NationStates Jolt Archive

São Paulo beats Liverpool for its third World title
Sunday December 18, 2005 10:48PM

YOKOHAMA, Japan (AP) -- Liverpool missed the chances. Sao Paulo scored the goal.

Sao Paulo won the Club World Championship on Sunday, beating overwhelming favorite Liverpool 1-0 on a 27th-minute goal by Mineiro for the South American champions.

Sao Paulo won this event in 1992 and 1993 when it was called the World Club Cup. It defeated Barcelona and AC Milan in earlier finals before stopping Liverpool in the title game of this six-team tournament.

In the third-place game, Ronald Gomez scored on a free kick with a minute to go and Deportivo Saprissa of Costa Rica rallied past Al Ittihad of Saudi Arabia 3-2 with two late goals.

Mineiro's goal was the first Liverpool -- winner of the Champions League -- had conceded in 12 league and cup games. The goal came when Cicinho played a through ball to Aloisio. He passed to Mineiro, who sidefooted the ball past goalkeeper Pepe Reina with Liverpool's defense appealing for offside.

"We did all the things we needed to do to win the game," Liverpool manager Rafa Benitez said. "If we played five more minutes the result could have been different."

Sao Paulo has a 3-0 record in the finals of the World Championship.
Liverpool is winless with three defeats.


http://sg.yimg.com/xp/reuters/20051218/334542288.jpg http://i.a.cnn.net/si/2005/soccer/12/18/bc.soc.clubworldchampio.ap/p1_121805_paolo_ap.jpg

Pathetic (Sour grapes) Liverpool City officially declared referee "Persona non Grata" :D :D :rolleyes: :D

Meh. If you have 21 shots and 17 corners but you don't score (ok, maybe Pongolle's goal should have counted), then I don't think you can claim you should have won.

I watched the whole game, Sao Paulo were a huge dissappointment. I'm no huge Liverpool fan, but Sinema-Pongolles goal should have been counted. Was a shocking decision.

That said though, if Liverpool keep playing like they did, but converting more of the chances, they'll do very well this season. Hell, i've predicted that they'll win the F.A. cup...

Meh. If you have 21 shots and 17 corners but you don't score (ok, maybe Pongolle's goal should have counted), then I don't think you can claim you should have won.I am not claiming anything like that...

This is Football... If I start making a list of teams that should have won but did not.. I would have to list 25% of every game ever played...

I heard about the Idiot Liverpool City-officials declaring officially some ref "Persona non Grata"...

I posted this... Because I don't have a link for the City-officials story.

Liverpool played a good game... but did not score.. They let the World Championship scape their hands.. for the third time.. Like the Buffalo Bills.

I watched the whole game, Sao Paulo were a huge dissappointment. I'm no huge Liverpool fan, but Sinema-Pongolles goal should have been counted. Was a shocking decision.

That said though, if Liverpool keep playing like they did, but converting more of the chances, they'll do very well this season. Hell, i've predicted that they'll win the F.A. cup...
If you want shocking decisions, take a look at van Persie's 'goal' against Chelsea, or Essien not getting sent off (not necessarily for the elbow, but he committed several yellow-card-worthy fouls after being booked).

If you want shocking decisions, take a look at van Persie's 'goal' against Chelsea, or Essien not getting sent off (not necessarily for the elbow, but he committed several yellow-card-worthy fouls after being booked).


Yeah, i saw the replay of that. The offside rule needs a complete overhaul.

Yeah, i saw the replay of that. The offside rule needs a complete overhaul.Like i said before (months ago) FIFA needs Goal-line... and Offside video Judges.

No system is perfect... But Video-Replay reduces dramatically the wrong calls...

If you want shocking decisions, take a look at van Persie's 'goal' against Chelsea, or Essien not getting sent off (not necessarily for the elbow, but he committed several yellow-card-worthy fouls after being booked).

Essien has got away with a few instances of foul play, but as a QPR fan i am not surprised by the conduct of Chelscum players....

São Paulo beats Liverpool for its third World title
Sunday December 18, 2005 10:48PM

YOKOHAMA, Japan (AP) -- Liverpool missed the chances. Sao Paulo scored the goal.

Sao Paulo won the Club World Championship on Sunday, beating overwhelming favorite Liverpool 1-0 on a 27th-minute goal by Mineiro for the South American champions.

Sao Paulo won this event in 1992 and 1993 when it was called the World Club Cup. It defeated Barcelona and AC Milan in earlier finals before stopping Liverpool in the title game of this six-team tournament.

In the third-place game, Ronald Gomez scored on a free kick with a minute to go and Deportivo Saprissa of Costa Rica rallied past Al Ittihad of Saudi Arabia 3-2 with two late goals.

Mineiro's goal was the first Liverpool -- winner of the Champions League -- had conceded in 12 league and cup games. The goal came when Cicinho played a through ball to Aloisio. He passed to Mineiro, who sidefooted the ball past goalkeeper Pepe Reina with Liverpool's defense appealing for offside.

