Today's 0-0 draw with Portugal was a dull, ill-tempered disappointment, but Brazil has now completed three consecutive World Cups without dropping a match in the group stages (their last loss was to Norway in 1998). Their 2-0-1 finish keeps South America undefeated in South Africa -- the five nations are a combined 10-0-4, with Chile yet to play this afteroon.
Let's hope the second of today's major ex-colonial battles, between Spain and Chile, is livelier than the first. I'm hoping for an open game, first and foremost, but best of all would be any result that keeps both teams alive and the killjoy Swiss out of the round of 16 (for that to happen, either Honduras has to get a result from the Swiss, or Chile and Spain need to play a high scoring match that ends in a draw or close Spanish win).
Finally, with a nod to Dunga's history lesson -- "all Brazilians are descended from slaves" -- I'm off to present a paper on the Virginia-born U.S. Minister to Brazil in the 1840s, and his struggle to save Brazilian slavery from itself. Primarily by stopping other Brazilians from importing more Africans.
Let's hope the second of today's major ex-colonial battles, between Spain and Chile, is livelier than the first. I'm hoping for an open game, first and foremost, but best of all would be any result that keeps both teams alive and the killjoy Swiss out of the round of 16 (for that to happen, either Honduras has to get a result from the Swiss, or Chile and Spain need to play a high scoring match that ends in a draw or close Spanish win).
Finally, with a nod to Dunga's history lesson -- "all Brazilians are descended from slaves" -- I'm off to present a paper on the Virginia-born U.S. Minister to Brazil in the 1840s, and his struggle to save Brazilian slavery from itself. Primarily by stopping other Brazilians from importing more Africans.
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