Ganso To Miss Brazil Friendlies Due To Knee Surgery

Brazil’s star attacking midfielder and playmaker, Paulo Henrique Ganso, will miss the Selecao’s upcoming friendlies against United States (May 30), Mexico (June 3) and Argentina (June 9) due to injury. Ganso will have arthroscopic knee surgery on Friday on his right knee to correct “waste” that lingered from a surgery in 2007. Ganso is expected to be unable to play for roughly 20 days following his surgery, meaning he may still play in the Olympics although his fitness renders him highly unlikely to accompany the team to London in search of the gold medal that Brazil has yet to win.

Ganso’s absence from the Brazilian national team creates a gaping hole in midfield for Mano Menezes. Ganso is known for his ability to read an entire game in ways paralleled only by the aging stars Ronaldinho and Kaka in the modern game. Coach Mano Menezes has been reluctant to include either Ronaldinho or Kaka in the squad for form and fitness reasons. In any case, both Ronaldinho and Kaka fall into the over 23 bracket, and thereby complicate Mano's choice of three, over 23 year old players given the strategic importance of players such as Thiago Silva, David Luiz and Hulk to the Olympic squad. 26 year old Lazio playmaker Hernanes represents another option for Menezes, who was said to be “studying” the possibility of selecting another player to the squad though Hernanes, too, falls into the over 23 bracket.

Another option would be for Mano to let youngsters Oscar (Internacional) and Casemiro (Sao Paulo) and Lucas Moura (Sao Paulo) rule the midfield, though none of these players can claim Ganso’s unique ability to dictate play as well as present a credible attacking and goal scoring threat. Overall, Ganso’s injury represents a huge blow to Menezes, who has built his “renovation” of the Brazilian national football team on Ganso-like creativity in midfield that recalls the genius of the great Brazil team of 1982. Ganso’s style of play evokes memories of the legendary Brazilian midfielder Socrates who captained the Brazil side of 1982 and was similarly known for his playmaking skill and ability to change the tempo of a game.

Brazil have already lost right back Dani Alves due to injury and hence will enter Saturday’s game against Denmark severely depleted of talent given that Neymar and Ganso were previously excused due to club commitments for Santos. Fans should expect Oscar and Lucas Moura to rise to the occasion over the course of the next four friendlies and earn themselves a starting place in the Brazilian line-up for the Olympics and possibly beyond.

Mano Menezes Omits Ronaldinho In Favor Of Youth For Brazil Friendlies Before Olympics

Brazil coach Mano Menezes announced a list of 23 players for Brazil's upcoming friendlies against Denmark, the United States, Mexico and Argentina. Notably, Menezes omitted Ronaldinho even though the two time FIFA World Player of the Year had been listed in a provisional list of over 50 players for the Olympic squad. Ronaldinho's omission from the Brazil roster for its upcoming friendlies almost certainly means that the Flamengo star is likely to be omitted from the 2012 Olympic squad. Kaka, Robinho, Ramires and Hernanes were also omitted as the Brazil coach opted to focus on youth, particularly in midfield. In case there was any doubt as to the relation between the squad he named today and Brazil's squad for the Olympics, Mano remarked, "It's correct to affirm that these 23 names are the base of the Olympic team. It's unlikely we will make any changes. After making evaluations in the last few months, we think these are the names (for London)."

AC Milan's Alexandre Pato was recalled after a lengthy hiatus from the Brazilian national team, chiefly due to injury problems. Pato joins Neymar, Leandro Damiao and FC Porto's Hulk in an intriguing attacking line-up that is likely to feature three strikers. Expect to pencil Neymar's name into the squad in ink given his spectacular performances for Santos over the last couple of years. Neymar, who generally plays on the left, is likely to be supplemented by Leandro Damiao in the center forward role and Hulk in his traditional position as a right winger.

The options in midfield are such that Mano Menezes has virtually conceded the center of the park to Paulo Henrique Ganso, the Santos playmaker and attacking midfielder who is known for his ability to read games and single-handedly change the tempo of a game. Ganso has an almost telepathic relationship with Neymar and is famous for delivering killer passes to the spiky haired Santos striker. Separately, Ganso combines well with Neymar on dangerous attacking plays in which he takes the goal scoring initiative as an attacking midfielder.

Ganso will be supplemented by Tottenham's defensive midfielder Sandro and Lucas Moura of Sao Paulo, the attacking midfielder with extraordinary pace and dribbling ability. Casemiro and Oscar, FIFA U-20 World Cup champions, bring additional flair to the midfield mix. Oscar scored the hat-trick against Portugal in the final of the U-20 World Cup and has been dubbed the new Kaka because of a similar gait and style of play. The bottom line here is that Brazil's most recent squad is bursting with youth, creativity, vision and attacking power in midfield despite Ronaldinho's absence. Mano explained Ronaldinho's omission by noting:

Supporters need to understand that sometimes they think one man can be the solution to all of Brazilian football's problems and it does not work out like that. Now is the time to look at younger options...If things are not going well, you make a change. But you have to respect Ronaldinho, he is a world champion. He is the type of player who can rebound and surprise everyone.

