Mano Menezes has called up Internacional striker Leandro Damiao for Brazil's upcoming friendly against Scotland given the recent ankle injury sustained by Alexandre Pato in last weekend's match against Palermo. The 19 year old Damiao, who has scored 13 goals this season, represents the latest new face to Mano's roster since the former Corinthians coach took charge of the Selecao last summer. A recent muscle injury to Villareal striker Nilmar means that Damiao may join Neymar up front in what represents one of the most inexperienced strike partnerships Brazil has represented in the past few years. The absence of Pato, Robinho, Nilmar, Ronaldinho and the Hulk presents Scotland with an intriguing challenge for Scotland coach Craig Levein given that Neymar and Damiao have never played together and hence will be difficult to scout. Menezes commented that the selection of Damiao additionally enables him to work with yet another player young enough to qualify for the 2012 Olympics in London.
For more on the history of Brazil v. Scotland, see:
Brazil v. Scotland: A Brief World Cup History
Showing posts with label Pato. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Pato. Show all posts
Thursday, March 24, 2011
Monday, December 27, 2010
Leonardo Nascimento de Araujo Quotes on AC Milan, 2009 - 2010
On coaching AC Milan for the 2009-2010 season:
"[AC Milan] was great...Thiago Silva needed confidence, directions. Europe isn't easy for a skilled Brazilian defender. Abate and Antonini had to improve mentally and believe: I can. It's nice to see Antonini on the national side. Borriello needed room. Dida never said anything, but he worked like a madman. He was great. Pirlo's silence was powerful. Ambrosini carried us in his first year as captain. Seedorf showed character. Ronaldinho regained his energy and enthusiasm. Occasionally he would start to fade and I would give him a push and he would come back. Pato's first season as a starter was marked by injuries and difficulties. Nesta returned after being written off. It was great. From the exterior they look like champions, but from an insider's view they are fragile, sensitive people. Leading them was personally an exciting and gratifying experience. It was great."
On his decision to leave and Silvio Berlusconi:
"Milan was so many things for me. I was a player, executive and coach for the club. At a certain point in time, after 13 years with the club, I thought that I would be with Milan forever. Instead, I broke it off. I'm going to need this year to change who I am, to see things objectively, not as part of the AC Milan organisation."
"Let's make two things clear. The first is that I would have never left after 13 years for tactical reasons, also because today Milan play the same way as they did before. The second thing is that I decided to leave. I forewent the final year of my contract to leave on the best terms possible. I left because my character and style were not compatible with his. I said all the same things to him. Narcissus does not like anything that is not a reflection of him."
Read the full text of the September 2010 interview with Leonardo here:
"Leonardo takes a Swipe: Berlusconi like Narcissus." La Gazzetta dello Sport. September 18, 2010. Interview by Luigi Garlando.
"[AC Milan] was great...Thiago Silva needed confidence, directions. Europe isn't easy for a skilled Brazilian defender. Abate and Antonini had to improve mentally and believe: I can. It's nice to see Antonini on the national side. Borriello needed room. Dida never said anything, but he worked like a madman. He was great. Pirlo's silence was powerful. Ambrosini carried us in his first year as captain. Seedorf showed character. Ronaldinho regained his energy and enthusiasm. Occasionally he would start to fade and I would give him a push and he would come back. Pato's first season as a starter was marked by injuries and difficulties. Nesta returned after being written off. It was great. From the exterior they look like champions, but from an insider's view they are fragile, sensitive people. Leading them was personally an exciting and gratifying experience. It was great."
On his decision to leave and Silvio Berlusconi:
"Milan was so many things for me. I was a player, executive and coach for the club. At a certain point in time, after 13 years with the club, I thought that I would be with Milan forever. Instead, I broke it off. I'm going to need this year to change who I am, to see things objectively, not as part of the AC Milan organisation."
"Let's make two things clear. The first is that I would have never left after 13 years for tactical reasons, also because today Milan play the same way as they did before. The second thing is that I decided to leave. I forewent the final year of my contract to leave on the best terms possible. I left because my character and style were not compatible with his. I said all the same things to him. Narcissus does not like anything that is not a reflection of him."
