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World Cup 2010 Teams – Brazil (review 2)

The Brazilian national team has undergone some remarkable changes in recent months, especially since coach Dunga took over the position. Rather than the usual samba flare that flows from virtually every Brazilian side, the new look Brazil boasts discipline and a miserly defence to boot. The fans may have taken some time to warm to this new footballing approach but a comfortable qualification for the World Cup with some excellent results along the way has won the majority over to this new way of thinking.

The 2nd ranked team in the world are always considered one of the favourite for the tournament and they have star quality running through every position on the field from goal keeper Cesar to midfield maestro Kaka and on to hugely prolific striker Fabiano. They have strength in depth to cope with just about anything and under Dunga they play more like a team, rather than a group of stars, than ever before. However, they do arguably face one of the tougher groups coming up against Portugal, the Ivory Coast, and North Korea.

Qualifying Campaign

The qualifying campaign was very much a tournament of two halves for A Selecao. The early stages of the campaign when the team were still becoming accustomed to the new playing style demanded by coach Dunga offered mixed results. Both the team and coach received a battering from fans that are renowned for their ferocity. However nine wins, seven draws, and two defeats saw them top their qualifying campaign and qualify for the finals very comfortably with a three game cushion. Qualifying also included a 3-1 victory over arch rivals and fierce contenders Argentina.

World Cup History

Any piece on the world cup will include tales of the boys in yellow and blue. They hold the record for being the only team to compete in every final stage of the World Cup and go into the World Cup in South Africa to contend their 19th successive World Cup final. They are also the only team to have the tournament five times with victories coming in 1958, 1962, 1970, 1994, and 2002. In all, Brazil have played 92 World Cup games racking up 64 victories, 14 draws, and 14 defeats in the process and any outcome apart from bringing the cup home would be considered a failure in the eyes of the fans and many others.

The Coach

Carlos Caetano Bledorn Verri, more commonly known as Dunga, took the role of coach to the Brazilian national side in August 2006 having been through a rollercoaster ride during his playing days. At Italy 1990, when Brazil disappointed fans with poor results, Dunga was among the players to shoulder the blame and fans turned on him and the other players. However, four years later at USA 1994 he skippered the team to international glory and won praise and adulation from all corners. As a coach, the Brazilian national job is his first role and although fans did not approve of his change to a more structured style of play they have warmed to him especially following five wins in a row from April 2009.

The Players

It's seemingly impossible to name a single star player in a team that is overflowing with talent. Midfielder Kaka would be the most obvious choice if one were pushed to select a single player, but prolific striker Luis Fabiano was the country's leading scorer in qualification and would rightly stake a claim as the country's most important national team player. The newfound miserly defence can also be partially attributed to goalkeeper Julio Cesar while fullback Daniel Alves combines the modern defensive full back with the more traditional Brazilian attacking role.

Group G

Group G is arguably the toughest of all groups. Portugal may have made incredibly hard work of qualifying but they will be out to prove a point and have the world player of the year, Christiano Ronaldo on hand to help them. The Ivory Coast made considerably easier work of their qualifying campaign and despite only being ranked 16th in the world they are widely considered the best African team in the world. Their star player is striker Didier Drogba, who is as prolific in front of goal for them as he is for his club Chelsea. The final team in the group, North Korea, are the weakest link with very little known about the team of mostly home-grown players.

Group Matches And Analysis

First up for Brazil is a match against relatively unknown quantity North Korea on 15th June followed by the more challenging prospect of the Ivory Coast 5 days later on the 20th June. Potentially the most entertaining of their group matches is played on the 25th June against Portugal. While the group could prove some difficulties and throw up a surprise result it seems highly unlikely that Dunga's Brazil will not quality from this group and progress as group winners.

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