Mano Menezes Announces Brazil Squad for Germany Friendly

Mano Menezes named one of his trademark, experimental squads for the Brazilian national team's friendly against Germany in Stuttgart on August 10. The Brazilian coach dropped Elano, Sandro, Jadson, Luisao and Adriano and replaced them with Fernandinho, Luis Gustavo, Renato Augusto, Dede and striker Jonas. Once again, Mano omitted Kaka and Ronaldinho from the national team. The Hulk marked another surprising omission given Brazil's problems scoring goals at Copa America. Predictably, Mano's squad prizes youth over experience, but it fails to address the lack of cohesion in Brazil's midfield that resulted from Mano's 4-3-3 formation. Copa America illustrated how Ganso needs help running the Brazilian midfield. Moreover, the tournament embarassingly revealed how the three pronged strike formation of Pato, Neymar and Robinho failed to pose more of an offensive threat than two strikers. Brazil may be better off returning to a 4-2-2-2 formation with Lucas and Ramires behind Ganso and Renato Augusto, who in turn lie behind Robinho and Pato. Kaka and Ronaldinho would have been strong choices to field against Germany alongside Ganso, but Mano has once again opted to select young players that are likely to bring speed and vitality to the squad. All in all, the squad selection represents a highly courageous move on Mano's part to stick with his conviction to renovate the Brazilian national team at precisely the time when he badly needs a victory to shore up the security of his position as coach.

Brazil's squad for the August 10 friendly against Germany is as follows:

Goalkeepers: Julio Cesar (Inter Milan), Victor (Gremio)

Defenders: Andre Santos (Fenerbahce), Daniel Alves (Barcelona), Maicon (Inter Milan), David Luiz (Chelsea), Dede (Vasco de Gama), Lucio, Thiago Silva (AC Milan)

Midfielders: Lucas Leiva (Liverpool), Ramires (Chelsea), Fernandinho (Shakhtar Donetsk), Ganso (Santos), Elias (Atletico Madrid), Lucas (Sao Paulo), Luis Gustavo (Bayern Munich), Ralf (Corinthians), Renato Augusto (Bayer Leverkusen)

Forwards: Alexandre Pato (AC Milan), Fred (Fluminense), Neymar (Santos), Robinho (AC Milan), Jonas (Valencia)

Brazil Make Disgraceful Exit from Copa America 2011

Brazil made a disgraceful exit from the 2011 Copa America by losing to Paraguay on penalties after failing to convert four consecutive penalty kicks by Elano, Thiago Silva, Andre Santos and Fred in the extra time shoot-out. The Selecao controlled possession but displayed what has begun to become their trademark, under Mano Menezes, of failing to find the back of the net. Ganso’s presence was negligible in midfield and although the Selecao created some high percentage chances for Lucio, Neymar and Pato, they failed to break down the Paraguayan defense. Clearly, Mano’s experiment in transforming Brazil’s midfield is not working. Ganso does not have the experience to wear the number 10 jersey and orchestrate the Brazilian attack in the way he does for Santos. Meanwhile, the three pronged strike formation of Robinho, Neymar and Pato has failed to score goals as needed. Although Ricardo Teixera, President of the Brazilian Confederation of Football, confirmed that Mano will continue as coach, rumors abound that only months separate him from replacement by Muricy Ramalho or Luiz Felipe Scolari.

Copa America: Brazil beats Ecuador 4-2 through Pato and Neymar braces

Brazil 4 - Ecuador 2

Brazil beat Ecuador 4-2 in their final Copa America group match to set up a mouthwatering quarterfinal clash against Paraguay. Mano Menezes replaced Dani Alves with Maicon in a move that changed the complexion of the team and the Brazilian offense in particular. Maicon's blistering runs down the right flank effectively gave Brazil another attacking midfielder to supplement Ganso in setting up Robinho, Neymar and Pato. The Selecao started gingerly but began to find their footing after Andre Santos curled in a visionary cross to the center of the box which the onrushing Pato headed into the back of the net. Pato latched onto Santos's cross with all of the majesty and power of a true Brazilian center forward in the number 9 jersey. Scarcely 10 minutes later, Ecuador's Felipe Caceido equalized with a low shot that Julio Cesar let slip through his hands in what amounted to a huge goalkeeping blunder. Neymar put the Samba boys back in front minutes after the break by collecting an assist from Ganso and calmly slotting the ball to the keeper's left to score his first goal of the tournament. But the Ecuadorians refused to lie down while the Brazilians, correspondingly, found it difficult to contain Caceido. The Ecuadorian striker buried another low shot from near the edge of the box to make it 2-2 in the 59th minute.

