Brazil Flank Attack Crucial To World Cup Knockout Match Against Chile

Brazil will need to take advantage of their strength down the flanks to defeat Chile. Unlike Spain, which resorted to combination play in the center of the park against Chile, Brazil will need to spread the Chilean defense and then switch the point of attack to create high percentage scoring opportunities. Chile are known for their pace and high pressing up the field but can be restrained by a Brazil attack marked by width and speed led by the likes of Marcelo, Oscar, Hulk and Maicon. Meanwhile, Fernandinho will need to run midfield and play more of a defensive role to ensure Brazil win the ball and attack. Expect Maicon to start in lieu of Dani Alves and Fernandinho instead of Paulinho for the first match of the knockout stages of the 2014 World Cup in Belo Horizonte. Hulk will be absolutely crucial to Brazil in blocking the right flank.

Key players for Brazil: Marcelo, Oscar, Hulk, Dani Alves, Maicon, Fernandinho, Neymar

Brazil Squad For Switzerland Friendly on August 14

Brazil’s 20 man squad for the August 14 friendly against Switzerland features everyone included in the 23 man Confederations Cup squad with the exception of Rever, Filipe Luis, Jadson and goalkeeper Diego Cavalieri. Coach Luiz Felipe Scolari and technical director Carlos Alberto Parreira have been characteristically tight lipped about their tactics and plans for the upcoming game. Scolari is likely to field Paris Saint-Germain’s Maxwell on the left flank in the event that Brazil garner a comfortable lead as he explores backups to the first choice fullbacks Dani Alves and Marcelo. Otherwise, we should expect exactly the same squad that started in the Confederations Cup final against Spain given that Scolari’s vision is based on building understanding and camaraderie amongst a small group of players in contrast to the revolving door philosophy of his predecessor, Mano Menezes. This squad does not feature a realistic backup for Dani Alves although we should expect Scolari to recall Maicon and Manchester United's Rafael for that spot in upcoming friendlies.

Brazil Squad Against Switzerland

Goalkeepers: Julio Cesar (Queens Park Rangers), Jefferson (Botafogo).

Defenders: Thiago Silva (Paris Saint-Germain), David Luiz (Chelsea), Dante (Bayern Munich), Daniel Alves (Barcelona), Jean (Fluminense), Marcelo (Real Madrid), Maxwell (Paris Saint-Germain).

Midfielders: Fernando (Shakhtar Donetsk), Hernanes (Lazio), Luiz Gustavo (Bayern Munich), Paulinho (Tottenham), Oscar (Chelsea), Lucas Moura (Paris Saint Germain)

Strikers: Hulk (Zenit), Bernard (Atletico Mineiro), Fred (Fluminense), Neymar (Barcelona), Jo (Atletico Mineiro)

CBF Announces Brazil Friendlies For 2012

The Confederation of Brazilian Football (CBF) today announced a list of friendlies for the Brazilian national football team for the first half of 2012. The friendlies are intended to prepare the Selecao for the London Olympic games from July 27 to August 12. Brazil have never won Olympic gold and hence are under tremendous pressure to win the gold medal in London this summer, particularly given that the Brazil under 20 team won the U-20 World Cup in August. Brazil’s under 20 team won the World Cup with a dramatic 3-2 victory over Portugal in the final thanks to an Oscar hat-trick. The Olympic team features players under 23 as well as an allowance for three overage players.

The sequence of Brazil’s 2012 friendlies is as follows:

Feb. 28: Brazil v. Bosnia and Herzegovina in Switzerland
May 26: Brazil v. Denmark in Hamburg, Germany
May 30 or May 31: Brazil v. United States in Boston or Washington DC
June 3: Brazil v. Mexico in Dallas
June 9: Brazil v. Argentina in New Jersey

Mano Menezes will need to decide which over 23 year players he includes in the Olympic line-up. Ronaldinho, Kaka, Hulk and Dani Alves represent some of the clear favorites for a place in the Brazilian Olympic soccer squad as overage players.The Olympic team is likely to feature Neymar, Ganso, Lucas Moura, Oscar, Henrique, Casemiro, Danilo and Dudu.

