Team GB versus Brazil: 5 Things Stuart Pearce will have learnt

It’s now just five days until the London 2012 Olympics hysteria becomes less about torch carrying and more about medal collecting, but while some of the Olympic Village are happy for the long wait to finally be over Stuart Pearce must be wishing he had a little more preparation time before Team GB meet Senegal a day before the opening ceremony.

Pearce must quickly sweep under the carpet the less than inspiring performance against a Brazil side that teased and toyed with Team GB at the Riverside in 2-o win that was far more comprehensive than the scoreline suggests and could have been worse had it not been for the second half heroics from Birmingham City’s Jack Butland in between the sticks.

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Barcelona Youngsters: La Masia graduates who failed to make the grade

Xavi, Iniesta, Busquets, Pique, Fabregas and new boy Jordi Alba all played their part in creating history this summer, and will once again pull on the famous scarlet and blue shirt of Barcelona to prove that despite missing out on La Liga and Champions League titles, the ‘Barca way’ is still the way to play.

Six of the eleven players who started that EURO 2012 final in Kyiv have all had varying journeys to the Barcelona first team, but there is one thing that they all share in that pursuit to walk out in front of the Camp Nou and that is the building where tiki-taka is the footballing mantra.