Scolari Drops Ronaldinho And Kaka As Youth Triumphs In Brazil's Confederations Cup Squad

Brazil coach Luiz Felipe Scolari shockingly dropped both Ronaldinho and Kaka from the Brazil squad for the 2013 Confederations Cup tournament after having teased journalists for weeks by noting that there was room for one or the other of the two aging stars, but not both. Corinthians striker Alexandre Pato and Chelsea midfielder Ramires were also dropped from the squad. Held from June 15 to June 30, the Confederations Cup represents Brazil’s last major tournament before the 2014 World Cup, and as such, Brazil’s form will be meticulously studied in preparation for next summer’s World Cup in Brazil.

Brazil is initially drawn with Japan, Mexico and Italy in a highly competitive berth with stiff competition likely to be delivered both by Mexico and Italy. The other half of the bracket features Spain, Uruguay, Tahiti and Nigeria. Like the 2014 World Cup, the 2013 Confederations Cup is based in Brazil and thereby gives FIFA an opportunity to assess the match-readiness of Brazil’s stadiums and infrastructure and participating coaches and teams the experience of playing competitive football in Brazil.

A summary of key points from Scolari’s squad selection includes the following:

Inclusions
•The selection of Thiago Silva, David Luiz, Dante and Rever as candidates for two positions in central defense
•The selection of Paulinho, Hernanes and Oscar in midfield
•The standard pairing of Marcelo and Dani Alves on the flanks
•A mouthwatering set of options in attack featuring Neymar, Fred, Hulk, Leandro Damiao and Atletico Mineiro’s playmaker Bernard

Omissions
•The omission of Ronaldinho despite his scintillating form for Atletico Mineiro of late in the Copa Libertadores
•The omission of Kaka despite having combined well with Neymar in select friendlies under Mano Menezes
•The omission of Corinthians striker Alexandre Pato, Chelsea midfielder Ramires and Vasco da Gama centreback Dede

But despite the omissions of Ronaldinho and Kaka, Scolari refused to close the door on veteran stars by noting:

History is not over for the veterans. This list is for the Confederations Cup only. We have a project to watch other players who might add more to our group to the World Cup. After the CC [Confederations Cup], we'll be going to Europe, to places like Russia, Ukraine, England, to watch players from there. We'll see how this one goes and who else can add more to us. To everyone who was left out: play, show us your football, prove you can add to the squad. They could be planting a little seed for the future.

Ronaldinho responded to the omission from the 2013 Confederations Cup squad as follows:

Motivated more than ever. I really wanted to have been summoned, did not happen that way, so it motivates me so I have to play even more to be remembered in the future.

Scolari’s omission of both Ronaldinho and Kaka heightened speculation about his probable selections in midfield and attack. In midfield, fans can expect Oscar and Hernanes but the key question is whether Scolari has the courage to push David Luiz deep into midfield, behind Hernanes, and partner Thiago Silva with Dante in central defense. The other obvious option would be to field Fernando and Paulinho behind Oscar and Hernanes. Scolari’s midfield selection will dictate whether he opts for three attackers in the form of Neymar and Hulk flanking Fred, or simply Neymar and Fred with Hulk and Lucas Moura coming off the bench as substitutes.

Brazil Squad For 2013 Confederations Cup

Goalkeepers: Júlio César (QPR), Diego Cavalieri (Fluminense), Jefferson (Botafogo) Central Defenders: Thiago Silva (PSG), Réver (Atlético-MG), David Luiz (Chelsea), Dante (Bayern Munich)

Fullbacks: Dani Alves (Barcelona), Jean (Fluminense), Marcelo (Real Madrid), Filipe Luis (Atletico Madrid)

Midfielders: Fernando (Grêmio), Paulinho (Corinthians), Hernanes (Lazio), Luiz Gustavo (Bayern Munich), Oscar (Chelsea), Lucas Moura (PSG), Jadson (São Paulo), Bernard (Atlético-MG)

Strikers: Fred (Fluminense), Leandro Damião (Internacional), Hulk (Zenit), Neymar (Santos)

Three Promising Signs For Brazil In Their Disappointing 2-2 Draw Against Chile

Brazil’s 2-2 draw against Chile on Wednesday was one of the most horrendous displays by the Selecao in recent memory. The fullbacks and defensive midfield were nonexistent, and overall, the team didn’t play as a team at all, but rather as a collection of atomized individuals. That said, Scolari did mention that friendlies such as these were opportunities to try out new players, and that may have been all that he got out of the exercise. Rever continued to perform well in defense, as did Henrique, who substituted for Dede in the second half. Meanwhile, Jean and Marcos Rocha delivered ineffective performances that suggest that the alternative to Dani Alves on the right flank is not based in Brazil, but at Manchester United in the form of Rafael. Regardless, Wednesday’s match witnessed three key promising developments with respect to individual players:

