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Confederations Cup: Say Hello to Brazil

Kaka (Reuters) 

No Ronaldinho, Ronaldo or Diego? No problem.

Several big names were missing from Brazil's Confederations Cup roster, but it's still chock full of star power, with the likes of Kaka, Robinho and Aleandre Pato leading the way for the U.S. national team's second opponent at the tournament in South Africa.

Here is Brazil's roster:

Goalkeepers: Julio Cesar (Inter Milan), Gomes (Tottenham Hotspur), Victor (Gremio)
 
Defenders: Maicon (Inter Milan), Daniel Alves (Barcelona), Alex (Chelsea), Juan (AS Roma), Lucio (Bayern Munich), Luisao (Benfica), Kleber (Internacional), Andre Santos (Corinthians).
 
Midfielders: Anderson (Manchester United), Gilberto Silva (Panathinaikos), Josue (VfL Wolfsburg), Ramires (Cruzeiro), Elano (Manchester City), Felipe Melo (Fiorentina), Julio Baptista (AS Roma), Kaka (AC Milan)
 
Forwards: Alexandre Pato (AC Milan), Luis Fabiano (Sevilla), Nilmar (Internacional), Robinho (Manchester City).
 
What do you think of Brazil's roster? Can Brazil beat Spain and win the tournament? Excited forUSA- Brazil on June 18th?
 
Share your thoughts below.

Comments

  1. مصر سوف تفووز على امريكا والبرازيل وتتعادل مع ايطاليا

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  2. The inclusion of Elano over Diego beats me hollow. Brazilian team that I see is not as awesome as they have always been. Can anyone justify Dunga’s undying love for over-the hill individuals like Gilberto Silva and Eleano? Nevertheless I tip Brazil for the cup. You can never tell with them.

    Paul

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  3. This Roster is a joke. no Ronaldo??? no Ronaldinho??? no Adriano??? no Diego???!!! Are you kidding me!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!.This roster concerns me because Brazil can not win the confederations cup even if they have kaka or robinho because they don’t have enough experienced players. this is an important tournament and they have very few stars….this is by far the most disappointing roster from brazil. hopefully dunga will make last minute changes or a player might be injured and those star players may replace the others.

    i don’t understand why diego wasn’t called up or what about Tottenham’s Gilberto and Chelsea’s Mineiro did they retire or something? because they haven’t been in the roster since 2007.

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  4. This isn’t about beating Brazil or Italy or Egypt but as a “state of the program” check. If we find that we are not competitive then it proves that Bradley is failing as a coach. The next question is what will US Soccer do about it if this happens? If we have made no progress in 3 years then what good will another year do? Should we continue down this path towards and inevitable end or make a bold move now?

    I for one do not want to live through another embarrassing performance like the last WC and if we show that we don’t belong on the field the upcoming tournament, that’s what’s coming next summer.

    I’m just wondering at this point if Bradley will bring the “A” team and put his progress to the test or if he’ll split the squad thus avoiding having to face the music

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  5. Kizz and the rest of the fools who have never seen an underdog win in sports don’t deserve a response from me so I’ll just say…
    GO USA!!!

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  6. Kizz,

    Sorry, I left Mali out of my group of 5. Ill give you 6 teams in CAF with Mali. Morocco and Tunisia are a bit of a stretch. Having said that, I bet if any of those teams played Costa Rica (a team according to you sucks???) in San Juan, they are in for a very tough game. Give me a good laugh… what do you think the score would be if lets say Ghana played Costa Rica in San Juan?

    Also, how do figure Torres and Dempsey have no creativity? Have you really actually watched U.S. soccer?

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  7. Being an American who lived in Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil for two years on an LDS missionary I absolutely love to watch my two favorite teams play. It is also great to see a couple of Rio Grande do Sul players on the Brazilian roster (Internacional and Gremio play in Porto Alegre, the capital of Rio Grande do Sul (there’s your world geography lesson for the weekend!)). My question is why don’t these guys play in the US??? Seriously, get more rising star Brazilians in MLS… Heck, I’d even take fat old Brazilian stars playing in the Brazilian league in MLS (see Ronaldo). Are the salaries that much higher in Brazil? The Brazilian Real is consistantly 2-2.5 to 1 compared to the US dollar.

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  8. Kizz, I’m not even a USA supporter but I know the US is a very solid team that is a difficult opponent and can play against any of the best teams in the world.