But from then on, Brazil unleashed a magnificent display of its international experience and goalscoring strength. Pato poached a Neymar shot to score Brazil's third goal and then Neymar completed a brace by one-touching a Maicon cross from the far right to make it 4-2. Mano should be delighted with the fight of his team and the way in which Ganso is gradually finding his place at the heart of the Brazilian attacking midfield. Robinho almost scored on two occasions, once in the first half in which he hit the post, and another in injury time where his goal was judged offside, both times from Maicon assists. After three Copa America matches, the Brazilian team is finally beginning to gel, with the key against Ecuador stemming from the additional space created by the marauding full back Maicon. Maicon stretched the Ecuadorian defense and created more room for the strikers near the box. The Inter Milan right back appeared fresher than Dani Alves and made a compelling case for his inclusion in the starting line-up in Sunday's challenging quarterfinal match against Roque Santa Cruz and Paraguay.

Goals:

Brazil: Pato (28)
Ecuador: Caceido (37)
Brazi: Neymar (49)
Ecuador: Caceido (59)
Brazil: Pato (61)
Brazil: Neymar (72)

Line-ups:

Brazil: Julio Cesar; Maicon, Lucio, Thiago Silva, Andre Santos; Lucas Leiva, Ramires, Ganso; Robinho, Pato, Neymar

Ecuador: Marcelo Elizaga; Neicer Reasco, Norberto Araujo, Frickson Erazo, Walter Ayoví; Oswaldo Minda, Christian Noboa, Michael Arroyo, Edison Méndez; Christian Benítez, Geovanny Caicedo

Brazil Squad Against Paraguay: Will Mano Menezes Juggle His Line-Up?

Speculation abounds that Mano Menezes, coach of the Brazilian national football team, will change his starting line-up for Brazil’s pivotal Copa America match against Paraguay on Saturday. Mano is likely to stick to the 4-2-1-3 formation and squad that he fielded in Brazil’s goalless draw against Venezuela. On Wednesday, Mano replaced Ramires with Lucas and Robinho with Elano in training sessions that suggested that the Brazilian coach was dissatisfied with Robinho and wanted to supplement Ganso with another creative midfielder in the form of Elano as opposed to a defensive, holding midfielder such as Ramires. Mano refused to disclose the line-up for the match against Paraguay to the press, noting that the squad would be released just before kick-off. The most likely change would be Elano for Ramires, which would give Brazil a 4-1-2-3 formation, with Ganso and Elano behind Neymar, Pato and Robinho. Elano’s inclusion would take some playmaking pressure off Ganso and provide another badly needed conduit between the midfield and the strikeforce. Moreover, Elano plays alongside Neymar and Ganso for Santos and can claim national team tournament level experience through his contribution to Dunga’s World Cup squad. But Mano is unlikely to change the balance of the team and, if anything, is more likely to push Ramires into more of an offensive midfield role rather than displace him in favor of Elano. The other vibrant possibility is that Mano will pin down Andre Santos on the left flank and release Dani Alves to supplement the Brazilian attack even more so than usual.

Players to watch:

Alexandre Pato

Expect Pato to assert his authority and trek back into midfield to retrieve the ball in the event he’s not getting the service he needs.

Paulo Henrique Ganso

Needs to have a lifetime performance in the number 10 jersey. Should now be back to full form and fitness with two competitive games under his belt.

Dani Alves

The heir apparent to Robinho’s throne as captain of the Selecao will need to step up and take control of the match if Ganso cannot live up to expectations in midfield.