•Neymar trekked back deep into midfield, and sometimes even into his own half, to retrieve the ball and get some service. He even began looking for space on the right flank as opposed to the left, and explored more attacking options down the center as well. This is wonderful news for the Selecao, because this is exactly what Brazil's Ronaldo used to do, albeit with more pace, strength and confidence than Neymar. Neymar will need to continue to return deep into midfield since national teams know well that the secret to containing him simply involves double teaming him on the left flank.

•Ronaldinho is slowly but surely beginning to assert his vision and leadership on the team. This game witnessed some terrific visionary passes and flicks from the old master, who was also pivotally involved in the second goal. The Dinho-Neymar partnership continues to develop and will be one of the pillars of the national team unless Kaka stages a miraculous return to form in the next 6 months. Ronaldinho also played for 90 minutes and is clearly back to acceptable fitness levels for a 33 year old midfield playmaker.

•Pato is returning to full fitness, and we saw this in some exemplary play throughout the second half, and particularly in the second goal that he initiated. Corinthians have reportedly accused AC Milan of mismanaging his injuries, and this is good news for Brazil fans because Pato is the best pure Brazilian striker available today. If Pato can recover his fitness and form with the help of his club Corinthians, Brazil’s problems up front evaporate and the entire makeup of the team changes for the better.

With the exception of Rever, Neymar, Ronaldinho and Pato, the domestically based players do not look like viable candidates for the national team. Leandro Damiao continues to disappoint by virtue of his static play up front and even Paulinho had an indifferent game in which he failed to assert his authority on attacks emanating from deep positions. Part of the reason for Brazil’s poor performance, of course, stemmed from some remarkable play by an attack-oriented Chilean team that allowed Brazil virtually no time on the ball. That said, Paulinho, Ralf and Jadson failed to impress and will struggle for a starting place in the lineup given the likes of Hernanes and Ramires in deep midfield positions. Nevertheless, amidst all the disappointment, Brazil fans have at least three glimmers of hope about which to cheer as they look forward to their next friendly against England on June 2.

Brazil Squad For April 24 Chile Friendly

The Brazil squad for the April 24 Chile friendly is as follows:

Goalkeepers:
Diego Cavalieri (Fluminense), Jefferson (Botafogo).

Defenders:
Marcos Rocha (Atletico Mineiro), Andre Santos (Gremio), Rever (Atletico Mineiro), Henrique (Palmeiras), Dede (Vasco)

Midfielders:
Jean (Fluminense), Fernando (Gremio), Ralf (Corinthians), Paulinho (Corinthians), Jadson (Sao Paulo), Ronaldinho (Atletico Mineiro).

Strikers:
Neymar (Santos), Leandro Damiao (Internacional), Leandro (Palmeiras), Alexandre Pato (Corinthians), Osvaldo (Sao Paulo).

Expect Ronaldinho to start in midfield alongside Jadson, Ralf and Paulinho in a formation that very closely resembles the lineup against Bolivia.

Scolari's Next Move: David Luiz In Deep Midfield and A Thiago Silva, Dante Partnership In Central Defense

After the recent friendly against Bolivia, Brazil coach Luiz Felipe Scolari praised Rever’s performance and noted that the team had no shortage of talent in central defense. Scolari remarked that Brazil had at least five players vying for two spots in central defense and that, of these, he could take four players to the 2013 Confederations Cup. All this suggests that Scolari is actively thinking about disrupting the central defensive partnership of Thiago Silva and David Luiz that became the mainstay of Brazil’s central defense under Mano Menezes and either pushing David Luiz into a deep midfield role or perhaps, more radically, relegating Luiz to the bench given his renowned tendency to make mistakes. Of these two moves, pushing David Luiz into midfield is by far the more likely option given his wealth of international experience and leadership ability. As Brazil’s attacking midfield begins to gel led by Ronaldinho and Oscar, Scolari is likely to push Luiz into a deep midfield playmaking position behind Hernanes, and partner Thiago Silva with Bayern Munich’s Dante, Vasco da Gama’s Dede or Atletico Mineiro’s Rever in central defense. Scolari himself remarked on the possibility of pushing David Luiz into midfield before the Brazil-England friendly as follows:

David Luiz has played most of his games since the Club World Cup as a defensive midfielder. He's a third centre-back, but who plays in front [of the defensive line].He has this ability and it gives us an alternative. I think it's a good chance to try this during the game, but we won't start like this. To sort this, we need time for training to work on the fine details of positioning. For now, it is an alternative for during the games, but we won't start like that.

