Dunga sacrificed Brazil’s famed beautiful game in order to win, and win ugly. But, a 1-2 loss to Holland in the World Cup quarterfinals, and the former World Cup winning captain’s legacy could forever be tarnished.

The bid to win the rights to host the Fifa World Cup is a high-stakes affair with a very thin line dividing what is legal and what is deemed unethical.
The Football Federation of Australia in their hopes of getting the World Cup Down Under may have crossed that thin line, and Fifa has said it would investigate allegations that they offered illegal inducements and gifts to sway the opinion of the voters.

A swift counter-attack, the ball reaches you on the edge of the box and you are unmarked – you could just as well hear the ball blurt out, “shoot me”. What do you do? If you are Kaka, him of the boyish good looks, you one-touch the pass to the open striker and then head to the corner flank and join in the revelry.
The Real Madrid ace did just that in the build-up to Brazil’s second goal in their 3-0 win over Chile on Monday.

What Cristiano Ronaldo wouldn’t give to rewind to the start of the season, and do things all over again. It was only 12 months ago that flags bearing Ronaldo’s name were being unfurled from the rafters by adoring fans at the Santiago Bernabeu Stadium after Real Madrid paid a transfer fee, $132 million to exact, that justified his numero uno status.

The Russian Roulette of football finally made its entry on African shores as Paraguay overcame Asia’s last remaining hope Japan 5-3 on penalties after the match ended in a goalless draw at the Loftus Versfeld Arena here on Tuesday.

Two goals, one early in the first half and one late in the second, proved enough as Holland beat giant-killers Slovakia 2-1 at the Moses Mabhida Stadium here on Monday to advance to the quarterfinals of the Fifa World Cup.

Group F toppers Paraguay will look to add to the Latin flavour that has been ruling the roost in South Africa when they locks horns with Asia’s lone survivors Japan at the Loftus Versfeld Arena in Pretoria on Tuesday, with a first-ever quarterfinal berth the motivating factor for both teams.

With all the focus on Argentina, Brazil and Spain, Holland have gone about their task quietly and hogging more limelight than the players have been the 36 Dutch models in orange skirts hired by Bavaria Beer.

Sport has enough politics of its own, and doesn’t need politicians to complicate things further. Fifa is of the same view and has rebutted the Nicolas Sarkozy-led French government after their intervention into the matters of the French Football Federation following Les Blues’ humiliating first round exit.

Diego Maradona became the darling of millions of adoring young fans when he led Argentina to the World Cup in Mexico 24 years ago. Many of those young Mexicans, all grown up now, will stand in his way as he looks to coach his side to victory.