New Brazil manager Dunga should take a page out of Jurgen Klinsmann’s book and go young. Super young. The semifinal: a disgrace. The third place game: a mere embarrassment. If I’m Dunga, I’m cleaning house. He already sort of did that, retaining only 10 players from the World Cup team on the September roster. Dunga’s modifications will be on display tonight in Miami against Colombia.
He still needs to go farther though. The last two games of the World Cup were a dumpster fire for Brazil, and instead of putting the fire out, the dumpster needs to be destroyed and a new, better dumpster needs to be erected in its place.
And if I’m Dunga, I’m starting with the defense. As was evident in the now-infamous 7-1 game, Brazil’s defense is, um, shoddy.
Especially without Thiago Silva, who was just replaced as Brazil Captain by Neymar. Even with Silva, Brazil’s defensive talent is lacking, as evidenced by the third place game against the Netherlands. David Luiz is half-decent in the air, but mediocre at best everywhere else. Maicon seems like he is old enough to have played with Pele. Players like Maxwell, Gilberto Silva and Dani Alves are getting up in years also.
It’s time to blow the whole thing up, which is basically what Dunga did. Maxwell, the Silvas, Alves, Marcelo, Dante and Henrique have been left off Brazil’s friendly roster this September. That’s not enough, however. Brazil has up-and-comers that should replace the older defenders on the friendly roster.
Marquinhos, a 20-year-old PSG center back (David Luiz, Thiago Silva and Maxwell also play for PSG), will be in the lineup, as well as Gil, Miranda and Filipe Luis (late-20s), who were left off the World Cup team, and 23-year-olds Alex Sandro and Danilo.
Mayke, a 21-year-old attack-minded right back, has been compared with Maicon and should replace the aging defender. Alex Telles, a scrappy left back who can come forward when necessary, and Doria, a big, athletic 19-year-old center back, should replace two out of the Gil-Miranda-Filipe Luis Trio. One of these players would have been a better call-up for the injured Sandro than Real Madrid left back Marcelo.
Dunga didn’t mess with the midfield as much. Luis Gustavo, Willian, Ramires, Hulk, Fernandinho and Oscar all return from the World Cup team. This is a fairly young group, and there is room to develop here. Joining them are 29-year-old Elias, 25-year-old Elias and 22-year-old Countinho.
The oldest players in this bunch are Elias and Fernandinho. Both haven’t really done anything to stand out so far in their careers, and could be replaced by Gabriel or Leandro. Brazil will need more attacking creativity because of Hulk’s injury, and one of these players could use the field experience more than Hulk's replacement, Robinho.
Neymar needs help. Brazil doesn’t have a quality false nine to play with him. From Dunga’s selection, it seems Diego Tardelli and Ricardo Goulart will be competing for the job. They just might be wasting their time. Marcelo, a 21-year-old who plays in the Brazilian league, is a prodigal talent who has all the tools to be great. Although he was left off Dunga’s squad, Marcelo has more natural talent that any Brazilian attacking player this side of Oscar. In four years he will be a monster.
Julio Cesar did well in the World Cup, but he’s 35. In Cesar’s place, Dunga has selected Jefferson, a backup on the World Cup team, and Rafael Cabral, a 24-year-old who just might be Brazil’s goalkeeper of the future. Experience is always nice to have in goal, and Dunga’s side will have plenty of it when 2018 rolls around.
In any case, Dunga’s team will face a tough first game against a Colombia side that gave Brazil a tough game in the World Cup and is led by one of the most electrifying players in the world, James Rodriguez.
Catch the Brazil-Columbia friendly tonight at 8:30pm EST on beIN Sports 1 or the live stream here (limited to specific markets).
