On the 6th of February, a revamped Brazilian side will face 6th ranked England in a friendly tie which is likely to feature veteran forward and former Ballon D'Or winner Ronaldinho.
Following a disappointing World Cup campaign in 2010, then Brazil manager Mano Menezes was forced to axe many of his star players opting to refurbish his side with young legs. Only 4 players including Daniel Alves, Robinho, Ramires and Thiago Silva were able to maintain their places in the squad.
The Samba side has been less than convincing since then and failed to perform in competitions. In 2011 the Brazilian side was knocked out of the Copa America Quarter Final by runners up Paraguay. A strong Brazilian side also failed to win the gold medal in Olympics denied by Mexico in the Final. Following a series of disappointing performances, Menezes decided to call back senior players such as Ronaldinho. However, he was not given much time to make amends and was sacked towards the end of 2012.
Luiz Felipe Scolari was appointed as a replacement for Menezes on the 28th of November 2012. The Brazilian will be hoping to repeat his antics which guided Brazil to their 5th World Cup title in 2002.
On Wednesday, Scolari will take charge of his first match in over 10 years for Brazil. Scolari will be welcoming veteran forward Ronaldinho back into the squad, to add experience to a very young Brazilian side.
Being the hosts of the 2014 World Cup, Brazil are guaranteed automatic qualification and are thus not required to play any qualification matches. They have been put up against mediocre teams in the past 6 months or so, facing the likes of Colombia, Japan, Iraq, China and South Africa which has been a mere walk in the park. Brazil will be put to test in their upcoming fixtures, when they square off against heavyweights England and Italy.
There is no doubting that the Brazilian side is as talented as any top side in the world, however there is a danger of them being too used to mediocre sides. This might have been one of the reasons Scolari decided to recall Ronaldinho, a man who is no stranger to big matches.
It will be a pity if Scolari adopts defensive tactics in order to avoid defeat in today’s tie against England. The Brazilian side bolsters talents which can compete with any top side in the world. Under the management of World Cup winning manager Scolari and the guidance of senior players such as Ronaldinho, Dani Alves and Ramires, the younger players can be groomed into potential World Cup winners in 2014.
The Samba side has been less than convincing since then and failed to perform in competitions. In 2011 the Brazilian side was knocked out of the Copa America Quarter Final by runners up Paraguay. A strong Brazilian side also failed to win the gold medal in Olympics denied by Mexico in the Final. Following a series of disappointing performances, Menezes decided to call back senior players such as Ronaldinho. However, he was not given much time to make amends and was sacked towards the end of 2012.
Luiz Felipe Scolari was appointed as a replacement for Menezes on the 28th of November 2012. The Brazilian will be hoping to repeat his antics which guided Brazil to their 5th World Cup title in 2002.
On Wednesday, Scolari will take charge of his first match in over 10 years for Brazil. Scolari will be welcoming veteran forward Ronaldinho back into the squad, to add experience to a very young Brazilian side.
Being the hosts of the 2014 World Cup, Brazil are guaranteed automatic qualification and are thus not required to play any qualification matches. They have been put up against mediocre teams in the past 6 months or so, facing the likes of Colombia, Japan, Iraq, China and South Africa which has been a mere walk in the park. Brazil will be put to test in their upcoming fixtures, when they square off against heavyweights England and Italy.
There is no doubting that the Brazilian side is as talented as any top side in the world, however there is a danger of them being too used to mediocre sides. This might have been one of the reasons Scolari decided to recall Ronaldinho, a man who is no stranger to big matches.
It will be a pity if Scolari adopts defensive tactics in order to avoid defeat in today’s tie against England. The Brazilian side bolsters talents which can compete with any top side in the world. Under the management of World Cup winning manager Scolari and the guidance of senior players such as Ronaldinho, Dani Alves and Ramires, the younger players can be groomed into potential World Cup winners in 2014.