Brazil Defeat Egypt 2-0: Hulk and Jonas Lead Attack

Brazil produced yet another scintillating display in a 2-0 victory against Egypt that showcased the midfield revolution ushered in by coach Mano Menezes since taking charge of the Selecao. Brazil dominated possession in the first half, allowing the Egyptians to obtain scarcely a touch on the ball through short, one touch passing. Jonas and Hulk retreated deep into midfield to help out Lucas Leiva, Fernandinho, Bruno Cesar and Hernanes as Brazil withdrew their strikers while pulling the midfield front line further up the pitch, closer to goal. Hulk dominated the proceedings, partnering effectively with Dani Alves on the right flank and leveraging his favored left foot to cut inside and interchange with Bruno Cesar, Hernanes and Fernandinho. Hulk’s attacking play on the right flank led to Brazil’s first goal via a bullet of a cross that the poaching Jonas tapped into the back of the net in the 39^th minute.

Egypt asserted themselves more strongly in the second half, but Brazil continued to dominate through inspiring midfield play. Hulk switched over to the left flank for much of the second half to destabilize the Egyptian defense while Hernanes drifted right and Dani Alves pushed forward as an auxiliary right sided attacker. The second goal came from an attack on the left flank that led to a Bruno Cesar free kick. In the 59th minute, Fernandinho headed Cesar’s free kick into the hands of keeper Ahmed Al Shenawi. Al Shenawi spilled the ball directly into the path of the opportunistic Jonas who tapped it in for his second goal of the evening.

The match revealed the power of the Fernandinho-Hernanes midfield pairing, Hulk’s ability to hold the ball and the possibilities inherent in the Jonas-Hulk strike partnership, particularly given that Brazil lack a strike partnership at present. Brazil have now secured five consecutive victories and can claim a thoroughly revamped midfield in the course of 17 months. Now, Mano needs to work on producing more goals. Based on today’s performance, one attractive option would be to play Neymar, Leandro Damiao or Jonas, and Hulk in a three pronged attack in front of Fernandinho and Hernanes.

Brazil Starting Lineup Against Egypt For Doha Friendly

The friendly against Egypt on Monday marks the last international match for Brazil in 2011. Mano Menezes has replaced Fabio, Adriano and Elias from the starting lineup against Gabon with Dani Alves, Alex Sandro and Fernandinho respectively. The lineup fields Fernandinho with Hernanes in an intriguing midfield pairing that promises to set the stage for the Brazilian midfield in 2012, with allowances for Ronaldinho, Kaka, Elias and Ganso as they become fit and deem themselves available. The friendly against Egypt also represents Hulk’s seventh cap for the Selecao. Hulk has failed to score for Brazil in his six appearances so far, so Egypt should be his for the taking as it represents a golden opportunity for the FC Porto striker to consolidate his place at the forefront of Brazil’s attack alongside Neymar and Leandro Damiao. With Pato and Robinho either injured or lacking in form, expect Hulk to explode in the Egypt game to prove he can score goals at the international level.

Probable Starting Lineup: 4-1-1-2-2

Diego Alves (GK), Daniel Alves, Thiago Silva (captain), David Luiz, Alex Sandro, Lucas Leiva, Fernandinho, Hernanes, Bruno Cesar, Hulk and Jonas.

Brazil Defeat Costa Rica 1-0 As Mano's Midfield Experiment Continues

Brazil carved out an unimpressive 1-0 victory against Costa Rica on Friday thanks to a goal by Neymar. Despite a dominant performance against Argentina in the second leg of the Superclasico, coach Mano Menezes stayed true to form by juggling the Brazilian starting line-up. Most interesting about Brazil’s formation was Menezes’s midfield pairing of Ralf and Luiz Gustavo, behind Ronaldinho, Lucas Moura da Silva and Neymar. Fred started the match as the lone striker. Manchester United's Fabio earned his first cap as Brazil right back while Barcelona's Adriano took up the left back position.