    I watched Aboutrika play against Pachuca and while he’s a nice tidy player, he wasn’t the player you’re making him out to be.

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  9. also, if our players are average, than what does it say about your players? What have they accomplished that our Americans cant even compare to? Oh yea thats right, your players have forgotten/never experienced what it feels like to be in a world cup

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  10. Hey Kizz,

    you like stats? well here is one: Egypt has never won a world cup match EVER!!!!!!!! EVERRRRRRRRRRR!

    Here is another one: They havent qualified for one since 1990. That was way before MLS became a league!

    Here is another one: 2 Egyptian players in England play for Wigan who are in laughable 12th but could easily be in 15th while the other one plays for Middlesbrough which is at a shameful one point from last place. For the Americans in England, Dempsey plays for Fulham (7th and one spot away from Europa Cup)and is tied for top team scorer (7) pretty good for a midfielder. Friedel (Aston Villa, 6th and Europa Cup bound) is the EPL record holder in # of starts. Howard (Everton, 5th and Europa Cup bound) has 16 clean sheets which is impressive if you dont include the top 4 EPL clubs. Brad Guzan (Aston Villa) will replace Friedel once he retires. Jonathan Spector (West Ham, 9th) finally getting ample minutes after being plagued by injuries at the start of the season.

    and from your response to me:
    I like how your argument included the top players from Africa and none of them are egyptian. Wait a minute you forgot, you guys have those superstars from that hella elite club(Wigan)which cant even qualify for UEFA cup. Well its funny how our statue defense and uncreative players managed to make it to the quarterfinals in 2002 while your deep, talented squad cant even win a damn World cup match. Another thing, dont use rumors in your argument please.

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  11. “Italy is consistently the most overrated team in the world. They play for draws and PK’s.”

    Funny. The reigning world champion and overall 4 time champion is overrated. If Italy wins championships with draws and PK’s, why aren’t other teams doing the same thing? Maybe because it isn’t so easy.

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  12. “But who is Egypt? Aboutrika who”

    Didn’t I hear the same questions about Czech Republic and Ghana in the World Cup? What happened in those matches? 2 L’s for US.
    You will find out in a couple of weeks who Aboutrika is and who plays for Egypt…

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  13. Kizz

    I know Nigeria, Ghana, and the Ivory Coast are good teams.

    But who is Egypt?

    Egypt is a nobody outside of CAF and I don’t know what you’re boasting about seeing how the US and Mexico have done more on the world stage than Egypt.

    I love how you ignored my comment about Al Ahly getting mopped by Pachuca.

    Gimenez, Montes, Torres, and Cardenas sh*t all over the Egyptian national team….err I mean Al Ahly.

    Aboutrika who?

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  14. Adam,

    I am a student of the game and I cannot do without watching football. I didn’t start watching in 2002 or in 1990 either. Good luck in Confed Cup, you will need it.
    Remember the teams you will be playing have no regard for you so that should help going 0-3 to maybe a draw against Italy again, so you can brag for another year how you tie Italy lol…

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  15. Kizz,

    Yes Egypt is good. America is not amazing, they do not play stylistically appealing football.

    But I DONT CARE.

    They are my goddamed team for better or worse. I do not wear rose colored glasses, but before USA played in the 2002 World Cup my ‘soccer aficionado’ friend told me it wasn’t even worth watching the US because ‘they are crap.’Let me just say, I am glad I watched them.

    Finally, we are optimistic because we have to be, its our f–king team. We are not going to win the tourney but we could pull an upset!

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  16. To jpc and all the overly optimist’s,

    First off drop the smoking guys, it’s killing your reality, lol.

    Shows me that I am wasting my time with you guys. Im not even from Egypt, plus they won the last two African Cup of Nations. It is also a sign of how deep Africa is if Egypt, Nigeria and Cameroon were not at the last World Cup in 2006.

    Imagine a Guatemala, Barbados or some island we go to vacation in qualifying for the WC as USA or Mexico are home watching. That would never happen, cos when you play football against places you take a vacation in, you are taking a vacation with no competition. Concacrap is weak and wack; its a vacation region where you think you play football, lol. Take it or go jump in the river.