Read the full text of the September 2010 interview with Leonardo here:
"Leonardo takes a Swipe: Berlusconi like Narcissus." La Gazzetta dello Sport. September 18, 2010. Interview by Luigi Garlando.
Sunday, December 12, 2010
Boateng, Robinho and Ibrahimovic score in AC Milan's 3-0 victory over Bologna
Kevin Prince Boateng, Robinho and Ibrahimovic scored for the second consecutive game as AC Milan beat Bologna 3-0 today to go 6 points clear over Juventus at the top of Italy's Serie A standings. The sequence of goals by Boateng, Robinho and Ibrahimovic replicated their performance against Brescia on December 4 while Ronaldinho continued his stint on the Milan bench in the wake of Robinho's sparkling form. Boateng opened the scoring for the Rossoneri by latching onto a ball delivered by Ibrahimovic from the left flank, slipping in between two central defenders in the box and volleying the ball home. Boateng subsequently provided the assist for Robinho who maintained his balance in the wake of some staunch defending from Andrea Esposito and slotted the ball by Bologna keeper Viviano in the 35th minute. Ibrahimovic put the exclamation mark on an impressive victory for AC Milan in the 60th minute with a clinical strike on goal from the right flank. With 21 goals shared between Ibrahimovic, Pato and Robinho this season (9 for Ibrahimovic, 6 for Pato and 6 for Robinho), Massimilliano Allegri has reason to be more than satisfied with his strikeforce as the Rossoneri prepare for their final game of 2010 against Roma on Saturday, December 18. As the January transfer window opens, the obvious question now for Allegri and Berlusconi concerns Ronaldinho's future at the Rossoneri in the wake of Robinho's impressive form and Pato's anticipated return from injury early in 2011.
Wednesday, October 27, 2010
Robinho and Boateng Find Their Footing in Milan
Robinho and Kevin Prince Boateng are adapting well to the Rossoneri as demonstrated by AC Milan's 2-1 victory over Napoli on Monday. Robinho scored in his second consecutive league game by charging upfield, passing to Massimo Oddo on the right flank, receiving the pass back from Oddo and burying the ball in the back of the net with a left footed shot. After last Tuesday's debacle against Real Madrid, coach Massimiliano Allegri opted to play Kevin Prince Boateng in midfield as opposed to Clarence Seedorf and the move paid dividends. Boateng's consistent display of energy and passion added force to the Rossoneri midfield even though the young Ghanaian midfielder is still acclimating to football in Italy's Serie A. Robinho played behind Pato and Ibrahimovic as a result of a minor thigh injury that Ronaldinho had picked up during training. After Monday's victory, however, Allegri may well consider starting Robinho in favor of Ronaldinho more often given that Robinho is more likely to run at defenses and trek back when necessary, in comparison to his compatriot, who displays occasional flashes of brilliance on both wings but fails to consistently threaten on the attack. Robinho ran hard at the Napoli defense and could well have scored a second goal. Milan's victory against Napoli leaves them in second place behind Lazio and ahead of Inter. Allegri now has some serious thinking to do about how best to utilize his summer's acquisitions in order to have any chance of recovering from the 2-0 deficit against Real Madrid on November 3, in Milan. The Rossoneri now prepare to play Juventus on Saturday.
Wednesday, August 11, 2010
Brazil Player Reviews for the August 10 USA friendly
Neymar: The most impressive Brazilian of the evening. Mesmerized the U.S. defense with dazzling step-over moves and pace. Varied his position throughout the evening, starting on the left, then popping up on the right and ultimately in the center to score the first goal.
Ganso: Rose to the challenge of the number 10 jersey by finding his team mates whenever they had the ball and finding them, in turn, when he had possession. Not quite Zidane just yet, but we can expect his confidence and authority to increase with more games for Brazil. A clear challenger to Kaka's place in the squad.
