The World Cup in South Africa is one month away, but the 32 national team coaches are obliged to name at least provisional squads right now.
Some will need the judgment of Solomon to know which players are ready to peak. Some are already clinging to medical opinions about the recovery of long-injured stars. And, with Europe’s club season not yet finished, some are having to pencil in players who might yet break a leg before they even reach training camp.
It is ever thus in the global picture of overlapping calendars. But as public expectations rise, from Australia to Brazil, from Honduras to Japan, some national coaches are placing almost spiritual trust in players whose fitness or form have long been suspect.
Brazil, of course, is most people’s choice to push it to the limits because Brazil, the first country to hire whole phalanxes of mind and body specialists around its national team, has the experience of winning five World Cups.
Brazil’s coach, Dunga, has 190 million countrymen telling him whom to pick and whom to discard. He dares to tell Brazilians that flair alone will no longer beat the world. His methods are more pragmatic, more based on physical fitness than many would like.
Dunga has what may prove to be his only opportunity to win the World Cup as a coach, as he did in 1994 as a player. He decided to name his definitive 23 players this week, rather than allow the national debate to continue to June.
On Tuesday, Dunga did what those who know him expected him to do — he stuck to his principles. He resisted the clamor to recall Ronaldinho and Adriano. He ignored the popular appeal to promote Neymar and Paulo Henrique Ganso, the exciting rising stars of Pelé’s old club. He stuck solidly to players he has tried and trusted over the past two years.
Complete article here:
Sunday, May 30, 2010
Wednesday, May 26, 2010
Brazil to play friendly against Tanzania on June 7
The Brazilian Confederation of Soccer (CBF) announced on Tuesday that the country's national team will face Tanzania on June 7 in a friendly.
It will be the team's last warmup before the 2010 World Cup in South Africa.
The friendly will be held in Tanzania's capital city Dar Es Sallam.
With the friendly confirmed, the CBF is attempting to finalize one more friendly to take place on June 2 or June 3, possibly against Zimbabwe.
However, timing and negotiations have dragged, preventing an agreement to be finalized.
The CBF has avoided the possibility of facing any of the other 31 national soccer teams that will play in the 2010 World Cup. The entity denied an invitation from the host nation, South Africa for this reason.
Brazil will debut in the 2010 World Cup against DPR Korea on June 15 at the Ellis Park stadium in Johannesburg.
Read it here:
It will be the team's last warmup before the 2010 World Cup in South Africa.
The friendly will be held in Tanzania's capital city Dar Es Sallam.
With the friendly confirmed, the CBF is attempting to finalize one more friendly to take place on June 2 or June 3, possibly against Zimbabwe.
However, timing and negotiations have dragged, preventing an agreement to be finalized.
The CBF has avoided the possibility of facing any of the other 31 national soccer teams that will play in the 2010 World Cup. The entity denied an invitation from the host nation, South Africa for this reason.
Brazil will debut in the 2010 World Cup against DPR Korea on June 15 at the Ellis Park stadium in Johannesburg.
Read it here:
Sunday, May 23, 2010
World Cup 2010: Brazil must deal with favorites label
Having been a part of three World Cup teams himself, Brazil manager Dunga knows all too well the expectations that come with being a member of Brazil's national team.
They are expected to win every time they take the field, and when it comes to the World Cup for the five-time champions, anything less than winning the tournament is viewed as a failure.
"We have to learn to live with the favorites' tag," Brazil midfielder Kaka told FIFA.com. "We must not let it turn into something negative, as it has done in previous years."
In fact, Brazil nearly lived up to its own lofty expectations over the past four World Cups, reaching the final three times and winning the competition twice.
They were beaten by France in the 1998 final on French soil, but they will be out to redeem themselves after a poor showing in 2006 saw them eliminated at the quarterfinal stage, again by France.
Dunga came under some pressure for an inconsistent showing in the CONMEBOL region of World Cup qualifying that saw his team win just nine of its 18 matches.
However, they still managed to finish on top of the group, with Chile and Paraguay close behind, and they are now focused on getting back to where they belong, the final of the World Cup.
Like any other year, Brazil is one of the favorites on paper with a talent- laden roster that includes world-class goalkeeper Julio Cesar, as well as talented fullbacks Daniel Alves and Maicon.
Ronaldinho was a surprise omission from Dunga's roster, which will leave the role of creative midfield playmaker to Kaka, while gritty veteran Gilberto Silva brings a physical presence to the midfield.
Luis Fabiano has established himself as the team's top scoring threat up top, and he will get help from the talented but seemingly inconsistent Robinho.
Brazil will feel it's the better team against anyone it lines up against, and rightfully so. But the big question that always must be answered is how well they handle their own expectations.
After all, anything less than a sixth title is unacceptable.
Read more:
They are expected to win every time they take the field, and when it comes to the World Cup for the five-time champions, anything less than winning the tournament is viewed as a failure.
"We have to learn to live with the favorites' tag," Brazil midfielder Kaka told FIFA.com. "We must not let it turn into something negative, as it has done in previous years."
In fact, Brazil nearly lived up to its own lofty expectations over the past four World Cups, reaching the final three times and winning the competition twice.
They were beaten by France in the 1998 final on French soil, but they will be out to redeem themselves after a poor showing in 2006 saw them eliminated at the quarterfinal stage, again by France.
Dunga came under some pressure for an inconsistent showing in the CONMEBOL region of World Cup qualifying that saw his team win just nine of its 18 matches.
However, they still managed to finish on top of the group, with Chile and Paraguay close behind, and they are now focused on getting back to where they belong, the final of the World Cup.
Like any other year, Brazil is one of the favorites on paper with a talent- laden roster that includes world-class goalkeeper Julio Cesar, as well as talented fullbacks Daniel Alves and Maicon.
Ronaldinho was a surprise omission from Dunga's roster, which will leave the role of creative midfield playmaker to Kaka, while gritty veteran Gilberto Silva brings a physical presence to the midfield.
Luis Fabiano has established himself as the team's top scoring threat up top, and he will get help from the talented but seemingly inconsistent Robinho.
Brazil will feel it's the better team against anyone it lines up against, and rightfully so. But the big question that always must be answered is how well they handle their own expectations.
After all, anything less than a sixth title is unacceptable.
Read more:
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