South America

It’s hard to imagine that only a few months ago we were considering the possibility of Brazil missing a World Cup for the first time since the tournament began back in 1930. 

Well, the tables have turned for the Selecao as well as for everyone else in South America. 

The Chileans looked like the stronghold of the continent after claiming two consecutive Copa Americas. Now their mojo seems to be gone as they have lost two and tied one of their last four matches. 

I love Dinho. You love Dinho. We love Dinho. Everybody loves Dinho. Dinho is good and cool. Dinho is fun. I wish I was as happy about anything as Dinho seems to be about everything.

Dinho played in a charity match for Pope Francis and had lots of fun.

Dinho played keepy-uppy with Francesco Totti and Diego Maradona and had more fun than you or I could even fathom.

55-year-old Diego Maradona had to be restrained by security staff at Pope Francis’ “Match for Peace and Solidarity” after getting into a verbal altercation with Juan Sebastian Veron on Wednesday night.

Bolivia got off to an absolute flyer against Ecuador on Tuesday in La Paz. This shouldn’t surprise anyone as Bolivia’s home gournd, Estadio Hernando Siles at an altitude of 11,932 feet above sea level, is almost a literal deathtrap for CONMEBOL opposition.

La Verde took a fourth minute lead through Pablo Escobar, the 38-year-old attacking midfielder just thrashing a shot from almost 25 yards out. The shot was sensational, flying into the top corner. However, Rodrigo Ramallo also deserves credit for applying the assist from his a**. 

Argentina’s 1-0 defeat at home to Paraguay on Tuesday was a massively damning result for La Albiceleste. Most evidently, it left Argentina in fifth place in the CONMEBOL World Cup qualifying table, one point out of the automatic qualification places. While there’s still time to move up the table, there’s also the worrying reality that both Paraguay and Chile are immediately behind them in the table, ready to knock them out of the 2018 World Cup entirely.

GL!!!

Meet the Canarinho.

No, you don't want to meet him, but meet him. 

The name Canarinho (little canary) has been synonymous with Brazil's National Team since 1984, when their yellow kits were adopted. To honor that nickname (Why, we ask, of all Brazil's nicknames, would you choose to honor that one?), Brazil have up and got themselves a new mascot that looks like something teenagers would catapult at buildings on their cellphones.

We love a good mudder.

Colombia and Uruguay drew 2-2 Tuesday in what could only be called a mudder, a World Cup qualifier played in a driving rainstorm in which no player's jersey emerged clean. It was glorious.

Watch these highlights and then meet us on the other side. We're going to talk about mudders some more.

James Rodriguez has been the subject of death threats on Twitter as revealed by his mother. The Colombian international received a photo of a box filled with ammunition and a gun while a couple of other weapons are also visible in frame. 

“Do you want to see how James would look dead?” said the message from the anonymous user. “I’m coming to your house now, say goodbye to all your loves ones.”

After three consecutive major final losses, Argentina decided to rebuild their squad. Edgardo Bauza became their third coach in just over two years, and everybody is hoping for a fresh start after their heart breaking loss to Chile in the Copa America Centenario.

“The relation between what we see and what we know is never settled. Each evening we see the sun set. We know that the earth is turning away from it. Yet the knowledge, the explanation, never quite fits the sight.” 

― John Berger, Ways of Seeing

For Brazilian photojournalist Gabriel Uchida, football has always been in the blood. It's been ever-present throughout his life; the fixed ground upon which he stands while his profession and search for greater understanding drives him across the planet.