Ganso To Miss Brazil Friendlies Due To Knee Surgery

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

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

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

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

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.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Hulk Scores Spectacular Goal Against Sporting Lisbon

Hulk scored a brace against Sporting Lisbon in Porto’s last home game of the season, today. The Brazilian striker sent the Sporting keeper the wrong way from the penalty spot in the 82nd minute and then scored a spectacular goal in the 87th minute to punctuate yet another successful season in Portugal. As the game approached its final minutes, Hulk picked up the ball near center circle and then displayed his trademark explosive pace by bursting down the field, rounding the keeper and tucking the ball in to give Porto an insurmountable lead. Prior to today's match, the entire FC Porto squad collected their Primeira Liga medal before the match and celebrated their accomplishment by dyeing their hair in Porto’s blue and white colors.

Hulk’s composure at the penalty spot and his explosive power and pace make him an attractive candidate for the number 11 jersey in the Brazilian national team. Hulk can now claim three Portuguese Championship titles (2008-2009, 2010-2011, 2011-2012) although the rumor mill suggests he may well be on his way to the English Premier League next season. The burly Brazilian’s strength and shooting accuracy is sorely needed by the Selecao at a time when Neymar and Leandro Damiao represent the other options in a skilled but inexperienced Brazilian attack.

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.

Hulk Takes Porto Closer To Portuguese Title With Crucial Goal Against Braga

Hulk showed why he is one of the most dangerous strikers in the world with a second half goal against Braga that keeps Porto at the top of the Portuguese Premier League with four matches remaining. James Rodriguez set up Hulk by splaying the ball out to the right winger, and the powerful Brazilian responded by using his strength and pace to get ahead of the defender and one touch the ball low into the back of the next past the keeper’s right hand. The play was initiated by Hulk who saw the opening on the right wing and began the run that inspired Rodriguez’s assist. Porto now stand atop the Portuguese Premier League with 63 points, four ahead of second placed Benefica who play Sporting on Monday. Braga lie in third place with 58 points and eagerly await a slip-up by Benefica in the race for the coveted second spot in the league that enables Champions League qualification. With at least four matches remaining, the battle for first place in the Portuguese Premier League remains wide open although Hulk fired Porto closer to the title with his goal today.