Quatro por um. O Flamengo aceitou a última exigência do Paraná e liberou outro jogador para conseguir a contratação imediata do apoiador Everton. O escolhido foi o meia Guilherme Camacho, de 18 anos.

O jogador é da equipe de juniores, mas nas últimas semanas foi puxado para os profissionais e recebeu elogios de Caio Júnior. Além dele, o zagueiro Fabrício, o volante Rômulo e o atacante Éder também ficam em Curitiba até o fim desde ano. Eles serão comunicados do empréstimo no treino desta quarta, na Gávea.

O Flamengo havia fechado com Everton a partir de janeiro de 2009. Entretanto, diante da carência de apoiadores no elenco, o técnico Caio Júnior pediu para a diretoria antecipar o acerto.

The Camacho Liberty 2008 is limited to 40,000 cigars and the Camacho website which is outdated gives zero information about this years bunch. In fact trying to find out the wrapper/binder/filler information has been very difficult to say the least. So for this review we will do without The Skinny section.

Pre-Smoke: The cigar comes as pictured to the left. As you can see it is a gorgeous barber pole. Each cigar is wrapped in tissue paper in it's own cedar coffin. The scent of the wrapper although faint has a sweetness to it. At the foot there are similar notes of sweet spices and although it too was faint I will call it cinnamon. The pre-light draw reveals notes of tea and hay. The cigar is slightly box pressed and has some soft spots on the side. It is tapered at both head and foot.

Smoke: The cigar itself came off as medium to full bodied and was much milder to me then Liberty cigars released in the past. To me it made it a more special smoke as it was a step outside what I have come to expect from Camacho. What makes that a good thing it is nothing like the 11/18 line of years past and this cigar has it's own identity.  The ash was very light in color, and despite being a little flaky it held on tight. The first 1st 3rd had notes of pepper and earth. The remaining thirds had some notes of coffee, cinnamon, and pepper.

Overall: This cigar smoked a little fast for me at 17.00 a stick. I was done with my smoke in an hour when I was ready to devote 2+ hours to it based upon it's size. So the overall value of the cigar will be reflected in the rating which knocks off 2 points. I also feel that this cigar needs some aging time, and my remaining stick I will save til sometime next year. There was something trying to come out in the notes, that just did not surface and with the proper aging this cigar will become something special.

My Local Price: $17.00
Rating: 90 (Out of 100)

{I just wanted to take the time out to add to this review a few words of thanks to Camacho Cigars who have added this review to their website under the press section. You can vist their website at www.camachocigars.com and click press to see the mention.. Once again, thank you Camacho!}

Wrapper: Habano Criollo

Binder: Authentic Corojo

Filler: Authentic Corojo

Strength: Medium-Full

Price: $6.00

Grade: 88/100

Grown in the Jamastran Valley of Honduras, the Camacho Havana is thought by many to be "as close to a Cuban experience as you can get." I paid around $6 for this smooth stick and it was my first Camacho. The draw was nearly perfect--perhaps too perfect due to the rate at which it burnt. This is by far the fastest burning cigar I've smoked. Despite the fast burn it remained cool and did not heat toward the nub. The strength was surprisingly mild-medium with little change in taste, remaining oakey throughout with only a slight spice. All in all, this is probably not a cigar I'd choose on a consistent basis but it was a nice afternoon-drive smoke. You can purchase a seven-pack sampler from famous-smoke.com for around $30.

-MM

Camachismo: Dícese del cerco de sudor formado en camiseta, camisa u otra prenda que cubra el tronco corporal. El término proviene del la aplicación práctica realizada por José Antonio Camacho en el Mundial de Corea y Japón. Desde entonces, Camacho solo se pone camisas blancas, como hemos podido ver en Cuatro durante las retransmisiones de los partidos de la Eurocopa.

