Barcelona star Neymar led Brazil to their first ever Olympic gold medal in soccer by means of a penalty kick victory over Germany at the Maracana Stadium on Saturday afternoon after the game was tied 1-1 at the end of regulation time. The game opened with spirited play from both sides with Neymar playing in a more central position than for his club team Barcelona, thereby functioning as both a playmaker and an attacker. Germany’s Julian Brandt hit the cross-bar in the 11th minute with a rocket of a shot that had beaten the diving Brazilian goalkeeper Weverton. Struck by the realization that the crossbar had saved them from a 1-0 deficit, Brazil started to impose themselves on the game by means of patient development through the midfield led by Neymar, Douglas Santos, Luan and Renato Augusto. Rather than attacking using a set of overlapping fullbacks that crossed the ball into the box in the vein of the national team from days past, Brazil U23 opted to try to take control of midfield and advance laterally up the field while Germany, on the other hand, deployed dangerous counter-attacks through the center and down the left flank led by Gnabry. Neymar opened the scoring in the 27th minute with a spectacular, curling free kick that gave the hosts the psychological boost they needed. The captain Neymar had both earned the free kick and curled it over the German wall into the roof of the net to give Brazil its first ever lead in an Olympic soccer final and offer hope that they could shake off the stigma of their humiliating 7-1 defeat to Germany in the 2014 World Cup final almost a year ago.
Before the first half ended, Germany responded to Brazil’s goal with two attempts in the subsequent ten minutes that hit the cross-bar and demonstrated their ability to find ways through Brazil’s disciplined midfield and central defense. Germany’s persistence paid off in the 59th minute when Toljan raced down the right flank and crossed to his captain Meyer, who promptly dispatched a low ball into the back of the net to level the score at 1-1 and subdue the rapturous crowd at the Maracana stadium that had begun to dream of Brazil achieving its first ever Olympic gold. With the score even at 1-1, Brazil realized they would need to work for a gold medal and methodically began exploring new ways to break down the German defense, led in large part by substitute Felipe Anderson, who entered the game in the 70th minute for Gabriel ‘Gabigol’ Barbosa. Anderson gave Brazil an additional attacking option on the right flank and down the center, allowing Neymar to withdraw deeper into midfield and vary his play by focusing on orchestrating attacks via through balls that sliced open the heart of the German defense on more than one occasion. Anderson had a glorious opportunity to make it 2-1 for Brazil within minutes of entering the pitch via a through ball that left him with only the keeper to beat, but his lack of decisiveness allowed Germany to foil the attack and keep the score level.
As the game reached extra time, Brazil intensified the pressure with Douglas Santos finding Luan on the right hand side of the box, but Luan opted to shoot through a crowd of German defenders instead of passing to Neymar, who was wide open in a central position. Germany’s Brandt had a shot sail over the crossbar in the 97th minute but it was Brazil who upped the ante for the remainder of extra time by continuing to patiently probe a German defense that packed the box and advanced via pacy but increasingly infrequent counter-attacks. As the match went to penalties, the odds appeared to tilt in Germany’s favor given the national team’s legendary record of maintaining their composure in high pressure situations as well as the pressure faced by the home team, particularly given Brazil’s inability to win Olympic gold to date. After both teams converted the first four penalties, Germany’s Nils Peterson failed to convert thanks to a brilliant, diving save from Weverton, leaving Neymar to step up to the plate with the opportunity to clinch the elusive Olympic gold medal for Brazil. Neymar took his trademark long run up with the stutter step intended to keep the goalkeeper guessing, and then fired the ball into the top right hand corner into the net to bring Olympic soccer gold medal to Brazil for the first time in the competition’s history. Neymar broke down in tears as did many of his teammates after realizing a dream that had eluded teams that included legends such as Ronaldo, Romario, Rivaldo, Ronaldinho and Kaka.
While penalty shootouts are always disappointing, Brazil played better football for the greater part of the match. That said, Germany had more high percentage chances in the first half than did Brazil and, as such, could well have changed the complexion of the match in the event they had converted one of their shots on target into a goal. Nevertheless, the world witnessed an epic battle between two of the world’s soccer superpowers that signals that Brazilian football is not quite dead in the vein that many have surmised. Neymar underscored his dominance as one of the world’s best footballers by illustrating his ability to perform in high pressure situations and lead Brazil to one of its most significant victories in soccer in its illustrious history. Neymar’s tears of joy illustrated the depth of his commitment to the national team and the sport in general after leading Brazil to its first Olympic goal when many commentators had dismissed both Brazil and Neymar after their uninspiring performances in the first two matches of the group stage against South Africa and Iraq. The 2016 Olympics showcased the birth of a new generation of Brazilian footballers although the national team clearly has more work to do if it intends to qualify for the 2018 World Cup, let alone win the tournament. Kudos to Brazil coach Rogerio Micale, Neymar and the entire squad for prevailing against one of the best national teams in the world. For the purists, Brazil’s Olympic victory means that Brazilian soccer is still alive and kicking after a shameful performance at the 2014 World Cup, particularly given the nexus of Neymar’s skill, leadership and psychological strength.
Showing posts with label Neymar. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Neymar. Show all posts
Sunday, August 21, 2016
Monday, June 15, 2015
Neymar And Douglas Costa Give Brazil Late Win Against Peru
Brazil came away with a 2-1 victory against Peru in their opening match of Copa America to extend their unbeaten streak to 11 matches in a match that showcased Neymar’s leadership and vision while concomitantly underscoring the death of attacking talent with the squad that Dunga fielded. With the match barely underway, Peru’s Christian Cueva opened the scoring by capitalizing on David Luiz’s weak back pass to Brazil goalkeeper Jefferson. Brazil retained their composure, however, and equalized scarcely two minutes later after a Dani Alves cross found an unmarked Neymar in a center-forward position from which he headed the ball into the back of the net for his 44th goal for the national team. The game continued at an electric pace with Brazil dominating possession and attacking through the center by way of nifty combination play featuring Chelsea’s Willian, midfielder Fred and skipper Neymar, who classically threatened on the left while cutting diagonally inside towards goal at every opportunity.
Peru soaked up the pressure well and attacked on the counter-attack by threatening Brazil’s nascent central defensive partnership between Miranda and David Luiz. Shocked by their early defensive sloppiness, Brazil tightened up defensively with Fernandinho and Elias trekking back to help cover spaces exposed by the team’s attacking forays down the center of the park, with occasional wide play from the likes of Fred, Dani Alves and Filipe Luis. The match continued in much the same vein throughout the second half and Brazil appeared headed for a draw until Neymar, in extra time, deftly found Douglas Costa on the right of the box, who subsequently slid the ball past the Peru goalkeeper’s left hand to give coach Dunga an impressive record of 11 consecutive victories. Brazil fans should be impressed by the cohesiveness and skill of this young team but wary of the lack of a creative playmaker or attacking midfielder to complement Neymar’s brilliance. In today’s match, the Barcelona pair of right full back Dani Alves and Neymar represented the most threatening combination on Brazil’s team and Peru can feel rightly disappointed not to have eked out a draw against the five time World Champions.
Peru soaked up the pressure well and attacked on the counter-attack by threatening Brazil’s nascent central defensive partnership between Miranda and David Luiz. Shocked by their early defensive sloppiness, Brazil tightened up defensively with Fernandinho and Elias trekking back to help cover spaces exposed by the team’s attacking forays down the center of the park, with occasional wide play from the likes of Fred, Dani Alves and Filipe Luis. The match continued in much the same vein throughout the second half and Brazil appeared headed for a draw until Neymar, in extra time, deftly found Douglas Costa on the right of the box, who subsequently slid the ball past the Peru goalkeeper’s left hand to give coach Dunga an impressive record of 11 consecutive victories. Brazil fans should be impressed by the cohesiveness and skill of this young team but wary of the lack of a creative playmaker or attacking midfielder to complement Neymar’s brilliance. In today’s match, the Barcelona pair of right full back Dani Alves and Neymar represented the most threatening combination on Brazil’s team and Peru can feel rightly disappointed not to have eked out a draw against the five time World Champions.
Monday, July 1, 2013
Brazil Thrash Spain 3-0 In Confederations Cup Final Through Goals From Neymar And Fred
Brazil defeated reigning World Champions Spain 3-0 to secure their third consecutive Confederations Cup title and restore their reputation as one of the best footballing nations in the world at the Maracana Stadium on Sunday. Brazil’s victory ended Spain's unbeaten streak of 29 competitive matches, and heralded the emergence of a new generation of Brazilian players that will attempt to hoist the World Cup trophy on Brazilian soil in 2014. Brazil's defeat of Spain, on June 30, coincided with the same date eleven years ago, when coach Luiz Felipe Scolari led Brazil to victory in the 2002 World Cup final. Sunday’s win means Brazil have now secured consecutive victories against France, Japan, Mexico, Italy, Uruguay and Spain, thereby beating four World Cup Champions (France, Italy, Uruguay, Spain) in the last month.