Copa America: Brazil Play Disappointing 0-0 Draw Against Venezuela

Brazil drew 0-0 against Venezuela on July 3 in a disappointing match for the Selecao that highlighted, once again, its inability to convert high percentage chances into goals despite a bevy of opportunities. The attacking trio of Pato, Neymar and Robinho threatened convincingly throughout the first half. Pato hit the crossbar on the half hour mark and Robinho was unfairly denied a penalty after slipping a ball by the keeper that was blocked by the shoulder of a lunging Venezuelan defender. Disappointingly for Brazil, Paulo Henrique Ganso failed to assert his authority on the game, and consequently the offensive initiative resulted from Neymar, Pato and Robinho returning into deep positions and running at the Venezuelan defense, or else through wide play from Dani Alves and Andre Santos. Just before the half, Neymar missed a golden opportunity given some space in front of goal but he curled the ball high of the top corner of the net. It was the first time that Pato, Robinho, Neymar and Ganso played together since the Brazil-USA friendly in the summer of 2010, and while Brazil sparkled with some of the offensive vision and fluidity of the game against the USA, it lacked the clinical finishing that has begun to plague this revamped, post-World Cup 2010 team. Pato was clearly the most dangerous and nimble footed of the three strikers, but he lacks the international experience and gravitas to take charge of the offensive component of the game, as does Neymar. Herein lies Brazil's quandary as a team loaded with promising young talent without a heavyweight striker to put the ball in the back of the net. That said, Mano is famous for building diamonds out of the rough as he did in Brazil with Gremio and Corinthians from 2005 onwards. Mano is also a master tactician and it will be interesting to see what adjustments he makes in advance of the crucial game against Paraguay on July 9. Expect the same squad with Neymar and Robinho positioned deeper, behind Pato, and thereby playing the attacking midfield role as a complement to Ganso until the Goose begins to find his fitness and form.

Shirt numbers:

Pato: 9
Robinho: 7
Ganso: 10
Neymar: 11

Brazil Copa America 2011 Line-Up and Formation in Pictures

Brazil's likely formation against Venezeula on July 3:













Picture source: http://connect.in.com/

From left to right:

Goalkeeper: Victor (or Julio Cesar)

Defense: Andre Santos, David Luiz (or Lucio), Thiago Silva, Dani Alves

Midfield: Lucas Leiva, Paulo Henrique Ganso, Ramires

Strikers: Robinho, Neymar, Pato

Note the positioning of Pato on the right and Robinho on the wide left with Neymar in the center. Paulo Henrique Ganso, circled, will be expected to run the midfield and dictate the tempo of the game.

Brazil to Play Ultra-Attacking Formation at Copa America

Brazil's coach Mano Menezes has confirmed that Brazil will play a 4-2-1-3 formation against Venezuela with Paulo Henrique Ganso behind Neymar, Robinho and Alexandre Pato. For purists of Brazilian football, this is a dream, ultra-attacking formation that essentially fields four attackers in front of two defensive midfielders in the form or Lucas and Ramires. The question raised by this formation is how much room Mano will give the full-backs Andre Santos and Dani Alves to roam forward and contribute to the attack. Mano's formation represents one of the most offensive Brazilian line-ups since the World Cup championship team of 2002, where Ronaldo spearheaded the attack behind Rivaldo and Ronaldinho in Luiz Felipe Scolari's famous 3 Rs combination. In 2002, Ronaldinho acted as the playmaker with complete license to come forward, knowing that his back was covered by Gilberto Silva and Kleberson, two of the best defensive midfielders in the world. In the 2011 Copa America, the main Brazil player to watch will be Ganso and his ability to dictate the tempo of the game. As a creative playmaker, Ganso is slated to inherit the role played by the great Socrates in 1982 and 1986. Brazil have sorely lacked a creative midfielder since Socrates, even though Kaka assumed that role but failed to dominate the position in both the 2006 and 2010 World Cups. But if Ganso can stop and start games the way he has for Santos, Brazil could well emerge as a serious contender in Argentina at the 2011 Copa America, particularly if he has the courage to go forward and pose a threat on goal as well. The other player to watch is obviously Neymar, but we should expect him to be well complemented by Scudetto champions Robinho and Alexandre Pato of AC Milan.

Mano Menezes Announces Brazil Squad for Netherlands and Romania Friendlies

For a brief World Cup history of Brazil v. Netherlands, see:

Brazil v. Netherlands: A Brief World Cup History

Brazil coach Mano Menezes announced a 28 man squad for Brazil’s June friendlies against the Netherlands and Romania. Brazil play Netherlands on June 4 in Goiania and Romania on June 7 in Sao Paolo. Mano plans to trim down the 28 man squad to 22 players by June 2 for the 2011 Copa America. Robinho returns to the Selecao after having been excluded from the friendly against Scotland. AC Milan Scudetto champion Alexander Pato joins Robinho and Neymar in the list of options up front while Mano continues to ignore Porto’s Hulk in favor of Leandro Damiao, Nilmar and Fred.

In the midfield, Ronaldinho and Kaka have been ignored in what could represent the twilight of their international careers given the explosion of youthful talent into the Selecao’s midfield since Mano took over the helm of the national team from Carlos Dunga last summer.