Costa Rica threatened in the first ten minutes and episodically throughout the match as well, but Brazil gradually found their rhythm and began stringing together combination passes in midfield in the second half. The goal came in the 60th minute from a Dani Alves cross that skirted by the onrushing Fred, and then bounced into the path of Neymar who poached the ball into the back of the net for his second consecutive goal in the yellow jersey. Twelve minutes later, Brazil had yet another chance when some deft midfield combination play allowed Ronaldinho to lob the ball to Fred, who headed a difficult ball that the Costa Rican keeper Navas saved. The ball subsequently ended up back near the top of the box, from which Neymar’s curling shot caromed off the top of the post.

For all of Brazil’s critics, and there were plenty after a match like this, Brazil’s midfield is starting to gel in a distinctly Brazilian fashion that bears little resemblance to European football. Oscar and Hernanes replaced Luiz Gustavo and Lucas Moura at halftime in a substitution that revealed the depth of Mano Menezes’s options in the center of the park. Fans should begin to relinquish the expectation that Brazil will stick to a rigidly tactical formation. Mano is slowly but surely building a squad that switches positions and attacks through the midfield, alongside the traditional counter-attacking flank attack. The flank attack remains powerful, as evinced by Dani Alves’s role in Neymar’s goal, but Mano’s immediate investment is clearly around building a group of 6-8 midfielders such as Lucas Leiva, Ramires, Ralf, Luis Gustavo, Oscar, Hernanes, Lucas Moura, Jadson and Ganso that can maintain possession and substitute for one another throughout a difficult tournament such as the World Cup. Mano’s next problem is scoring more goals, but for now, he evidently believes that the midfield is where Brazil has had its problems since 2002.

Germany Secures Historic 3-2 Victory over Brazil in Friendly

Germany 3 - Brazil 2
Gottlieb Daimler Stadium, Stuttgart, Germany
International Soccer Friendly

Goals:
Schweinsteiger, Germany, 61st minute (penalty)
Gotze, Germany, 67th minute
Robinho, Brazil, 71st minute (penalty)
Schurrle, Germany, 80th minute
Neymar, Brazil, 90th minute + 2

Germany scored their first victory over Brazil since 1993 in a thrilling match where the hosts dominated possession and exposed the mediocrity of the Brazilian national football team under coach Mano Menezes. Germany's 3-2 win belies the way in which they controlled the entirety of the game even though Brazil improved significantly in the second half. Brazil were decimated in midfield and reduced to a handful of counter-attacking opportunities from which they were fortunate to convert two goals given their overall lack of possession. In the 61st minute, Bastian Schweinsteiger scored Germany’s first goal from the penalty spot after Lucio was judged to have fouled Kroos in the box. Minutes later, Mario Gotze scored his first international goal after a passing triangle featuring he, Klose and Kroos enabled him to become the recipient of a through ball from Kroos. In his debut match for his country, Gotze rounded Julio Cesar with skill and composure to give Germany a 2-0 lead after 67 minutes.

Mano Menezes started Ralf for the suspended Lucas Leiva, and Fernandinho for Ganso. Both were highly ineffective in midfield and hence, two goals down, Brazil resorted to their time honored tradition of attacking down the flanks. Dani Alves steamed into the box to encounter a foul by Phillip Lahm that earned Brazil a penalty kick. Robinho calmly slotted the ball into the back of the net to make it 2-1 in the 71st minute, but the Germans were not to be fazed by the display of life from their opponent. With ten minutes remaining, Schweinsteiger showed more hunger for the ball than Andre Santos by winning the ball in the box and passing it to the vacant Andre Schurrle, who sent a rocket of a shot into the roof of the net to make it 3-1. Neymar pulled one back for the Brazilians in stoppage time but the victory deservedly went to Joachim Lowe’s young German team.