The match got off to an electric start when Hulk’s cross from the right flank fell to Fred, who had fallen in the box but nevertheless managed to dispatch the ball into the roof the net to make it 2-0 in the 2nd minute. The crowd in the Maracana stadium exploded with delight upon Fred’s goal, and subsequently cheered every time Brazil touched the ball, while conversely booing Spain whenever they had possession. Spain appeared shocked by Fred’s goal and almost went down 2-0 within 10 minutes when Oscar squandered by a golden opportunity by shooting the ball just wide of the net after receiving a flick from Fred. The opening minutes witnessed highly heated play from both teams, with players from both sides making aggressive tackles that ended up seeing Arbeola and Sergio Ramos receive yellow cards within the first 30 minutes.
Brazil’s defensive midfielders Paulinho and Luiz Gustavo proved critical to disrupting any attempt by Spain to settle into their tiki-taka passing rhythm. The entire Brazil team, however, applied pressure to Spain anytime they obtained possession as Hulk, Oscar, Marcelo and Dani Alves chased down every ball and thwarted attempts by Xavi, Iniesta and Busquets to build up through midfield using La Roja’s trademark possession game. Ruffled, Spain began resorting to long range shots or high crosses delivered from the flanks as they found themselves unable to penetrate down the center. Spain’s best chance of the evening came in the 40th minute, when Pedro picked up a pass from Juan Mata and unleashed a shot that was heading straight into goal had it not been for a miraculous last minute clearance by David Luiz, who skied the ball over the bar with his right foot. Minutes later, however, Brazil challenged the Spain goal when Oscar began a dangerous attack with Neymar and Fred, and ultimately passed to Neymar from the center of box. The Brazil number 10 sent a rocket of a shot into the roof of the net to make it 2-0 Brazil on the edge of halftime.
Things only got worse for Spain minutes into the second half, as Marcelo cut inside and found Hulk in an attacking midfield position. Hulk laid off the ball to Fred after Neymar dummied receipt of the pass, allowing Fred to calmly dispatch the ball into the corner of the net to make it 3-0 after 47 minutes. Spain almost pulled a goal back when substitute Jesus Navas drew a penalty for a foul by Marcelo, but Sergio Ramos curled the ball wide of goal to leave the scoreline at 3-0. Spain continued to press while Brazil, conversely, continued to apply pressure on every Spanish attempt at possession and began attacking on the counterattack given their three goal lead. The complexion of the match unalterably changed, however, when Pique received a red card for fouling Neymar on a dangerous counterattacking opportunity for Brazil. Down to ten men, Spain showed the mettle of champions by threatening Brazil goalkeeper Julio Cesar on a couple of occasions, while failing to score, nevertheless.
Overall, Brazil demonstrated convincingly that Spain are not only beatable, but are intensely vulnerable to a strategy based on sustained pressure in midfield that disrupts their passing game. Meanwhile, off the pitch, the debate in the Brazil about the value of the World Cup and the government’s social and economic policies is likely to continue. More than 11,000 police and troops were deployed to guarantee security for the players and 78,000 fans who packed the Maracana stadium. For Brazil football fans, however, it was a night full of joy and celebration as Luiz Felipe Scolari and team showed that the sun may finally have set on the Spanish footballing throne and that, in its place, a new generation of Brazilian footballers led by Neymar, Oscar and Paulinho is ready to pick up the mantle as preparations for World Cup 2014 continue in earnest. Brazil now have a year to tweak their team and strategy ahead of the 2014 World Cup and should expect their FIFA ranking to skyrocket from its current, highly disingenuous ranking of 22.
The match got off to an electric start when Hulk’s cross from the right flank fell to Fred, who had fallen in the box but nevertheless managed to dispatch the ball into the roof the net to make it 2-0 in the 2nd minute. The crowd in the Maracana stadium exploded with delight upon Fred’s goal, and subsequently cheered every time Brazil touched the ball, while conversely booing Spain whenever they had possession. Spain appeared shocked by Fred’s goal and almost went down 2-0 within 10 minutes when Oscar squandered by a golden opportunity by shooting the ball just wide of the net after receiving a flick from Fred. The opening minutes witnessed highly heated play from both teams, with players from both sides making aggressive tackles that ended up seeing Arbeola and Sergio Ramos receive yellow cards within the first 30 minutes.
Brazil’s defensive midfielders Paulinho and Luiz Gustavo proved critical to disrupting any attempt by Spain to settle into their tiki-taka passing rhythm. The entire Brazil team, however, applied pressure to Spain anytime they obtained possession as Hulk, Oscar, Marcelo and Dani Alves chased down every ball and thwarted attempts by Xavi, Iniesta and Busquets to build up through midfield using La Roja’s trademark possession game. Ruffled, Spain began resorting to long range shots or high crosses delivered from the flanks as they found themselves unable to penetrate down the center. Spain’s best chance of the evening came in the 40th minute, when Pedro picked up a pass from Juan Mata and unleashed a shot that was heading straight into goal had it not been for a miraculous last minute clearance by David Luiz, who skied the ball over the bar with his right foot. Minutes later, however, Brazil challenged the Spain goal when Oscar began a dangerous attack with Neymar and Fred, and ultimately passed to Neymar from the center of box. The Brazil number 10 sent a rocket of a shot into the roof of the net to make it 2-0 Brazil on the edge of halftime.
Things only got worse for Spain minutes into the second half, as Marcelo cut inside and found Hulk in an attacking midfield position. Hulk laid off the ball to Fred after Neymar dummied receipt of the pass, allowing Fred to calmly dispatch the ball into the corner of the net to make it 3-0 after 47 minutes. Spain almost pulled a goal back when substitute Jesus Navas drew a penalty for a foul by Marcelo, but Sergio Ramos curled the ball wide of goal to leave the scoreline at 3-0. Spain continued to press while Brazil, conversely, continued to apply pressure on every Spanish attempt at possession and began attacking on the counterattack given their three goal lead. The complexion of the match unalterably changed, however, when Pique received a red card for fouling Neymar on a dangerous counterattacking opportunity for Brazil. Down to ten men, Spain showed the mettle of champions by threatening Brazil goalkeeper Julio Cesar on a couple of occasions, while failing to score, nevertheless.
Overall, Brazil demonstrated convincingly that Spain are not only beatable, but are intensely vulnerable to a strategy based on sustained pressure in midfield that disrupts their passing game. Meanwhile, off the pitch, the debate in the Brazil about the value of the World Cup and the government’s social and economic policies is likely to continue. More than 11,000 police and troops were deployed to guarantee security for the players and 78,000 fans who packed the Maracana stadium. For Brazil football fans, however, it was a night full of joy and celebration as Luiz Felipe Scolari and team showed that the sun may finally have set on the Spanish footballing throne and that, in its place, a new generation of Brazilian footballers led by Neymar, Oscar and Paulinho is ready to pick up the mantle as preparations for World Cup 2014 continue in earnest. Brazil now have a year to tweak their team and strategy ahead of the 2014 World Cup and should expect their FIFA ranking to skyrocket from its current, highly disingenuous ranking of 22.
Thursday, June 27, 2013
Paulinho's Header Sends Brazil To Confederations Cup Final With 2-1 Victory Over Uruguay
Brazil clinched a 2-1 victory over Uruguay today to advance to the finals to the Confederations Cup and defend their Confederations Cup title at the Maracana Stadium on Sunday. Brazil will be aiming for a third consecutive Confederations Cup championship at the Maracana stadium and stand to face the winner of Italy and Spain from the other semifinal. Brazil played their standard 4-2-1-3 formation with Neymar and Hulk in wide positions positioned between Fred, the lone centerforward. Uruguay, meanwhile, opted for a 4-3-3 with the dangerous triumvirate of Diego Forlan, Luis Suarez and Edinson Cavani spearheading the attack. Corinthians midfielder Paulinho returned to the Brazil squad after recovering from a mild ankle injury to replace Lazio’s Hernanes, who had started against Italy.
The match got off to a scrappy start as both teams struggled to develop any appreciable fluidity and momentum. Things appeared to liven up in the 14th minute, however, when Chelsea’s David Luiz fouled Diego Lugano in the box and conceded a penalty. Diego Forlan stepped up to the penalty spot but had his kick spectacularly saved by Julio Cesar, who dived to his left to read Forlan’s low drive perfectly. The penalty failed to change the tempo and rhythm of the match, however, as Uruguay applied pressure to Brazil in midfield, forcing the Selecao to attack down the flanks and play the occasional long ball to allow Neymar, Fred and Hulk to get behind the Uruguayan fullbacks. And then, a moment of magic from Neymar ruptured the deadlock in the 40th minute. Neymar chested down a pass from Paulinho, and had his flick of a shot deflected by Uruguayan goalkeeper Muslera. The ball subsequently bounced to Fred who poached the ball into the back of the net to give Brazil a 1-0 lead.
Uruguay responded to Fred’s goal minutes into the second half by playing the ball, through midfield, into the box with the ball eventually falling to Edinson Cavani after a maze of Brazilian defenders failed to clear the ball. Cavani calmly dispatched the ball past Julio Cesar’s right hand to make it 1-1 after 47 minutes. Cavani’s goal energized Brazil, with Neymar, for example, trekking back deeper on the left flank and into central positions in order to obtain an extra yard of space. In the 55th minute, Hulk challenged Muslera with an on target free kick that the Uruguayan keeper punched out for a corner kick. Uruguay, however, held firm by playing deep and bursting forth on the counterattack.