The June 7 game against Romania is intended as Ronaldo’s farewell game.
Paulo Henrique Ganso will be considered for the 2011 Copa America squad in light of the progress of his recovery from a recent thigh injury sustained during the Copa Libertadores.

Goalkeepers:
Victor (Gremio), Jefferson (Botafogo), Fabio (Cruzeiro), Julio Cesar (Inter)

Defenders:
Daniel Alves (Barcelona), Maicon (Inter), Thiago Silva (Milan), David Luiz (Chelsea), Lucio (Inter), Luisao (Benfica), Andre Santos (Fenerbahce), Adriano (Barcelona)

Midfielders: Ramires (Chelsea), Sandro (Tottenham), Lucas Leiva (Liverpool), Elano (Santos), Thiago Neves (Flamengo), Henrique (Cruzeiro), Jadson (Shakhtar Donetsk), Elias (Atletico Madrid), Anderson (Manchester United), Lucas (São Paulo)

Forwards:
Robinho (Milan), Alexandre Pato (Milan), Neymar (Santos), Leandro Damiao (Internacional), Nilmar (Villarreal), Fred (Fluminense)

Congratulations to AC Milan on Winning the Scudetto

We extend our congratulations to AC Milan for winning their first Scudetto since 2003 - 2004 and the days of Andrei Sevchenko, Kaka, Nesta and Maldini. This year marked an extraordinary team effort featuring attacking, stylish soccer marked by notable contributions from three Brazilians: Pato with 14 goals, Robinho with 12 goals and Thiago Silva, with one goal and the distinction of anchoring the Rossoneri defense. We commend Kevin Prince-Boateng, Gattuso, Seedorf, Nesta, Ibrahimovic, Ambrosini and the entire team more generally. The remarkable thing about Milan's victory is they won the Scudetto without a classic number 10 playmaker in the role played by Ronaldinho. Boateng played the closest thing to Dinho's role, but he did his fair share of defending as well. The key to Milan's victory came from strong defending and goals flowing freely from Ibrahimovic, Pato and Robinho in varying degrees of form and fitness throughout the season.

Robinho's goal moves AC Milan closer to the Scudetto; dedicates victory to newly born son Gianluca

Robinho scored a crucial late goal for AC Milan to give them a 1-0 victory over Brescia and send them eight points clear in Serie A. With Pato out injured, and Ibrahimovic sidelined because of a red card, the Rossoneri started with the strike partnership of Cassano and Robinho. Cassano and Robinho both had multiple opportunities to score throughout the game, but a combination of poor finishing and fine saves from the Brescia keeper kept the scoreline at 0-0 until the 82nd minute. With less than ten minutes remaining, Seedorf dispatched a long range pass that found Cassano on the right flank. Cassano, in turn, found Robinho bursting forward down the left, diagonally heading towards goal. The Brazilian coolly controlled the pass from Cassano and slotted the ball behind the diving keeper to score his 12th league goal of the season. After the match, Robinho dedicated the goal to his recently born second son, Gianluca: "A crucial goal which is worth the Scudetto. I am overjoyed and I dedicate it to my son. Playing alongside Cassano isn't difficult. He is extremely skillful; we had already played together at Real Madrid and now we are playing very well. We really need to improve in front of goal, though." AC Milan now sit eight points clear of Inter, who won 2-1 over Lazio, with four games remaining in the season. Napoli dropped to third place after suffering a 2-1 loss to Palermo.

Brazil 1970 captain Carlos Alberto critical of Mano Menezes's revolving door selections

Carlos Alberto, the right back who scored the memorable fourth goal against Italy in the 1970 World Cup final, announced his belief that Mano Menezes has introduced too much variability to the Brazilian national team. Alberto, the captain of the legendary Brazil World Cup squad of 1970, noted that no one knows the line-up of the Brazilian team from match to match and that the coach and the CBF need to rotate the squad in a more gradual, systematic fashion. Carlos Alberto's remarks reignite the debate about Mano's performance as coach and whether the Selecao is headed in the right direction toward a World Cup victory in 2014. Speaking at a the Soccerex European business forum on April 1, Alberto remarked:

"We have a very good generation of players now, it is a new team, but to win the World Cup you need experience too.

Spain have showed that to everyone and Germany also have young players but they have the experience now because they have played at one World Cup. In my opinion, we should have the team now... but the coach and the federation are changing the team in every game and I do not agree with this.

