I stopped posting about the series because nobody seemed interested, but the 2021 final will be played this evening, in Brazil, at 8pm EDT. By request, I’ll be putting up a post for your comments at 7:45pm.
(Euro 2020 final is Sunday, and yes, of course, it too will get a dedicated post at the proper time.)
… Brazil against Argentina, three words that come out of any fan’s mouth so effortlessly, a rivalry that transcends statistics and is fueled with history, creating over the years a proverbial photo album of who’s who of South American royalty, granted Neymar’s wish and will indeed play the protagonist at Maracanã Stadium on Saturday night.
Not only is this a strong way to conclude this summer’s Copa América, one that began with controversy and justified skepticism, CONMEBOL is most likely thanking the football Gods that this is the finale to conclude it all as Euro 2020’s success made it almost impossible to surpass. It’s not to say the general soccer fan won’t watch both finals or competitions, but there is such a thing as overindulgence, especially when it comes to a tournament that was taking place in a continent still struggling with the effects of pandemic.
But alas, the show goes on, and if there’s a chance to create Hollywood-style headlines on Saturday night, it’s by giving the world the most intense rivalry in international football. It doesn’t hurt that these are nations that have given us some of the most gifted footballers the world has ever seen. From Pele, Zico and Garrincha to Alfredo Di Stefano, Diego Maradona and Adolfo Pedernera. The artistry of Ronaldo, Ronaldinho and Kaka with the stoic beauty of Gabriel Batistuta, Juan Roman Riquelme and Fernando Redondo. The shirts themselves are so contrasting in style (shining canary yellow and golden green against the sky, light blue and pristine white) but at the same time, they’re also a metaphor for the best of what nature can offer, the sun and sky. This game, therefore, is the highest peak of what we can envision and thanks to the fascinating football paradox, it makes for the perfect spectacle…
SiubhanDuinne
Gosh, AL, even I was interested! Now I don’t know what I might have missed.
Tony Jay
Messi really, really, really wants this one. He’s the acknowledged G.O.A.T. (2000+ Edition – other G.O.A.Ts are available) and has won just about everything Spanish and European club football can provide, but he’s never done anything with Argentina. This may be his last real chance to change that tune.
Brazil, though. They can certainly play. They’re at home. And they’ve got the talent of Neymar.
Argentina. 3-2. Because I’ve always loved their shirts.
Just One More Canuck
@Tony Jay: Argentina because Messi – he’s still the best player at 34. I hope he stays with Barcelona until he’s ready for his MLS retirement tour
Jeffery
I am surprised it had as much coverage on US national network TV as it has.
I don’t do sports. Could care less who wins any world event.
We had soccer in high school in the 60’s. Ever so slowly it grew in popularity. Soccer moms happened. Out on a drive over a weekend I would see teams of grade schools and up playing. It’s almost on most sports fans radar in the USA.
raven
@Tony Jay: Does home mean much in an empty stadium?
raven
And, of course, there is game three of the National Basketball Association finals tonight.
Jerry
Not a large fan of soccer, but any Brazil v Argentina match, like a USA v Mexico match, is must see TV for me.
WaterGirl
@Just One More Canuck: It’s good that you’re here, since you were the one with the request! :-) Glad you know about the thread in advance.
Omnes Omnibus
@raven: Game 3 is tomorrow.
raven
@Omnes Omnibus: O
otmar
The game is at 2 am my time. Hard pass.
Mart
@SiubhanDuinne: Argentina vs. Columbia was an amazing semifinal. At one point Columbia’s goalie had attempted to stop Argentina’s advance about 35 yards outside of the goal (red card and expulsion if he succeeded), but he missed. Argentina proceeded to fire a shot at an almost empty net into a defender, and failed on the rebound. 1 – 1 game went to PK’s where Columbia stunk the place up. There was no thirty minutes OT before PK’s?, like in Euro or WC?
My buddy from Columbia about stroked out.
WaterGirl
@raven:
When I asked the other day if there was interest in the basketball tournament, I think you told me that there is not. ?
TomatoQueen
@Tony Jay: Also a rank sentimentalist re: Messi, & hopeful that this one time, just once, he’ll make it happen.
Ray Hudson, bellowing: It’s magisterial!
Jonas Gutierrez, a Gentleman of the Beautiful Game: loses his English (it’s really rather good, if sometimes noticeably Geordie), sobs
WaterGirl
@otmar: That’s what video recording is for! :-)
patrick Il
@WaterGirl:
Except for me anda few others , this doesn’t seem to be much interest in the vBA here at B.J.
raven
@WaterGirl: no
patrick Il
@patrick Il:
That is NBA. Old man trying to type on a cellphone.