Robinho: Played an amazing game by complementing his Santos teammates Neymar and Ganso as needed. Took full advantage of Mano's directive to switch positions with other players as needed. Like a truly great player, came back deep into midfield and made runs down the left, right and center.
Pato: A great goal, and another goal that was disallowed, but a disappointing performance overall. Needs to figure out whether he should play like Fabiano and lurk around the box, or like (Brazilian) Ronaldo and come back into midfield to get more possession.
Ramires: Great speed and dribbling skills. Set up the second goal.
Lucas: Excellent defensive work in midfield that stopped the Americans from getting possession in the Brazilian first third of the field. Distributed the ball effectively as well.
Andre Santos: One of Brazil's best players of the evening. Consistently threatened down the left flank and combined superbly with Ganso, Neymar and Robinho.
David Luiz: Excellent defensive work in the center of the back four. Stopped many U.S. attacks before they started.
Thiago Silva: Nondescript in this game, but solid overall. Combined well with David Luiz to neutralize the U.S. offense.
Dani Alves: Ran his heart out, and looked for players both in the middle of the park and down the right flank. Possibly a little jet lagged from a Real Madrid club trip to Beijing, but deserves serious consideration as a permanent replacement for the aging Maicon. Mislaid a couple of passes but compensated for one or two mistakes with his work ethic and unselfish attitude.
Ganso: Rose to the challenge of the number 10 jersey by finding his team mates whenever they had the ball and finding them, in turn, when he had possession. Not quite Zidane just yet, but we can expect his confidence and authority to increase with more games for Brazil. A clear challenger to Kaka's place in the squad.
Robinho: Played an amazing game by complementing his Santos teammates Neymar and Ganso as needed. Took full advantage of Mano's directive to switch positions with other players as needed. Like a truly great player, came back deep into midfield and made runs down the left, right and center.
Pato: A great goal, and another goal that was disallowed, but a disappointing performance overall. Needs to figure out whether he should play like Fabiano and lurk around the box, or like (Brazilian) Ronaldo and come back into midfield to get more possession.
Ramires: Great speed and dribbling skills. Set up the second goal.
Lucas: Excellent defensive work in midfield that stopped the Americans from getting possession in the Brazilian first third of the field. Distributed the ball effectively as well.
Andre Santos: One of Brazil's best players of the evening. Consistently threatened down the left flank and combined superbly with Ganso, Neymar and Robinho.
David Luiz: Excellent defensive work in the center of the back four. Stopped many U.S. attacks before they started.
Thiago Silva: Nondescript in this game, but solid overall. Combined well with David Luiz to neutralize the U.S. offense.
Dani Alves: Ran his heart out, and looked for players both in the middle of the park and down the right flank. Possibly a little jet lagged from a Real Madrid club trip to Beijing, but deserves serious consideration as a permanent replacement for the aging Maicon. Mislaid a couple of passes but compensated for one or two mistakes with his work ethic and unselfish attitude.
Tuesday, August 10, 2010
Player Profile: Paulo Henrique Ganso
One of the key players to watch in the August 10 Brazil v. USA friendly will be Paulo Henrique Ganso. The Santos attacking midfielder has been hailed by virtually all commentators in Brazil as key to the next generation of Brazilian football. In recent months, Ganso's most ardent fan has been none other than Socrates, who understands the 20 year old "Henrique" as possessing the creativity that Dunga's midfielders lacked. "He is already the best player in Brazil," Socrates remarked in a June 13, 2010 interview in The Guardian. Ganso is widely regarded as a potential heir to Kaka's place in the Brazilian midfield, particularly given the latter's spate of recent injuries and disappointing overall form in the Brazilian shirt. Standing 6 feet 1/2 inches tall, the lanky Santos star has distinguished himself by his ability to control the midfield as well as score spectacular goals from long distance. Coach Mano Menezes may elect to play Ganso behind Robinho and Neymar on the wings, with Pato as the lone, pure central striker.
Wednesday, August 4, 2010
Which Mano Menezes Will Show Up as Coach of the Selecao?