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  17. @ Supsam,

    What is there to know about US Soccer that I don’t know about? That you cannot produce creative players except for goalkeepers? That your players are average: Gooch and Boca are statues in the back, no options at wing/full back positions. That Landon Donovan is the most overrated midget ever to play and a disaster outside of the USA, that MLS sucks like crap and they level of play is abysmal.
    Ive watched USMNT play Argentina, England, Mexico, Morocco; America is not creative, your brand of football for lack of a better word is unappealing.
    As a student of the game, I have traveled to competitions to watch good football; EURO, WC, Copa Cup of Nations. Ive seen Egypt at the last two African Cup of Nations; a competition way better than Gold Cup. Scouts go to the Nations Cup in Africa looking for the next Drogba, Essien, Zidane, Adebayor, Kanu, Eto’o, Taiwo, Kanoute, Mikel. Don’t make me waste time on the Gold Cup, what do scouts come there for even if they ever do. How many players of African origin play for European countries; even USA is benefiting from it now: slow ass Gooch (rumor has it he was begging to play for Nigeria, but they told him he was too slow and not at their level lol), Freddy Adu originally from Ghana, Maurice Edu who’s parents are from Nigeria. CAF and Concacrap are not on the same level, maybe you can compete with Oceania lol…

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  18. Kizz…

    You’ve watched Egypt not make the WC for years and your here saying that they are a great team? If they were so great their players wouldn’t be playing in the Egyptian PL

    Egypt PL is a league that doesn’t allow more than 3 foreign players per team, so just about every player comes from Egypt, a country that hasn’t made a world cup in 20 years. This league is better than MLS? Good luck w/ that argument. Concacaf is not that good as a whole, but the MLS is taking in most of its best players, along w/ really good young talent from S. America and Africa, and superstars (although aging) from Europe.

    What’s ironic is that you are talking down on US fans as if we are a bunch of hopelessly optimistic losers who just don’t get that they stink (ala cubs fans); When, in reality, Egypt and its league are not even on the second tier of world soccer that the US is on.

    US fans are realistic in their optimism, BUT you have delusions of grandeur b/c your team had one great African Nations tournament… Your smokin the wrong stuff in your Hookah

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  19. @ Kizz

    wow….just wow. You easily attack other people’s points but dont even bother reading over your own. You attack the clubs the Americans play in but not Egypt’s??? What the hell!! When was the last time Egypt qualified for the world cup and last time i checked, its not like the AFC is highly respected either. Granted they do have a couple of AWESOME teams that do reside in Egypt.

    If you actually knew things about the Americans you would know that some play on clubs that make or close to making UEFA champions league: Aalborb, Celtic, Rangers, heck even Rennes had a chance if it werent for the 2nd half of their season and yes even Standard Leige! and last time i checked mister american fan, Liverpool had STRUGGLED GREATLY to get past Standard Leige in the third(last) round of Champions league qualifacation!! You seem to know more about Egypt than you do about the USA. Do all of USMNT supporters a favor and learn more about the USA than of Egypt’s soccer. Thanks for reading

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  20. @ Evan W,

    Please stop the comedy. CAF is WAY better than CONCACAF will ever be. There are only two teams in your region, you have the nerve to compare CAF to CONCACAF. CAF with Nigeria, Ghana, Cameroon, Ivory Coast, Mali, Egypt, Morocco, Tunisia; that’s EIGHT compared to US and Mexico. Please seal it all Concacrap fans, no competition whatsoever comparing African players or nations to your region, didn’t even mention Senegal or the emerging Angola. Concacrap is a JOKE!!!! lol

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  21. @ Kizz

    That is a pretty broad statement saying CONCACAF sucks. But I guess if you can say CONCACAF sucks than its just as easy for me to say CAF sucks. There are only 5 good teams in CAF out of more than 50 nations. In CONCACAF there are 4 good teams out of 40. Looks pretty similar to me.

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  22. Somebody tell the egyptian guy that Pachuca dismantled Al Ahli, a club that includes at least seven egyptian national team players, six months ago at the CWC.

    They had absolutely no answer for Chema Cardenas and Chaco Gimenez.

    Funny enough, all the egyptian newspapers ran articles about how poor CONCACAF is and some other nonsense and after the game, Al Ahli’s coach was on the verge of tears, he didn’t know what to say.

    Better hope the same doesn’t happen with the USMNT.

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  23. @ Adam,

    One player on that Egyptian roster most people do not know is Mohamed Aboutrika. Yes he plays in at home in Egypt (making over $1 million) with Al-Ahly, but watch out for him, and after the game against the US, you will see why they tagged him Egypt’s version of Zidane.