Coming into the match, Mano Menezes shrugged off Brazil’s failure to win more games under his tenure by noting that the team had never been dominated in play, even amongst their losses. The match against Germany, however, marks the first time Brazil were thoroughly taken apart by their opposition in recent memory, the 2010 World Cup included. Mano talks a good talk but his squad selections have been inconsistent. Brazil fans should expect the Selecao to accumulate more losses as long as the coach plays roulette with the midfield by changing the line-up in almost every game.

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.

Brazil draw 0-0 against Netherlands in Goiania friendly

Brazil drew 0-0 against the Netherlands in a friendly match that was rife with goal scoring opportunities but devoid of cases where the ball legitimately hit the back of the net. Mano played a 4-3-3 formation with Lucas, Ramires and Elano in midfield and Neymar, Robinho and Fred as attackers, in front of the expected defensive combination of Andre Santos, Thiago Silva, Lucio and Dani Alves. Holland’s Ibrahim Afellay had two golden opportunities for the Dutch in the opening half that were saved by Brazil goalkeeper Julio Cesar. Moreover, Robin Van Persie missed the opportunity to direct an aerial ball on target soon before the half time whistle. Brazil, meanwhile, had opportunities in the first half from a Ramires goal that was deemed offside and later, a long range Ramires strike that narrowly missed the top left corner.

Brazil dominated the second half as Neymar, in particular, began to impose his authority in and around the box. The Neymar, Robinho and Fred combination caused the Dutch defense problems early in the second half, but the Brazilian strikers simply failed to find the back of the net. Neymar had a number of shots on target saved by Dutch goalkeeper Tim Krul and, meanwhile, Robinho and Dani Alves pressed the attack for Brazil as well. Robinho’s strike curled toward goal after bouncing off the keeper’s feet but it was cleared off the line by Joris Mathijsen, away from the onrushing Fred. Brazil continued to attack but to no avail, with Ramires ultimately earning a second yellow card for a foul on Arjen Robben roughly ten minutes from time that resulted in his ejection.

For Brazil, this match represented a phenomenal display of defending from Lucio and Thiago Silva, two of the best center backs in the world. The second half witnessed some inspiring attacking play from the Selecao that would have created a bulge or two in the back of the net had it not been for a combination of luck and Tim Krul’s remarkable goalkeeping. Clearly, 4-3-3 is the formation for Brazil as it renders it very difficult to mark the combination of Neymar, Robinho and another striker, whether it be Fred or Leandro Damiao. If Mano ever has the luxury of fielding Paulo Henrique Ganso in a 4-2-1-3 combination, with Lucas and Ramires behind Ganso, Brazil is likely to win more matches against top 20 opponents. The other option is to bring on The Hulk as the center forward to replace Fred. But these are tactical questions that are easy for a journalist to make and much more difficult for a coach to implement in practice when he has to consider the culture of the team and its ethos on and off the field. Clearly, what we are seeing here is a lightweight Brazil team doing as best as it can given the talent at its disposal, though struggling to pull its weight against heavyweight contenders such as France, Argentina and the Dutch. Neymar had several high percentage chances that a more experienced Brazilian striker would have buried in the back of the net. If Brazil loses against Romania, Mano may have no option but to call upon the services of The Hulk to obtain more conversions from the Brazilian attack. Overall, the team looks like it is learning to find each other and create space and opportunities. The Selecao now just needs some quality strikers that can create a bulge in the back of the onion bag when given space in the box.

