Raphinha missed Leeds' match yesterday after testing positive for COVID. it's expected that he'll be cut from the national team for this window and a replacement named, but so far it hasn't been officially announced. Because of the current hype in Brazil, a lot of people think this might be a chance for Pedro or Raphael Veiga. I think Gabigol might be a likelier call-up. EDIT: Having said that, the immediate replacement would be Éverton Ribeiro, especially since we're likely to run a 4-1-4-1 or 4-4-2. Considering he's been playing on the left and pundits have been criticizing his call-up for a while the reaction if Tite went with ER7 would be something to watch...
Gabriel will also miss this window. He requested the time off for the birth of his first child and will be replaced by Felipe. Here's a decent summary of where spots are up for grabs and who has a shot. The article is a week old but built around the latest call up: https://www.uol.com.br/esporte/fute...-ultimas-vagas-na-copa-quem-esta-na-briga.htm
Time is flying by. For those posters who like me reside in the U.S., spring is now here, and once April has arrived, cold weather will gradually fade, with a few gasps and perhaps even some snowfall.... and that's it. And this Thursday, and then Tuesday next week, Brazil will finish yet another lengthy World Cup qualifying tournament. Chile at home and Bolivia in Bolivia. (Although there's the pending game vs. Argentina, which should in my view just be merged into the supposed FIFA exhibition match that is supposed to take place in June; it'll save time and money and spare both delegations from a lot of logistical demands given it'll be summertime in the northern hemisphere, and with UEFA seasons winding down, it'll be a good time for a selective approach to friendlies so Tite can fine-tune the team further.) If it were any other year, we'd be looking at the World Cup starting in 3 months or so, but this tournament just *had* to go to a country with little soccer tradition AND whose mid-year summer is so prohibitively hot the entire soccer world had to adjust to a November-December World Cup... Concerning Neymar's fate, if PSG lets him go, he has two options. Either he gets his act together and shines at Qatar (even if the Hexa remains elusive), or he doesn't. Whoever signs him up next, if PSG does release him, may largely depend on what he does - and doesn't do - at the World Cup.
Éderson has been cut due to an intestinal issue, Éverson has been called up in his place. It looks like there won't be a call-up to replace Raphinha at this point, since we've already seen the other replacements with no additional announcement.
In addition to matches this window, there is the FIFA congress. Thursday, April 1 will be the draw for the WC. https://ge.globo.com/futebol/futebo...-do-sorteio-dos-grupos-da-copa-do-mundo.ghtml Among the other things FIFA will decide at the conference will be whether to increase squads to 26 players.
Tite cobra que os pontas fechem os espaços da saída de bola do trio de defensores do Chile. Principalmente com Isla, sempre esperto na ultrapassagem. Há pouco, disse a Vinicius: “se tu fizer isso daí, vai ser do c#%^*&”, quando o jogador do Real fechou o corredor. pic.twitter.com/3WyYv5DRiM— Raphael Zarko (@raphazarko) March 22, 2022 Also very clear from this link that Tite believes that the wingers should be defending hence Neymar being used as a false 9 makes sense against Chile
They do get back to defend in big games at certain points during the game. Mostly they go back to fill space and compose shape.
The decision to expand the rosters to 26 p[layers will be voted on by coaches on April 1, before the draw: https://ge.globo.com/futebol/seleca...sta-inscritos-ampliacao-votacao-sorteio.ghtml Tite is in favor of expanding the list.
The man, the myth, the legend, getting a picture taken with his biggest fan. I mean of course, the legend Casimiro and his fan, Neymar.
A lot of good stuff to read following the Chile match. Here's one from ge: https://ge.globo.com/blogs/painel-t...nejou-a-selecao-sem-um-camisa-9-de-area.ghtml And here's the first training ahead of the Bolivia match: https://ge.globo.com/futebol/seleca...spensao-bolivia-eliminatorias-desfalque.ghtml Martinelli seems to be making a good impression, not just based on the goal mentioned in the article above. He may give Rodrygo a run for that 7th spot. We'll see tomorrow, with a more complete training session, if Tite is likely to keep the formation, with Martinelli/Rodrygo, Richarlison, Antony up top or if he goes with something different like a Paquetá + Coutinho midfield in front of Casemiro and Fred.
This was the starting line-up in training today: Alisson; Daniel Alves, Marquinhos, Éder Miltão, Alex Telles; Fabinho, Bruno Guimarães, Lucas Paquetá; Philippe Coutinho, Richarlison, Antony https://ge.globo.com/futebol/seleca...as-treino-desfalques-neymar-vini-junior.ghtml
I read today Brazil's delegation will arrive in La Paz three hours before gametime and will rent 16 to 18 oxygen tanks. I don't recall whether Tite did this in 2018 WCQ or whether any previous manager since the Penta did this. I do know that Brazil hasn't won a WCQ match in Bolivia since 1986 (a 0-2 win), and that the best we've done since are draws: 1-1 for 2006 and 0-0 for 2018. Other teams - Ecuador and Chile for example - defeated Bolivia in La Paz in 2022 WCQ. Technically, if they can do it, so can Brazil. I wonder how this oxygen tank thing will play out. I won't, by the way, write a match thread - I'll probably resume that for summertime matches and of course, for the World Cup itself.
Argentina NT and clubs usually do all of this with mixed results. Last time however the NT spent the previous night in La Paz and won so I guess it doesn't matter. The only really effective preparation would be to spend a month or so training in altitude but that is obviously impossible in modern times.
In fact, our best result in Bolivia since that win CB mentioned was in the 1997 Copa América final in hosted in Bolivia. In that case though, Brazil played all their games before the final in Santa Cruz, which is only 1200m above sea level, so the tournament time together was the factor, not the altitude prep specifically.
Looks like celito has taken up the banner already. I'm optimistic about this match, but also know that you can't really expect much out of a match in La Paz. Hoping for the best with early goals to cement the win and prevent us having to exert too much energy.
In addition to that 7-0 over Peru in the semifinals, what stands out for me in that tournament is Zagallo screaming at the camera. He definitely had a lot to vent given how criticized he'd been by the sports press. Incidentally, that title conquest marked the first of only two times in CONMEBOL history that a team was Copa América and World Cup champion at the same time. That time, the world championship was won before the continental title.... it was reversed in 2002-2004.
Pot A is defined for the WC draw: Qatar, Brazil, Belgium, France, Argentina, England, Spain, Portugal Pot B currently has: Germany, Netherlands, Denmark, Switzerland, Croatia, Uruguay
I think after the CONCACAF matches tomorrow I'll open a World Cup draw thread. Qualifying is basically over for Brazil though the match vs Argentina will still be held as a friendly/qualifier combination. 3 teams will be TBD for World Cup after tomorrow - the intercontinental playoffs and the European playoff in Ukraine's bracket. Draw will be held on April 1st at 1pm Brazilian time.