After the Brazil - France quater final clash, I must say Cafu was one of the weakest Brazilians. But not only in this match, the whole WC he makes many mistakes, he is slow, and not as dangerous as he used to be...I think his time is over, and Milan cannot expect much of him next season?

Agreed. I'm afraid he's too old to play the right back after all. What he did today was...we'll nothing. He only played for so long because he's the captain of the brazilian team. Brazil has much better right back, like Cicinho or Rafinha. And we should also look for new right back, Oddo would be nice, Zambrotta would be awesome!

Cafu = pretty much usless now. He wants to be a CB? Good for him, he can go to some serie C team and try it there...

Ohh...Zambrotta...what a player !

Zambrotta----Nesta---Gallas----Oddo


...

You mean:

Oddo----Nesta---Gallas----Zambrotta?

Yes,..but somehow I feel that we won´t bring Zambrotta, Oddo and Gallas all in one mercato season. So far we´v got, ehem..Favalli

It's an old story.

We need a new and young RB.

well it depends on how you look at it ..........

but you're right, so far we only got Favalli

Cafu is old. Will be very good as a substitute.

he reminds me of beckham a little. they are past their time now, their skil isnt as it used to be but they are captains and stay on almost the whole match for the captain leadership. which ends up hurting the team more than it helps. they need a captain like cannavaro =D

cafu should have gone back to brazil after the end of last season, wonder if we could prise zambrotta or oddo and perhaps grosso as a left back as serghino looks like he's started to get past his best to. lots of work to be done!

Well we can forget about Grosso and possibly Zaccardo. Grosso was signed to Inter and they want Zaccardo really badly too.

But they can never get their hands on the best Italian defender Nesta

oh how bad ...

nah. they both suck!!!!! especially zaccardo .........

For one time I have to agree with you in all points
zaccardo really is a zero!

Grosso isn´t that bad...he has some potential. But Zaccardo..? I really hope he continues to score like he did on the USA match for Inter. That would make Inters defense even more...tragicall

I agree, Grosso does not suck as I said earlier, nevertheless he's nothing special ...

Definetely not worth playing in Italy's starting XI, IMO !!

The Italy starting eleven is very controverse to me...some questionable players show up...Zaccardo (dam it why not Oddo? I have the feeling everyone is infront of him in Lippis order), Grosso, Perotta, but also some bench players - Barone? My godness...he just can´t do anything. Why not Maresca instead? And then this Iaquinta, well lets just say that Pippo is a 100 times better than him. But the man (Lippi) continues to win, so I guess it has to be accepted that way

CAFU HOPING FOR FAREWELL MATCH

AC Milan defender Cafu is hoping to earn a Brazil recall - in order to bid farewell to the national team.

Cafu, the only captain to lift the World Cup on two occasions, has not played for Brazil since their defeat to France in the quarter-finals of Germany 2006.

But the 36-year-old retains hope that new coach Dunga will grant him a proper send-off.

"I still look forward to playing two or three more games for the national team. I have to have an honourable goodbye, but I am not trying to put pressure on Dunga," Cafu told GloboEsporte.com.

"I think it has to happen naturally, at the right time, with no pressure.

"If I'm named, it will be a pleasure for me to wear the national shirt again."

link

Yeah I read that earlier, somewhere ... He should be given his Nationale farwell, cuz he deserves it .. He is the ONLY one to last through three WCs (maybe four, not quite sure) ... In anycase he deserves it

He is their most capped player and played in 4 WC. He deserves something big.

There you go, thats the least they can do for him

Cafu considers new deal

Milan defender Marcos Cafu has announced that he might extend his contract with the Rossoneri. “Adriano Galliani said we can discuss a renewal.”

The Brazilian, who will turn 37 in June, is contracted to the San Siro outfit until the summer and stated in November that he had received an offer in Brazil, which he was considering carefully.

“Galliani gave me the good news, maybe I can extend my contract with Milan,” said Cafu.