Ejemplos prácticos:

En este post también debería analizar la labor de los comentaristas, habitualmente exjugadores agradecidos, que han olvidado lo que era fajarse con la metira que rodea a todo esto, para arreglar partidos desde una butaca. Para que se hagan una idea, Vicente del Bosque se embolsó en media temporada 300.000 euros, por dos colaboraciones de mierda. No lo veré yo en 20 años. En este caso andan por ahí José Antonio Camacho -"Quien suene el himno de España y no sienta nada... es que no siente nada"-, que se une a lo de chillar como una vieja, y da un matiz esperpéntico a cada gol de España. Sus comentarios rozan el nacionalismo cutrón. Su problema no es que aporte poco en cuanto a la visión del juego, sino que este tipo estaba en el banquillo hace bien poco, con el mismo cerebro. También tienen a Alfredo Relaño, el director del As y colaborador, en general del grupo PRISA que, sin hacer aspavientos se ha colocado muy bien -su madre estará orgullosa- y comenta el partido, mientras todos tenemos en mente su bochornosa figura enfundado en la roja para las promos de Cuatro.

Debería hablar de Julio Maldonado, Maldini. El mejor de largo, el que más conoce el fútbol mundial de este país, un tipo que domina sus defectos, y los maquilla, y sus virtudes, y las luce, un tipo que no se deja llevar por la emoción, que tiene la retransmisión en la cabeza todo el rato, y que nunca habla de más. Tampoco lo hace nada mal Quique Flores, que guarda el libro del entrenador, y comparece como un aficionado fino, con mucho criterio y selectivo en su vocabulario.

Debría hablar de todo esto. Pero es que hoy mi amigo Sampe me ha mandado un mail. Se casa en Septiembre. Me hago viejo. Joder. 

¿Cuánto te pagaron, Relaño? (es el orondo que se levanta y dice "¡La final!")

New Camacho Liberty 2008!

Reyes Family Cigars from the creators of Puros Indios and Cuba Aliados!

Rocky Patel Seasonal Cigars

   Alec Bradley Tempus!  - This has already         received a 90 from Cigar Aficionado.

New Don Pepin-made cigar from the guys who brought you the 601 Series (United Tobacco) called Cubao!

Another new Don Pepin-made cigar from Ashton called Benchmade!

Para os benfiquistas escaldados com a última passagem de Camacho pela Luz, o momento é de apreensão. O que terá aquele homem para dizer ao novo Mourinho espanhol, como já é apelidado Quique? Tacticamente Camacho sempre foi primitivo e sem ideias (ou mesmo sem conhecimentos), e apenas disfarçava com as "ganas" que incutia no seu grupo. Mas depois da adormecida passagem pelo Benfica em 2007/08, será que ainda tem isso para dar ao futebol?

Imagino que a conversa tenha andado próxima de uma conversa de surdos, por muito que A Bola ou o Record procurem passar a imagem de que Camacho contou grandes segredos sobre o trabalho no Benfica, ou que incutiu no jovem técnico espanhol algumas ideias fulcrais para o êxito na sua nova etapa. Eis o que poderia ser o diálogo entre os dois, numa reunião de trabalho à procura de informação sobre o Benfica:

QF: José, o ano passado já sei que o plantel teve muitas lesões. Como tentaram resolver esse problema?
JAC: Eu e o Pepe tentámos incutir nos jogadores muitas "ganas", para não se queixarem de todas as dores que tenham. Tentámos que fossem homens rijos que não pedem para parar só porque têm um joelho partido!

QF: Não tentaram mudar a preparação física para um modelo mais evolucionista da condição física dos jogadores?
JAC: O departamento médico às vezes dizia-nos coisas parecidas, mas isso ia perturbar muito as folgas do plantel e da equipa técnica.

QF: E em termos tácticos? Sei que aplicaste o 4-2-3-1, com um misto de interiores e de extremos a alinharem. Isso não desequilibrava um pouco a equipa?
JAC: 4-2-3-1? Não, não usávamos essa táctica. Nós usávamos sim quatro defesas, dois trincos, três centrocampistas mais atacantes e um ponta de lança lá na frente. Como a equipa tinha ganas de ganhar, eles logo se arranjavam com essa distribuição. Agora se jogávamos em 4-2-3-1, a culpa era dos jogadores. Comigo era tudo ao molho e fé em Deus!

QF: E Deus ajudava?
JAC: Sim... só assim conseguia ter jogadores como o Luís Filipe ou o Edcarlos a jogar sem ser apedrejado.

QF: Achas o Luís Filipe uma alternativa válida para eu manter no plantel da próxima época?
JAC: Claro! É um jogador mágico. Faz desaparecer as hipóteses de vitória do Benfica sem ninguém ter tempo de perceber como isso aconteceu!