Assuming Brazil does evolve to a formation whereby David Luiz plays as the first man of midfield in a deep playmaking role with defensive responsibilities as well, Scolari has three partnering options for Thiago Silva in central defense as follows:

Dante
The 29 year old Bayern Munich central defender is known for his composure, prowess in the air, tactical awareness and ability to push forward and create goal scoring opportunities. Dante has superb tackling accuracy and typical Brazilian defensive composure marked by the ability to calmly play the ball out of defensive situations.

Dede
The Vasco da Gama central defender is known for his physical strength, towering physical presence, ability in the air, leadership in central defense and ability to score from set pieces.

Rever
The Atletico Mineiro defender is known for his positional awareness, ability in the air and track record of scoring goals.

Dante represents the strongest candidate for a partner for Thiago Silva given his experience with European football and clinical tackling accuracy. A Thiago Silva-Dante partnership in the Brazilian central defense enables Scolari to leverage Luiz’s playmaking ability and strong physical presence to support Dani Alves, Marcelo and Hernanes in a move that would give Brazil all of the benefits of a holding midfielder in addition to Luiz’s ability to orchestrate attacks and join the attack as needed as well.

Neymar and Ronaldinho Lead Brazil To 4-0 Victory Over Bolivia

Brazil pranced to their first victory under newly appointed coach Luis Felipe Scolari with an impressive 4-0 win over Bolivia in Santa Cruz de la Sierra on Saturday. Scolari opted for a 4-2-2-2 formation with Paulinho and Ralf behind Ronaldinho and Jadson, who in turn were positioned behind Neymar and Leandro Damiao. Scolari gave Ronaldinho both the number 10 jersey and the captain’s armband in a clear signal that team leadership belonged to him in contrast to Neymar, the second most experienced member of a Brazil squad composed entirely of domestically-based players. Ronaldinho commanded the midfield and orchestrated attacks with his trademark vision of the entire run of play by picking out both Damiao and Neymar and delivering threatening curling balls into the box from free-kicks.

Leandro Damiao opened the scoring in the 5th minute by latching onto a pass from the right flank delivered by Jean, who played in an unfamiliar position as a right fullback. Damiao’s goal failed to open the floodgates but it was Ronaldinho’s magic in an attacking midfield position that tilted the match decidedly in Brazil’s favor. First, a Ronaldinho free kick led to a scramble in the box followed by a Brazil goal that was deemed offside. Minutes later, however, Ronaldinho sent a flick through to Neymar on the left flank who, in turn, flicked the ball over the Bolivian keeper to make it 2-0 Brazil in the 31st minute. Ten minutes later, Neymar converted his second goal of the match when Jadson delivered a bullet of a cross from the right flank that Neymar directed into the roof of the net with a perfectly timed touch.

After conceding three goals in the first half, Bolivia dominated possession in the opening 20 minutes of the second half but failed to produce any high percentage shots on goal. Vasco da Gama’s Dede impressively marshalled the Brazilian defense alongside Rever and showed that Scolari has plenty of options to complement the pairing of Thiago Silva and David Luiz in central defense. Scolari himself commented on the quality of Brazil’s centrebacks by noting:

All centrebacks I call up end up living up to the expectations and that was Réver's case too. I already have four or five centrebacks fighting for the same position, and I can take four [for the Confederations Cup], so that's great.

After the first half, Scolari substituted Neymar and Damiao with Osvaldo and Alexandre Pato. Despite Pato’s invisibility for almost the entire second half, Brazil remained lively thanks to the combined efforts of Ronaldinho, Jadson, Osvaldo and Paulinho, the latter of whom initiated Brazil’s fourth goal by bringing the ball forward and enabling a cross to Palmeiras youngster Leandro, who confidently struck the ball deep into the roof of the net to make it 4-0. Leandro’s goal capped an impressive performance by Brazil which, despite fielding only domestic players, is brimming with talent in defensive and midfield positions. Brazil next plays Chile on April 24 as they prepare for the Confederations Cup in June.  Like the Bolivia match, the Brazil-Chile friendly on April 24 will feature only domestically-based players as it does not fall on a designated FIFA calendar date.

