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Kaka replaces injured Douglas Costa on Brazil’s Copa America squad

KakaOrlandoCityTraining2015 (OrlandoCity)

Already without superstar attacker Neymar and backline duo David Luiz and Thiago Silva, Brazil has suffered another blow prior to June’s Copa America Centenario.

Orlando City star Kaka has been called up to Brazil’s Copa America squad, replacing injured Bayern Munich winger Douglas Costa, who has been sidelined by an undisclosed injury.

Brazil has been training in Los Angeles since Wednesday, and will play a friendly on Sunday against Panama before kicking off their Copa America run on June 4 against Ecuador.

Kaka, 34, has received 91 international caps during his career and tallied 29 goals. It appears he will now miss Orlando City’s match against New York City FC on Sunday as he heads to Brazil training camp in Los Angeles.

Here’s an updated look at Brazil’s roster ahead of Copa America:

GOALKEEPERS (3): Alisson (Internacional, BRA), Diego Alves (Valencia, ESP), Ederson (Benfica, POR)

DEFENDERS (8): Dani Alves (Barcelona, ESP), Rodrigo Caio (São Paulo, BRA), Fabinho (Monaco, FRA), Gil (Shandong Luneng, CHN), Filípe Luís (Atlético Madrid, ESP), Marquinhos (Paris Saint-Germain, FRA), Miranda (Inter Milan, ITA), Douglas (Atlético Mineiro, BRA)

MIDFIELDERS (9): Renato Augusto (Beijing Guoan, CHN), Casemiro (Real Madrid, ESP), Kaka (Orlando City, USA), Philippe Coutinho (Liverpool, ENG), Elias (Corinthians, BRA), Luiz Gustavo (Wolfsburg, GER), Lucas Lima (Santos, BRA), Rafinha (Barcelona, ESP), Willian (Chelsea, ENG)

FORWARDS (3): Gabriel (Santos, BRA), Hulk (Zenit St. Petersburg, RUS), Jonas (Benfica, POR)

Comments

  1. Cool, was pretty surprised he wasn’t in the team already if for no other reason then it’s in the US. I believe Brazil even have a match in Orlando. I can see him coming off the bench, he still has the quality to create dangerous chances.

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  2. Does this now validate MLS as a league…? Or do we still have to be upset about Conte leaving Giovinco off?

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    • Brazil has always respected the US and the MLS as a league. Julio Cesar, who went on to become the starting goalkeeper in the 2014 WC was loaned to Toronto when Brazil could not get a guarantee Cesar would get a specific number of starts at QPR before the WC.Toronto gave him 10 important starts and helped Cesar keep his position on the team. Although nothing could help him in the loss to Germany, Scolari spoke very highly of the MLS and toronto and was widely reported in the press. In addition many young stars in Brazil are looking to the US and the MLS as a stepping stone or even a career here. But Brazilian starlets do not put butts on seats so the MLS will for, the time being, continue to seek out older experience stars they can market

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    • I don’t think Dunga really cares if Kaka is playing in MLS. There’s two players on his roster from the Chinese Super League and he’s stated in the Brazilian press he doesn’t care where his players are playing because soccer has become so globalised that he feels it’s pointless to omit a player simply based on where they play.

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