Scolari substituted Bernard for Hulk in the 63rd minute in a move that enlivened the Brazilian attack as Bernard, Oscar and Neymar delivered crisp, triangular combination play that allowed Brazil to penetrate the Uruguayan box on more than one occasion. Brazil dominated possession but found themselves resorting to a longer range shots as Uruguay packed the center of the box with ten men behind the ball. The match appeared to be heading for extra time until the 86th minute, when Paulinho rose to head in a Neymar corner to give Brazil a crucial 2-1 lead with roughly 7 minutes remaining.
This was a crucial victory for Brazil as it propels them to the Confederations Cup final and gives the team the luxury of another competitive game against world class opposition in a major tournament. The match showcased Brazil’s ability to play against skillful opposition who opted for a highly defensive game plan. Once again, Neymar was involved in both goals as he continues to show that the team revolves around him, even though today’s goals came from Fred and Paulinho. Brazil's victory against Uruguay allows soccer fans to dream of the mouthwatering prospect of a Brazil vs. Spain final, in Brazil at the famed Maracana Stadium on Sunday. Before that matchup, however, Spain have to surmount Italy, who will be without Mario Balotelli due to injury, although Andrea Pirlo and Daniele de Rossi are likely to be back in the Italy starting lineup.
Despite today's victory, Brazil coach Luiz Felipe Scolari clearly still has some tweaking to do with the team's performance and positioning, but the reality is that the Brazilian machine is finally starting to click after years of inconsistency and lack of direction. Today, they beat Uruguay on home soil to exorcise the ghost of their famous loss to the same nation in the 1950 World Cup final. On Sunday, the world will know if they have truly exorcised the ghost of 1950 by winning in the Maracana Stadium in the final of a major tournament, given that the Maracana stadium was the site of their historic loss in 1950.
The match got off to a scrappy start as both teams struggled to develop any appreciable fluidity and momentum. Things appeared to liven up in the 14th minute, however, when Chelsea’s David Luiz fouled Diego Lugano in the box and conceded a penalty. Diego Forlan stepped up to the penalty spot but had his kick spectacularly saved by Julio Cesar, who dived to his left to read Forlan’s low drive perfectly. The penalty failed to change the tempo and rhythm of the match, however, as Uruguay applied pressure to Brazil in midfield, forcing the Selecao to attack down the flanks and play the occasional long ball to allow Neymar, Fred and Hulk to get behind the Uruguayan fullbacks. And then, a moment of magic from Neymar ruptured the deadlock in the 40th minute. Neymar chested down a pass from Paulinho, and had his flick of a shot deflected by Uruguayan goalkeeper Muslera. The ball subsequently bounced to Fred who poached the ball into the back of the net to give Brazil a 1-0 lead.
Uruguay responded to Fred’s goal minutes into the second half by playing the ball, through midfield, into the box with the ball eventually falling to Edinson Cavani after a maze of Brazilian defenders failed to clear the ball. Cavani calmly dispatched the ball past Julio Cesar’s right hand to make it 1-1 after 47 minutes. Cavani’s goal energized Brazil, with Neymar, for example, trekking back deeper on the left flank and into central positions in order to obtain an extra yard of space. In the 55th minute, Hulk challenged Muslera with an on target free kick that the Uruguayan keeper punched out for a corner kick. Uruguay, however, held firm by playing deep and bursting forth on the counterattack.
Scolari substituted Bernard for Hulk in the 63rd minute in a move that enlivened the Brazilian attack as Bernard, Oscar and Neymar delivered crisp, triangular combination play that allowed Brazil to penetrate the Uruguayan box on more than one occasion. Brazil dominated possession but found themselves resorting to a longer range shots as Uruguay packed the center of the box with ten men behind the ball. The match appeared to be heading for extra time until the 86th minute, when Paulinho rose to head in a Neymar corner to give Brazil a crucial 2-1 lead with roughly 7 minutes remaining.
This was a crucial victory for Brazil as it propels them to the Confederations Cup final and gives the team the luxury of another competitive game against world class opposition in a major tournament. The match showcased Brazil’s ability to play against skillful opposition who opted for a highly defensive game plan. Once again, Neymar was involved in both goals as he continues to show that the team revolves around him, even though today’s goals came from Fred and Paulinho. Brazil's victory against Uruguay allows soccer fans to dream of the mouthwatering prospect of a Brazil vs. Spain final, in Brazil at the famed Maracana Stadium on Sunday. Before that matchup, however, Spain have to surmount Italy, who will be without Mario Balotelli due to injury, although Andrea Pirlo and Daniele de Rossi are likely to be back in the Italy starting lineup.
Despite today's victory, Brazil coach Luiz Felipe Scolari clearly still has some tweaking to do with the team's performance and positioning, but the reality is that the Brazilian machine is finally starting to click after years of inconsistency and lack of direction. Today, they beat Uruguay on home soil to exorcise the ghost of their famous loss to the same nation in the 1950 World Cup final. On Sunday, the world will know if they have truly exorcised the ghost of 1950 by winning in the Maracana Stadium in the final of a major tournament, given that the Maracana stadium was the site of their historic loss in 1950.
Sunday, June 23, 2013
Neymar and Fred Lead Brazil To 4-2 Victory Over Italy In Confederations Cup
Brazil defeated Italy 4-2 yesterday to take top place in Group A of the Confederations Cup and advance to face Uruguay or Nigeria in the semifinals on Wednesday. With this victory, Brazil retained the distinction of remaining unbeaten against Italy for 31 years, since their epic World Cup encounter in 1982. Italy were without star midfielder Andrea Pirlo due to a thigh injury as well as Daniele De Rossi, who was suspended after having picked up two yellow cards in preceding group matches against Japan and Mexico. Brazil fielded their standard starting lineup with the exception of Lazio’s Hernanes, who started in place of Paulinho in midfield.
Brazil dominated possession for much of the first half, including a flurry of chances in the opening minutes via Neymar and Oscar, but opened the scoring only minutes from the end of the first half when Fred’s header from a Neymar free kick deflected to substitute Dante, who calmly slotted the ball past Gianluigi Buffon’s left hand to make it 1-0. Dante, who had entered the match as a first half substitute for the injured David Luiz, scored in his hometown of Salvador de Bahia, and later revealed that he dreamed of scoring in front of his family and friends who were in attendance for the game.
Dante’s goal picked up the pace of the match significantly in the second half as Brazil sought to consolidate their lead and Italy attempted to claw their way back into the match. Emanuele Giaccherini equalized for Italy in the 51st minute after receiving a flick from Mario Balotelli on the right. Giaccherini delivered a bullet of a shot far post to score the first goal Brazil had conceded in the 2013 Confederations Cup. Minutes later, Neymar was brought down on the edge of the box and the Barca bound Brazilian sensation subsequently curled the ensuing free kick past the wall into the far right corner of the net to score his third consecutive goal in three matches.
Brazil coach Luiz Felipe Scolari called Neymar a “genius” and gushed at his prodigy’s performance and sensational free kick by noting:
Ten minutes later, Fred appeared to seal the game for Brazil by magnificently controlling a long aerial delivery from Marcelo, sidestepping two defenders and sending a rocket of a shot into the roof the net to make it 3-1. But Italy were not going to bow down without a fight as Chienelli scored in the 71st minute from a corner kick deflection. The goal was hugely controversial because the referee appeared to have blown his whistle to signal a penalty for a foul on Mario Balotelli in the box, but then allowed play to continue that resulted in the Italian goal.
At 3-2, with twenty minutes remaining, the match entered its closing 20 minutes with an electric atmosphere and pace as Italy turned on the pressure in search of an equalizer. But it was Fred who finally decided the game in the 89th minute when substitute Bernard found Marcelo, whose shot ricocheted off Buffon to enable the poaching Fred to pounce for his second goal of the evening and set the score at 4-2.
Brazil fans are witnessing a milestone in the restoration and renovation of the team at this year’s Confederations Cup. After years of disappointing performances since the 2010 World Cup, with the team slipping to its lowest ever spot in the FIFA ranking, Luiz Felipe Scolari has started by fielding a consistent squad determined to deliver results first, and flair second. Scolari’s team has now beaten France, Japan, Mexico and Italy in succession. But the most important development for Brazil is Neymar’s emergence on the international stage as a striker, winger and creative midfielder rolled into one. Neymar has shown that he is much more of a team player than Brazil’s Ronaldo in ways that recall the great Pele, and his vision for his teammates and ability to change the overall tempo of the game has been demonstrated against world class opposition. The question now is whether Neymar and team can continue to perform at a high level as the tournament progresses to the elimination stage marked by their semifinal match on Wednesday. Italy, meanwhile, finished second in Group A and progresses to the semifinals to play Spain in a repeat of the 2012 European Championship final matchup.
Brazil dominated possession for much of the first half, including a flurry of chances in the opening minutes via Neymar and Oscar, but opened the scoring only minutes from the end of the first half when Fred’s header from a Neymar free kick deflected to substitute Dante, who calmly slotted the ball past Gianluigi Buffon’s left hand to make it 1-0. Dante, who had entered the match as a first half substitute for the injured David Luiz, scored in his hometown of Salvador de Bahia, and later revealed that he dreamed of scoring in front of his family and friends who were in attendance for the game.
