Brazil Look to Olympic Success After Sobering Copa Display

By
at Internationaled.org

Published: June 21, 2016

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Onto the next challenge, then. There is little over a month to go until Brazil start their next international obligation, and there is a hell of a lot riding on it.

After their performance at the Copa America Centenario cost coach Dunga his job, the main event of the summer is at hand. To put it bluntly, Brazil must emerge victorious at the Olympic Games in August.

They are playing on home soil. They need to win over a disenchanted public after three successive disappointments in tournament football.

However, perhaps most importantly of all, they will be able to count on Neymar.

Even though the Olympics is not generally seen as one of the most important of football tournaments, this one has a special resonance for Brazil. The side came agonisingly close to finally hanging the gold medal around the country’s neck, buoyed by six strikes from an almost-forgotten Leandro Damiao.



But they came apart in the final, conceding after 28 seconds against Mexico at Wembley and never recovering, eventually losing 2-1. There would be no better tonic than being atop the podium in roughly two months’ time at the Maracana Stadium, the scene of so much angst for the country and its footballing pride 66 years ago.

On June 29, Olympic coach Rogerio Micale will name his 18-man squad for the tournament, as well as the four players on stand-by from the pre-announced list of 35 names.

Since Dunga’s dismissal, there have already been changes to the squad, the most prominent of which is Thiago Silva, as reported by Globo Esporte (link in Portuguese). It is no secret that Brazil’s defence has suffered in his absence, and whatever criticisms have been made of the former captain, he still remains the country’s best central defender by a country mile.

Silva was seen at the 2014 FIFA World Cup in tears during the national anthem prior to the opening game a...
Article Source: Bleacher Report - International Football

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