Brazil squad newcomers Fernandinho and Rafinha are both in line to start tomorrow’s Gillette Brasil Global Tour clash with South Africa at Soccer City in Johannesburg. Manchester City midfielder Fernandinho is back in the squad for the first time since 2012, while Bayern Munich’ Rafinha has earned his first call up in five years. Both were in coach Luiz Felipe Scolari’s starting XI at training today and he has confirmed that they will have their chance to earn a place in his World Cup squad. “It is my first opportunity to work with Fernandinho and Rafinha and they should play the whole game,” Scolari told a press conference at Soccer City on Tuesday. After a light warm-up, Scolari ran attacking drills with what looks to be his starting line-up for the match on Wednesday. Fernandinho should slot into a two-man midfield next to Paulinho, while Rafinha will come in at right back. Scolari’s preferred XI of Julio Cesar, Rafinha, Thiago Silva, Marcelo, Fernandinho, Paulinho, Hulk, Oscar Neymar and Fred lined up in a 4-2-3-1 formation. This is Felipao’s last squad before he confirms the 23 that will accompany him to the World Cup. The final squad will be announced on May 7 and Scolari insisted that he is already decided on who will make up the majority of the group. I have 95% of the Brazillian team here,” he added, before revising that number 90%. “I almost have a closed group, he said. “But I have to consider whether someone could add more to my team, and will then have to look at him.” “Our main focus of this game is to maintain what we saw at the Confederations Cup, which is a team with style operating in a balanced system.” The 65-year-old was in good spirits and responded humorously when pressed on specific names that could make the cut, insisting that had so many to choose from he could even do without CBF Director of Communications, Rodrigo Paiva, should poor Rodrigo meet an untimely end. “I have so many good players to choose from,” he said. “You keep asking about this player and that player, but I have many good players who are all playing well.”
Posted on: Tue, 04 Mar 2014 20:12:59 +0000
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