Going into the World Cup on their home soil in 2014, Brazil were widely considered the main favorite for the planet s biggest trophy. But having edged past Chile on penalties in the round of 14 and narrowly beaten Colombia in the quarterfinals, they were completely destroyed by eventual winners Germany one step before the final.
Goals from Thomas Muller, Miroslav Klose, Toni Kroos (2), Sami Khedira and Andre Schurrle (2), left some huge scars across the Brazil team that will likely never heal fully.
Here are a few words on the matter from Thiago Silva, Neymar and Fernandinho.
The worst night in Brazilian football history.
A World Cup hammering in their own back yard
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Nicolas Anelka joined Chelsea from Bolton on this day in 2008.
The France striker, then aged 28, completed a move to Avram Grant’s side for a fee of £15million.
The Blues had been looking for extra firepower to help them overcome the loss of Didier Drogba and Salomon Kalou to Africa Cup of Nations duty.
“Chelsea are a big club. I have proved that I can score goals at the top level and I can do the same for Chelsea,” said the much-travelled Anelka, who counted Arsenal, Real Madrid, Paris St Germain, Liverpool and Manchester City among his former clubs.
“I want to tell the Chelsea fans that I see this as a great opportunity and an honour to play for Chelsea and I will not disappoint them.
“Chelsea is the team I really wanted to join and I…
The New England Patriots will be looking for their sixth straight win (SU and ATS) Sunday when they host the banged-up Tennessee Titans as 6.5-point favorites. The Titans had their six-game winning streak snapped last week with a loss to the Texans, while injuries to skilled positions are stacking up.
Can the Titans’ offense find an identity without Derrick Henry, Julio Jones, and possibly A.J. Brown, or will the Patriots continue to be successful with a great running game that compliments a No. 5 defense by success rate? Is this a perfect overreaction game?
Find out in our free NFL picks and predictions between the Titans and Patriots.
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Week 4 of the NFL season is headlined by a Super Bowl rematch on Sunday Night Football between Patrick Mahomes and Tom Brady.
Our two featured games for Week 4 odds include the latest ticket and betting handle reports on the two most marquee games of the day, including SNF.
Be sure to also check out our free NFL betting picks for today’s 14-game slate.
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It’s not uncommon to see big point spreads in the NFL odds when the calendar flips to December, as bettors are exposed to a larger sample size and injuries take their toll. But while there are three teams favored by more than a touchdown in Week 14, there are nine laying 3.5 points or fewer.
All four of the games I’m featuring in my free NFL parlay picks column this week fall into the latter category. Join me as I analyze the Week 14 odds and give out my best traditional 3-leg parlay, as well as a same-game parlay for Colts vs. Bengals.
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The pirate ship was supposed to sink to the bottom of the NFC in the wake of Tom Brady’s retirement, but the Tampa Bay Buccaneers were extremely buoyant for NFL bettors, finishing the 2023 season 9-8 SU and 11-6 ATS.
Unlike last year, this season carries expectations after another NFC South title and strong postseason showing, including the reboot of Baker Mayfield. NFL odds have Tampa Bay’s win total at 7.5 (Over -150) and the look-ahead lines install the Bucs as point-spread favorites nine times.
Preseason prognostications vary for the Buccaneers. NFC South futures put them behind the new-look Falcons (+320 vs. -120), who are garnering overwhelming support to win the division by futures bettors (topping ticket and handle count). Yet, preview mags…
Erik ten Hag wants to topple Manchester City and turn Manchester United into the Premier League’s best once again. The Dutchman takes his side to the Etihad on Sunday 15 points behind their neighbours but believes United have the quality to be champions.
Sir Jim Ratcliffe, the club’s new minority owner, says his ambition is to knock City “off their perch” in the next three years but United have a lot of catching up to do. “We have to show ambition, we want to be the best. That is what United stands for,” Ten Hag said. “But at the same time, we know where we are now. We’ve also seen that there are moments where we go toe-to-toe, so that’s the belief we have as a team.
Jim Ratcliffe sets United’s stakes high for first M…
Some days he would go before training, others after training and there were days he went before and after training, but every day without fail Ronald Araújo would head to the bullring. He was 19, recently arrived in Spain, and what he wanted most was to fit in. The bullring is a small cage with portable metal panels on wheels, relentlessly receiving and returning endless passes, and it became his place. Because if everything was different, ask the Uruguayan to name the hardest thing about moving to Barcelona as a teenager 6,000 miles from home and his response is simple: “the ball”.
“Football happened fast,” Araújo says. “At 17, I was still in my little home town, playing for the local team, Huracán Rivera. At 17, I went to Mont…
Judging by the numbers, Brazil were one of the better sides during the 2019 Copa America group stage. La Selecao cruised their way in Group A, going undefeated (W2, D1) while scoring the most goals (eight) and keeping three clean sheets. It’s hard to deny they should be considered as contenders for the title, especially considering they’re playing at home.
Several players have stood out for their recent performances. Philippe Coutinho has contributed directly in three goals (two goals, one assist), Casemiro and Dani Alves have looked impressive, and names such as Alisson and Thiago Silva have added steady performances at the back. But one player that has caught lots of attention has been Everton. No one expected him to play a prominent role for Tite in this tournament, but …
Emile Smith Rowe already feels at home at Fulham, as the former Arsenal man looks to continue his positive start to the season at Nottingham Forest on Saturday.
Smith Rowe left Arsenal after 14 years at the club to join Marco Silva s team in a deal reportedly worth up to £35million last month, and he has wasted no time in making an impact.
He has contributed to goals in each of his first three home games with Fulham (two goals, one assist), scoring their second goal in Saturday s 3-1 victory over Newcastle United.
Ahead of this week s trip to the City Ground to face Forest, who are one point better off than Fulham and still unbeaten, Smith Rowe said he was delighted with his start.
I couldn t be happier, we just had another really good performance and …