Brazil v. Netherlands 2011 Friendly: A Preview

Although Brazil play Netherlands in an international friendly on June 4 in Goiania, Brazil, football fans should understand this is anything but a friendly, particularly from Brazil's point of view. The match stakes a tremendous amount of professional pride for the Brazilian national team given their humiliating 2-1 loss to the Dutch in the 2010 World Cup quarterfinals last summer. Furthermore, Mano Menezes has yet to demonstrate his ability to win big matches against the best teams in the world. With players like Arjen Robben, Dirk Kuyt and Robin van Persie, the Netherlands rank well within the orbit of France and Argentina, the two teams that handed Mano his only losses as coach of the Selecao. Expect Brazil to attack from the opening whistle and put the Dutch on the defensive through a bevy of early scoring opportunities and conversions. Mano is likely to play one of two formations:

4-3-3: Julio Cesar, Dani Alves, Lucio, Thiago Silva and Andre Santos in defense, Lucas, Ramires and Elias in midfield, and Robinho, Neymar and Leandro Damiao up front.
4-4-2: Julio Cesar, Dani Alves, Lucio, Thiago Silva and Andre Santos in defense, Lucas, Ramires, Elias and Elano in midfield, with Neymar and Robinho up front.

Mano has recently preferred a 4-4-2 so that's we should expect, although everyone would like to see a 4-3-3 or even a 4-2-4 at some point. What's clear is that the back four and Lucas and Ramires are basically pencilled into the starting line-up. From there on, it's anyone's guess although Mano has favored Elias in the past and is likely to leverage the understanding between Elano and Neymar that has carried Santos to the Copa Libertadores final. To win convincingly, Mano needs to win by more than a one goal margin so he will somehow have to open the floodgates for the likes of Neymar, Robinho and Elano to put the ball in the back of the net. In recent interviews, Mano notes that Dani Alves functions as another attacker, so one option would be to pin down Andre Santos and let Alves attack down the right flank to complement Neymar on the far left. Bottom line: expect Brazil to go all out for a convincing win, beginning in the first half, particularly given that the match is played at home.

Roberto Carlos leaves Corinthians for Russian club Anzhi

Corinthians has confirmed the departure of left back Roberto Carlos by "mutual consent" after the player expressed a desire to leave the club following harassment by fans after the elimination of Corinthians from the Copa Libertadores. Carlos and his family received a number of threats from irate fans after Corinthians's February 2 elimination. The Brazilian club just reported that Roberto Carlos will sign with the Russian club Anzhi for a reported $9 million a year, for a two year contract with the option of an extension for another year. The 37 year old is widely regarded as the best left back football has witnessed in the last 30 years. The Brazilian national team has begun to find replacements for the brilliance of their former right back Cafu in the form of Maicon and Dani Alves, but thus far have been unable to locate a player of Carlos's extraordinary pace, strength and vision on the left flank. Ronaldo of Brazil also remarked on the possibility of leaving Corinthians after suffering similar harassment by fans because of their poor Copa Libertadores performance. Ronaldo revealed considering early retirement immediately but appears set to continue at Corinthians for the time being.

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.

Argentina 1 - Brazil 0: Messi sinks Brazil in Doha Friendly

In a moment of injury time magic, FIFA World Player of the Year Lionel Messi weaved through a tangle of Brazilian defenders and dispatched a left footed shot past goalkeeper Victor to seal a stunning, last minute 1-0 victory for Argentina against Brazil at the Khalifa International Stadium in Doha, Qatar today. Messi's goal ended a 5 match winless streak for the Albiceleste against Brazil and, amazingly enough, marked his first ever goal against the Selecao. The goal did justice to a match rife with high percentage scoring opportunities from both teams. Brazil pressed the attack in the first half with Dani Alves and Andre Santos roaring down both flanks, and Alves, in particular, threatening the Argentine goal. Brazilian midfielders Lucas, Ramires and Elias aggressively closed down the Argentine attack while playing without the ball and, conversely, distributed nicely to Neymar, Robinho and Ronaldinho when surging forward. Alves had the first real scoring opportunity of the match when a one-two pass with David Luiz enabled him to fire a rocket at the Argentine goal that hit the cross bar. Later in the half, a Neymar corner resulted in a ball falling to Ronaldinho in the box who, with his back to goal, opted for a back heel strike that goalkeeper Romero scooped up comfortably. Dinho also threatened the Argentine goal with a curling free kick off his right foot that Romero punched out of danger. As the half progressed, Argentina began to collect themselves and posed their own threats on goal with shots from Gonzalo Higuain saved by Victor in a match that was rapidly turning into a showcase for goalkeeping talent. Messi started to impose himself in the Argentine midfield and began one of his patented, Maradona-like runs based off passes from Zanetti and Banega that resulted in a long range, left footed shot that sailed over the crossbar by inches.