Bom, tudo isto para dizer que não sei o que raio Camacho pode ter dito a Quique. Só se foi para alertar para as múltiplas rasteiras que Luís Filipe Vieira prega a todo o instante aos seus colaboradores. E aí, de facto, residem os meus receios e o meu maior medo em relação a Quique. Se o rei dos pneus não se remeter de facto ao silêncio e à gestão desportiva de Rui Costa, o circo continuará, e nem mesmo o metódico e promissor Quique Flores poderá trazer alguma frescura a este Benfica.

Boa sorte Quique, pareces merecê-la!

Again Camacho came out with this cigar to try and blow a lot of smokers out of the water.  I almost missed it because it doesn't have your average band around the top of the cigar.  Instead it had a band that effectively covered the tip of the cigar.  It's a very dark blend that had small veins, a potent aroma, and a great firm body.  It's a very intimidating cigar and was hoping it was going to taste as good as it looks.

It is a full Honduran cigar.  The wrapper is Honduran Camacho Habano, and the binder and filler are both Honduran Corojo, as is most Camacho cigars.

Lighting & First Taste:

There was a lot of smoke lighting this cigar up.  I'm never quite sure if that's a hint of a good or bad cigar, but I like a lot of smoke so I definitely didn't mind.  It immediately hits with a strong taste.  An intense earthy/wooded taste is as best as I could describe.  This is one that definitely comes out of the gate strong.  It wasn't smooth, but wasn't really harsh either.

Smoking The Cigar:

Once I began getting into the body, the smoothness came into play.  The earthy tones in the taste subsided a little bit, and I could sense a little hint of a peppery aroma as well.  I was a little surprised at the simplicity of the flavoring.  Many Camacho cigars are often complex and strong.  The look of this cigar told me that it would continue the streak, but I have to say that was just a simple intense taste.

The ash was a grey color and held on well.  The taste was consistent through the most of the body, and it burned rather well. 

The Finish:

The spiciness flared up a little at the end, and the intensity stayed consistent.  I liked the draw on the cigar throughout the entire body, but felt that the not so complex taste made it sub-par to other Camacho cigars.  There was a strong woodsy aftertaste finishing up the last section, but didn't harm my enjoyment of this Maduro.

Band & Packaging:

A little odd not having the usual band, but it was a cool look that differentiates this cigar from the rest.  The end cover didn't' have the usual Camacho logo, but it did have a "C" and did say Camacho on the box.

Rating:

7.0 out of 10 puffs

The Camacho Triple Maduro blend consists of 5 different types of Maduro tobacco, but Camacho aren't giving up the details on the leaves.  The wrapper and filler are grown on Camacho's factory farm in the Jamastran Valley of Honduras.  It's a very intimidating cigar, an industry at the time it came out, and I can't say if it still is or not.  In trying to find a memorable Maduro, I look for the triple threat and this definitely has all of them: dark wrapper, rich aroma, pre-smoke spice (which you get by holding the cigar in your mouth a few minutes prior to lighting up).

Lighting & First Taste:

It didn't appear strong off the initial lighting of the cigar.  It actually took a minute, but when it hit, you definitely noticed.  It was definitely a very rich and earthy taste, quite spicy.  The intensity quickly reached down to my throat, and unfortunately I didn't have a drink with me, so I would recommend having something close by.

Smoking The Cigar:

Once you survive the initial part of the cigar, it moves onto a really nice earthy/dark coffee taste.  I was quite surprised by that.  I was expecting it to stay at a hard edge through the cigar, but the subtle change made this a more complex taste.  The draw was smooth and loose, most likely from the thickness of the cigar.  I don't mind a loose draw, except when it becomes too loose and ruins the burn.  This one stayed consistent.

The Finish:

The taste eventually subsided, and you were left with the intense Maduro flavoring as before.  The spice kicked up again, and I really couldn't make it as far as I normally would.  I may have either rushed the end or the draw became too loose, as I could feel the heat of the burn when I would draw in the smoke.  This is definitely a smoke to try, and I'm glad I did.  Although it's a bit strong to be high on the scale of cigar goodness on most ratings, I still liked the intensity it brought.

Band & Packaging:

I love the double black and silver bands on this cigar.  Even though I hate being forced to remove a band before I can light a cigar, it adds to the strong essence this cigar gives out.