We should have one team, maybe change one player or another player. Ask anyone in Brazil to name the lineup of the Brazilian team, nobody knows... so we are wasting time.

We are confident we are going to have a good team for the World Cup with players like Neymar, Lucas, David Luiz, Pato, we have a team for the next two World Cups. But I am afraid they are not getting the experience."

Alberto’s comments echo a "Bringing Back the Beautiful Game" article about inconsistencies in Mano’s midfield titled "Brazil's Midfield Under Mano Menezes". The midfield aside, the most glaring squad selection inconsistency concerns the team’s strike partnership. Mano has rotated Neymar, Robinho, Pato, Leandro Damiao, Nilmar, Coutinho, Ronaldinho, Andre, The Hulk and Renato Augusto with no semblance of coherence or stability. That said, no one can say with confidence who amongst these players can put the ball in the back of the net at the international level on a consistent basis against some of the best defenders in the world. Pato and Neymar are the obvious candidates but this partnership has yet to gel and demonstrate results. The Hulk’s splendid form at Porto renders him an attractive candidate for a three pronged attack. The Hulk certainly has the presence to muscle through defenders in a way that transcends the capabilities of Neymar and Pato. Leandro Damiao constitutes yet another wild card that Mano may elect to play in the event of injuries or an efflorescence of form from the young Internacional striker.

Pato Scores Again; Ibrahimovic Sees Red, Again

Pato scored and provided a crucial assist to guide AC Milan to a 2-1 victory over Fiorentina on Sunday. The Brazilian striker once again displayed the pacy attacks and keen positional intelligence that earned him two goals in the Milan derby last weekend. The scoring opened in the 8th minute when Ibrahimovic attempted a pass to Seedorf that was blocked by Comotto, whose interception landed on Pato's head. Pato nodded down the ball to Seedorf, who calmly curled the ball over the goalkeeper's head. In the 40th minute, Ibrahimovic again started a goal scoring play by finding Boateng on the right wing. The Ghanaian midfielder passed across the face of goal to Pato, who tapped the ball in with his left foot. AC Milan's victory was marred by yet another red card to Ibrahimovic for allegedly insulting a linesman late in the game. Ibrahimovic's ejection could result in a four match ban, which would mean the Rossoneri will need to play over half of its remaining six league matches without the Swedish striker. Ibrahimovic's upcoming suspension means the likely return of Robinho to the starting line-up in the next few matches. AC Milan sit thee points clear of Napoli and five ahead of Inter with six games remaining in the season.

Pato brace puts AC Milan in the driving seat in the battle for the Scudetto

If the Rossoneri do go on to win the Scudetto this year, one thing is certain: no one will say the feat was attributable primarily to Zlatan Ibrahimovic, the Swede who happens to have won seven consecutive league titles in the last seven years. Brazilians Pato and Robinho have added pace and clinical finishing ability to the Milan attack, and nowhere was this more apparent than in Saturday's derby against Inter Milan. Pato, above all, showed why he deserves a place amongst the top 10 strikers in the world by demonstrating immaculate composure and positional awareness to score the first two goals for AC Milan that sent them well on their way to victory over Inter. In the first minute, Robinho ended up parrying the ball to Pato after failing to get around the keeper. Pato, in the number 7 jersey, made no mistake in burying the ball in the back of the net. In the 62nd minute, Pato got away from his markers once again and headed in a cross from substitute Flamini to give AC Milan a virtually unsurmountable lead, particularly given the red card that had been awarded to Inter's Chivu in the 53rd minute. Antonio Cassano sealed a 3-0 victory from the penalty spot in the dying minutes but it was Pato, complemented by threatening plays from Robinho that settled the victory for Massimiliano Allegri's team to give them a stranglehold on the 2010-2011 Scudetto.

Pato fires AC Milan to victory over Napoli

Alexandre Pato scored one goal and set up another as AC Milan dismissed Napoli 3-0 to open up a 5 point lead at the top of Serie A. In what was hailed as the match that could decide the Scudetto, Zlatan Ibrahimovic, Kevin-Prince Boateng and Pato scored second half goals to seal an AC Milan victory in a match where second placed Napoli failed to direct a single shot on target. Ibrahimovic converted from the penalty spot in the 49th minute after defender Salvatore Aronica handled the ball in the penalty area. In the 77th minute, Pato displayed great composure after steaming down the left flank and patiently waiting for Boateng to find space in the box before threading a delicate pass to the Ghanaian midfielder who slotted the ball home. Two minutes later, Pato displayed his cool yet again by chasing a through ball that left him in front of two Napoli defenders, before carving out that extra yard of space to curl a rocket of a shot into the far right corner of the net. In this game, Pato recalled the great Alessandro Rivaldo and his ability to wait for defenders to commit themselves into making a move before finding either the open man or the back of the net. Milan are now 5 points clear of Leonardo's Inter, who kept up the pressure at the top of the table with goals from Wesley Sneijder and Samuel Eto that earned them a 2-0 victory over Sampdoria over the weekend. The Rossoneri now face Italy's most successful club, Juventus, on March 5, while Inter have an easier match-up with Genoa on March 6.