What kind of coach will Mano Menezes (Mano) become at the helm of the Brazilian national football team? For starters, Mano is a fan of precisely the 4-2-3-1 formation that Brazil used in South Africa. He is well known for his ability to restore teams such as Gremio and Corinthians to glory after suffering humiliating relegations to their respective second divisions. And, like his predecessors, Carlos Dunga and Luiz Felipe Scolari, Mano has historically professed a certain pragmatism to football, with an emphasis on winning, even if this means sitting on the lead and hogging ball possession at the expense of going forward to score more goals. Mano's teams have tended to play with two defensive midfielders and score on the counter-attack in much the same fashion as Brazil under the Dunga era from 2006 to 2010.
But in a recent interview, Mano promised to turn his back on a footballing philosophy of pragmatism as the head of the national team.
"We are going to rescue our style. Brazil has it's own way of playing," he noted in an August 3, 2010 interview with Sport TV.
"We want to recover that tradition of being the protagonists, and stop being bit-part actors looking for the rival mistake. The world now plays more similar to that Brazil and we ourselves have distanced ourselves from it."
That said, it's really anyone's guess as to what kind of coach Menezes becomes as he settles into his role as director of the Selecao.
Consider the case of Luiz Felipe Scolari, for example, in leading the Seleaco to World Cup victory in Yokohama, Japan in the summer of 2002. Like Dunga, Scolari was initially known for his commitment to tough tackling and rough, defensive minded play. An ardent supporter of a strong defense and quick counter-attacks, he championed winning at the expense of beautiful football. As coach of Gremio from 1993-1996, Scolari threatened to bench players for not committing enough fouls, and additionally became famous for encouraging player ball-boys to throw balls onto the field when opponents were about to take a throw-in, or having his players solicit the help of local police against visiting teams in the event of an on field fracas.
In Korea and Japan in the summer of 2002, something remarkable happened to Scolari's rough and defensive style of play. Brazil's starting line-up initially featured Roberto Carlos and Cafu attacking down the left and right flanks respectively, Ronaldo, Rivaldo and Ronaldinho as the triumvirate "3 Rs" strikeforce, and another offensive midfielder in the form of Juninho Paulista attacking down the center. Fans were dumbfounded by Scolari's offensive formation, especially since the rigidity of his earlier career had given way to a fluid, samba style of soccer where players would routinely switch positions instead of sticking to a predetermined tactical formation. The result produced moments of magic for the Brazilian national football team at a level unseen since 1982. Fans will recall Edmilson's sublime bicycle kick goal in their 5-2 demolition of Costa Rica, Rivaldo's magical goal in the 67th minute against Belgium, Ronaldinho's sublime free kick against England in the quarterfinal to mark a 2-1 come from behind victory and, most importantly, the great strength of Ronaldo in and around the box, scoring 8 goals in 7 games, shaking off defenders shamelessly and putting the ball where it belongs.
But Scolari had at his disposal an extraordinary crop of players, the quality of which Menezes is unlikely to have unless Robinho, Pato, Neymar, Ganso and company blossom into world class talent that can hold their form over the greater part of a decade. Time will tell, but the interesting thing is that, for all the talk of renovation, rebuilding, rebirth and jogo bonito in Brazil, few people in Brazil are calling Ricardo Teixeira's bluff and noting how the Brazilian Confederation of Football's choice of a coach for the Selecao seems disturbingly similar to Dunga and the early Scolari, at precisely the moment when Brazilian football needs radical change.
But in a recent interview, Mano promised to turn his back on a footballing philosophy of pragmatism as the head of the national team.
"We are going to rescue our style. Brazil has it's own way of playing," he noted in an August 3, 2010 interview with Sport TV.
"We want to recover that tradition of being the protagonists, and stop being bit-part actors looking for the rival mistake. The world now plays more similar to that Brazil and we ourselves have distanced ourselves from it."
That said, it's really anyone's guess as to what kind of coach Menezes becomes as he settles into his role as director of the Selecao.
