FIFA Confederation Cup Preview: Brazil

Team: Brazil

Manager: Luiz Felipe Scolari

Last Confederation Cup Win: 2009 (Third time.)

Full Squad:

Goalkeepers: Julio Cesar (Queens Park Rangers), Diego Cavalieri (Fluminense), Jefferson (Botafogo).Defenders: Daniel Alves (Barcelona), Jean (Fluminense), Filipe Luis (Atletico de Madrid), Marcelo (Real Madrid), David Luiz (Chelsea), Rever (Atletico Mineiro), Dante (Bayern Munich), Thiago Silva (Paris Saint-Germain).

Midfielders: Paulinho (Corinthians), Fernando (Gremio), Luiz Gustavo (Bayern Munich), Hernanes (Lazio), Oscar (Chelsea), Lucas (Paris Saint-Germain), Jadson (Sao Paulo).

Forwards: Neymar (Santos), Fred (Fluminense), Hulk (Zenit), Leandro Damiao (Internacional), Bernard (Atletico Mineiro).

Team Overview:

Julio Cesar: QPR’s Julio Cesar has made 26 appearances for QPR last season but was unable to prevent them sliding out of the Barclays Premier League. Yet, with his experience, he stands out as the most likely to be the first choice goalkeeper for Brazil. He was also the one who started against France wherein Brazil triumphed 3-0.

Thiago Silva: The ball playing defender is easily one of the best central defenders in world football now. Thiago Silva is a player with wonderful technique and composure, and reads the game impressively. His performances will be worth looking out for. “Personally I do not like conceding goals. I would rather win 1-0 win in a game full of goals,” said the former Milan player. “The way we play requires a lot of balance. Keeping the team is compressed one of our goals.”

Dante Santos: For once, the Brazilian team doesn’t lack depth in their defence, and it is still a matter of debate who will eventually hold the defensive line along with Thiago Silva. The 29 year old Dante has enjoyed quite a good season with his club this year. Known for his composure and prowess in the air, Dante posses the ability to push forward and create opportunities. He has been rock-solid throughout the season in the centre of Bayern’s defence, displaying impeccable tackling accuracy and an ability to calmly play the ball out of defensive situations. Although David Luiz was the one to start against France, the Chelsea man was guilty of number of reckless challenges, something that Scolari would have taken note of.

Daniel Alves: A no brainer, Fluminense right back Jean poses no threat to Barcelona’s Daniel Alves who has been holding that position for quite long now, since Manchester City‘s Maicon went out of the picture a year back. An attacking phenomena on the right, Alves will be expected to play much more defensively than he is used to play in Barcelona.

Filipe Luis: Atletico Madrid defender Filipe Luis is likely to be the one starting ahead of often favoured Real Madrid’s Marcelo, who has been struggling with injury woes throughout the season. While Marcelo was impressive against France with his adventurous runs, Luis offers Brazil a much more defensive prospect. Both of them are different players with the same objective, which ultimately acts in favour of Brazil.

Luis Gustavo: The Bayern Munich anchorman works as a catalyst between the defenders and the attackers and helps in accommodating Brazil’s attacking full-back pair. Luis Gustavo has maintained a brilliant 92.1 per cent of pass success in Europe this season.

Paulinho: Not as popular as his other teammates, Corinthians’s Paulinho is an integral part of Luis Felipe Scolari’s Confederation Cup plans. A Gerrard-like midfielder, Paulinho claims his share of glory as often he is seen sending the ball into the back of the net. He has the stamina and the prowess to switch his position real quick, so quick that as soon as one of his teammates wins the ball from the opposition’s half, he races off to invade the opponent box, posing a great attacking threat that many other central midfielders lack nowadays. Calm and composed, he would be busy distributing the ball when the team needs him to do so. In simple words, he is what his team needs him to be. A player to definitely put your money on.

Oscar: Chelsea’s golden boy can create havoc in minutes andin the absence of Ricardo Kaka, he is unchallenged in that position. Better when given freedom of the centre of the pitch, Oscar will be the side’s most important link between attack and defence.

Hulk: Just as his fictional doppelgänger, Hulk possesses great power and speed. He is lot more dangerous from the right, but is equally effective playing as a lone striker. Brazil’s wildcard, Hulk is one of those unpredictable players you can’t expect anything from. When on song, unplayable.

Vincente Del Bosque: “We have an army.”

Scolari: “We have a Hulk.”

You get what I mean. But when he is not in the right mood, he can be the third wheel for his team, which has been more or less the case for Hulk in Russia this season. For Brazil, Oscar and Hulk will be fielded as wide midfielders supporting the attacking duo upfront whenever the team is moving forward with the ball.

Neymar: With 20 goals and 13 assists already, Neymar has been directly involved in 33 goals in 34 games with the Brazilian national team. Critics and fans alike would debate that his record and performance against the more competitive teams have been poor and bundle of goals against minnows like China and Iran isn’t really worth the hype that surrounds him, but quite frankly we are yet to see much of him in an official competition. The Confederations Cup will be the third significant competition for Neymar with the national team, and so far he has failed to provide the kind of football you would associate with a player of his stature.

Fred: With Diego Costa’s absence and Leandro Damiao’s injury, Fred stands out as the team’s target man. Against France, Fred didn’t really show a lot of movement, and rather waited for the long balls inside the area. That might be the case in the whole tournament too, and judging by his form over the last couple of seasons, he will not be a let down.

Odds in the competition:Even though Brazil isn’t the best team on paper, the betting experts have something else in their mind. At 6/4, Brazil are the clear favourites to win the competition. Possibly, due to fact that the Samba boys are playing in their own backyard and have a strong record in this competition. Brazil have won the Confederations Cup three times in six appearances since 1997 including the last two renewals in 2005 and 2009. While a trophy may not be expected from them, a respectable showing could bring about much needed confidence in the locker room, especially with the World Cup knocking at the door.