France defeat Brazil 1-0 in friendly as Benzema shines and Mano's midfield struggles

France defeated Brazil 1-0 in a match that showcased Brazil's lack of quality strikers and creativity in midfield. Coach Mano Menezes opted for a midfield composed of Hernanes, Lucas, Elias and Renato Augusto in a classic 4-4-2 formation with Dani Alves, Thiago Silva, David Luiz and Andre Santos in defense, and Robinho and Pato up front. Mano gave the number 10 jersey to Renato Augusto of Bayer Leverkusen. After soaking up some early pressure from the 5 time World Champions, France began to settle down in the early stages by finding ways to release Real Madrid striker Karim Benzema. In the 9th minute, Bacary Sagna combined with playmaker Yoann Gorcuff to give Benzema a chance on goal but the France number 10 shot just wide. Pato, Robinho and Alves threatened for the Selecao in the first half but narrowly missed the target or failed to capitalize on minor rebounds from French keeper Hugo Lloris. The match changed dramatically in the 40th minute when Brazil number 11 Hernanes attempted a kung fu style play on a ball bouncing near Benzema's chest and made contact with the French striker. The referee promptly issued Hernanes a red card and all of a sudden, Brazil were put back on the defensive. In the 55th minute, Jeremy Menez ran down the right flank and crossed over the face of goal to Benzema who promptly tapped the ball in to give France a 1-0 lead. Menez's assist and Benzema's goal eerily recalled the 1986 assist from Rocheateau to Michel Platini to give France the equalizer that enabled them to progress to the penalty kick shoot out that ousted Brazil in the quarterfinals of the World Cup in Mexico. Brazil threatened episodically for the rest of the match, but were unable to put together any impressive combination play in midfield leading to high percentage strikes on goal. Moments after Benzema's goal, Julio Cesar saved Brazil from incurring a 2-0 deficit with a spectacular save from a Benzema header. Just after the hour, the Inter Milan keeper came to Brazil's rescue again to stop another threatening shot from Benzema.

After the match, coach Mano Menezes remained defiant about his selection of a young squad and the inexperienced midfield combination: "The red card had a major influence. In the second half things changed with us being a player down. It would be easy to hark back to Kaka or Ronaldinho, but that's not what we are about. We are looking to the future, to 2014 when Brazil will host the FIFA World Cup."

But for all of Mano's investment in renovation, his youthful squad has now suffered consecutive losses to Argentina and France, casting strong doubts about Brazil's continued place amongst the top 5 footballing nations in the world. Meanwhile, the French curse continues as the Selecao continue to struggle against a French national team that knows how to pin back the Brazilian full backs and create a maginot line in midfield. Whether under Aime Jacquet in France's 3-0 victory over Brazil in the 1998 World Cup final or Laurent Blanc in the February 9, 2011 friendly, Les Bleus conceded the occasional defensive lapse, but for the most part took the attack directly to the Brazilians in a case of the student (France) teaching the master (Brazil) a lesson about attacking football.

Robinho, Pato and Ibrahimovic take AC Milan closer to the Scudetto

Robinho continues to make his mark on Italian football by scoring a crucial goal in the 58th minute against Catania to give AC Milan the lead minutes after Marc van Bommel received a red card. So far, Robinho has scored 7 goals in Serie A and has formed a crucial leg of a triumvirate Rossoneri attack featuring Alexandre Pato, who has scored 8 goals and Zlatan Ibrahimovic, who has 13. Much of Robinho's success should be attributed to the power of Ibrahimovic, who draws defenders in his wake in deep positions, thereby freeing up space for Robinho and Pato to demonstrate their speed and clinical finishing ability near the goal mouth. In the match against Catania, Robinho opportunistically dispatched a carom from an Ibrahimovic free kick. After a disappointing season against Manchester City last year and a mediocre World Cup in South Africa, Robinho is close to the best form of his career under coach Massimiliano Allegri.

