News: Seleção General Discussion 2023 [R]

During training today Diniz did some "saída de bola" drills (which you can watch in the video a couple of posts up). After the training was closed to the press, reportedly yhis is the starting lineup he went with:

Ederson, Danilo, Marquinhos, Gabriel Magalhães, Renan Lodi; Casemiro, Bruno Guimarães, Neymar; Raphinha, Rodrygo, Richarlison.

https://www.uol.com.br/esporte/fute...o-do-brasil-para-estreia-contra-a-bolivia.htm

Tomorrow there will be two press conferences: 1 before training, with a player and 1 after training with Diniz. Training will start behind closed doors for set pieces, but after that session, they will open the training to the public. We'll see if there are any changes to that lineup.

 

For those in the US it looks like Universo (NBC/Telemundo) picked up the rights to Argentina and Brazil home matches at the last minute. (Or at least they picked up this round's matches for those two.)

 

Some U23 news:
The team had two friendlies scheduled in Morocco. The first was Thursday, and Morocco won 1x0:

https://ge.globo.com/futebol/selecao-brasileira/jogo/07-09-2023/marrocos-sub-23-brasil-sub-23.ghtml

The second one was scheduled for Monday, but if you've seen recent news you won't be surprised to hear it has been canceled. An earthquake in Morocco this past Friday has claimed over 2100 lives. Players on Brazil's U23 team were in the hotel in Fez, a city that was not as strongly impacted, when the earthquake happened:

https://ge.globo.com/futebol/seleca...pica-fara-amistoso-com-portoes-fechados.ghtml

https://ge.globo.com/futebol/seleca...-relata-susto-com-terremoto-em-marrocos.ghtml

In late October the Pan American games begin (October 22). Not sure if the U23 will have friendlies on the FIFA date as well (October 9 to 17).

 

Just some notes/thoughts on the next call-up:

Usually the call-up is 3 weeks before the first match of the window. During this time of the year, with October and November call-ups coming shortly after the last matches, this is sometimes just 2 weeks.

So my guess is that the next call-up will be on September 29, 2 weeks ahead of the October 12/13 match against Venezuela.

It could be as early as September 22 (next week) but that seems unlikely. However, a list is always sent early to FIFA to make sure clubs will release players so regardless of when the press conference happens, the list to FIFA probably has to go out next week.

That means we shouldn't expect many changes beyond the addition of injured players who were unavailable (Vini Jr. and Bento) and options here and there.

 

The call-up will be this Saturday at 15h30 in Brazil:

https://ge.globo.com/futebol/seleca...bado-para-enfrentar-venezuela-e-uruguai.ghtml

Basically, 3 weeks before the match, not the 2 that I was guessing.

Fluminense play Wednesday (Brasileirao) before the call-up and Wednesday (Libertadores), after the call-up, so perhaps this is due to that schedule.

Vini Jr is expected back at Real Madrid next week, so that would be the major news for this call-up.

 

News has been slow about Paquetá, but here's a good update and summary:

https://ge.globo.com/futebol/seleca...r-parecer-de-investigacao-sobre-paqueta.ghtml

TLDR, he's unlikely to be called up now for the October qualifiers, but will probably be back for the November matches. Paquetá testified on September 11 and the FA did not present strong evidence against Paquetá:

The FA now has until October 11 to either move forward with the case or shelve it. That deadline is why the article believes he will be called up again in November.

 

There was a call-up for the Pan Am games today. This is the team coached by Ramon Menezes, but since it's a low prestige tournament and in the middle of the European season/end of our season, players aren't required to be released.

Also, the cutoff date is Jan 2000 which means players that can't be in the Olympics can be on this team (for the Olympics the cutoff is Jan 2001).