Rating:

7.5 out of 10 puffs

This has been a very well reviewed cigar. Robusto's have always been a favorite of mine. Everybody has their different tastes, different situations, and different expectations when it comes to cigar smoking. Robusto's always seem to end just at the right time for me. Living in Houston, you learn to adjust to the humidity. Tonight was the start of the summer heat and humidity combo for the summer. So while I was enjoying being outside, I didn't want to sacrifice myself to the gods of Humidity. My wife was away, kid asleep, and time to enjoy this great thing we have learned to love, cigars.

The Camacho 10th Anniversary is a complete Corojo cigar. The wrapper, the filler and the binder are all Corojo leaves. It's a box pressed cigar, so expect the squareness. Some people have issues with box pressed cigars, but personally I like the flat surface to have my fingers rest onto it. It's considered full body, but after smoking this, I believe this is one of those that should fit into a new stronger category.

Lighting & First Taste:

The spice was immediately noticeable upon lighting. It had an extremely rich leathery taste, very spicy and the flavor stood out immediately. It lit well, had great smoke, and had a tremendous taste that I believe some beginners might mistake for bad harshness.

Smoking The Cigar:

Once I reached more of the body, the taste changed to a dark chocolate/strong coffee taste, and the spice was still strong. The ash was extremely tight and held on for most of the cigar. When I tried to knock it off, it actually didn't come off very easy. That's quite rare for a cigar. I know I have written about tight ash, but I can honestly say this was the by far the tightest I've seen. It still had an enormous spice to it that I had reached down through my throat. I would highly suggest having a nice glass of wine or your favorite drink with this cigar.

The Finish:

Coming up on the last quarter of the cigar, I started to notice that the spice almost kicked up a bit. There was a peppery taste that struck me, and that was probably the taste I had in my throat earlier. The spice of this cigar was consistent and even strengthened at the end.

Band & Packaging:

I really like the look of the bands. It's double banded, but I did notice that it was a little difficult taking the wrapper off. Mainly the one at the tip of the cigar I had to remove before I could light it. It wouldn't slide, so I was afraid it was going to take a piece of the wrapper off, but it ended up being ok after a minute of hassling with it.

Rating:

8.75 Out of 10 Puffs

This was a great game---truly memorable for so many reasons and, I think, the turning-point for me and the PSP/PS2 version of PES2008.

I was a Podolski goal up and cruising when the CPU's God Mode kicked in. Levante got the ball and kept it until they scored to make it 1-1. Oh well, I thought. At least now I'll be able to get the ball back. But no: they kept it again, until they scored again. 2-1 to them. For the love of... Calm blue ocean. Calm blue ocean. Breathe.

I started to keep it at the back and knock it around a bit. This is the golden rule, I hear, when you think the CPU is cheating or trying to cheat. Just keep the ball. Pass it around. Pass it back constantly if you have to. Don't let the CPU torment you.

It paid off before half time. A corner out on the left rebounded to Camacho, who provided a delightful side-footed finish:

Camacho's most significant goal for me yet. It got me back into the game at 2-2.

Half time came and went. I scored another three goals in the second half---two of them from Podolski, to complete his hat trick. Both were headers from Roberto Carlos crosses. The young Brazilian is already playing like a legend.

All of which lifts me up to the heady heights of fourth place. I'm only 3 points off second place and one of those lovely promotion spots. Alas, my goal difference remains poor. That 8-1 hammering I took at the start of the season is taking its toll, despite a couple of big wins of my own.

But if I keep playing well---and I am playing well, now; I think I finally get what the PSP/PS2 version of PES2008 is all about---then I'll not only make up the goal difference, but get enough points on the board for it probably not to matter.