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  24. Dangit, why does Egypt get to field multiple Mohameds? Itsn’t that unfair? Maybe the US needs to bring out the Holy Trinity.

    Or

    Satan and a band of demons!

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  25. EGYPT ROSTER OUT:

    Goalkeepers: Essam Al Hadari (Sion), Abdul Wahed Al Sayed (Zamalek), Mohamed Sobhi (Ismaili), Al Hani Soliman (Itiihad Alexandria).

    Defenders: Hani Said (Zamalek), Mahmoud Fathallah (Zamalek), Wael Gomaa (Al Ahli), Sherif Abdul Fadhil (Ismaili), Ahmed Said (Haras Hodoud), Ahmed Al Muhammadi (ENPPI), Sayed Moawad (Al Ahli), Hazem Emam (Zamalek), Ahmed Samir Farag (Ismaili).

    Midfielders: Ahmed Fathi (Al Ahli), Mohamed Shawki (Middlesbrough), Hosni Abd Rabu (Al Ahli Dubai), Ahmed Khairy (Ismaili), Mohamed Soliman (Ismaili), Abdul Aziz Tawfiq (ENPPI), Ahmed Hassan (Al Ahli), Mohamed Aboutrika (Al Ahli).

    Forwards: Ahmed Eid (Haras Hodoud), Mohamed Zidan (Boroussia Dortmund), Mohamed Abougreisha (Ismaili), Ahmed Abdul Ghani (Haras Hodoud), Ahmed Raouf (ENPPI), Ehab Al Masri (Arab Contractors), Amr Zaki (Wigan Athletics)

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  26. The complaint that US supporters never talk of the Czech and focus on the Italy game is silly. Italy won the WC in 2006 which makes it a sensible comparison …… dah.

    I think it’s a mistake to look for results and not performances here. I can easily see the USMNT loosing all three yet gaining in performance.

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  27. Brazil should be the favorite. They will surely be difficult to score on. But I’ll miss the somba like attacks of Ronaldinho and others. Robinho is merely a stick figure caricature of the great Brazilian attackers.

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  28. @ jpc,

    Half the Egyptian team does play at home and their league is WAY better than MLS dude. Confederation Cup is only a few weeks away, laugh then. If your team was so organized why did you not beat Nigeria in the Olympics or Ghana in the World Cup?
    I’m glad you admit you have not seen Egypt play so why don’t you wait and watch them cos I’ve seen them play for years.
    Italy is overrated yet they are still one of the top in the world, also CONCACAF sucks, lol

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  29. P.S. Watch out for RAMIREZ (Cruzeiro). look him up on youtube, hes only 18 and is already one of the best players playing Brasil. I’ve seen him kill my clubs defense every game with his skills and headers. guaranteed he’ll be playing in a big club soon.

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  30. As a Brasilian-American, i really hope both nations make it far. But i like underdogs and Egypt has potential, having been there and seen their best clubs play in Cairo. But our (Brasil’s) midfield is screwed. This is a great and interesting group. cant wait to see it unfold…

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  31. I’m just looking forward to matching up with some of the best teams in the world. I would love for the US to progress out of the group stage of this competition but all I really need is for the team to continue to grow, gain experience, stay competitive and most importantly stay injury free.

    These matches should prepare us well for the final stretch of WCQ and I hope the US can schedule some top teams next year as a nice warm up for the World Cup.

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  32. The US natl roster will be released on the 10AM ET Sportscenter!!!

    Wait, allow me to re-phrase, the soon to be Confederations Cup Champions roster…..

    Obv also for the Costa Rica and Honduras games as well.

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  33. “JOGA BONITIA” or whatever doesnt equal smart tactics in real football, hopefully that combined with Dunga steering a ship he cant handle will help us; gunna be hard though, we just need to finish oppertunitys… Josh Wolff might be prefect for this game, probably the best option we have right now for someeone up top as far as exploiting counter attacks, his runs off the ball coupled with his speed make him very dangerous when you get a chance to counter

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  34. Sean Monaghan:

    ‘… teams have there on days and off days. Lets try and be smart next time we talk.’

    Let’s see if this sounds smarter to you:
    When, and if the U.S. beats Brazil, I’ll remember your words!

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  35. In all seriousness, we could be playing against Jesus and the 12 Apostles, and I’d be nervous all day, and believe in my heart that we can win when the game kicks off.

    Bring it on!

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