Here's the team:

Goleiros:
Mycael - Athletico-PR
Andrew - Gil Vicente (Portugal)
Matheus Donelli - Corinthians

Defesa:
João Moreira - São Paulo
Rikelme - Cuiabá
Patryck - São Paulo
Lucas Halter - Goiás
Gustavo Martins - Grêmio
Arthur Chaves - Acadêmico de Viseu (Portugal)

Meias:
Matheus Dias - Internacional
Guilherme Biro - Corinthians
Marquinhos - Nantes (France)
Ronald - Grêmio
Igor Jesus - Flamengo

Atacantes:
Gabriel Veron - Porto (Portugal)
Matheus Nascimento - Botafogo
Figueiredo - Vasco
Kaio - Coritiba

https://ge.globo.com/futebol/seleca...ara-o-pan-veja-a-lista-de-ramon-menezes.ghtml

 

Convocação press conference is live:

 

Convocação for October qualifiers vs. Venezuela (Oct 12) and at Uruguay (Oct 17).

Goleiros:
Alisson
Ederson
Perri

Laterais:
Danilo
Vanderson
Caio Henrique
Renan Lodi

Zagueiros:
Bremer
Gabriel
Marquinhos
Nino

Meias:
André
Bruno Guimarães
Casemiro
Gérson
Raphael Veiga

Atacantes:
Gabriel Jesus
Matheus Cunha
Neymar
Raphinha
Richarlison
Rodrygo
Vini Jr.

 

As expected very few changes.

No changes at full-back is a little disappointing, but with Renan Lodi as the starter on the left, it was unlikely he'd be dropped entirely.

Bremer at center back instead of Ibáñez is a positive in my opinion.

The big surprise of course is Gérson as a midfield option. Paquetá is not expected to be called up again until November, and Joelinton is the name dropped to fit Gérson in.

Up front, Gabriel Jesus and Raphinha, who were replacements last time are in from the beginning, and so is Vini Jr, back from injury. Martinelli is dropped, but he's currently injured, although I think it's not for too long, so I thought he could have been called up.

Biggest surprise for me up front is maintaining Matheus Cunha.

And, as usual, I always mention there's no reason to limit the call-up to 23 players. I would have liked to see one more mid and one more fullback just to help players for possible future call-ups.

 

I should have noted this above. They're both injured. They might be back in time for the matches, but like Gabriel Jesus last time they probably weren't included for that reason.

 

I didn't post a prediction or pre-callup summary like I often do, so I thought I'd do one post call-up instead and look at the realistic alternatives as well as what I would have liked.

General points:
I wouldn't expect big changes from September to October to November. Not only are these qualifiers, the schedule goes from "easy" to "difficult" to "very difficult" in these 3 windows. We close out the year with matches in Colombia and then at home to Argentina.

Goleiros:
Alisson, Ederson - No surprise here. Two of the best in the world and expected in 2026.
Perri - The only question was whether it would be Bento, who was first choice last time, or Perri, who came in when Bento was injured. Bento is still injured and expected back in October, so there was no decision to be made yet.

Laterais:
Danilo - Most people look at the age and the fact he's an unexciting player, but if you recall form some of the articles I posted back in the Tite era, and even from recently, when Ednaldo Rodrigues was consulting players about the coaching appointment, it's obvious he is not only an important leader on the team, but an intelligent player who can assimilate different ideas and help his teammates adapt. With the lack of options, I think we can expect him through Copa América. I'd call him.

Vanderson - Along with André, the only player who might be considered for the U23 if they weren't on the senior team. (Rodrygo and Martinelli are young enough but wouldn't be considered for U23.) Are there any realistic alternatives here? Emerson hasn't started a league match since Tottenham's first this season. No one else has national team experience, except Fagner (and some guy who is in jail right now). The other options are young as well like Yan Couto or U20s like Arthur.

Renan Lodi - He's doing fine at Marseille, I guess. Not a call-up that excites me. Considering he started both matches under Diniz there is no way he was going to be dropped, even if I would prefer to see Arana. I would like to see the back-up get some more minutes, but they are players with very different characteristics. Also, neither one is a great defensive option.

Caio Henrique - Glad to see him again. Like I said above, I hope he gets some minutes. He's a very different type of left-back though, so picking him or Lodi to start dictates how the left side will attack.

General point: Full-backs are the biggest reason I wish we called up more players. I can imagine we'll see the exact same names again in November. And with only 2 on each side and each one with very different characteristics, there needs to be space to integrate another option so players can be exposed to the environment and we can have a longer list of options for 2024 and 2026 with at least a few call-ups.

