well im back from my world cup mourning / bar exam break. day one of the bar exam is out of the way and im not sure how i feel lol. in any event the team called up for the USA game is a solid one -- it's definitely a good base for 2014 and I can see about 12 guys from this team make it to 2014, which is about what is expected. dunga ended up calling up 10 players to WC2010 from his first friendly against Norway in August of 2006. so something like that should happen with this current team. but, the idea of building up from the copa america and olympics onward is what always happens anyways. it's a bit silly to say that it's something new. there is always a "renovacao" of the national team when a new coach is there. dunga did the same damn thing and he even called up a good olympic team, which ended up getting dismantled by argentina in the semifinals. so, even focusing on a U23 team already is a bit silly i think, especially when you consider that clubs are not required to release players for the olympics. well i'm off to bed already! have 2 more days of the bar exam and then i'm moving to a new apartment. i'll return to regular posting next week!
I'd say the whole country and most in the media want Neymar and Ganso. I don't see how relevant this comment is right now.
nike had some influence in the late 90s for the selection process and if memory serves there was a RUMOR that nike forced ronaldo to play in the final of 98 despite the seizure he had (which i don't believe - i think ronaldo was not at 100% for that final but was ok enough to the point where he couldn't NOT play) in the book i read about brasilian soccer by Alex Bellos - Futebol the brasilian way of life - it goes into more detail about nike's relationshiip with the CBF... the nike-influence is probably a thing of the past; otherwise we would have seen ronaldinho on the NT for the WC...
He could stand and tell the coach he was okay, but in terms of physical/fitness tests none were given according to Zico. I doubt Nike had any say in playing him. He almost died in his seizure according to doctors, team-mates at the time. You think he would be okay to play in a WC, as the main player in the squad, in front of the host country, after suffering a life threatening seizure? Ok, if you do, but I disagree. Sobre o Neymar, amei o penalti dele contra o Vitoria, nao e' por nao gostar do peixe, mais para mostrar para todos que prescisam parar de endeusar-lo antes que estraguem o muleque.
I still think Nike has plenty of influence on Brazil. USA - nike team. France is changing to Nike in 2011...and I think they may debut their new Nike shirts against us in February.
Things will keep getting wrong with CBF in charge. CBF is lucky Brazilian clubs have historically done a good job developing players, but it seems even that is not as true nowadays as it was in the past.