The back line features the most experienced players in the team in the form of Thiago Silva, Dani Alves, Marcelo and David Luiz, all of whom are over the age of 23. Accounting for goalkeeper Jefferson and Hulk, the Brazil squad currently features six players over the age of 23. That number will need to be trimmed down by half given that the Olympics allows for only three players over the age of 23. Brazil's prototype Olympic squad will play Denmark in Hamburg, Germany on May 26 followed by friendlies against the United States, Mexico and Argentina on May 30, June 3 and June 9 respectively.

Brazil Squad for Friendlies Against Denmark, United States, Mexico and Argentina

Goalkeepers
Jefferson (Botafogo), Neto (Fiorentina), Rafael (Santos)

Defenders and Wingers
Alex Sandro (Porto), Daniel Alves (Barcelona), Marcelo (Real Madrid), Danilo (Porto), Bruno Uvini (Tottenham), David Luiz (Chelsea), Thiago Silva (AC Milan), Juan (Inter Milan)

Midfielders
Casemiro (Sao Paulo), Romulo (Vasco da Gama), Sandro (Tottenham), Ganso (Santos), Lucas (Sao Paulo), Oscar (Internacional), Giuliano (Dnipro-UCR)

Attackers
Neymar (Santos), Leandro Damiao (Internacional), Alexandre Pato (AC Milan), Wellington Nem (Fluminense), Hulk (Porto)

Neymar and Ganso Fire Santos To 3-0 Victory Over Guarani In Campeonato Paulista Final, First Leg

Santos defeated Guarani 3-0 in the first leg of the final of the Campeonato Paulista, Sao Paulo’s professional soccer league. Playing away, Santos went ahead in the 42nd minute thanks to a spectacular left-footed strike by Paulo Henrique Ganso. The ever dangerous Neymar set up Ganso’s goal by cutting the ball back after bursting down the left flank. Ganso sent a rocket into the top left corner of the net from just outside the penalty box. Neymar made the score 2-0 in the 65th minute by coolly finishing off an attacking play involving Ganso in the box. The Guarani keeper did well to force the ball away from Ganso, but was unable to stop Neymar’s shrewd placement of his shot in the lower right corner of the net. Finally, in the dying minutes of injury time, Neymar collected a cross delivered from the right flank, in the box, beat his defender and unleashed a thunderous shot to create a bulge in the roof of the net for his second goal of the evening. The spiky haired Santos sensation celebrated his second goal by collapsing on the field in a gesture of exhaustion after a heroic performance in the crucial first leg of the Paulista championship final.

Santos have now all but secured the Paulista championship for the third consecutive year. The second leg of the final will be played at Santos on May 13. Neymar and Ganso will then likely be called up for international duty in Brazil's friendly against Denmark in Hamburg, Germany on May 26. Santos's recent run of form has revealed Ganso's ability to function not just as a playmaker, but also as an attacking midfielder with the courage and ability to score from long range in ways that recall the genius of Rivaldo.

Mano Menezes Selects Ronaldinho, Neymar, Ganso and Hulk For Brazil Squad Against Bosnia

Brazil national football coach Mano Menezes announced an intriguing line-up for the February 28 friendly against Bosnia by selecting Ronaldinho, Ganso, Neymar, Hulk and Leandro Damiao and omitting Kaka, Robinho, Pato, Lucio and Maicon. Given Mano’s preference for a 4-3-3 formation in recent friendlies, Ganso, Ronaldinho and Fernandinho could well start behind Neymar, Leandro Damiao and Hulk in a radically offensive formation marked by four attackers (Ronaldinho, Neymar, Leandro Damiao and Hulk). Mano is likely to put Leandro Damiao’s capabilities as a center forward to the test and play Hulk in his natural position at Porto as a right sided attacker, leaving Neymar on the left. Mano explained his decision to omit Kaka from the squad by noting, with respect to the Real Madrid playmaker’s recent performances, “Perhaps I didn’t see something from him that I wanted to see.” In the case of Ronaldinho, in contrast, Mano remarked that he envisioned the Flamengo star midfielder as “part of a project” and that he had chosen not to “read too much” into the player’s largely drab performances for Flamengo of late. Highlights of Mano’s squad selection include the following:

• The continued central partnership of AC Milan’s Thiago Silva and Chelsea’s David Luiz.
• Left back Marcelo, who will surge up the left flank as well as cut diagonally inside and head toward goal.
• Skilled midfielders who can play in deep positions such as Fernandinho, Hernanes and Sandro that can complement the attacking positioning of Ganso.
• The inclusion of Sao Paulo starlet Lucas Moura as another attacking midfield option, particularly as a possible second half substitution for Ganso, Hulk or Ronaldinho.
• The surprise inclusion of Jonas, despite his two goals in the Egypt friendly. Jonas lacks the technical ability of Hulk and Ronaldinho, but evidently found the positioning and composure to find the back of the net in a Brazil friendly, which is more than can be said of most Brazil strikers in recent international matches.

