World Cup Team Profile BRAZIL Bounded by the Atlantic Ocean on the east, the Federative Republic of Brazil is bordered by Venezuela, Guyana, Suriname, Colombia, Peru, Argentina, Paraguay and Uruguay. With an area of 3,287,597 square miles, it is the largest country in both the South American and Latin American region. With a population of over 200 million people, Brazil is the fifth largest country in the world. The Selecao has one of, if not the richest history in football thanks largely to local clubs such as Santos, Flamengo and Sao Paolo. Their history goes back to as far as 1958 to the present day boasting superstars such as Garrincha, Pele, Carlos Alberto, Jairzhinho, Socrates, Zico, Romario, Dunga, Claudio Taffarel, Lucio, Rivaldo, Ronaldo and Ronaldinho just to name a few. The list of superstars could go on and on because this nation does not simply have a football history, but more like a dynasty. After years of travelling the globe competing against the best in the world, Bazil can finally say that ‘football is coming home.’ Being the host nation, the Selecao was exempted from World Cup qualifiers which saw their arch-rivals Argentina dominating the group and winning it comfortably. The five time World Champions has always been very competitive in every major tournament and being at home has surely added more hope for capturing another world title. The Brazilian fans will accept nothing less than seeing their captain Thiago Silva lifting the trophy in July. Drawn in a group with Croatia, Mexico and Cameroon the Brazilians are expected to advance to the Round of 16 but their aim will be claiming the World Title. The Coach Luiz Felipe Scolari: Led Brazil to World Cup Glory in Korea/Japan 2002 After a disappointing World Cup Campaign in South Africa, then coach Dunga was dismissed by the Brazilian Football Confederation (CBF) in July of 2010. Mano Menezes was the man put in charge to take Brazilian Football to another level into the future. Menezes was focusing on young players with the core of his selected squads being players mostly under the age of 23 years. After another disappointing campaign at the 2011 Copa America tournament and falling to eleventh place in the FIFA World Ranking, Luiz Felipe Scolari was reinstated as manager. ‘Big Phil’ led the charge in Korea/Japan 2002 when his Brazilian team lift the trophy, winning their fifth world title. Scolari wants his team to retain possession of the ball, play with a high intensity and playing the game in the ‘right manner.’ He likes to play a very expansive type of football that is very pleasing on the eye, entertaining and very offensive. In this Brazil team, they are set up to make the pitch as wide as possible allowing the likes of Oscar, Neymar and Hulk to work their magic and express themselves freely going forward. Big Phil has lots of talent to choose from but he has already built a very strong team that won the 2013 Confederations Cup based on a good mixture of youth and experience. Having defeated World Champions Spain comfortably in the Confed Cup Final, the confidence should be high in the Selecao’s camp and Scolari will hope that his team show the same intensity and quality this June when the ‘Big Dance’ kicks off. The Team The Selecao is perhaps the biggest football nation in the world and along with arch-rivals Argentina, they have the most players playing professionally around the globe. Scolari has lots of world class talents in his squad along with top class young talents which makes them one of the hot favourites to lift the trophy at the end of the tournament. The team has grown gradually and now they are a very solid unit with a strong spine, providing a good foundation which allows for further growth that is already evident. The team seems to get better and better with every game they play which must be pleasing to Scolari. The Brazilian society along with millions of fans around the globe will hope their team peaks during the World Cup and if they follow the trend, they will only get stronger as the tournament goes on which is not good news for the rest of the world. Thiago Silva: The leader from the back and one of the best defenders in the world. In goal, Brazil is in safe hands with Julio Cesar. The 34 year old is currently on loan at Toronto FC in Major League Soccer from Queens Park Rangers. The former Inter Milan custodian was attracting interest from Barclays Premier League giants Arsenal but the deal fell through due to the wages demanded from the five times Serie A Scudetto winner. In defence, Brazil has some of the best players in the position. In central defence, captain Thiago Silva of PSG is renowned as one of the best if not the best defender in the world. His intelligence, reading of the game, positioning and ability to snuff out danger from early is top class. He always seems to time his challenges well and he is excellent in one-on-one situations especially in and around the penalty area. Along with Silva, Bayern Munich’s Dante has been in great form since his move to the Allianz Arena in the summer of 2012. He helped the German Giants to an impeccable European Treble and has cemented his place in the starting eleven despite the intense competition for places in the team. David Luiz of Chelsea is also one of the top central defenders in the world and he has formed an excellent partnership in the heart of the