Dante’s goal picked up the pace of the match significantly in the second half as Brazil sought to consolidate their lead and Italy attempted to claw their way back into the match. Emanuele Giaccherini equalized for Italy in the 51st minute after receiving a flick from Mario Balotelli on the right. Giaccherini delivered a bullet of a shot far post to score the first goal Brazil had conceded in the 2013 Confederations Cup. Minutes later, Neymar was brought down on the edge of the box and the Barca bound Brazilian sensation subsequently curled the ensuing free kick past the wall into the far right corner of the net to score his third consecutive goal in three matches.
Brazil coach Luiz Felipe Scolari called Neymar a “genius” and gushed at his prodigy’s performance and sensational free kick by noting:
He had lots of moments of quality, but what decided the game was the free kick. He noticed [Gianluigi] Buffon had taken a step to the side and put the ball on the other side. Only players who have that kind of notion, that we can call genius, are the ones who make the difference. And he makes the difference.
Ten minutes later, Fred appeared to seal the game for Brazil by magnificently controlling a long aerial delivery from Marcelo, sidestepping two defenders and sending a rocket of a shot into the roof the net to make it 3-1. But Italy were not going to bow down without a fight as Chienelli scored in the 71st minute from a corner kick deflection. The goal was hugely controversial because the referee appeared to have blown his whistle to signal a penalty for a foul on Mario Balotelli in the box, but then allowed play to continue that resulted in the Italian goal.
At 3-2, with twenty minutes remaining, the match entered its closing 20 minutes with an electric atmosphere and pace as Italy turned on the pressure in search of an equalizer. But it was Fred who finally decided the game in the 89th minute when substitute Bernard found Marcelo, whose shot ricocheted off Buffon to enable the poaching Fred to pounce for his second goal of the evening and set the score at 4-2.
Brazil fans are witnessing a milestone in the restoration and renovation of the team at this year’s Confederations Cup. After years of disappointing performances since the 2010 World Cup, with the team slipping to its lowest ever spot in the FIFA ranking, Luiz Felipe Scolari has started by fielding a consistent squad determined to deliver results first, and flair second. Scolari’s team has now beaten France, Japan, Mexico and Italy in succession. But the most important development for Brazil is Neymar’s emergence on the international stage as a striker, winger and creative midfielder rolled into one. Neymar has shown that he is much more of a team player than Brazil’s Ronaldo in ways that recall the great Pele, and his vision for his teammates and ability to change the overall tempo of the game has been demonstrated against world class opposition. The question now is whether Neymar and team can continue to perform at a high level as the tournament progresses to the elimination stage marked by their semifinal match on Wednesday. Italy, meanwhile, finished second in Group A and progresses to the semifinals to play Spain in a repeat of the 2012 European Championship final matchup.
Thursday, June 20, 2013
Neymar Dazzles As Brazil Defeat Mexico 2-0 And Advance To Confederations Cup Semifinals
Brazil defeated Mexico 2-0 today to advance to the semifinals of the Confederations Cup as a result of Italy’s thrilling 4-3 victory over Japan. Neymar stole the show from the protesters who had gathered outside the stadium in Fortaleza by scoring his second spectacular goal for Brazil in as many games, creating innumerable problems for Mexican defenses and delivering a classy assist to striker Jo for Brazil’s second goal after some brilliant lead up play. The match showcased Neymar’s ability to “bear the weight” of Brazil’s legendary number 10 shirt, which was recently given to him by coach Luiz Felipe Scolari after a lengthy spell wherein Chelsea’s Oscar owned the number 10 jersey under the previous Brazil coach, Mano Menezes. Neymar has been the best player of the Confederations Cup by far, and his efflorescence of form arrives at exactly the right moment not only for the team, but also for fans and pundits who were beginning to write him off as a player that was unable to perform at a high level against non-Brazilian opposition.
Once again, Scolari resorted to his trademark tactic of initiating Brazil’s attack from the flanks, with Neymar, Hulk, Marcelo and Dani Alves all combining to stretch the Mexican defense. The first goal resulted from a Dani Alves cross that the Mexican defense failed to clear such that the ball landed to Neymar, who dispatched a brilliant volley into the back of the net. As in the first game against Japan, Neymar opened the scoring with a volley, but against Mexico, he scored with his left foot as opposed to his right in a move that recalled Brazil legend Ronaldo’s unique ability to effortlessly shoot off both feet. In the 15th minute, Dani Alves almost made it 2-0 with a skillful long range chip that Mexico’s goalkeeper Corona flicked over the bar at the last minute.
Mexico gathered their composure and applied pressure in the remainder of the first half, but quality chances were few and far between. Mexico’s right back Hiram Mier surged forward and managed to get around David Luiz but shot just wide of goal. Similarly, Dos Santos delivered a dangerous long range shot in the final minutes of the half but to no avail. Meanwhile, much of Brazil’s attention in the first half was centered around David Luiz, who bloodied his nose in a collision with Thiago Silva, and spent much of the half receiving medical attention on and off the field.
The game opened up again in the early minutes of the second half, with a disallowed Thiago Silva goal from a Neymar free kick, and a glorious opportunity for Hulk that the Zenit striker wasted by sending the ball squarely into the side netting instead of crossing to a teammate or shooting low, far post. Mexico then failed to convert a golden chance when Giovanni Dos Santos broke free down the left flank and crossed to Javier “Chicharito” Hernandez, but David Luiz brilliantly intercepted the ball to keep the score 1-0 Brazil. Neymar had a couple of additional chances in the second half, but his most dazzling piece of artistry came in stoppage time when he sidestepped two defenders on the left edge of the box, burst into the penalty area and laid the ball on a platter for substitute Jo, who coolly sent the ball into the roof of the net for his second consecutive Confederations Cup goal.
The victory marked sweet revenge for Brazil who lost to Mexico in the final of the 2012 Olympics and recently in a friendly in Dallas as well. Alarmingly for Brazil, however, centre-back David Luiz broke his nose during the game even though he played all 90 minutes, and it remains to be seen whether Luiz will be able to continue for the remainder of the tournament. The good news for Brazil is that Italy’s dramatic 4-3 defeat of Japan means that both teams qualify for the semifinals, and hence have the luxury of resting key players for the third and final match of the group stage. That said, a second place finish in Group A would presumably require playing Spain in the semifinals, which both teams are likely to want to avoid. Mexico, meanwhile, were soundly eliminated after suffering two consecutive defeats and their problems continue to multiply given recent poor performances in Hexagonal Concacaf group qualifying for the 2014 World Cup.
Once again, Scolari resorted to his trademark tactic of initiating Brazil’s attack from the flanks, with Neymar, Hulk, Marcelo and Dani Alves all combining to stretch the Mexican defense. The first goal resulted from a Dani Alves cross that the Mexican defense failed to clear such that the ball landed to Neymar, who dispatched a brilliant volley into the back of the net. As in the first game against Japan, Neymar opened the scoring with a volley, but against Mexico, he scored with his left foot as opposed to his right in a move that recalled Brazil legend Ronaldo’s unique ability to effortlessly shoot off both feet. In the 15th minute, Dani Alves almost made it 2-0 with a skillful long range chip that Mexico’s goalkeeper Corona flicked over the bar at the last minute.
Mexico gathered their composure and applied pressure in the remainder of the first half, but quality chances were few and far between. Mexico’s right back Hiram Mier surged forward and managed to get around David Luiz but shot just wide of goal. Similarly, Dos Santos delivered a dangerous long range shot in the final minutes of the half but to no avail. Meanwhile, much of Brazil’s attention in the first half was centered around David Luiz, who bloodied his nose in a collision with Thiago Silva, and spent much of the half receiving medical attention on and off the field.
The game opened up again in the early minutes of the second half, with a disallowed Thiago Silva goal from a Neymar free kick, and a glorious opportunity for Hulk that the Zenit striker wasted by sending the ball squarely into the side netting instead of crossing to a teammate or shooting low, far post. Mexico then failed to convert a golden chance when Giovanni Dos Santos broke free down the left flank and crossed to Javier “Chicharito” Hernandez, but David Luiz brilliantly intercepted the ball to keep the score 1-0 Brazil. Neymar had a couple of additional chances in the second half, but his most dazzling piece of artistry came in stoppage time when he sidestepped two defenders on the left edge of the box, burst into the penalty area and laid the ball on a platter for substitute Jo, who coolly sent the ball into the roof of the net for his second consecutive Confederations Cup goal.
The victory marked sweet revenge for Brazil who lost to Mexico in the final of the 2012 Olympics and recently in a friendly in Dallas as well. Alarmingly for Brazil, however, centre-back David Luiz broke his nose during the game even though he played all 90 minutes, and it remains to be seen whether Luiz will be able to continue for the remainder of the tournament. The good news for Brazil is that Italy’s dramatic 4-3 defeat of Japan means that both teams qualify for the semifinals, and hence have the luxury of resting key players for the third and final match of the group stage. That said, a second place finish in Group A would presumably require playing Spain in the semifinals, which both teams are likely to want to avoid. Mexico, meanwhile, were soundly eliminated after suffering two consecutive defeats and their problems continue to multiply given recent poor performances in Hexagonal Concacaf group qualifying for the 2014 World Cup.