“We will meet this week to discuss the details, in order to understand if we can reach an agreement,” added the former Roma star.

“I have been hearing people say that I am old for the past ten years, but I have never given up.

“I believe I can still play for a long time, I have no intention of stopping. Now, chances are that I might stay here for another season rather than returning to Brazil,” concluded Il Pendolino.

Cafu, who arrived at Roma in 1997 from Palmeiras, joined Milan in 2003, playing 101 Serie A matches and 33 Champions League ties so far.

Milan are set to undergo a complete renovation process in their defensive department at the end of the current campaign, as veterans Paolo Maldini and Alessandro Costacurta seem likely to retire.


Channel4

Ok so I guess Cafu is staying on for yet another season .. as I said on another thread, his presence is good for the Brazilian community at Milan. Do you see how happy R9 is, cuz Milan has this Brazilian vibe to it and Cafu is definitely an idol for Brazilians. Plus he is a champion and no one has been able to manage winning 2 WCs and reaching 3 WC finals as he did, so that is something that adds to teh team's experience. Expecially now that Billy is gonna hang up his boots.

i'm not gonna say that these aging players of ours can't perform but they get injured too many times in a season and it's as simple as that, either we play with these old players for another season and struggle with injuries or we start a new generation in Milan from next year on.

Alright, this is not funny anymore... respect your name and retire!

But i guess you're right....

Nah, he's still got more energy and better fitness than the entire United team.

You do realise Grosso was Italy's MVP for the tournement, he was awesome.

Second Round: vs Australia: Got forward well late on, and won the 92nd minute penalty which put them through to the QFs.

Semi Final: vs Germany: Eliminated the hosts with a superb goal

Final: vs Arsenal: Scored the decisive penalty, with complete confidence.

grosso was pretty good and one of italy's stars but by no means the MVP?!?! thats why cannavaro got the silver ball, after him i'd say pirlo was italy's 2nd best player buffon 3rd for only conceeding a penalty and a freak OG! then i'd say grosso 4th although i wouldnt say he was outstanding during games... he was very solid in def and had that nack of popping out of nowhere to make the diff, but then again i'd say zambrotta was just as important for his attacks on the flanks and we cant forget gattuso! all in all everyone played very well for italy and thats why they won the world cup.

Sure he had a knack for popping up at the right moment but by no means was he one of Italies top 5 performers. Pirlo, Rino, Canna, Zambrotta and even Matrix were FAR better then him.

He's never really impressed me to tell you the truth and was very surprised that he was even starting on the left, because imo, Zambo and Oddo should have been the starting fullbacks for Italy.

The fact that Lippi still chose Zaccardo over Oddo while Zambo was injured during the first 2 opening games does hint at a special favourism towards the Palermo boys


Sorry

HAPPY BIRTHDAY MARCOS

6/7/2007
Marcos Cafu celebrates his birthday today. The full-back was born in San Paolo, in Brazil on June 7, 1970. He made 35 appearances last season and played over 2500 minutes. With his continued motivation and excellent fitness, Marcos deserves all the best wishes.




Happy Birthday il Pendolino!

Never new a Cafu thread existed...

About the Grosso issue, Pirlo and Zambrotta were more crucial than Grosso

Pirlo scored against Ghana, and Assitsed Iaqy

Pirlo Assisted Gila

Pirlo i think took the CK which Matrix scored from (not sure dont quote me)

Totti threaded the pass for Grosso to make the run

Pirlo threaded the pass for Grosso to make the shot

Cannavaro won the ball and hoofed it upfield where Gila assisted ADP to score

Pirlo Assisted Matrix for his goal, and he scored the first penalty cooling easing the pressure

37yo and still a valuable player.

great job Marcos!

Il Pendolino...I still remember WC2002. Wow!!!

Players that age usually don't play in a position where they need to run a lot. I hope Oddo would stay injury free next season.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY!!