defence with Thiago Silva. PSG’s 19 year defender Marquinhos is also another top quality defender who might be in the squad for this summer’s World Cup. At right back, 30 year old Dani Alves is one of the best in the world. The Barcelona defender has not been setting the world a light in the past couple of seasons. He will be pushed for a starting birth by Bayern’s Rafinha and Roma’s Maicon. The left back position is surely Marcelo’s to lose. The Real Madrid man has been in great form for the Galacticos in the last 3-4 seasons and has established himself as the number one choice at left back. Much like Dani Alves, he is great going forward but has some weaknesses defending. However if the Confederations Cup performances are anything to go by, Big Phil has two excellent wing backs when they are on the top of their game. Felipe Lius of Atletico Madrid and Barcelona’s Adriano are other options that Scolari can look at for the left back position. Oscar: The creative spark for Brazil. Selecting the midfield could prove to be the toughest decision for the 65 year old coach. The players are all having a great season and it could be a headache to select the best options. Scolari has settled on a partnership with Luiz Gustavo of Wolfsburg and Tottenham Hotpsur’s Paulinho. Gustavo is very discipline, sitting and protecting the back four, providing a screen, breaking up play while distributing the ball well when he is in possession. Paulinho is a genuine box-to-box midfielder who is not the typical Brazilian. He is very strong and powerful, has good touch and technique but his technical ability is not what is associated with a ‘classic Brazilian.’ He is known for his power in midfield and his timely burst into the attacking third and penalty area which has given him a good goal-scoring record. The likes of Lucas Leiva of Liverpool, Man City’s Fernandinho and Ramires of Chelsea all have a big chance of booking a spot on the squad. The playmaker of this team is none other than the 22 year old genius Oscar. The Chelsea youngster has developed into an excellent creator with great vision, good range of passing, direct style of play combined with a high work rate. His intelligence is maybe his greatest asset but with a slight frame, he is not afraid to get ‘stuck-in’ and when in possession he always looks to get forward. His deputy could prove to be Liverpool’s Philippe Coutinho, who has set the English Premiership on fire since his move from Inter Milan. Inter’s Hernanes is also a contender for a spot in the team as a creator. In attack the first name comes to mind is Neymar. The Barcelona youngster is the superstar of the team and he has all the attributes to become the best in the world. Zenit’s Hulk along with Chelsea’s Willian, Bernard of Shakhtar Donetsk and PSG’s Lucas Moura are the other options that Scolari can take to the World Cup. The striker’s department is the only worrying factor for this Brazilian team. They haven’t had a striker in great form this season. Diego Costa chose to represent Spain ahead of Brazil leaving the Selecao short of options upfront. Fred was excellent at the Confederations Cup but this season has struggled in the Brazilian League. Leandro Damiao has moved to Santos but the 24 year old has not lived up to the expectations and so Scolari will have to count on all his years of experience to make the best decision about who should lead the line for him in June. Star Player Neymar: The 22 year old forward moved to Barcelona last summer. Despite having the likes of Thiago Silva, Dante, Dani Alves, Oscar and Hulk, the player that the entire nation is expecting to deliver success is 22 year old Barcelona attacker Neymar. His transfer to the Blaugara was one of the biggest stories of the last transfer window. He sealed his move to Catalonia before last summer’s Confed Cup and showed why all the top clubs were hunting for his signature. He scored four goals in the tournament and silenced his critics who doubted his talent because he wasn’t plying his trade in Europe just yet. Neymar has the look, physique, skills, technical ability and trickery that fits the profile of being a superstar. He is a very flashy type of player who seems like he enjoys every second on the pitch. He has the natural ability to beat his opponents, has world class pace and is devastating in front of goal. He enjoys running at defenders and terrorizing his opponents. He has made great progress over the last 3-5 years and playing alongside Lionel Messi everyday will surely help this youngster who many, including the Legendary Pele, think is already better than Messi. Neymar has already scored 30 goals for his country from 47 appearances which is quite impressive. He has also impressed greatly in La Liga this season scoring goals and making goals for Barcelona. The 22 year old is surely on his way to stardom and with his injury worries behind him he will be hoping to stay healthy so he can get back to his best to help his country deliver success on home soil. If he can stay healthy for the long term then he will surely become one of the best players in the world, terrorizing opponents with his pace, trickery and his wide array of skills. Yashiema Love Senior Contributor GIVEMESPORTS Writing Academy Email: yashiemalove15@yahoo Cell: 862-9107
Posted on: Fri, 14 Mar 2014 05:09:46 +0000
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