Sunday, June 9, 2013
Three Quick Observations On Brazil's Landmark 3-0 Victory Against France In Porto Alegre
Brazil secured their first victory against France since 1992 with a decisive 3-0 victory on Sunday in Porto Alegre. Sunday’s victory represents sweet revenge for Brazil given that they were eliminated by France in the 2006 and 1998 World Cups and additionally lost a hard fought friendly to France in February 2011. The victory means that Brazil marches into the Confederations Cup bursting with confidence because today’s match marked the national team’s first victory over a major European team in roughly three years. Scolari’s team delivered a tantalizing glimpse of Brazil’s attacking potential and ability to command the flanks in an impressive performance rendered all the more memorable because the victory came at the expense of Brazil’s arch-rival France, who were coached by Didier Deschamps, the midfelder who lifted the World Cup trophy after France defeated Brazil 3-0 in the 1998 World Cup final.
With the exception of Marcelo starting for Filipe Luis at left back, Scolari fielded exactly the same team that he started against England, with Neymar, Fred and Hulk spearheading the attack in front in front of Chelsea playmaker Oscar. Brazil almost scored in the first minute when a fumble by France goalkeeper Hugo Lloris meant that Neymar had possession of the ball in a position where the French goalkeeper had come off his line toward the edge of the box. The ball ultimately fell to Oscar, who was stymied by the French defense. Brazil had the lion’s share of chances in the first half, with Hulk, Neymar, Fred, Marcelo and Oscar attacking down the flanks in a strategy that dispensed of attacking straight down the middle of the park, and instead focused on delivering crosses into the box from wide positions.
Three key points about Brazil’s strategy today are worth noting as preparations begin in earnest for the kickoff of the Confederations Cup on June 15:
•Brazil played today in a variant of a 4-3-3 formation, specifically, a 4-2-1-3, with Paulinho and Luiz Gustavo positioned behind Oscar. Scolari likes the idea of two holding midfielders as opposed to one. In today’s match, Paulinho and Luiz Gustavo rarely joined the attack and played the ball laterally instead of forward, allowing the fullbacks to own the attacking jaunt toward goal. The main consequence of Paulinho and Gustavo’s static quality was that we saw Neymar and Oscar drop deep into midfield to collect the ball and surge forward. Neymar, in particular, lurked around center circle more than Brazil fans would like, and exploded down the left flank through beating Mathieu Debuchy and team with sheer pace.
•Scolari unleashed Brazil’s trademark flank attack in this match, and the move paid dividends in glorious fashion. Scolari’s emphasis on the flank attack differs significantly from his predecessor Mano Menezes, who focused on attacking down the center in a Barcelona-style, possession-based build up toward goal. Against France, Marcelo functioned as an auxiliary attacker, as did Dani Alves, although Hulk owned most of the flank attack on the right flank. Scolari’s move to free up the fullbacks restores Brazilian football to its roots with respect to the practice of stretching defenses such that they essentially confront five attackers instead of two or three.
•Brazil’s bench is bursting with talent to the point where Scolari can field two squads of roughly the same strength even assuming two to three injuries. In today’s match we saw Dante, Hernanes, Bernard, Fernando and Lucas all come on as substitutes, and if anything, the rhythm of the match went into a higher gear as the bevy of substitutes took the field. This was the first match where we have seen Dante, Thiago Silva and David Luiz all on the field at the same time, leaving many to wonder whether Scolari will eventually shift to the 2002 formation where he used three fullbacks in the form of Edmilson, Roque Junior and Lucio in order to free up the 2002 World Cup fullbacks Roberto Carlos and Cafu.
The significance of this victory is not to be underestimated even though this was a friendly. France have had Brazil’s number over the last 15 years and this match proved that Brazil’s youthful squad can win against a former World Cup champion. The buildup to all three goals by Oscar, Hernanes and Lucas was vintage with short, crisp passing from the flanks leading to possession in the box that led to goals. Buoyed by today’s victory, Brazil open their defense of the Confederations Cup with a match against Japan on Saturday, June 15. They then play Mexico and Italy in what are expected to be highly challenging matches that will severely test the ability of the Selecao to win a major win tournament roughly a year away from the 2014 World Cup’s kickoff in Sao Paulo.
With the exception of Marcelo starting for Filipe Luis at left back, Scolari fielded exactly the same team that he started against England, with Neymar, Fred and Hulk spearheading the attack in front in front of Chelsea playmaker Oscar. Brazil almost scored in the first minute when a fumble by France goalkeeper Hugo Lloris meant that Neymar had possession of the ball in a position where the French goalkeeper had come off his line toward the edge of the box. The ball ultimately fell to Oscar, who was stymied by the French defense. Brazil had the lion’s share of chances in the first half, with Hulk, Neymar, Fred, Marcelo and Oscar attacking down the flanks in a strategy that dispensed of attacking straight down the middle of the park, and instead focused on delivering crosses into the box from wide positions.
Three key points about Brazil’s strategy today are worth noting as preparations begin in earnest for the kickoff of the Confederations Cup on June 15:
•Brazil played today in a variant of a 4-3-3 formation, specifically, a 4-2-1-3, with Paulinho and Luiz Gustavo positioned behind Oscar. Scolari likes the idea of two holding midfielders as opposed to one. In today’s match, Paulinho and Luiz Gustavo rarely joined the attack and played the ball laterally instead of forward, allowing the fullbacks to own the attacking jaunt toward goal. The main consequence of Paulinho and Gustavo’s static quality was that we saw Neymar and Oscar drop deep into midfield to collect the ball and surge forward. Neymar, in particular, lurked around center circle more than Brazil fans would like, and exploded down the left flank through beating Mathieu Debuchy and team with sheer pace.
•Scolari unleashed Brazil’s trademark flank attack in this match, and the move paid dividends in glorious fashion. Scolari’s emphasis on the flank attack differs significantly from his predecessor Mano Menezes, who focused on attacking down the center in a Barcelona-style, possession-based build up toward goal. Against France, Marcelo functioned as an auxiliary attacker, as did Dani Alves, although Hulk owned most of the flank attack on the right flank. Scolari’s move to free up the fullbacks restores Brazilian football to its roots with respect to the practice of stretching defenses such that they essentially confront five attackers instead of two or three.
•Brazil’s bench is bursting with talent to the point where Scolari can field two squads of roughly the same strength even assuming two to three injuries. In today’s match we saw Dante, Hernanes, Bernard, Fernando and Lucas all come on as substitutes, and if anything, the rhythm of the match went into a higher gear as the bevy of substitutes took the field. This was the first match where we have seen Dante, Thiago Silva and David Luiz all on the field at the same time, leaving many to wonder whether Scolari will eventually shift to the 2002 formation where he used three fullbacks in the form of Edmilson, Roque Junior and Lucio in order to free up the 2002 World Cup fullbacks Roberto Carlos and Cafu.
The significance of this victory is not to be underestimated even though this was a friendly. France have had Brazil’s number over the last 15 years and this match proved that Brazil’s youthful squad can win against a former World Cup champion. The buildup to all three goals by Oscar, Hernanes and Lucas was vintage with short, crisp passing from the flanks leading to possession in the box that led to goals. Buoyed by today’s victory, Brazil open their defense of the Confederations Cup with a match against Japan on Saturday, June 15. They then play Mexico and Italy in what are expected to be highly challenging matches that will severely test the ability of the Selecao to win a major win tournament roughly a year away from the 2014 World Cup’s kickoff in Sao Paulo.
Sunday, June 2, 2013
Brazil And England Play To Memorable 2-2 Draw At Renovated Maracana Stadium
Brazil and England played to a memorable 2-2 draw at the Maracana stadium in Rio de Janeiro today in a game where Brazil dominated possession and England fought back on the counter-attack. Today’s game marked the first match at the newly renovated Maracana stadium where Brazil famously lost to Uruguay in the 1950 World Cup final. Brazil fielded a 4-3-3 formation with Dani Alves, David Luiz, Thiago Silva and Filipe Luis in defense, Luis Gustavo, Paulinho and Oscar in midfield, and Neymar, Fred and Hulk as the attacking triumvirate. Coach Luiz Felipe Scolari handed the famous number 10 jersey to Neymar instead of Oscar in a clear signal that he envisions the Barcelona-bound ex Santos star as the leader of the current youthful squad. England, on the other hand, played in a 4-5-1 formation with coach Roy Hodgson fielding striker Theo Walcott in a withdrawn position on the right flank behind Wayne Rooney.
Eager to avenge their 2-1 loss to England at Wembley Stadium in February, Brazil began by taking control of the midfield and attacking with their vintage short, crisp passing and the ability to beat defenders on the dribble. Moreover, Brazil pressured England relentlessly on the ball and allowed Roy Hodgson’s team little space by double teaming whenever England had possession. Chelsea midfielder Oscar orchestrated the lion’s share of Brazil’s attacks by dropping deep into midfield and sprinting forward in search of Neymar, Fred and Hulk. Neymar seemed keen to vindicate Scolari’s decision to grant him the number 10 jersey and shot on goal from close range in positions where he would have done better to pass to a teammate.
Neymar had a golden opportunity in the 19th minute when he received a pass with only the keeper to beat and shot it right into the body of the diving Joe Hart from the left flank. Two minutes later, Neymar collected a deft pass from Fred, sidestepped England defender Glen Johnson, but unleashed the shot just wide of goal. In the 35th minute, Oscar dribbled past a bevy of English defenders on the right flank and sent a bullet of a cross that Hulk backheeled just wide of goal. Minutes later, Oscar again found space on the right flank but Fred’s header floated over the bar. England’s best opportunity of the half came in the 39th minute, when Theo Walcott found space in the box to drive a shot straight at Julio Cesar, who parried the ball well.