Rivals Inter Milan came back from a 2-0 deficit to win 3-2 against Palermo thanks to 2 goals by the recent acquisition Pazzini and a penalty from Samuel Eto in the 76th minute. AC Milan are now closing in on the Scudetto but Leonardo, coach of defending champions Inter Milan, retains hopes for the title for the Nerazurri as articulated in a recent interview. Looking ahead to the remainder of the season, the Brazilian stressed of Inter remaining consistent and noted how other teams will invariably drop points as the season progresses:

"Consistency is the most difficult thing in sports. You can lose a game but the important thing is to control the situation after a defeat. Our loss in Udine (against Udinese) is not crucial for the league title. Our aim was to start well after the winter break in order to be in the group of teams that will fight for the scudetto and we are among those sides. In the long run, all the other teams will also lose games.''

Since taking over as coach of Inter Milan, Leonardo can claim 5 victories and 1 loss in what constitutes a dramatic turnaround for a championship team that lost its faith in coach Rafael Benitez in the first half of the season.

Mano calls European based Brazil squad for France friendly

Brazil coach Mano Menezes named a 23 man squad for the upcoming February 9 friendly against France composed entirely of European players. Goalkeeper Julio Cesar was recalled to the team but experienced international players such as Kaka, Lucio and Maicon were overlooked, once again, by Mano in an apparent effort to continue building the international experience of his younger players. One of the obvious questions elicited by his squad selection concerns who will play the role of playmaker given the absence of Kaka, Ganso, Ronaldinho and Carlos Eduardo. Mano's attacking line-up features Robinho, Pato, Andre and the Hulk. Lucas and Ramires appear slotted to occupy a defensive role in midfield. Andre Santos, David Luiz, Thiago Silva and Dani Alves look set to start in defense.

Mano's decision not to select an experienced playmaker raises the first doubts over his squad selections and ability to lead the national team. France have historically been a difficult opponent for the Selecao and, based on his squad selection, February 9 should prove no exception.

Neymar and a number of other domestic players were omitted because the scheduling of the friendly conflicted with domestic Brazilian matches in tournaments such as the Copa Libertadores.

Squad:

Goalkeepers: Julio Cesar (Inter Milan), Gomes (Tottenham), Neto (Fiorentina)
Defenders: Daniel Alves (Barcelona), Rafael (Manchester United), Marcelo (Real Madrid), Andre Santos (Fenerbahce), Breno (Bayern Munich), David Luiz (Benfica), Thiago Silva (AC Milan), Luizao (Benfica).
Midfielders: Lucas (Liverpool), Ramires (Chelsea), Sandro (Tottenham), Elias (Atletico Madrid), Hernanes (Lazio), Anderson (Manchester United), Renato Augusto (Bayern Leverkusen), Jadson (Shakhtar).
Forwards: Robinho (Milan), Alexandre Pato (Milan), Andre (Dynamo Kyiv), Hulk (Porto)

Leonardo Nascimento de Araujo Quotes on AC Milan, 2009 - 2010

On coaching AC Milan for the 2009-2010 season:

"[AC Milan] was great...Thiago Silva needed confidence, directions. Europe isn't easy for a skilled Brazilian defender. Abate and Antonini had to improve mentally and believe: I can. It's nice to see Antonini on the national side. Borriello needed room. Dida never said anything, but he worked like a madman. He was great. Pirlo's silence was powerful. Ambrosini carried us in his first year as captain. Seedorf showed character. Ronaldinho regained his energy and enthusiasm. Occasionally he would start to fade and I would give him a push and he would come back. Pato's first season as a starter was marked by injuries and difficulties. Nesta returned after being written off. It was great. From the exterior they look like champions, but from an insider's view they are fragile, sensitive people. Leading them was personally an exciting and gratifying experience. It was great."

On his decision to leave and Silvio Berlusconi:

"Milan was so many things for me. I was a player, executive and coach for the club. At a certain point in time, after 13 years with the club, I thought that I would be with Milan forever. Instead, I broke it off. I'm going to need this year to change who I am, to see things objectively, not as part of the AC Milan organisation."

"Let's make two things clear. The first is that I would have never left after 13 years for tactical reasons, also because today Milan play the same way as they did before. The second thing is that I decided to leave. I forewent the final year of my contract to leave on the best terms possible. I left because my character and style were not compatible with his. I said all the same things to him. Narcissus does not like anything that is not a reflection of him."