The squad for the Bosnia friendly builds logically on the work Mano has done in the past 18 months as coach of the Brazilian national team. Fans should expect a highly offensive starting line-up against Bosnia that tests the mettle of Hulk and Damiao, in particular, in relation to competition from Lucas Moura and Jonas for starting spots in the Selecao.

Squad

Goalkeepers: Julio Cesar (Inter Milan), Diego Alves (Valencia), Rafael (Santos)

Defenders: Marcelo (Real Madrid), Daniel Alves, Adriano (both Barcelona), Alex Sandro (Porto), Thiago Silva (AC Milan), David Luiz (Chelsea), Luisao (Benfica), Dede (Vasco da Gama)

Midfielders: Danilo (Porto), Elias (Sporting), Fernandinho (Shakhtar Donetsk), Hernanes (Lazio), Sandro (Tottenham Hotspur), Paulo Henrique Ganso (Santos), Lucas (Sao Paulo), Ronaldinho (Flamengo)

Attackers: Neymar (Santos), Leandro Damiao (Internacional), Jonas (Valencia), Hulk (Porto)

Neymar Voted South American Player of 2011

Santos striker Neymar earned the distinction of South American Player of Year according to a vote organized by the Uruguayan newspaper El Pais. Neymar won the award by receiving 130 votes out of 247 from South American journalists, 60 more than second place winner Eduardo Vargas of Chile. Santos midfielder Paulo Henrique Ganso took third place with 33 votes while Uruguayan and Tijuana midfielder Egidio Arevalo Rios took fourth. No Brazilian has won the award since Romario in 2000. Neymar’s achievement caps a phenomenal year for the 19 year old Brazilian. Neymar led Santos to victory in the Copa Libertadores and Paulista championships. He also spearheaded Santos’s journey to the Club World Cup Final in Japan, where Santos lost 4-0 to Barcelona. Neymar won the trophy by the most lopsided margin in the history of the award and succeeds 2010 winner Andres D'Alessandro of Argentina. The list of the top five winners is as follows:

1. Neymar (Santos) 130 votes
2. Eduardo Vargas (Univ.de Chile) 70 votes
3. Paulo Ganso (Santos) 33 votes
4. Egidio Arévalo (Xolos de Tijuana)
5. Rolando Schiavi (Boca Juniors)

El Pais's South American dream team features the following four Argentines, three Chileans, two Brazilians and one player each from Uruguay and Ecuador:

Johnny Herrera (Univ.de Chile) | Chile
Néicer Reasco (LDU Quito) | Ecuador
Marcos González (Univ.de Chile) | Chile
Rolando Schiavi (Boca Juniors) | Argentina
Clemente Rodríguez (Boca Juniors) | Argentina
Egidio Arévalo (Xolos de Tijuana) | Uruguay
Paulo Ganso (Santos) | Brazil
Juan Riquelme (Boca Juniors) | Argentina
Eduardo Vargas (Univ.de Chile) | Chile
Hernán Barcos (LDU Quito) | Argentina
Neymar (Santos) | Brazil

The South American Footballer of the Year originated from Venezuelan newspaper El Mundo. El Mundo presided over the award from 1971 to 1985, before the Uruguayan newspaper El Pais took over stewardship of the award in 1986. The most lopsided result of the South American Player of the Year, prior to Neymar, was Juan Sebastian Veron in 2009, when the Argentine garnered 109 votes.

Santos Name Squad For Club World Cup 2011 in Japan

Santos coach Muricy Ramalho announced his 23 man roster for the Club World Cup which kicks off in Japan starting December 8. Santos will be without defender Adriano due to injury. Other teams in the tournament are Barcelona (Spain), Monterrey (Mexico), Al-Sadd (Qatar), Esperance (Tunisia), Auckland City (New Zealand) and the presently undetermined winner of the 2011 J League from the host nation. The tournament represents an opportunity for Neymar and Ganso to shine on the world stage and for Muricy Ramalho to showcase his defensive tactical ability, particularly in the event that Santos are given the challenge of stopping Barcelona’s Lionel Messi.

The Santos squad is as follows:

Goalkeepers
Rafael
Aranha
Vladimir

Defenders
Bruno Aguiar
Bruno Rodrigo
Durval
Edu Dracena
Vinicius Simon
Danilo
Leo
Para

Midfielders
Anderson Carvalho
Arouca
Henrique
Elano
Felipe Anderson
Ibson
Ganso

Strikers
Alan Kardec
Borges
Diogo
Neymar
Reteria