because my brother was playing”, Rafael revealed to me after the match.
“He did very well. Maybe because he hasn’t played for a long time – he’s played very few games here at Manchester –, he left with cramps. But I didn’t imagine he would play so well like this”, praised the right-back, who acknowledged the importance of the occasion – starting alongside his brother for Manchester United in an FA Cup semi-final before a packed Wembley Stadium.
“I will keep this feeling for life. We let everybody know when we learned we were both going to start, all our relatives in Brazil. I don’t know how my father and my mother are right now, back home in Manchester; their hearts must be coming out through their mouths”.
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Filed under: English Premier League | Tags: Alexandre Pato, Amauri, Deco, Eduardo da Silva, Italy national team, Manchester United, Marcos Senna, Rodrigo Possebon, World Cup
Brazilian and Italian press have discussed for months the issue of which national team Juventus striker Amauri will choose to play for. Meanwhile, and without the same amount of attention, another Brazilian talent has made up his mind without much trouble. Manchester United midfielder Rodrigo Possebon was called to Italy U-20 national team and said yes.
“I am very happy to be called up and to have chosen to defend Italy, a country that has recognized my work. There is no come back. From the moment I got the Italian citizenship I knew this could happen. I see it as a way to return what Italy has given me: the possibility to play in Europe and to defend Manchester United. I will do my best to secure a place in the U-20 team and to have a chance in the senior national team later on,” says Rodrigo.
Possebon is born in Sapucaia do Sul, state of Rio Grande do Sul (same as Ronaldinho), and began his career at SC Internacional, where he played alongside AC Milan star Alexandre Pato. Rodrigo was spotted by the same scout who recommended the twins Rafael and Fábio da Silva to Manchester United. The midfielder moved to England without having played a single professional match in Brazil. He was granted the Italian citizenship through his father’s family and avoided the need for a working permit in UK.
Rodrigo Possebon has played only seven official matches for the Red Devils but his talent has been praised by Sir Alex Ferguson and Cristiano Ronaldo. Manchester United’s official website calls him “elegant and composed in possession but full of energy, an archetypal box-to-box midfielder.” The player has already got a song from Man United fans.
Brazilian players have a long history of contribution to the Italian national team. The forward Anfilóquio Marques, known as Filó in Brazil and as Guarisi in Italy, was the first Brazilian to win a World Cup in 1934 as part of the Italian squad. In the 50’s striker Dino da Costa was a member of the team who failed to qualify for the 1958 World Cup. A winner in Sweden 1958 with Brazil, striker Mazzola moved to Italy and defended the Azzurri in the World Championship four years later in Chile. In indoor football the Brazilian influence is even stronger. In the 2008 Futsal World Cup all 14 players of the Italian squad were born in Brazil.
In the 80’s and 90’s Brazilian-born footballers defending other national teams were considered players who had no chance of making it to the Seleção. This is still a common view. But names such as Deco in Portugal, Marcos Senna in Spain and Eduardo in Croatia have shown they could have been valuable assets to the Brazilian team. Brazilian fans now can only hope this will not be the case of Rodrigo Possebon. Neither of Amauri, if he chooses to follow the same way.
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Anderson smells more silverware: ‘We want to make history’
Filed under: English Premier League, UEFA Champions League | Tags: Anderson, Manchester United
Match fit again, Anderson is in Manchester United’s squad for Wednesday’s Champions League quarter-final second leg against FC Porto. This will be a special occasion for the Brazilian midfielder, not only because he turned 21 on Monday, but because he will be back to Estádio do Dragão, where he spent two seasons and helped the Portuguese outfit to a League and Cup double in 2006 and the league title in 2007. Such is the importance of FC Porto to his career that Anderson says he would not feel comfortable celebrating a goal in front of the Portuguese fans.
“I have a great respect for the fans, the ones I worked with and all the people that helped me when I was at Porto. If I score, for sure I wouldn’t celebrate. But I feel at home at Estádio do Dragão since it was there I started my career in European football and advancing to the semfinals there will be a great birthday gift.”
After recovering from a thigh injury whilst serving the Brazilian national team, Anderson says he is ready to play 90 minutes, or more, if manager Alex Ferguson needs him to.
“I am hungry to play and I want to help Manchester United to win all trophies. I feel fully fit again and I am ready to help the manager either playing from start or staying on the bench. It was not in our plans to go to Portugal in such conditions but we have a great team and we can get the result we need.”
Another Brazilian included in Man United’s squad is right-back Rafael da Silva, who has also been carrying an injury. One of the most promising of Brazil’s talents, Rafael was nominated this Tuesday for the Professional Footballers’ Association young player of the year award. He is the only nominee not to come from the British Isles and Ireland.
FC Brazil 