The floodgates opened in the second half as Brazil continued to relentlessly apply pressure against the English goal. Playing largely in England’s half, Brazil continued to create chances and varied their passing game with some longer range shots on goal in an effort to disrupt Joe Hart’s rhythm. The long range strategy paid dividends in the 57th minute when Hernanes curled in a dipping shot that deflected off the cross-bar and fell to Fred lurking near the right side of goal, who twisted his body to dispatch the ball into the back of the net to give Brazil a deserved 1-0 lead. Buoyed by their breakthrough, the Samba boys rested on their laurels a little too much by easing up on their attacks and positioning themselves languidly in midfield. England were quick to capitalize on the let up in pressure as substitute Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain carved out space outside the edge of the box and rifled in a right footed rocket past the right hand of Julio Cesar to make it 1-1 in the 66th minute. Ten minutes later, Brazil were staring defeat at the Maracana stadium squarely in the eye when Wayne Rooney burst down the left flank on a counterattacking opportunity and sent a curling, wonder of a shot into the roof of the net to make it 2-1 England. Scolari responded by sending on waves of substitutes and was granted a reprieve from an embarrassing loss when Lucas Moura’s cross found Paulinho, who volleyed the cross into the back of the net to make it 2-2 with less than 10 minutes of regulation time remaining.
Overall, this was a disappointing result for Brazil, who should genuinely feel they had their pulse on the game and deserved a victory given their possession and chances. On the other hand, Brazil fans can take heart from the fact that the midfield gelled for the first time since the 2012 Olympics, when the team delivered some impressive displays of midfield possession and creativity en route to the Olympic final. Moreover, Scolari can take heart from the depth of his squad given that his substitutions featured Real Madrid’s Marcelo, Lazio’s Hernanes, Internacional’s Leandro Damiao, Paris Saint-Germain’s Lucas Moura and Atletico Mineiro’s playmaker Bernard. Neymar, meanwhile, struggled to live up to the weight of expectations, this time in the number 10 jersey, no less. Nevertheless, Brazil fans and Scolari will be impressed by the pace of the Brazilian midfield and can expect the team to only improve both in the next two weeks and throughout the upcoming Confederations Cup. Brazil’s next friendly is against France on June 9 in Porto Alegre.
Goals
Brazil: Fred (57), Paulinho (82)
England: Oxlade-Chamberlain (66), Rooney (77)
Eager to avenge their 2-1 loss to England at Wembley Stadium in February, Brazil began by taking control of the midfield and attacking with their vintage short, crisp passing and the ability to beat defenders on the dribble. Moreover, Brazil pressured England relentlessly on the ball and allowed Roy Hodgson’s team little space by double teaming whenever England had possession. Chelsea midfielder Oscar orchestrated the lion’s share of Brazil’s attacks by dropping deep into midfield and sprinting forward in search of Neymar, Fred and Hulk. Neymar seemed keen to vindicate Scolari’s decision to grant him the number 10 jersey and shot on goal from close range in positions where he would have done better to pass to a teammate.
Neymar had a golden opportunity in the 19th minute when he received a pass with only the keeper to beat and shot it right into the body of the diving Joe Hart from the left flank. Two minutes later, Neymar collected a deft pass from Fred, sidestepped England defender Glen Johnson, but unleashed the shot just wide of goal. In the 35th minute, Oscar dribbled past a bevy of English defenders on the right flank and sent a bullet of a cross that Hulk backheeled just wide of goal. Minutes later, Oscar again found space on the right flank but Fred’s header floated over the bar. England’s best opportunity of the half came in the 39th minute, when Theo Walcott found space in the box to drive a shot straight at Julio Cesar, who parried the ball well.
The floodgates opened in the second half as Brazil continued to relentlessly apply pressure against the English goal. Playing largely in England’s half, Brazil continued to create chances and varied their passing game with some longer range shots on goal in an effort to disrupt Joe Hart’s rhythm. The long range strategy paid dividends in the 57th minute when Hernanes curled in a dipping shot that deflected off the cross-bar and fell to Fred lurking near the right side of goal, who twisted his body to dispatch the ball into the back of the net to give Brazil a deserved 1-0 lead. Buoyed by their breakthrough, the Samba boys rested on their laurels a little too much by easing up on their attacks and positioning themselves languidly in midfield. England were quick to capitalize on the let up in pressure as substitute Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain carved out space outside the edge of the box and rifled in a right footed rocket past the right hand of Julio Cesar to make it 1-1 in the 66th minute. Ten minutes later, Brazil were staring defeat at the Maracana stadium squarely in the eye when Wayne Rooney burst down the left flank on a counterattacking opportunity and sent a curling, wonder of a shot into the roof of the net to make it 2-1 England. Scolari responded by sending on waves of substitutes and was granted a reprieve from an embarrassing loss when Lucas Moura’s cross found Paulinho, who volleyed the cross into the back of the net to make it 2-2 with less than 10 minutes of regulation time remaining.
Overall, this was a disappointing result for Brazil, who should genuinely feel they had their pulse on the game and deserved a victory given their possession and chances. On the other hand, Brazil fans can take heart from the fact that the midfield gelled for the first time since the 2012 Olympics, when the team delivered some impressive displays of midfield possession and creativity en route to the Olympic final. Moreover, Scolari can take heart from the depth of his squad given that his substitutions featured Real Madrid’s Marcelo, Lazio’s Hernanes, Internacional’s Leandro Damiao, Paris Saint-Germain’s Lucas Moura and Atletico Mineiro’s playmaker Bernard. Neymar, meanwhile, struggled to live up to the weight of expectations, this time in the number 10 jersey, no less. Nevertheless, Brazil fans and Scolari will be impressed by the pace of the Brazilian midfield and can expect the team to only improve both in the next two weeks and throughout the upcoming Confederations Cup. Brazil’s next friendly is against France on June 9 in Porto Alegre.
Goals
Brazil: Fred (57), Paulinho (82)
England: Oxlade-Chamberlain (66), Rooney (77)
Saturday, August 4, 2012
Brazil Defeat Honduras 3-2 To Reach Semifinals Of Olympics
Brazil earned a scrappy victory to defeat Honduras 3-2 and reach the semifinals of the Olympics, after going behind twice. The Selecao won thanks to two goals by Leandro Damiao and a Neymar penalty kick that Damiao converted. Honduras, meanwhile, earned a red card in the first half through two yellow cards for Cristiano, and a second red card late in the match for Roger Espinoza, who scored Honduras’s second goal. Overall, Brazil should consider themselves lucky to have reached the semifinal although, admittedly, Honduras played highly physical football that deservingly resulted in two red cards that changed the complexion, tempo and atmosphere of the match.
Goals
Honduras: Martinez (12)
Brazil: Damiao (38)
Honduras: Espinoza (48)
Brazil: Neymar (51 | penalty)
Brazil: Damiao (60)
Goals
Honduras: Martinez (12)
Brazil: Damiao (38)
Honduras: Espinoza (48)
Brazil: Neymar (51 | penalty)
Brazil: Damiao (60)
Sunday, July 29, 2012
Brazil Clinch Olympic Quarterfinal Berth With Impressive 3-1 Victory Over Belarus
Brazil delivered a scintillating display of attacking football to defeat Belarus in their second match of Group C of the Olympics and guarantee themselves a place in the quarterfinals. After conceding a goal in the 9th minute to a Renan Bressan header, Mano Menezes’s youngsters displayed their maturity and composure by turning to their passing game. Six minutes after going down 1-0, Brazil equalized through a header from Alexandre Pato set up by a Neymar cross delivered from the right flank. Belarus, however, refused to bow down lightly and responded by packing their defense with their squad of strong, tall players. Brazil owned possession, but found it difficult to break through Belarus’s defense despite splaying the ball from wing to wing and driving down the center as well. Rafael and Marcelo pressed down the right and left flank respectively while Neymar, Oscar and Hulk attacked from deeper midfield positions. Frustrated by Belarus’s excellent marking, Brazil began to resort to long range strikes on goal and lobbed balls into the box given their inability to gain any measurable penetration into the Belarus box.
The second half unfolded in much the same way as the first, with Brazil ruling possession and Belarus taking advantage of a handful of counter-attacking opportunities to test the Brazilian goalkeeper Neto. The Brazilians decided to go one on one in advancing on goal and began to win the first of several free kicks on the edge of the penalty area. In the 62nd minute, Hulk blasted a free kick into the wall but then, three minutes later, Neymar delivered a moment of magic at an absolutely crucial point in the game. The spiky haired Santos sensation won a free kick after being fouled subsequent due to some dazzling dribbling artistry. Neymar stepped up to the dead ball and sent the free kick curling into the upper left corner of the net to give Brazil an important 2-1 lead.
The match appeared to be cruising to a 2-1 decision when Neymar, in the dying minutes of stoppage time, picked up the ball on the left flank, raced into the box and flicked a back heel to the onrushing Oscar, who smashed the ball into the roof of the net. Neymar’s goal recalled Pele’s famous assist to Carlos Alberto against Italy in the final of the World Cup 1970 since, like Pele, he hardly looked for the goal scorer but nevertheless delivered the ball on a platter. This may be one of the greatest Brazilian Olympic sides in recent memory although Mano Menezes still needs to tweak his attack as the story of Brazil’s quest for Olympic gold continues.