Read the full text of the September 2010 interview with Leonardo here:
"Leonardo takes a Swipe: Berlusconi like Narcissus." La Gazzetta dello Sport. September 18, 2010. Interview by Luigi Garlando.

Boateng, Robinho and Ibrahimovic score in AC Milan's 3-0 victory over Bologna

Kevin Prince Boateng, Robinho and Ibrahimovic scored for the second consecutive game as AC Milan beat Bologna 3-0 today to go 6 points clear over Juventus at the top of Italy's Serie A standings. The sequence of goals by Boateng, Robinho and Ibrahimovic replicated their performance against Brescia on December 4 while Ronaldinho continued his stint on the Milan bench in the wake of Robinho's sparkling form. Boateng opened the scoring for the Rossoneri by latching onto a ball delivered by Ibrahimovic from the left flank, slipping in between two central defenders in the box and volleying the ball home. Boateng subsequently provided the assist for Robinho who maintained his balance in the wake of some staunch defending from Andrea Esposito and slotted the ball by Bologna keeper Viviano in the 35th minute. Ibrahimovic put the exclamation mark on an impressive victory for AC Milan in the 60th minute with a clinical strike on goal from the right flank. With 21 goals shared between Ibrahimovic, Pato and Robinho this season (9 for Ibrahimovic, 6 for Pato and 6 for Robinho), Massimilliano Allegri has reason to be more than satisfied with his strikeforce as the Rossoneri prepare for their final game of 2010 against Roma on Saturday, December 18. As the January transfer window opens, the obvious question now for Allegri and Berlusconi concerns Ronaldinho's future at the Rossoneri in the wake of Robinho's impressive form and Pato's anticipated return from injury early in 2011.

Alves and Pato Seal Brazil's Victory Over the Ukraine

Brazil defeated the Ukraine 2-0 today in an international friendly that handed coach Mano Menezes an unbeatean 3-0 record and significant momentum going into November's clash against arch-rivals Argentina. For the second straight game, Dani Alves and Alexander Pato scored for Brazil with clinical finishing in a match largely played in Ukraine's half of the field. As promised, Mano opted to play 2 strikers instead of the usual 3 by adding an additional layer to midfield in the form of Elias, behind Carlos Eduardo. The new formation gave Carlos Eduardo more room to attack and support strikers Robinho and Pato. Ukraine sorely missed striker Andriy Shevchenko, who picked up an injury in Friday's 2-2 draw against Canada.

Dani Alves led the attack in the opening half with a shot on goal from long range followed by a free kick that mimicked the position from which he scored against Iran. The free kick narrowly missed the top right corner but the Barcelona defender kept coming forward, deftly combining with Robinho in the 9th minute only to scoop the ball over the bar. But Alves was not to be denied in the 25th minute as Robinho found the right full back near the net with an exquisite, long curling cross from the left flank that Alves volleyed into the back of the net to give Brazil a 1-0 lead. Brazil sealed the victory in the 63rd minute with a pacy attack down the right flank led by Carlos Eduardo. Eduardo crossed to Pato who turned and scored to give Brazil a 2-0 lead.

Brazil continued their dominance of possession in the second half with chances from Carlos Eduardo, Alves and Nilmar missing by inches. Mano, meanwhile, decided to substitute Carlos Eduardo, Ramires, Pato, Robinho and Elias with Giuliano, Sandro, Nilmar, Andre and Wesley respectively in an effort to give his young squad the feel of the yellow jersey that, as the legend goes, bears a tremendous amount of weight.

Overall, this was yet another great result for Mano and his young squad who are starting to gel in the space of just three friendly internationals and one dedicated training camp in Spain. The former Corinthians coach has captured the respect of his players and instilled an ethos marked by hard work and creativity on the pitch. Robinho is settling into his position as captain while Dani Alves's performances against Iran and Ukraine have injected new life into the debate over whether he or compatriot Maicon deserves the distinction of the best right back in the world. Finally, Carlos Eduardo has taken over the midfield and displayed the depth of Mano's Brazilian squad who have recently played without Ganso, Kaka, Elano or Ronaldinho in an attacking midfield position.

The Selecao will make their next stop in Doha, Qatar on November 17, where Carlos Tevez, Lionel Messi, Javier Mascheroni and the rest of Sergio Batista's stars will be eager to make up for their October 8 1-0 loss to Alberto Zaccheroni's Japan in Saitama.