Tony Jay
@Just One More Canuck:
I think he will. It’s been his home since he was 13, they love him, he loves them. Where would he go that he wouldn’t be some sort of weird interloper of which strange and unnatural things are expected?
Though, granted, that’s MLS all over, isn’t it? 8-)
@raven:
Oh yeah. Not as much, but you’re still travelling to the stadium through a city that wants you to win soooooo bad. You can hear the roar as you pass by and you know how much it’s going to mean the the crowds outside of you win it.
Hell, this is Brazil. The players will probably be able to hear the racket from inside the stadium.
Anonymous At Work
Great News! Charlottesville is removing its statues dedicated to Jim Crow! Link here.
Just One More Canuck
@WaterGirl: thanks. Knowing me, I’ll completely forget tonight – I’ll be watching with my family if the station it’s supposed to be on doesn’t make a last minute switch to day old highlights as they have been known to do.
gogiggs
So, there I was, wasting time playing Candy Crush. I got to the part where they offer you more moves for watching up to three ads. It was three straight thirty second ads for the fucking Epoch Times!
So I went to their Facebook page and suggested that maybe a time-waster app game wasn’t the ideal place to peddle Chinese disinformation and said post was deleted in two minutes tops.
So, that’s something that’s happening.
trollhattan
@raven:
In Bolsonaro’s Brazil he’ll have you shot if you don’t attend.
WaterGirl
@Just One More Canuck: You may have to face Anne Laurie if you do! :-)
edit: This may be a new take on “be careful what you
wishask for”!Mike E
There’s quite a bloc of futbol on Univision (TUDN) today with the Brazil v Argentina tilt sandwiched between two Copa Oro matches, for those who can’t get enough of the beautiful game.
I’m watching the Wimbledon final for women’s wheelchair doubles on hulu, amazing…two bounces are allowed during volleys and the level of play is what you’d expect at a major championship.
WeimarGerman
Argentina v Colombia PKs were a masterclass of trash talking and backing it up by Argentina’s goalkeeper. Who stops 3 PKs? Just wonderful.
And history of Brazil vs Argentina dont leave out the defense, Simeone, Cafu, Carlos Alberto. Roberto Carlos reinvented his position too.
Uncle Cosmo
@Mart: COLOMBIA, fer dogsake. Fix it, or your “buddy” might not be your “buddy” any more.
NotMax
Seems like an appropriate place to drop it in.
10 Oldest Active Soccer Players in the World
Just One More Canuck
@TomatoQueen: Ray Hudson is awesome. Bein Sports just sold the North American rights to La Liga to ESPN. I hope ESPN has the sense to get him as part of the deal. Up here in Canuckistan, we’re supposed to be getting it on TSN. They have five feeds, but you don’t know what you’ll actually see on any one of them until it’s actually on
@WaterGirl: I’ll be sure to make a point of it now!
lurker
have been attempting to watch games and reading threads as well. not commenting in real time due to spoilers and getting confused about schedule…and you know, work, life, etc
TomatoQueen
@Just One More Canuck: Bein Sports needs to have been drowned at birth hideous awful coverage buffer buffer buffer. ESPN might make a nice change, between the naivete and the misogyny. Unfortunately, Ray Hudson doesn’t come with the deal: https://the18.com/en/soccer-entertainment/ray-hudson-calling-laliga-era-ending. Maybe he could be talked into coming home to Newcastle…
trollhattan
@NotMax:
Formiga is #3 in that list, 3-3-78.
Carly Lloyd, 7-16-82 would have been in the #10 spot, but it drops off the list.
All hail Miura!
Tony Jay
@TomatoQueen:
There’s nothing funnier in football than a foreign player who had come over and learnt how to speak English surrounded by regional dialect. Classic Jan Molby with his Scouse-tinged Danish accent comes to mind, but you can’t help but love Ole Gunnar Solskjaer and his very, very Mancunian interpretation of how a Norweigan would speak English.
lurker
@NotMax: that link is not fair. nearly got sucked down that rabbit hole…
Anotherlurker
@lurker: I did get sucked down that rabbit hole.
Interesting, though.
Just One More Canuck
@TomatoQueen: Bein has been fine here, other than needing more highlight clips. We saw the same highlights from Ligue 1 set to the music of the Lanskies over and over, and know the stories of Ander Herrera and Pablo Sarabia off by heart
jame
@NotMax: That list entirely leaves out women. Carli Lloyd is at least as old as the first person listed.
burnspbesq
Boycotting. Tournament should. Not. Be. Happening.
WaterGirl
@burnspbesq: Why is that?