The second half unfolded in much the same way as the first, with Brazil ruling possession and Belarus taking advantage of a handful of counter-attacking opportunities to test the Brazilian goalkeeper Neto. The Brazilians decided to go one on one in advancing on goal and began to win the first of several free kicks on the edge of the penalty area. In the 62nd minute, Hulk blasted a free kick into the wall but then, three minutes later, Neymar delivered a moment of magic at an absolutely crucial point in the game. The spiky haired Santos sensation won a free kick after being fouled subsequent due to some dazzling dribbling artistry. Neymar stepped up to the dead ball and sent the free kick curling into the upper left corner of the net to give Brazil an important 2-1 lead.
The match appeared to be cruising to a 2-1 decision when Neymar, in the dying minutes of stoppage time, picked up the ball on the left flank, raced into the box and flicked a back heel to the onrushing Oscar, who smashed the ball into the roof of the net. Neymar’s goal recalled Pele’s famous assist to Carlos Alberto against Italy in the final of the World Cup 1970 since, like Pele, he hardly looked for the goal scorer but nevertheless delivered the ball on a platter. This may be one of the greatest Brazilian Olympic sides in recent memory although Mano Menezes still needs to tweak his attack as the story of Brazil’s quest for Olympic gold continues.
Thursday, July 5, 2012
Brazil Selects Marcelo, Thiago Silva and Hulk For 2012 Olympics
Brazil coach Mano Menezes named a star studded squad for the London 2012 Olympics today featuring Thiago Silva, Marcelo and Hulk as Brazil's three players over the age of 23. Brazil travel to the London Olympics in search of the elusive Olympic gold medal, the only major soccer trophy they have yet to win.
Previously, the Brazil men’s Olympic soccer team earned two silver medals and two bronze medals. Brazil won the silver medal at the 1984 Olympics in Los Angeles and 1988 Olympics in Seoul and the bronze medal at the 1996 Olympics in Atlanta and the 2008 games in Seoul. This year’s squad is widely considered one of the strongest ever and correspondingly, Brazilian football hopes are pinned on the Olympics in the absence of positive results by the national team at the 2010 World Cup and the 2011 Copa America.
Highlights of Brazil’s 2012 Olympic squad include the following:
• Overage players in the form of Thiago Silva, Hulk and Marcelo
• Selection of Rafael and Danilo as right-backs and the omission of Barcelona's Dani Alves
• Two deeper playing midfielders in Romulus and Sandro
• Three attacking midfield options in the form of Oscar, Paulo Henrique Ganso and Lucas Moura
• Four strikers as represented by Neymar, Hulk, Pato and Leandro Damiao
Brazil are in Group C along with Egypt, Belarus and New Zealand. Mano Menezes’s team kick off their quest for Olympic gold with an opening match in group play against Egypt on July 26 in Cardiff. They play Belarus on July 29 and New Zealand on August 1. AC Milan’s Thiago Silva is likely to captain the team.
Brazil 2012 Olympic Squad
Goalkeepers: Neto (Fiorentina), Rafael (Santos).
Defenders: Alex Sandro (Porto), Rafael (Manchester United), Danilo (Porto), Marcelo (Real Madrid), Bruno Uvini (Sao Paulo), Juan (Inter Milan), Thiago Silva (Milan).
Midfielders: Romulus (Vasco), Sandro (Tottenham), Oscar (Internacional), Paulo Henrique Ganso (Santos), Lucas Moura (Sao Paulo).
Strikers: Alexandre Pato (Milan), Hulk (Porto), Leandro Damiao (Internacional), Neymar (Santos).
Previously, the Brazil men’s Olympic soccer team earned two silver medals and two bronze medals. Brazil won the silver medal at the 1984 Olympics in Los Angeles and 1988 Olympics in Seoul and the bronze medal at the 1996 Olympics in Atlanta and the 2008 games in Seoul. This year’s squad is widely considered one of the strongest ever and correspondingly, Brazilian football hopes are pinned on the Olympics in the absence of positive results by the national team at the 2010 World Cup and the 2011 Copa America.
Highlights of Brazil’s 2012 Olympic squad include the following:
• Overage players in the form of Thiago Silva, Hulk and Marcelo
• Selection of Rafael and Danilo as right-backs and the omission of Barcelona's Dani Alves
• Two deeper playing midfielders in Romulus and Sandro
• Three attacking midfield options in the form of Oscar, Paulo Henrique Ganso and Lucas Moura
• Four strikers as represented by Neymar, Hulk, Pato and Leandro Damiao
Brazil are in Group C along with Egypt, Belarus and New Zealand. Mano Menezes’s team kick off their quest for Olympic gold with an opening match in group play against Egypt on July 26 in Cardiff. They play Belarus on July 29 and New Zealand on August 1. AC Milan’s Thiago Silva is likely to captain the team.
Brazil 2012 Olympic Squad
Goalkeepers: Neto (Fiorentina), Rafael (Santos).
Defenders: Alex Sandro (Porto), Rafael (Manchester United), Danilo (Porto), Marcelo (Real Madrid), Bruno Uvini (Sao Paulo), Juan (Inter Milan), Thiago Silva (Milan).
Midfielders: Romulus (Vasco), Sandro (Tottenham), Oscar (Internacional), Paulo Henrique Ganso (Santos), Lucas Moura (Sao Paulo).
Strikers: Alexandre Pato (Milan), Hulk (Porto), Leandro Damiao (Internacional), Neymar (Santos).
Sunday, June 10, 2012
Messi Hat-Trick Fires Argentina To 4-3 Victory Over Brazil
Lionel Messi scored a hat-trick as Argentina defeated Brazil 4-3 on Saturday in a seven goal thriller that will go down in soccer history as one of the most memorable matches between Brazil and Argentina of all time. The game featured the second encounter between Argentina’s Messi and Brazil’s Neymar after their match-up in Tokyo at the club level in the December Club World Cup Final between Santos and Barcelona. Messi affirmed his position as the world’s best player by giving Neymar yet another lesson in the art of footballing magic by scoring three spectacular goals. Meanwhile, the match demonstrated Argentina’s position as one of the best teams in the world while underscoring Brazil’s depth and reserves of untapped talent.
Playing the last of four friendlies before the Olympics, Brazil continued to field a youthful squad with few players with significant experience for the national team. Coach Mano Menezes opted to start Manchester United’s Rafael instead of Danilo on the right flank and Bruno Uvini for the injured Thiago Silva in central defense. Brazil continued their 4-3-3 formation with Hulk, Leandro Damiao and Neymar in attack. Argentina coach Alejandro Sabella started Lionel Messi and Gonzalo Higuain in attack in front of Angel di Maria in midfield.
Brazil took the initiative in the opening 20 minutes by pressuring Argentina in their own half. Oscar picked out Hulk after 15 minutes but the Porto striker’s shot was saved by Romero. Brazil’s pressure paid off the in the 23rd minute when Neymar curled in a free kick from the right flank that found Romulus in the box. Romulus trapped the ball, turned and dispatched a fierce shot to make it 1-0 Brazil.
Argentina was not to be discouraged easily. In the 31st minute, Angel di Maria split the Brazilian central defense with a terrific through ball which Messi slotted home to make it 1-1. Three minutes later, di Maria threaded another pass to Messi, who rounded Rafael and tucked home his second goal of the afternoon to make the score 2-1 in Argentina’s favor.
Undeterred by Messi’s flashes of brilliance, Brazil took the offensive to Argentina in search of an equalizer in the second half. In the 56th minute, Oscar played a give and go with Leandro Damiao, who had his back to goal. Damiao saw the onrushing Oscar and flicked a pass to his teammate who promptly dispatched it past the keeper’s right hand to make it 2-2. Roughly fifteen minutes later, Romero failed to hold onto a Neymar corner that dropped for Hulk in the box, and the Porto striker made no mistake by dispatching the ball into the back of the net to give Brazil a 3-2 lead.
Argentina showed they were finished yet through a Federico Fernandez header from a corner kick in the 76th minute. Finally, five minutes from the end of regulation, Messi displayed his ability to singlehandedly decide the outcome of a game. The Argentine number 10 picked up the ball on the right flank near the center line, beat Marcelo, cut diagonally inside and unleashed a curling strike with his left foot into the top left corner of the net.
Overall, this was a promising result and performance for both teams. Brazil showed excellent teamwork and attacking creativity. Argentina, meanwhile, have to thank Lionel Messi’s sublime individual play for the victory. The only sour note about the match was an altercation between Argentina’s Lavezzi and Brazil’s Marcelo in injury time that resulted in red cards for both players. Despite poor showings at the 2010 World Cup, Brazil and Argentina both look cohesive and dangerous as illustrated by today’s seven goal feast from the continent’s two titans.
Goals:
Argentina: 31, 34, 85 (Messi), 76 (Fernandez)
Brazil: 23 (Romulus), 56 (Oscar), 72 (Hulk)
Starting Lineups:
Argentina: Romero, Zabaleta, Federico Fernández, Garay, Clemente Rodriguez, Sosa , Mascherano, Gago, Di María, Messi and Higuain.
