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

Hulk Powers Porto Past Shakhtar Donetsk in Champions League Group G

Hulk powered Porto to a crucial 2-0 victory in the Champions League on November 23 with a goal and instrumental play in the lead-up to an own goal by Shakhtar's Razvan Rat in injury time. Selecao midfield sensation Fernandinho hit the box in the 70^th minute but it was Hulk who finally found the back of the net after latching onto a through ball from midfield by Joao Moutinho that sliced open the Shakhtar defense. The Brazilian ace dispatched a right footed shot to give the Porto the lead in a tense and complicated game in which both sides poured forward in search of the victory that would give them a chance of qualifying for the knockout phase of the Champions League. FC Porto are now third place in Group G with seven points, two points behind APOEL and Zenit St Petersburg. Porto will advance if they beat Russian Champions Zenit St Petersburg on December 6 at home.

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.

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.