"We did all the things we needed to do to win the game," Liverpool manager Rafa Benitez said. "If we played five more minutes the result could have been different."

Sao Paulo has a 3-0 record in the finals of the World Championship.
Liverpool is winless with three defeats.


http://sg.yimg.com/xp/reuters/20051218/334542288.jpg http://i.a.cnn.net/si/2005/soccer/12/18/bc.soc.clubworldchampio.ap/p1_121805_paolo_ap.jpg

Pathetic (Sour grapes) Liverpool City officially declared referee "Persona non Grata" :D :D :rolleyes: :D

Liverpool dominated that game and scored two legitimate goals...
Sometimes the better side loses the game, and this was a case of that.

certainly one would expect the european champions to mop the pitch with the South American champs since the best south American players come to play in Europe... but that's not the case most of the time. So I'm wondering why and have recognized a couple of possibilities:

1) The European teams simply don't get jacked up for the game and play poorly

2) The European teams are overconfident and play poorly

3) The South American teams take the game way more seriously than the Euro teams

4) The South American teams feel like David facing goliath and thus come out firing on all cylinders -- they're ready to play

I would imagine it's some combination of those four things. Something has to explain it, because the better players are always (recently, at least) on the European team

certainly one would expect the european champions to mop the pitch with the South American champs since the best south American players come to play in Europe... Yes the Very best come to play for the money Clubs ...But

Let me put it this way:
If every South-American Player.. would be free to play for the Rich European clubs... Then yes.. Rich European Clubs would "mop the pitch"...

The Key is that most European countries allow only a couple of imported South-American stars on the Field... (unless they somehow "find" him some European great-great-Granma or Granpa :D )

So what you have is the top 10% South-American Players playing against the 90% that did not make it to the Rich European Clubs... -And it has been a close contest-

there is another variable... a very few South-Americans are "hidden Gems"... and a fewer ones have Family/language issues.

Nationalism?? There is no such a thing in World class football :D :D :cool: :D (they save it for the WC)

certainly one would expect the european champions to mop the pitch with the South American champs since the best south American players come to play in Europe... but that's not the case most of the time. So I'm wondering why and have recognized a couple of possibilities:

1) The European teams simply don't get jacked up for the game and play poorly

2) The European teams are overconfident and play poorly

3) The South American teams take the game way more seriously than the Euro teams

4) The South American teams feel like David facing goliath and thus come out firing on all cylinders -- they're ready to play

I would imagine it's some combination of those four things. Something has to explain it, because the better players are always (recently, at least) on the European team

I think you're underestimating quite how good South American football is, and how many S. American players go to Europe. South American football is, clearly, excellent - just look at all the brilliant players produced over the years. In the last few years, the number of players leaving S. America to go to Europe has actually declined considerably. While in the 1990s, there were dozens of Brazilians, Argentinians etc. moving in Europe each year (Ronaldo, Rivaldo, Roberto Carlos, Cafu, Ronaldinho, Kaka, Riquelme, Saviola, Ayala, Crespo, Aimar, Simeone, Batistuta, etc, etc), this isn't so widespread now. Many players are staying in South America, particularly Argentinians (eg Carlos Tevez). Pretty much the only high profile move from S. America to Europe this year was Robinho. Santos has some great players - Diego for one. Yes, he'll probably move to Europe eventually, but shit happens. That's where the money is.
As for your points - 1, 2, and 3 can be discounted, as Liverpool were clearly taking it seriously, and were playing well. The last point has more merit, but I don't think that's true either. If they're firing on all cylinders, they wouldn't have sat back as much as they did. So it could be that they are actually good enough to be considered world champions.

Like i said before (months ago) FIFA needs Goal-line... and Offside video Judges.

No system is perfect... But Video-Replay reduces dramatically the wrong calls...

Yeah, but that would stop the fluidity of the game IMHO.

I suggest the rule that ANY player, who is behind the last defender with CLEAR DAYLIGHT is offside. Even if they are not interfering with play.

Mainly this is because they are in a team and therefore should make sure they are onside at all times.

Santos has some great players - Diego for one. Yes, he'll probably move to Europe eventually, but shit happens.

He already moved to Porto. He moved after they won the Champions League under Mourinho.

Yeah, but that would stop the fluidity of the game IMHO.actually It can help the Fluidity... Because the Refs would not have to stop the Game every-single-time it "looks like off-side"... the play would go on... and only if there is a Goal... they would review to see if there was a... Handball or an Off-side.

... and of course if the ball fully crossed the Goal line.

The new offside rule is bollocks. Return it to the old 'clear daylight' rule and none of this 'active-inactive' crap.

We wuz robbed.

That said it was one of those games that never actually went our way. Any normal game with opponents as sloppy as that and we'd have won by half-time. This time round it just didn't click.