Brazil: Rafael Cabral, Rafael, Bruno Uvini, Juan, Marcelo, Sandro, Romulus, Oscar, Hulk, Neymar and Leandro Damiao
Playing the last of four friendlies before the Olympics, Brazil continued to field a youthful squad with few players with significant experience for the national team. Coach Mano Menezes opted to start Manchester United’s Rafael instead of Danilo on the right flank and Bruno Uvini for the injured Thiago Silva in central defense. Brazil continued their 4-3-3 formation with Hulk, Leandro Damiao and Neymar in attack. Argentina coach Alejandro Sabella started Lionel Messi and Gonzalo Higuain in attack in front of Angel di Maria in midfield.
Brazil took the initiative in the opening 20 minutes by pressuring Argentina in their own half. Oscar picked out Hulk after 15 minutes but the Porto striker’s shot was saved by Romero. Brazil’s pressure paid off the in the 23rd minute when Neymar curled in a free kick from the right flank that found Romulus in the box. Romulus trapped the ball, turned and dispatched a fierce shot to make it 1-0 Brazil.
Argentina was not to be discouraged easily. In the 31st minute, Angel di Maria split the Brazilian central defense with a terrific through ball which Messi slotted home to make it 1-1. Three minutes later, di Maria threaded another pass to Messi, who rounded Rafael and tucked home his second goal of the afternoon to make the score 2-1 in Argentina’s favor.
Undeterred by Messi’s flashes of brilliance, Brazil took the offensive to Argentina in search of an equalizer in the second half. In the 56th minute, Oscar played a give and go with Leandro Damiao, who had his back to goal. Damiao saw the onrushing Oscar and flicked a pass to his teammate who promptly dispatched it past the keeper’s right hand to make it 2-2. Roughly fifteen minutes later, Romero failed to hold onto a Neymar corner that dropped for Hulk in the box, and the Porto striker made no mistake by dispatching the ball into the back of the net to give Brazil a 3-2 lead.
Argentina showed they were finished yet through a Federico Fernandez header from a corner kick in the 76th minute. Finally, five minutes from the end of regulation, Messi displayed his ability to singlehandedly decide the outcome of a game. The Argentine number 10 picked up the ball on the right flank near the center line, beat Marcelo, cut diagonally inside and unleashed a curling strike with his left foot into the top left corner of the net.
Overall, this was a promising result and performance for both teams. Brazil showed excellent teamwork and attacking creativity. Argentina, meanwhile, have to thank Lionel Messi’s sublime individual play for the victory. The only sour note about the match was an altercation between Argentina’s Lavezzi and Brazil’s Marcelo in injury time that resulted in red cards for both players. Despite poor showings at the 2010 World Cup, Brazil and Argentina both look cohesive and dangerous as illustrated by today’s seven goal feast from the continent’s two titans.
Goals:
Argentina: 31, 34, 85 (Messi), 76 (Fernandez)
Brazil: 23 (Romulus), 56 (Oscar), 72 (Hulk)
Starting Lineups:
Argentina: Romero, Zabaleta, Federico Fernández, Garay, Clemente Rodriguez, Sosa , Mascherano, Gago, Di María, Messi and Higuain.
Brazil: Rafael Cabral, Rafael, Bruno Uvini, Juan, Marcelo, Sandro, Romulus, Oscar, Hulk, Neymar and Leandro Damiao
Sunday, May 13, 2012
Santos Wins Sao Paulo's Paulista Championship For Third Consecutive Year
Santos were crowned champions of Sao Paulo's Campeonato Paulista, also known as the Sao Paulo Paulista Championship, for the third consecutive year after beating Guarani 4-2 in the second leg of the final. Santos beat Guarani 7-2 on aggregate after securing a 3-0 victory in last Sunday’s opening leg. Neymar set up the first goal by splaying out a pass to Elano on the right edge of the penalty box, who subsequently found Kardec lurking on the left. The 20 year old Santos striker also scored from a magnificently taken penalty kick in the 8th minute, and from a right footed shot in the penalty area in the 71st minute. Neymar has now scored a total of 108 goals for Santos. Today's brace adds to the margin by which Neymar has surpassed Joao Paulo and Serginho Chulapa, both of whom scored 104 goals for Santos. As of last Thursday’s match against Bolivar in the Copa Libertadores, Neymar earned the distinction of the most prolific striker for Santos in the post-Pele era by scoring two goals en route to an 8-0 Santos victory.
Friday, May 11, 2012
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)
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)
Sunday, May 6, 2012
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.
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.
Monday, April 30, 2012
Neymar Scores Hat-Trick As Santos Defeat Sao Paulo 3-1
Neymar scored a brilliant hat-trick to give Santos a 3-1 victory over Sao Paulo in the semi-final of the Paulista Championship. The 20 year old wunderkid has now scored 102 goals for Santos, behind only Joao Paulo and Serginho Chulapa in the post-Pele era. Neymar recently surpassed Robinho’s achievement of 94 goals for Santos in March. In today’s match against Sao Paulo, Neymar opened his account with a penalty kick in the third minute. Roughly thirty minutes later, in trademark fashion, Ganso found Neymar and the Santos striker coolly slotted the ball home after beating Sao Paulo defender Paulo Miranda. Despite their lead, Santos struggled to take charge of the match and remained on the counter-attack as they conceded a goal to Willian Jose in the 63rd minute and then came close to allowing an equalizer from a spectacular Cicero free kick. But in the 77th minute, Neymar delivered a rocket of a long range shot that the keeper ended up parrying into his own net.
As Neymar grows in confidence, the football world will await with baited breath the verdict on his ability to beat European and African defenders in international competition. While Neymar has ample experience with highly physical matches in South American competition such as the Copa Libertadores, much of Brazil’s fortunes at this year’s Olympics will hinge on whether the Santos starlet can perform at the same level that he does for his club, for his country in London this summer.
As Neymar grows in confidence, the football world will await with baited breath the verdict on his ability to beat European and African defenders in international competition. While Neymar has ample experience with highly physical matches in South American competition such as the Copa Libertadores, much of Brazil’s fortunes at this year’s Olympics will hinge on whether the Santos starlet can perform at the same level that he does for his club, for his country in London this summer.
Tuesday, February 28, 2012
Brazil Scrape To 2-1 Victory Over Bosnia
Brazil scraped to a 2-1 victory over Bosnia & Herzegovina thanks to goals by Marcelo and an own goal inspired by a powerful Hulk cross. Mano opted for his trademark 4-3-3 formation with Dani Alves, Thiago Silva, David Luiz and Marcelo starting behind midfielders Sandro, Fernandinho and Hernanes. Ronaldinho, Neymar and Leandro Damiao constituted the Brazilian attack with Ronaldinho playing in a deep attacking position. AC Milan’s Thiago Silva donned the captain’s armband as Brazil took the field amidst a crowd full of Bosnian supporters who made their voice heard throughout the match. Ronaldinho wore the famed Brazil number 10 jersey.
The match started auspiciously for the South Americans in the fourth minute when Dani Alves spotted Marcelo bursting through from the left flank toward goal and threaded a pass to the Real Madrid left back through a posse of players. Marcelo made no mistake and buried the ball past the keeper’s left to open the scoring. Marcelo’s goal should have been the cue for Brazil to open the floodgates and take control of the match, but Bosnia and Herzegovina refused to lie down lightly. In the 13th minute, Vedad Ibisevic equalized for Bosnia following a giveaway by David Luiz and horrendous goalkeeping from Julio Cesar, who allowed the ball to bounce off and over his body into the net without making an effort to stop the ball with his hands or feet.
In the 20th minute, Brazil almost took the lead when an inspired Fernandinho pass found Leandro Damiao, whose shot was blocked by goalkeeper Asmir Begovic. The rebound fell to Lazio midfielder Hernanes but was snatched away by superb defending from the captain Emir Spahic. The remainder of the first half featured lively play from Bosnia and Herzegovina as Brazil failed to find their feet in midfield and create the killer playmaking passes that could split the Bosnian defense. Ronaldinho, in particular, had a disappointing evening marked by mislaid passes and lack of midfield creativity. Edin Dzeko and Miralem Pjanic caused problems for the Brazilian defense but the two teams nevertheless went into half-time tied at 1-1.
Brazil improved significantly in the second half following the substitution of Ronaldinho with Ganso but continued to struggle in the latter third of the field. Hernanes failed to convert a header resulting from a Marcelo cross and Neymar had a shot denied by Begovic. In the 90th minute, however, Brazil’s persistence paid off when Marcelo fed Hulk a ball on the left flank. The Porto striker delivered a powerful cross into the area which was deflected into the Bosnian goal by Sasa Papac.
Overall, this was yet another disappointing performance from the Selecao given how the team is bursting with talent. Mano seems to have decided on three skilled midfielders who play deeper in midfield in the form of some combination of Fernandinho, Sandro, Hernanes and Elias. Brazil’s midfield failed to create enough quality scoring opportunities, however, and the strikers, correspondingly, appeared unable to create the spaces that would lead to high percentage scoring opportunities. Given Ronaldinho’s poor performance, the obvious question is whether Kaka can revitalize the Brazilian midfield. Meanwhile, up front, Mano will have to reflect on whether Robinho can provide a more credible scoring threat amidst an attacking line-up that appears to lack the experience to break down highly physical defending such as that delivered by Bosnia and Herzegovina in today’s friendly in St. Gallen, Switzerland. Nevertheless, this is Brazil’s sixth consecutive victory and follows upon victories against Argentina, Costa Rica, Mexico, Gabon and Egypt.
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