The second half continued the end to end football that fans expected from the South American clasico with Neymar and Robinho running at defenders and setting up dangerous free kick opportunities for Ronaldinho and Dani Alves. On the Argentine side of the equation, the substitution of Ezequiel Lavezzi for Higuain paid dividends as the Napoli striker created opportunities for Lionel Messi by commanding the right flank and distracting Andre Santos and David Luiz in the process. In the 56th minute, Lavezzi tore down the right flank and passed to Javier Pastore, whose shot appeared to have been blocked by the elbow of Thiago Silva, though no penalty was awarded. Meanwhile, Neymar continued to press the attack for Brazil and found himself repeatedly fouled and manhandled the closer he got to goal. In the 63rd minute, the Argentine defense hacked down Neymar in the box and the ball neatly fell to Robinho, but his shot went just wide.

Mano's flurry of substitutions with twenty minutes remaining--Douglas for Ronaldinho, Andre for Neymar and Jucilei for Ramires--seemed to suggest resignation to a 0-0 draw and an accompanying decision to provide his young players with much needed international experience. But Ramires's departure marked a deep, tactical mistake by Menezes because it freed Messi to find space in midfield that he had rarely enjoyed before. Deep into injury time, the Barcelona number 10 picked up the ball near center circle, burst forward, cut the ball onto his left foot and hit a lawnmower of a shot past Victor's left to seal a landmark victory for Argentina after their humiliating, 3-1 loss at home to Brazil in Rosario in World Cup qualifying in September 2009 and the team's recent 1-0 loss to Japan under coach Batista himself.

This was a humiliating defeat for Brazil as it exposed their lack of a single, world class, pure striker. Ronaldinho did his best to generate attacking opportunities alongside Corinthians star Elias but he lacked a powerful center forward such as Luis Fabiano with the strength to carve out that extra yard of space and put the ball in the back of the net. On the brighter side, Brazil's midfield is finally starting to click as the Lucas-Ramires partnership promises to bring much needed coherence to the team, although they still lack a creative playmaker in the form of Kaka, Elano or Paulo Henrique Ganso.

Despite not having as many high percentage shots on goal, Argentina clearly deserved the victory because Batista succeded where Maradona failed in freeing up Lionel Messi, the best striker in the world. Batista will have to worry about his defense, however, as he cannot rely on Romero to bail out the Albiceleste as often as he did today in Doha.

Overall, this was great end to end football and a tantalizing glimpse of two teams who will, in all likelihood, be the clear favorites for the World Cup in 2014, based as it will be on South American soil in Brazil. If Mano shores up his strikeforce with more mature incarnations of Neymar, Pato and Andre, Batista consolidates his defense, and Messi stays fit, the Selecao v. Albiceleste will probably be everyone's favored match-up for the World Cup final in 2014.

Team Captains:

Gonzalo Higuain (Argentina)
Robinho (Brazil)

Shirt Numbers:

Argentina

Messi: 10
Higuain: 9

Brazil

Neymar: 11
Ronaldinho: 10
Robinho: 9

For more on the history of Brazil v. Argentina, see:
Bringing Back the Beautiful Game: Brazil v. Argentina: A Brief World Cup History