Zagueiros:
Honestly I don't think I'd do anything differently here. I won't even go over the two starters (Marquinhos and Gabriel).

Bremer - I'm happy to see him over Ibáñez. Even before the latter went to Saudi Arabia, I preferred Bremer. He's playing in the middle of the Juventus defense every week. That's a big deal. He does need better passing, but he's not bad in that department, just needs to keep growing.

Nino - Once Militão is back, I would imagine Nino gets dropped. All of Marquinhos, Militão, Gabriel and Bremer could well be in Copa América and make it to the World Cup together too. I think Nino is on the outside looking in. Alterantives here (or for Bremer) would either be veterans stepping in to help (Felipe) or Veríssimo if he recovers his form (doing ok at Corinthians so far) or the youngsters, Robert Renan, Kaiky, Beraldo etc. I don't expect any of the youngsters to start appearing until after the Olympic cycle.

Separate post for Meias and Atacantes.

 

Meias:

The point I want to make here is that you could, instead of doing Meias and Atacantes, have three categories. Say, Meias, Armadores and Atacantes. Gérson isn't really an armador, but he'd be in a limbo as an ineffective option in either one. Veiga would move to Armadores and Neymar and Rodrygo would be there too.

I'd add more meias, drop both Veiga and Gérson and have enough names to play either a 3-man midfield + Neymar and 2 forwards, or a 2 man midfield + Neymar and 3 forwards.

André, Casemiro, Bruno Guimarães - Not much to say here. It's likely all three will be there in November too. The big question is whether André will get some minutes and how Gérson will fit as an option here.

Gérson, Veiga - As I said above, I'd drop both of these names. Is that realistic? I think so. Joelinton is injured, but was here in September. Douglas Luiz is playing very well. And we know Paquetá will be back in November, barring an unexpected development. Other options could include Claudinho as an armador type, or João Gomes (unless there's a surprise U23 call-up for October coming, on top of the Pan-American games!). Danilo is currently injured. Then there's the versatile Pepê, who some people think could get a call-up, but that could be anywhere on the right, including midfield.

Armadores
Neymar, Rodrygo - Let's set these two apart as the atacantes/armadores. Obviously Neymar will start as the 10 and Rodrygo can fill other roles, but I think they can occupy the same space on the list and both will be here for the foreseeable future.

That leaves 5 Atacantes:

Vini Jr - Unquestionable. Let's hope he's fit tomorrow and gets plenty of playing time under Diniz.

Raphinha - Has improved lately for his club and turned out to fit Diniz's system pretty well. Although he wasn't called up last time until a replacement was needed, I think he should be in November and the foreseeable call ups for now

Richarlison - I like him. But I would have given him a break in June and maybe September. By now I would want him back, but he never got that break, so all that pressure is still on him, even if he recently had a good match for his club. I would expect him to start again, and I have no problem with that, but I am no longer 100% sure he will start.

Gabriel Jesus - Without the injury that held him back last time, I expect he'll be on every Diniz list. If he's healthy, I think he has a chance of starting this time.

Matheus Cunha - Along with Veiga and Gérson he's the one I would realistically drop. I don't find the alternatives very exciting, but Arthur Cabral, Evanilson, potentially a winger/versatile option like Pepê or Felipe Anderson could all merit an inclusion. I like Matheus Cunha, but his amazing game against Man Utd aside, he hasn't stood out this season and he also didn't take his chances in the few minutes he got against Bolivia.

 

Summary:

Two unrealistic changes I would make would be:

1. take out Renan Lodi and add Arana
2. call more than 23 players (add 1 or 2 fullbacks, 2 mids and maybe 1 more player overall)

The "realistic" changes I would make:

1. Take out Matheus Cunha for another 3rd forward option like Arthur Cabral, Evanilson or even Tiquinho Soares
2. Take out Gérson and Veiga and add Douglas Luiz and either Claudinho, Pepê or João Gomes, depending on the needs/objectives

For November, expect largely the same lineup plus Paquetá and maybe Martinelli and Joelinton. Other than that, I would not expect more than two new names on defense, as the 2nd fullback or 4th defender option.