Yes, the DFB started supporting orphans in Mexico during the WC in 1986. And you know what? They still support the same project now 28 years later. Here's a report from 2011 when Germany was in Mexico again for the U17 WC: http://www.sternsinger.org/home/presse/nachricht/article/u-17-besucht-waisenhaus-casa-de-cuna.html The U17 players visited the orphanage the DFB has been financing all these years. What's the problem with them helping these children? Do you think it would be better not to do anything?
I noticed Felipao exchanging gifts with the managers this past WC. Anyone knows what was in that goodie bag? Just curious to know..
You said: "Yes indeed, it show how easily Brazilians are bribed with gifts designed to win hearts. If I am not mistaking they did the same in 1986 world cup showering the Mexicans with gifts." You mentioned the 1986 WC in Mexico as an example of the DFB "bribing" the locals to get a good reception. I showed that it was not "bribing" for the WC but a serious long term charity project. It is still going on even though the DFB doesn't need the approval of the Mexicans any more since the WC was 28 years ago.
I think it's best if we not derail the thread further with someone who thinks all of this is done with ulterior motives and that anyone who appreciates this sort of generosity and investment is a fool who has sold out or been successfully bribed or whatever.
To be honest, the first time I noticed that was before the game against Germany and then I saw him do it against Holland too. Couldn't help but wonder if he was gifting the game away. (I'm sure he gave it to other managers, but that's the first time I saw it) Anyway, I'm sure you guys have gone over this many times, but I'm curious as to which players in this current team you would want to keep for your next tournament.
Well, I'm not a Brazil fan but personally, I'd keep Thiago Silva, Luiz Gustavo, Neymar, possibly Paulinho, Willian, Oscar, Marcelo, and maybe David Luiz.
You'll get different answers from different members. The unanimous picks are Neymar, Oscar and possibly Thiago Silva. I think most would keep Marcelo as well. For me personally, besides the names mentioned above, I'd keep David Luiz, Luiz Gustavo, Paulinho, Willian, Jefferson and possibly Bernard. Most of these names depend on how they perform from here on out and the competition in those positions.
Question: has anyone ever tried Marcelo as a left winger? Surely someone must have. He looks perfect for the job as Neymar's partner-in-crime on the left, with Neymar on the right. Why the youth coaches or whoever was in charge of his development thought "great attacker, poor defender. Likes to dribble, very quick and smooth with the ball, doesn't mind cutting inside? Why, he'd make a great left-back!" is beyond me. He'd be a damn sight better than Hulk.
I have to agree with Oscar and Neymar. I like Thiago Silva, and for the next couple years, he'll probably be in good shape (hopefully), but he'll be almost 34 in 2018. Not old by any means, but it's hard to tell when football players will retire/stop playing well. That said, I'd love to count on him, he's very consistent. The others mentioned (Willian, Luiz Gustavo, Paulinho, Bernard, etc) deserve a chance. I wouldn't count them out cause I think there's definitely some talent there, but I'd say they still need to improve themselves at least a little to be what the NT needs them to be.
Several people discussed this possibility. We could have dropped Fred and played a back three, with Alves and Marcelo given license to run rampant, sort of like Cafu and Roberto Carlos back in 2002. But Scolari isn't much of a tinkerer or tactician. And to be fair we never trained with a back three. I shudder to think of the defensive positioning errors we would have seen if we'd tried it in the knockout. But then you cant do much worse than 7-1. As for an out-and-out attacking winger, Neymar probably works better inverted, and I wonder whether Marcelo has the shooting ability to play that role on the right. If we were to play them on their preferred sides, then we lacked an in form target man to receive crosses. Although maybe Fred would have been better with some actual service.
I would try and get a good midfield going first before you even attempt to only have three in the back. A poor midfield would have allow more goals to be conceded.
To be fair, I feel like Fred got a poor tactical integration into the side, almost like he was a decoy more than anything, with Hulk and Neymar and the FBs dominating the ball as though Fred were expected to score off rebounds and desperation crosses. His hold-up play that we saw in the Confeds, nowhere to be seen, it's like the players don't want him to see the ball. Teams began to not respect the threat he posed and started diverting more attention to limiting the wings. Did he have a good tournament? No, but he is an easy scapegoat for a poor gameplan that relied almost entirely on Neymar dominating the ball and creating space for him with no proper substitute that could play the same role other than an out-of-form Bernard struggling for minutes at Shakhtar.
I don´t think you need to replace most of the players. The failure was not a mistake of players, but the result of poor coaching and bad work of Scolari´s team, including psychologists. The system based on one man can´t work if this man (Neymar) is injured. If Maradona 1986 was injured, that Argentina was just an average team. Neither Fred isn´t such a clown how he looks now, isn´t his mistake, that he is out of form after injury and even was the first choice on Nr. 9 position. Brazilian teams of 1990 and 1994 were based on the same players - Taffarel, Jorginho, Ricardo Rocha, Aldair, Branco, Mazinho, Dunga, Romário, Bebeto, Müller. In the meantime , the big Falcao tried to replace the whole team and the result was awful, non brazilian football and bad results.
Neymar, Oscar, Thiago Silva and Gustavo, Willian I would recall without question. Marcelo, David Luiz, Bernard (leave Urkraine please) Paulinho left a really bad taste in my mouth to the point I wouldn't be sad if they weren't called up for a few games. They need to start from scratch and re- earn a spot on the team.
This has been done before with Leonardo, and I think it could work for Marcelo as well. He certainly has the flair and technical ability to pull it off.
David Luiz played from hero to zero. I thought he will be the best centre- back of the World Cup after five matches, but the worst centre-back in the whole World after the last two matches.
It's hard to blame the David alone since the whole defense was a disaster from the midfielders to the back-line.
I wouldn't go that far. I think the situation with him is that he did poorly according to his own standards. He started off strong in the tournament and then crumbled under the pressure against Germany. I don't think his performance against Germany should define him. Yes, it was extremely disappointing, but he has already demonstrated he can do better.
I agree. His goal against Colombia was wonderful. One of the most beautiful goals in the World Cup with Cahill's, van Persie's and James Rodriguez's my favourite.