Consider the case of Luiz Felipe Scolari, for example, in leading the Seleaco to World Cup victory in Yokohama, Japan in the summer of 2002. Like Dunga, Scolari was initially known for his commitment to tough tackling and rough, defensive minded play. An ardent supporter of a strong defense and quick counter-attacks, he championed winning at the expense of beautiful football. As coach of Gremio from 1993-1996, Scolari threatened to bench players for not committing enough fouls, and additionally became famous for encouraging player ball-boys to throw balls onto the field when opponents were about to take a throw-in, or having his players solicit the help of local police against visiting teams in the event of an on field fracas.
In Korea and Japan in the summer of 2002, something remarkable happened to Scolari's rough and defensive style of play. Brazil's starting line-up initially featured Roberto Carlos and Cafu attacking down the left and right flanks respectively, Ronaldo, Rivaldo and Ronaldinho as the triumvirate "3 Rs" strikeforce, and another offensive midfielder in the form of Juninho Paulista attacking down the center. Fans were dumbfounded by Scolari's offensive formation, especially since the rigidity of his earlier career had given way to a fluid, samba style of soccer where players would routinely switch positions instead of sticking to a predetermined tactical formation. The result produced moments of magic for the Brazilian national football team at a level unseen since 1982. Fans will recall Edmilson's sublime bicycle kick goal in their 5-2 demolition of Costa Rica, Rivaldo's magical goal in the 67th minute against Belgium, Ronaldinho's sublime free kick against England in the quarterfinal to mark a 2-1 come from behind victory and, most importantly, the great strength of Ronaldo in and around the box, scoring 8 goals in 7 games, shaking off defenders shamelessly and putting the ball where it belongs.
But Scolari had at his disposal an extraordinary crop of players, the quality of which Menezes is unlikely to have unless Robinho, Pato, Neymar, Ganso and company blossom into world class talent that can hold their form over the greater part of a decade. Time will tell, but the interesting thing is that, for all the talk of renovation, rebuilding, rebirth and jogo bonito in Brazil, few people in Brazil are calling Ricardo Teixeira's bluff and noting how the Brazilian Confederation of Football's choice of a coach for the Selecao seems disturbingly similar to Dunga and the early Scolari, at precisely the moment when Brazilian football needs radical change.
Sunday, August 1, 2010
Mano's Dilemma About the Brazil Number 10 Jersey
One of the intriguing questions raised by Mano Menezes's (Mano) roster for the upcoming Brazil v. USA friendly is the question of who will wear the famed number 10 jersey given Kaka's absence from the squad. In the last 20 years, the Brazilian number 10 jersey has traditionally been worn by a creative midfielder or playmaker who can also score goals. Alessandro Rivaldo wore the number 10 jersey at both the 1998 and 2002 World Cups, Ronaldinho did so in 2006 and Kaka wore the Brazilian number 10 shirt in South Africa 2010. Rai, another creative midfielder and younger brother of the legendary player Socrates, wore the number 10 shirt at the 1990 World Cup in the era before it had been designated for a pure striker such as Zico in 1982 and 1986. But the bottom line is, anytime you give the number 10 shirt to a Brazilian player, watch out.
Mano's squad leaves plenty of room for speculation, however, given that his midfield selection contains no players from Dunga's World Cup team with the exception of the 23 year old Ramires. Ramires has hardly earned the right to wear the number 10 shirt but the same could be said about any of the other midfielders, especially since the young sensation Paulo Henrique Ganso has yet to earn his first international cap.
One obvious choice would be to give the number 10 shirt to Robinho, and leave the number 9 shirt--traditionally reserved for a pure striker--to Alexander Pato. Part of this decision will depend on how Mano plans to play Robinho given that it's not yet clear whether Robinho will play the role of the lone striker or an attacking midfielder behind Pato, Andre or Neymar. Another option, for Mano, would be to return the number 10 shirt to a pure striker as a signal that the torch from Dunga has indeed been passed, and that Brazilian football under his direction has anchored its vision in the attacking, creative spirit of the Zico era of the early to mid 1980s.
