Team : Brazil
Brazil The Samba boys
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Nick Name: Samba Boys
Coach: Dunga
Group Opponents: DPR Korea, Portugal, Ivory Coast
Latest News and form : When it comes to Brazil, it does not really matter how their form is, what team they have picked, who is injured. I think one can safely assume that for all world cups Brazil go into the tournament as favorites. It is no different this time. For the records, Brazil beat Zimbabwe 3-0, Robinho, Elano and Bastos helping themselves to a goal each. They next play Tanzania on June the 7th.
Goalkeeper: Julio Caesar is considered by many as the best goal kepper in the world right now. Even ahead of Gigi Buffon. The backup, in the form of Spurs goalie Gomes is not bad either.
Julio Cesar (Inter Milan)
Heurelho Gomes (Tottenham)
Doni (AS Roma)
Defense: Juan and Lucio, the two beasts will provide BIG towering physical presence in the defence and also in the opposition goals for set pieces. Michael Bastos (left) and Maicon (right) complete the defence. When you see people like Dani Alves (of Barcelona) on the bench, you know the quality that this team posseses.
Maicon (Inter Milan)
Dunga wants to be number 1
Daniel Alves (Barcelona)
Michel Bastos (Lyon)
Gilberto (Cruzeiro)
Lucio (Inter Milan)
Juan (AS Roma)
Luisao (Benfica)
Thiago Silva (AC Milan).
Midfield: Melo will provide the defensive cover. Kaka will provide the link between defence and attack for the men in yellow. Robinho will do his trickery on the left and on the right they will have one of Josue/Ramires/Elano. Kleberson and Baptista are the suprise selection ahead of the likes of Ronaldinho and Adriano. I think Dunga may have erred over here. Ronaldinho would have provided the perfect cover for Kaka in case “Le Prince de Madrid” was unavailable. I am not sure if Baptista and Kleberson are such clever selctions.
[slideshow]
Elano (Galatasaray)
Kaka (Real Madrid)
Gilberto Silva (Panathinaikos)
Josue (Wolfsburg)
Ramires (Benfica)
Felipe Melo (Juventus)
Kleberson (Flamengo)
Julio Baptista (AS Roma)
Forward: Villareal forward Fabiano will be partnered by either Nilmar or Grafite. I remember Grafite played a terrific game against Manchester United in this years Champions league and also scored a goal.
Luis Fabiano (Sevilla)
Kaka will be the man for Brazil in the absence of Ronaldinho
Nilmar (Villarreal)
Robinho (Santos)
Grafite (Wolfsburg).
Author’s views: Go into the tournament as firm favorites, with a perfect mixture of slick, quick passing, trickery and power, strength and pace. Couple of bad selections might come back to haunt them if they get unlucky with injuries.
