Copa America: Can Larissa Riquelme Inspire Paraguay To Victory Against Brazil?

Copa America is the symbol of supremacy among South American football nations. I wouldn't blame the reader if you wondered why anybody would support Paraguay ahead of their more accomplished rivals like Brazil and Argentina.
The reason is actually not that hard to see. Paraguayan model Larissa Riquelme, who had promised to strip if her national team won the FIFA World Cup in 2010, is at it again. Riquelme has once again promised to run through Asuncion, the capital city of Paraguay, in her birthday suit, if Paraguay were to win the Copa America.
At the World Cup last year, the Paraguayan lingerie model's promise made Paraguay play harder, until they were beaten by eventual champions Spain. Football fans can expect another inspired performance from Paraguay, in Argentina, the venue of the Copa America, this year. Especially as Riquelme kept her promise, despite Paraguay's exit from the event.
Paraguay, who are in Group B with Brazil, Venezuela and Ecuador, have already played out a goalless stalemate with Ecuador, in their first match, and their next one is against Brazil, in Cordoba. Brazil were held to a goalless draw, by Venezuela, and can be expected to make it tough for Paraguay.
"If Paraguay win the Copa America then I shall pose nude on the pitch,'' Riquelme is reported by a newspaper as having said before the match against Ecuador.
Argentina is going through an icy Southern Hemispheric winter with temperatures falling below zero, but that did not stop Riquelme from appearing before fans at the Ecuador game in a sleeveless top in her country's colours of red and white, thereby evoking a warm response form Paraguayan and Ecuadoran fans alike.
But Ecuadoran keeper Marcelo Elizaga was clearly not one of them. He put up a brilliant show between the Ecuador posts, to thwart Paraguay's attempt to take Riquelme one step closer to her promise. Roque
Roque Santa Cruz came close to scoring for Paraguay but Elizaga was equal to the task of keeping the Blackburn striker's header out. Assisted by Estigarribia, Edgar Barreto had another good scoring chance, from point-blank range, but again, Elizaga was on the spot to punch the ball away.
Beating the Brazilians is not beyond the Paraguayans who did it in 1999, when they crafted a 3-0 win at home. Paraguay will be looking to Roque Santa Cruz, their mercurial striker, to draw inspiration from Riquelme's promise, if they are to acquit themselves with honour against the mighty Brazilians.

Bet the Under and the Draw. Do It.

Once again this season, a great betting angle is to look for the draw and the under in MLS as the teams go through a mid-season slump accompanied by the international call-ups. Every MLS match yesterday was under 2.5 goals, meaning if you had laid down U.S. dollars in legal international betting markets on a 6-game under parlay, you would have made at least 40 to 1.

5 of the last 9 MLS games have been draws.

The reasons for this are simple. Landon Donavon and other goal scorers are on call-up. Teams have higher injuries, and the mid-season stagnation is setting in for certain clubs. Fewer goals means more under bets come in, and more draws are likely.

El Luchador will be looking closely at this week's matches and making recommendations on good value under and draw bets in the coming days.

First up is our own Columbus Crew at home versus the dreaded teetotaling polygamists of Real Salt Lake. This one is NOT a lock, but we will have analysis by 1/2 hour before kickoff once the odds are posted.

As the Luchametric Institute for Predictive Sciences has instructed the Faithful for years, the soccer draw is the highest value bet in the world because people don't like to bet it. You collect from all the suckers who bet one of the teams to win because they couldn't bear them losing.

Bet the draw. Do it.

Crew Win with Luchametric Formation; Thierry Henry Gets What's Coming to Him

Jack Ruby style, like a thief in the night, El Luchador tonight confronted the cheating Thierry Henry at Crew Stadium after the Red Bulls' humiliating defeat at the hands of the Black and Gold.

Robert Warzycha took the advice of the Luchametric Institute and played the 4-2-3-1 formation in the attacking phase with Renteria up top, and the Crew won handily 2-0 on goals from Renteria and Brian Carroll. Although they "lined up" in the 4-4-1-1 to start both halves, GBS played back deeper than in previous matches and Renteria was the lone marauding striker up front.  And the starts by Expo and Renteria, as we had suggested, clearly gave the crew the attacking prowess they had been lacking.

But the highlight of the evening was when El Luchador spoke truth to power, made Mark McCullers' Security Forces and Columbus Police nervous, and scouted out The Cheater's location to charge in and achieve justice for the people of the Republic of Ireland.  El Luchador did what any sensible football fan would do and called  Henry out on his despicable handball that cost the Irish a place in the World Cup this year.

After France's disgraceful but predictable collapse in South Africa, Henry announced his signing with New York, and he flew to Columbus to witness his team lose to the Crew from a luxury box on the northwest corner of the stadium.

Thierry Henry: As a Frenchman, you know how to surrender. Go ahead and do so  now. Based on what we saw from the Red Bulls tonight, even your cheating ways will not save you or your newly chosen comrades.

Hagalo Columbus! DO IT!

Manu Chao on Diego Maradona

Manu discusses the first time he met Maradona, why he is the greatest player ever, and the meaning behind the song "La Vida Tómbola" which was featured in the documentary film Maradona by Serbian filmmaker Emir Kusturica" 


"It is not easy being Diego Maradona."

El Clandestino, El Vision and El Escheleto Combine on the Attack to Help Make it 2-0 Columbus over DC United

Three New Characters made their way onto the Luchametric scene on this epic day that also saw the Crew predictably trounce DC United.

Clandestino represents the North Side. El Escheleto bares his bones. And El Vision is elusive and  effusive as always.

The Red White and Blue fell short this day, but the Black and Gold were never in doubt.

Hagalo Columbus! Do It!