Mano's squad leaves plenty of room for speculation, however, given that his midfield selection contains no players from Dunga's World Cup team with the exception of the 23 year old Ramires. Ramires has hardly earned the right to wear the number 10 shirt but the same could be said about any of the other midfielders, especially since the young sensation Paulo Henrique Ganso has yet to earn his first international cap.
One obvious choice would be to give the number 10 shirt to Robinho, and leave the number 9 shirt--traditionally reserved for a pure striker--to Alexander Pato. Part of this decision will depend on how Mano plans to play Robinho given that it's not yet clear whether Robinho will play the role of the lone striker or an attacking midfielder behind Pato, Andre or Neymar. Another option, for Mano, would be to return the number 10 shirt to a pure striker as a signal that the torch from Dunga has indeed been passed, and that Brazilian football under his direction has anchored its vision in the attacking, creative spirit of the Zico era of the early to mid 1980s.
Monday, July 26, 2010
Mano Menezes announces squad for Brazil v. USA, August 10 friendly
Just two days after his July 25 appointment as coach of the Brazilian national soccer team, former Corinthians manager Mano Menezes listed his roster for the upcoming August 10 friendly against the United States at the Meadowlands Stadium in East Rutherford, NJ.
The squad included only 4 members of the South Africa 2010 World Cup team and featured 11 newcomers to the national team.
Speaking of the selection of Menezes, Brazilian soccer federation President Ricardo Texeira pointed to the need for "a philosophy of renovation" in the national team, adding that he had no doubt that the transformation would be in place by 2014.
Menezes's squad selection for the upcoming Brazil v. USA friendly offered a tantalizing glimpse of precisely this concept of renovation by retaining only Dani Alves, Robinho, Thiago Silva and Ramires from the 2010 World Cup squad.
Squad:
Goalkeepers: Jefferson (Botafogo), Renan (Avai), Victor (Gremio).
Defenders: Andre Santos (Fenerbahce), Dani Alves (Barcelona), Marcelo (Real Madrid), Rafael da Silva (Manchester United), David Luis (Benfica), Henrique (Racing Santander), Rever (Atletico Mineiro), Thiago Silva (AC Milan).
Midfielders: Carlos Eduardo (Hoffenheim), Ederson (Lyon), Paulo Henrique Ganso (Santos), Hernanes (Sao Paulo), Jucilei (Corinthians), Lucas Leiva (Liverpool), Ramires (Benfica), Sandro (Internacional).
Forwards: Alexandre Pato (AC Milan), Andre (Santos), Diego Tardelli (Atletico Mineiro), Neymar (Santos), Robinho (Santos).
The squad included only 4 members of the South Africa 2010 World Cup team and featured 11 newcomers to the national team.
Speaking of the selection of Menezes, Brazilian soccer federation President Ricardo Texeira pointed to the need for "a philosophy of renovation" in the national team, adding that he had no doubt that the transformation would be in place by 2014.
Menezes's squad selection for the upcoming Brazil v. USA friendly offered a tantalizing glimpse of precisely this concept of renovation by retaining only Dani Alves, Robinho, Thiago Silva and Ramires from the 2010 World Cup squad.
Squad:
Goalkeepers: Jefferson (Botafogo), Renan (Avai), Victor (Gremio).
Defenders: Andre Santos (Fenerbahce), Dani Alves (Barcelona), Marcelo (Real Madrid), Rafael da Silva (Manchester United), David Luis (Benfica), Henrique (Racing Santander), Rever (Atletico Mineiro), Thiago Silva (AC Milan).
Midfielders: Carlos Eduardo (Hoffenheim), Ederson (Lyon), Paulo Henrique Ganso (Santos), Hernanes (Sao Paulo), Jucilei (Corinthians), Lucas Leiva (Liverpool), Ramires (Benfica), Sandro (Internacional).
Forwards: Alexandre Pato (AC Milan), Andre (Santos), Diego Tardelli (Atletico Mineiro), Neymar (Santos), Robinho (Santos).
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)