Bitrate 128 kbps
Size 67 megas
Alojado en Rapidshare
MP3

1. Presentacion
2. El sinaloense
3. Tu nuevo cariñito
4. Esa morena
5. La media naranja
6. La suata
7. Que me vas a dar si vuelvo
8. Si tu amor no vuelve
9. Los puritos huesos
10. La rajita de canela
11. Huele a peligro
12. entregame tu amor
13. Se les pelo Baltazar
14. Metiendo las patas
15. Era cabron el viejo
16. Se me canso el corazon
17. La morena
18. Asi fue
19. Diferentes
20. Si tu amor no vuelve- despedida

I'm resorting to this because the rest of season 2010 after week 4 was just like season 2009: short and brutal. I played another 10 games and won just 1 of them. I drew 3. And I lost 6. Which gave me a not-so-grand end-of-season record that looked like this:

Played: 14. Won: 2. Drew: 3. Lost:9. Goals Scored: 10. Goals Against: 27

Final Position: 8th (resoundingly bottom of the table)

My disciplinary record was pretty poor as well. A dozen or so yellows and about seven reds. I continued my tradition---that I've apparently brought over from next-gen PES2008---of allowing one red card in a match to lead to several more in the same match. On the PS3 version I had loads of games completely abandoned because of this bad habit. I never had one of these PSP/PS2 games abandoned, but I came close.

My most common scoreline in all of the defeats was 0-2, for some reason. This actually gives me some grounds to hope. I was conceding 3 or 4 goals per game in past seasons. Things are moving in the right direction (at a glacier-like pace, admittedly).

The Division 2 Cup might as well not have happened. I got the feeling that I was amusing the CPU team just by turning up.

I made no transfers in the mid-season negotiations---nobody in, nobody out. I spent the restof the season alternately losing, and cursing, and scoring occasional goals, and acquiring vain and utterly unrealistic hopes of 'snatching promotion' (as I bizarrely kept telling myself even when it was mathematically impossible).

My players frustrated me by playing well enough for me to see how good they are and how great I should be playing with them---but still badly enough to let goals in at one end and singularly fail to score them at the other. I discovered that Camacho is perhaps more effective as a DMF than as an AMF; that Komol is worthy of a permanent spot in the First XI; and Maldini is seriously taking his time to mature and stop being such a slow, clumsy prima donna. Tsk.

And this brings us bang up to date.

In week 1 of Negotations before season 2011 I have a huge problem. During season 2010 I only amassed 5000 points, and my salary bill is currently 9000 points.

Something's got to give.

On Monday I'll be speaking in full about this very intriguing pre-season 2011 Negotiation period. I'll say this much now: season 2011 will be the most challenging season I have ever faced in any Master League in all my long years of playing this game.

After a somewhat unfortunate, but educational trip down memory lane with the Camacho Havana, I thought it would be nice to fire up a few Camachos of more recent vintage. Like the Havana, the 1962 is a medium bodied blend with a criollo wrapper, so I snagged a fiver on C-bid a couple months ago hoping that I would like it as much as the Havana. The fresh Havana blend, I should say.

The big word on Camacho has lately been their 10th Anniversary Limitada (a triple corojo which should be hitting the shelves any day now) and the Triple Maduro, which has gotten mixed reviews. The 1962 was released sometime last year, but has existed in relative obscurity, perhaps because it is a Cigars International exclusive.

Some cigars are rock stars, some are the guys next door. More often than not I'd rather have a beer and a smoke with the guy next door. Lose the ad glamor and give me a break on the price, please. (CAO is ridiculous with this sort of thing -- nightclub glitz, Flavorettes, but I'm giving them a break because the samurai parody is friggin hilarious... if you haven't seen it and you have a few minutes to spare, check it out.)

The only serious marketing the Camacho 1962 is getting is a fancy label and some nice pricing at CI, and that's just fine by me. A funny ad and hot chicks are nice, in moderation, but the bottom line is that if it smokes well, the cigar will sell itself.

The 1962 shares the double band conceit that is becoming more common of late. Ignoring this, a close examination of the wrapper shows a moderately dry wrapper, smooth with just the beginnings of plume -- very fine but sparse crystals light up the wrapper if you hold the cigar at the right angle to the light. The cap is a little sloppy, but it shears off nicely and a quick prelight draw shows just the right amount of resistance.

The first third is dominated by a dry, mildly tart, almost citric flavor. A dash of pepper here and there spices it up a little. The middle section stays on the same path, but adds a touch of sweetness to the dry wood flavors. The aroma is compelling though -- an interesting musky smell combined with cedary sweetness. The burn wavers a little, but is self-correcting. The ash is a solid dirty gray and only requires two trips to the ashtray if you're a long-asher.

