World Cup 2018 Preview - Brazil

Team: Brazil

Manager: Tite (Adenor Bacchi)

Group: E

Other teams in group: Switzerland, Costa Rica, Serbia 

 

THE SQUAD

Brazil go into the World Cup in Russia buoyed up by an impressive qualification from South America which saw them cruise to top spot with ten wins and two draws and playing the kind of football reminiscent of the flamboyancy associated with the yellow jersey down through the years.

The squad includes a lot of experience with a sprinkling of youthful exuberance as Brazil look to banish the painful memories of their 7-1 humiliation by Germany on home soil in 2014. Since Tite took over as coach in June 2016, he has transformed the fortunes of the national team and instilled a sense of belief, confidence and a steely discipline.

Tite is relatively unknown outside of his native Brazil but enjoyed domestic success winning the Brazilian Cup in 2001 with Gremio, two separate spells with Corinthians saw them win a domestic, continental and world treble in 2012, and then winning the league once more in 2015.

The key man once again will be Neymar who is blessed with a plethora of magnificent skills and the ability to conjure something out of nothing. However, the big question is whether Tite can manage the PSG star’s lack of discipline at times, which saw him pick up six yellow cards in the qualifiers.



Tite has also included the versatile veteran full-back Dani Alves who at 35 is the only survivor of the team that was knocked out of the 2010 quarter-finals in South Africa. Marcelo will be a pivotal player for Brazil linking defence to attack. While there can be little doubt over the attacking prowess of the dynamic Real Madrid full-back there are some serious question marks over his defensive abilities. 

The midfield has solidity in the centre of the park with the formidable duo of Manchester City’s Fernandinho and Real Madrid’s Casemiro and subtle creativity and threat going forward in the form of Barcelona’s Philippe Coutinho and Willian who had a very consistent season in the Premier League with Chelsea.

Shakhtar Donetsk’s Fred, who has been heavily linked with a move to Manchester United, is the only left-footed midfielder in the squad and gives Tite another option.

Tite is spoiled for choice in the goalkeeping department with two world class keepers in the pecking order with Alisson from Roma just getting the nod above Ederson who had an impressive first season between the sticks for Manchester City as they romped to the Premier League title. 

Another City player Gabriel Jesus is the youngest member of the squad at 21 but who would appear to have solved the striker problem which has existed for Brazil since Ronaldo retired.

Tite has plenty of options up front with the experienced Taison and Liverpool’s Roberto Firmino who had a wonderful season and was a key part of the Liverpool team that reached this season’s Champions League final in Kiev.



If Neymar let’s his feet do the talking and Brazil can maintain the discipline and organisation that characterised their impressive qualification performances then there is plenty of reason for optimism for the Selecao.

The squad in full:

Goalkeepers:Alisson (Roma), Ederson (Manchester City), Cassio (Corinthians)

Defenders:Miranda (Inter Milan), Marquinhos (Paris Saint-Germain), Thiago Silva (Paris Saint-Germain), Geromel (Gremio), Marcelo (Real Madrid), Fagner (Corinthians), Danilo (Manchester City), Filipe Luis (Atletico Madrid)

Midfielders:Casemiro (Real Madrid), Fernandinho (Manchester City), Paulinho (Barcelona), Renato Augusto (Beijing Guoan), Philippe Coutinho (Barcelona), Willian (Chelsea), Fred (Shakhtar Donetsk)

Forwards:Neymar (Paris Saint-Germain), Gabriel Jesus (Manchester City), Roberto Firmino (Liverpool), Taison (Shakhtar Donetsk), Douglas Costa (Juventus)     

 

HOW THEY GOT THERE

Brazil made the worst possible start to qualification with a disappointing 2-0 defeat to Chile in their opening match in Santiago in October 2015 with Eduardo Vargas and Alexis Sanchez scoring in the last 20 minutes.

The Selecao recovered sufficiently to register their maiden victory with a 3-1 defeat of Venezuela in Fortaleza just five days later thanks to a brace from Willian in the first half and a goal from Ricardo Oliveira in the second. 

Brazil claimed a valuable point in Buenos Aires in November despite falling behind to an Ezequiel Lavezzi on the half hour a Lucas Lima goal just on the hour mark meant Brazil had earned four points from their opening three matches.

Next came a resounding 3-0 win over Peru in Salvador followed by two consecutive 2-2 draws at home to Uruguay and away to Paraguay in March 2016 which left Brazil with nine points from their six matches so far.

The result was the final nail in coach Dunga’s coffin and Tite was appointed as his replacement in June 2016 which saw a dramatic upturn in The Selecao’s fortunes.

Brazil went on to win their next nine matches in a row including a 3-0 drubbing of rivals Argentina in Belo Horizonte with Coutinho, Neymar and Paulinho on the scoresheet, a 5-0 thrashing of Bolivia and a superb 4-1 away win over Uruguay with Paulinho grabbing a hat-trick. 

The Selecao had their winning run halted by Colombia in Barranquilla with Radamel Falcao equalising after Willian had given Brazil the lead early in the second half.

Bolivia regained a degree of respectability after holding Brazil to a 0-0 draw in their penultimate qualifier but a place in Russia and top spot secured Brazil would gain revenge for their opening match defeat by hammering Chile 3-0 thanks to a double from Gabriel Jesus and another from the impressive Paulinho.

 

KEY PLAYERS TO WATCH

Neymar

Blessed with an abundance of technical ability Neymar is the star player and capable of genius at a moment’s notice but is prone to ill-discipline on occasions. At the back, Marcelo will be given licence to bomb forward and could have more influence offensively than defensively.

Willian

Willian enjoyed an excellent season with Chelsea and could supply the ammunition needed for the Gabriel Jesus to continue his impressive goal-scoring record.

Douglas Costa

Douglas Costa gives the Selecao another attacking dimension and can provide a range of passing and is also an excellent crosser of the ball. Manchester United bound Fred is another player who could turn out to be a key member of the squad particularly as he is the only midfielder who is naturally left-sided.

Also the defensive midfield pair of Casemiro and Fernandinho could be the foundation from which Brazil can mount a serious challenge to become World Champions for the sixth time.

 

WHERE ARE THEY PLAYING AND STAYING

June 17: Brazil v Switzerland, KO 19:00 (Rostov Arena, Rostov-On-Don)

June 22: Brazil v Costa Rica, KO 13:00 (Saint-Petersburg Stadium, Saint-Petersburg)

June 27: Brazil v Serbia, KO 19:00 (Spartak Stadium, Moscow)

Brazil are basing themsevles in Sochi for the tournament.

 

THREE INTERESTING FACTS ABOUT THE TEAM

Brazil are the most successful team in World Cup history having lifted the trophy five times winning in 1958, 1962, 1970, 1994 and 2002.

The Selecao are the only international team to have participated in every World Cup tournament and without the need for a playoff.

Brazil are also the only nation to have won the World Cup on four different continents, once in Europe (Sweden in 1958), South America (Chile in 1962), twice in North America (Mexico in 1970 and USA in 1994), and Asia (South Korea/Japan in 2002).

 

RECENT FORM

Russia 0-3 Brazil

Germany 0-1 Brazil

Brazil 2-0 Croatia

 

First game: June 17 v Switzerland KO 19.00  

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