Pirlo was the best player at the World Cup. But Zambrotta!?

Pirlo, Cannavaro and Grosso were the top 3 players in the whole tournement for me. Pilro made an impact with alot of things, with his superb passing, and well deserved goal.

Cannavaro led the defense that didn't really let a goal in. If I'm right they conceeded 2 goals all tournement. The first an own goal vs the US and the second a penalty, which was one by a dive. He was beyond superb all tournement, especially when it mattered.

Grosso seemed to be their 'match winner' though. Winning the penalty against Australia in the 94th minute. Scoring against Germany in the 120th minute and then had the pressure of having to score a penalty to win the World Cup, which he did very cooley, with a top penalty.

P.S. Happy birthday Marcos. Why does it seem about 20 Milan players have had their birthday in the last month.

I have no idea how you forgot about gattuso...

He was superb. I just didn't want to mention everyone. Buffon, too. Even all the strikers seemed to come on and get goals!

Italy as a team were pretty faultless.. everyone contributed something.

Pirlo and cannavaro were the two for me, I thought pirlo was very unlucky not to get player of the tournament. Can't give our andrea space.. he'll hurt you.

As far as grosso goes, in my opinion he was italy's worst only cause he dived to win a penalty and knock us out of the world cup..

Best wishes to our brazilian right back.

Italy won the World Cup because of one thing, they were a team.

Look at their goalscorers: Pirlo, Iaquinta, Gilardino, Materazzi (2), Inzaghi, Zamrotta, Toni (2), Grosso and Del Piero. they had 9 different goalscorers, how many teams can EVER say that?

At the back they also played superbly, as a team. Zamro and Nesta missed a few games through injury and Matrix got sent off. Everybody came in to replace them and did a wonderful job.

I think all 20 of their outfield players played some part? I'd have to check that one out, but again that's a team for ya.

Just for you:
Was it a Penalty?
In my opinion, yes. Neill went to great and there was contact made, if Grosso had have tried to stay up, he'd have stood on him. Sorry bud, but fair is fair.

Australian Fans watching: vs Italy Australian people are awesome, they look so gutted when they give the penalty though.

yes i agree that it was a penalty but Grosso surely could've stayed up and played on but he decides to look like a fool and get a professional foul.

I don't even know how to dive. It must be real hard.

well that's why he a professional and you're not

Nah. I'm just a girl when it comes to things like that, I'm not getting myself hurt.

yeah right there with ya!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k2PgG8j0gyQ

watch the replay, gross gets clipped in two spots + neil lundges at him which would put anyone off balance + it was bloody hot and 90th minute so for a defender to get that forward i'm sure he was pretty damn tired meaning it wouldnt take much to go down.

anyways look at how you want, in the end i've seen lesser challenges result in penalties. besides the materazzi red card was a worse call yet no one talks about that.

Grosso played his part and played well for that matter, but still wasnt i would say in the top 5 performers section of Italy and the tournament

Italy top five

Canna
Pirlo
Gattuso
Buffon
Materazzi

Tourny 5

Canna - Solid throughout - Clear first
Pirlo - Solid throughout and also won most MOM in the tourny - Clear second
Zidane - Piss poor in the earlier sections but came to life in the knockouts - Clear third
Buffon - Worth his weight in gold for that Zidane header stop alone, pretty consistent throughout, but didnt have much to do
Klose - Goal machine

I hate it that everyone rates Klose really highly.
Where was he against Sweden, what about the Italy game? He scored one goal in the knockouts.

There's a few players in the past that have scored loads in the Group stages, doesn't make them top players.

Let me put it to you this way, if Klose was playing for England, they would have won the world cup And I am not taking anything away from the England team, with a defense and midfield like theirs, all England is missing a striker, (Owen Ronny, Crouch, etc etc..) They havent proved as effective as Klose. Don't for get Germany lost to official champs Italy.