Goals
Brazil: Leandro Damiao (5), Neymar (31, 42), Leandro (90)

Starting Lineups
Brazil: Jefferson (GK), Santos, Dedé, Réver, Jean, Jádson, Paulinho, Ralf, Ronaldinho, Leandro Damião, Neymar
Bolivia: Galarza (GK), Eguino, Zenteno, Bejarano, Melean, Campos, Bejarano, Moreno, Arce, Rojas, Veizaga

Fred Comes To The Rescue To Help Brazil Tie Russia 1-1

Brazil and Russia played to a spirited 1-1 draw at Chelsea's Stamford Bridge stadium in a match full of chances that both teams failed to convert with the exception of one goal apiece. Fabio Capello’s Russian team appeared rested after having missed their scheduled friendly to Northern Ireland due to weather. Russia threatened the Brazil goal in the opening minutes thanks to strikes by Kerzhakov and Ignashevich. As the first half wore on, however, Brazil gradually began to assert themselves through the efforts of Neymar, who selfishly attempted to go for goal himself on more than one occasion when either Fred, Oscar or Kaka were better positioned to convert. Kaka and Marcelo contributed to the Brazilian attack while Hernanes remained largely in a deeper playmaking position and distributed passes to both flanks with impressive precision. Russia, however, maintained good form and cohesion both defensively and in midfield, thereby displaying superior positioning in comparison to Brazil, who played in characteristic Samba fashion with Neymar, Oscar and Kaka slicing their way through midfield supported by dangerous flank attacks from Dani Alves and Marcelo. Just as Brazil began to gain momentum, however, Russian midfielder Fayzulin picked up a pass from Kerzhakov and unleashed a rocket of a shot that Cesar narrowly deflected in the 41^st minute.

Brazil emerged from the break determined to take control of the game as Neymar and Kaka began pressing attacks fed by passes from Oscar and Hernanes. The match began to turn, however, soon after Oscar’s substitution for Hulk in the 67^th minute. In the 73^rd minute, Russia finally broke through after the ball bounced as if through a pinball machine in the box for a couple of minutes before Fayzulin finally shot it past a line of Brazilian defenders into the back of the net. Russia appeared headed for their first ever victory over Brazil were it not for the efforts of Hulk on the left flank, who began to show that his experience with Zenit had not gone to nought  as he consistently troubled the right fullback Eschenko. Just when it appeared that Scolari was headed for his second loss in three games as Brazil coach, Marcelo played a give and go with Hulk whereby the Zenit striker drifted inward and returned the ball to the onrushing Marcelo, who in turn crossed to Fred in the box for the equalizer. Brazil piled on the pressure in the closing minutes but were lucky not to come away with a defeat given a late Shirokov shot from close range that went wide in the 93rd minute.

Key points from today’s game with respect to Brazil were as follows:

• Brazil continues to develop an impressive midfield marked by extreme pace, vision and creative attacks and combination play.
•  Fred remains far too static for a number 9 to cause any serious difficulty for the opposition. Ronaldo, recall, used to retreat deep into midfield and run at the heart of defenses. Fred, however, is both incredibly static and unthreatening for large parts of the game. Nevertheless, the Fluminense striker has now scored for four consecutive games in a row for Brazil, so Brazil fans should be thankful that at least someone can put the ball in the back of the net.
• This was yet another disappointing display by Neymar, whose inexperience with European defenders is becoming painfully apparent. Scolari will need to figure out how to more effectively position the Santos sensation so that he can properly execute the threatening runs into the box that he would like to make.
• Hulk inspired the Brazilian attack today after a disappointing performance against Italy four days ago. Were it not for his strength and vision, Brazil would have lost yet another match and dropped even further in FIFA World rankings.

Scolari is making progress with Brazil, as we are beginning to see a mature midfield supplemented by two of the finest fullbacks in the world in the form of Marcelo and Dani Alves. Brazil’s poor finishing is perhaps the most alarming aspect of their game, however, as Fred and Neymar, in particular, both had high quality chances that they failed to bury into the back of the net. The main cause of concern, however, hinges around Neymar and whether he can be unleashed to display his unique blend of skill and vision on the international stage. If so, Brazil stand a fighting chance of winning the World Cup. Without a confident Neymar, however, it is unlikely Brazil will progress past the semifinals of the 2014 World Cup and perhaps not even to that stage of the tournament at all.