The '62 robusto saves the best for last: a bittersweet chocolate flavor overtakes the dry woodiness for a last minute comeback. The aroma slides from musk into coffee punctuated by clove. The finish stays very dry to the end, and serves up a good dose of black pepper as a coda.

This is an interesting and fairly complex cigar with great construction, but it is very dry tasting. As strange as it sounds, I think lemonade might actually work with this smoke. It reminds me a little of Ethiopian Yirgacheffe coffees, and like Yirg it might take some getting used to. It's an intriguing medium-bodied cigar.

Retail prices are around 4 USD, but you can usually snag them for far less on Cbid. The 1962 does not have a typical Camacho flavor, so if that's what you're after you might want to sample a few before bidding on a box. But for an everyday, sitting-around-the-garage (and thinking about getting rid of that old PC monitor and cleaning things up but not really) kind-of-cigar... it's not bad.

    America Landmark  Box of 20   6 x 60  $135.00 

    America Monument   Box of 20  6 1/4 x 64   $125.00

      America Potomac  Box of 20  5 x 56  $115.00

Check out all the great deals at www.caesarcigars.com

A poção mágica esgotou-se. Não basta bater no peito, afagar o emblema e pedir aos jogadores para jogarem à Benfica (aliás, já nem se sabe muito bem o que isso significa). Para derrotar os adversários, o clube da Luz precisa de muito mais do que tem mostrado e do que exibiu frente aos espanhóis do Getafe. Chalana, que substituiu Camacho como treinador, provavelmente, descobriu-o ontem à noite, ao assistir, impotente, à derrota e eliminação da Taça UEFA.

Ao Benfica não faltou vontade. Faltou capacidade. O melhor Benfica dos últimos dez anos, como o presidente chegou a proclamar, foi sempre impotente contra uma equipa que não existe no panorama europeu e que, mesmo em Espanha, não passa de um pigmeu. Ontem, de novo, ficou provado que o tamanho não conta e que, quando não se tem força suficiente para movimentar um corpo tão grande, acaba-se ridicularizado.

Tal como há uma semana, em Lisboa, o gigante Benfica mostrou ser incapaz de se movimentar com agilidade num campo de futebol. De pouco lhe valeram as mudanças que Chalana promoveu na equipa (dois pontas-de-lança e um losango no meio-campo, jogando Rui Costa no vértice mais avançado, Petit no mais recuado e Rodríguez e Maxi Pereira como médios interiores).

Aos "encarnados" não há fato em que se sintam confortáveis. Porque o problema não está na aparência, mas sim na substância. A somar à deplorável condição física que a equipa revela juntou-se a falta de talento e de confiança. E como estas duas qualidades são fundamentais para elevar uma equipa da banalidade até à superioridade, a vontade pouco mais faz do que encher de piedade quem assiste a um jogo do Benfica.

Contra uma equipa recheada de lesionados e que cedo demonstrou ter como intenção gerir a confortável vantagem trazida da Luz (2-1), o Benfica mostrou que a mensagem do seu novo e interino treinador tinha sido entendida pelos jogadores. E foi "mandão" que entrou na partida, atirando uma bola ao poste, num desvio quase fortuito de Makukula.

À medida que o tempo foi passando, as fragilidades foram aparecendo uma atrás da outra. Primeiro a impotência ofensiva, depois a falta de imaginação e por último a permissividade defensiva. Por isso, foi o Getafe que, sem acelerar muito, esteve perto de marcar - primeiro por Kepa depois, duas vezes, por Gavilán.

Obrigado a marcar dois golos se quisesse seguir em frente, o Benfica foi perdendo a crença. As camisolas encarnadas, afinal, não desviavam os adversários do caminho, não criavam perigo. Não havia mística que valesse. E foi o clube espanhol que, mais uma vez, quase marcou. Chalana tentou injectar mais um dose de entusiasmo, fazendo entrar Di María, Mantorras e Sepsi e arriscou tudo, apostando numa defesa com apenas três homens. Mas só num remate de fora da área de Rui Costa a equipa lisboeta ameaçou a baliza do Getafe. Tão pouco para quem precisava de tanto.

O golo, a pouco mais de um quarto de hora do fim, sentenciou o Benfica. É certo que, para o desfecho da eliminatória, pouca diferença fazia, mas os "encarnados" perceberam que não havia poção mágica que os salvasse.