Robinho has long struggled to live up to the expectations thrust upon him ever since being personally singled out by Brazil legend Pele as his heir apparent at the tender age of 15.

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.

Now the World Cup really begins. That’s how five-time champion Brazil feels after cruising into the quarterfinals with a 3-0 win over Chile on Monday. Coach Dunga and his players know they will truly get tested against the Netherlands on Friday.

“Poland 2 England 1” English fans teased their German counterparts during the break of their team’s round of 16 clash with Germany on Sunday. The English supporters were referring to the Polish ancestry of Germany’s goal-scorers, Miroslav Klose and Lukas Podolski. The Germans brushed aside the taunts of the English fans because

The early exits by England and Italy from the World Cup have raised calls for changes in the make-up of club teams in the EPL and Serie A. English and Italian clubs are accused of relying on foreign players, ahead of home-grown talent, in their single-minded pursuit of success.

Fifa, the world football governing body, has decided to “discuss goal-line technology” in a meeting of the International Football Association Rules Board next month. The controversial events at the on-going World Cup have compelled football’s bosses to soften their protracted resistance to technological aids.

Robinho celebrated his first goal at the World Cup and a man-of-the-match performance as Brazil cruised past Chile and into the quarter-finals on Monday.
Robinho featured in the build-up to Luis Fabiano’s 38th-minute strike and then splendidly finished a chance created for him by a surging midfield run from Ramires on 59 minutes.

Brazil coach Dunga admitted Kaka’s flurry of yellow cards was giving him concern as five-time world champions Brazil charged into the quarterfinals at the World Cup at Ellis Park on Monday.

Chile had been using a national flag recovered from the debris of a house flattened by an earthquake in their country earlier this year for inspiration. Chilean players had revealed that the flag, a fixture at their official team hotel here, was one of the reasons for the South American team’s bullish run. But patriotic fervour wasn’t enough to help Chile upset Brazil in the round of 16.