Brazil And Italy Play To Breathtaking 2-2 Draw In Geneva

Brazil and Italy played to a breathtaking 2-2 draw in Thursday’s friendly in Geneva, Switzerland that conjured up memories of their memorable match at the 1982 World Cup where Italy emerged the winner as a result of Paolo Rossi’s famous hat-trick despite all of the attacking initiatives of the likes of Socrates, Zico, Eder and Falcao. On this occasion, Brazil leapt to a 2-0 lead at halftime thanks to goals by Fred and Oscar in the first half. Italy roared out of the gates in the second half and equalized thanks to a flick by Daniele De Rossi and a screamer of a goal by Mario Balotelli from 25 yards to level the match. Italy’s fightback was largely attributable to coach Prandelli’s decision to bring on Stephan El Shaarawy for Pablo Osvaldo in a move that added additional steel to the Azzuri’s attack and freed up Balotelli, in particular, to find the space to take more chances against a Brazilian defense that still needs to fine tune its positioning. Despite their second half goals, Italy played sustained attacking football throughout the game and can consider themselves denied of a win only by the acrobatics of Brazil’s goalkeeper, Julio Cesar, who once again demonstrated why many regard him as the best goalkeeper in the modern game.

Some quick thoughts on the game, with a focus on Brazil, are as follows:

•Today’s game was played at an electric pace, with end to end football for the first 60 minutes. Both Italy and Brazil demonstrated that they are serious contenders for the World Cup 2014 championship despite some dubious recent performances from both teams. Both teams transitioned well from defense to offense and created more chances than they were able to convert. Judging by today’s game, fans who find Spain’s possession play boring will discover refreshing alternatives in Italy and Brazil as they tweak their lineups and positioning for World Cup 2014.

•Brazil’s Ronaldinho, who was left out of the Brazil squad, would likely have struggled in a game marked by this kind of pace and sheer velocity. The same holds true for Kaka, who looked fresh, but was unable to impose his presence on the game after entering as a second half substitute for Oscar.

•Hernanes delivered a solid performance in a deep playmaker role that is likely to earn him a start against Russia on March 25. Brazil has struggled to find a deep lying playmaker since the days of Falcao and Cerezzeo from Tele Santana’s legendary 1982 squad, and Hernanes may well be just the man to anchor the transition to attack and orchestrate attacks on both flanks and down the center as well.

•Neymar, again, showed that he plays best when he withdraws deep into midfield and runs at the center of defenses as evinced by the sublime run he made to set up Oscar for Brazil’s second goal. The Neymar and Oscar pairing continues to develop and coalesce as a fixture in the Brazilian attacking formation and their partnership may well end up being the stage on which Brazil launches its case for World Cup 2014 in ways analogous to the pairings of Romario and Bebeto, or, more pertinently, Ronaldo and Rivaldo.

•Hulk delivered a disappointing performance, and this may partly be Scolari’s fault because he switched Hulk to the left flank and opted to let Dani Alves and Oscar own the right side of the field. Nevertheless, Lucas Moura is the obvious alternative selection and could well end up partnering more effectively with Neymar, Oscar and Fred than the burly Zenit striker.

In just two matches in charge, Scolari has overhauled the Brazil team and given it new life and a more balanced feel in terms of age, experience and skill. Scolari still has lots of work to do in terms of finding the right balance in central defense and midfield, but he clearly has his pulse on Brazilian football around the world in a way not shared by his predecessor Mano Menezes, whose vision was closer to Brazil-based players that he knew well. Like Menezes, Scolari has begun by tinkering with the Brazilian midfield. Thus far, he has avoided the temptation to opt for a defensive stopper qua Lucas Leiva and stayed true to Tele Santana’s vision of having four creative midfielders in deep and attacking positions. That said, Scolari is notoriously difficult to predict as a coach though what does seem to be the case is that the pieces of the Brazilian footballing puzzle are gradually starting to fall together after close to three years of experimentation.

Goals:

Brazil: Fred (33), Oscar (42)

Italy: De Rossi (54), Balotelli (57)

Lineups:

Brazil: Julio Cesar(GK), Dani Alves, David Luiz, Dante, Filipe Luis (Marcelo, 77), Fernando, Oscar (Kaka, 60), Hernanes, Neymar, Fred (Diego Costa, 69), Hulk (Jean, 85)

Italy: Buffon (GK), Maggio, De Sciglio (Antonelli, 73), Barzagli, Bonucci, De Rossi (Diamanti, 80), Pirlo (Cerci, 45), Montolivo, Giaccherini (Poli, 67), Balotelli (Gilardino, 82), Osvaldo (El Shaarawy, 45).