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Robinho and Ronaldinho lead Brazil’s Olympic team

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Add Brazil to the list of contenders for Olympic gold after including Ronaldinho and Robinho as overage players on its squad, which was named on Monday.

Ronaldinho and Robinho are joined by defender Thiago Silva as over-age players. Kaka originally intended to play in the Olympics but AC Milan denied his request.

Here is the full Brazil squad, along with their potential starting lineup:

Brazil Olympic Team

Goalkeepers: Diego Alves (Almeria), Renan (Internacional).

Defenders: Ilsinho (Shakhtar Donetsk), Rafinha (Shalke), Marcelo (Real Madrid), Alex Silva (Sao Paulo), Breno (Bayern Munich), Thiago Silva (Fluminense).

Midfielders: Anderson (Manchester United), Diego (Werder Bremen); Hernanes (Sao Paulo), Lucas (Liverpool), Ronaldinho (FC Barcelona), Thiago Neves (Fluminense).

Forwards: Alexandre Pato (AC Milan), Jo (Manchester City), Rafael Sobis (Real Betis), Robinho (Real Madrid).

So what might this lineup look like? Here’s a potential starting XI:

———-Robinho———Pato————

——Ronaldinho———Diego————

——–Lucas————–Anderson——-

Marcelo——Silva—-Breno——Rafinha

——————-Alves———————

That right there is a great lineup and I’m having second thoughts about having handed Argentina the gold last week. That back four for Brazil could be very good and also dangerous with Marcelo and Rafinho charging down the wings. I also think Jo could start at target forward in a 4-3-3, with Lucas going to the bench.

Then there is the matter of Ronaldinho. Will he show up in shape and be ready to play well, or will he become a distraction and burden? If he plays well, Brazil can win gold. If not, he could distract the squad.

What do you think of Brazil’s squad? Are they the gold medal favorites instead of Argentina? Share your thoughts below.

Comments

  1. How can people criticise a two-time world player of the year…surely any true football fan would realise the difference he is going to make to this brazilian squad. Ronaldinho will be very influential i think the man to watch out along with Ronaldinho & Robinho is Rafael Sobis. Argentina are a good team but i think the options that Brazil have got will be limitless

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  2. i can’t wait to see what this squad can do. Anderson is the player i want to watch. i think he is ready to play and will shock some people.

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  3. Not that anyone knows what Dunga will do….but here’s my idea.

    I believe a 4-2-3-1 would be the best choice. The back four seems set so ill focus on the midfield and strikers. The two defensive midfielders should be Anderson and Hernanes, the three should be Dinho on the left, diego in the middle dropping to receive the ball and Robinho on the right, with pato up front. You can subsitute out Hernanes for Jo and revert to a more classic 4-4-2 if they should find themselves behind, although that remains quite unlikely. Also, watch Freddy Adu, i believe he’s finally gonna play well on the big stage.

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  4. Brazil will win gold .. Ronnie has a point to prove and he is still the greatest in the world and brazil’s young team is the team that beat Argentina in the last Copa America .. so i would say watch out … Robinho is still mad that people keep thinking C. Ronaldo is much more inferior then him

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  5. I think Brazil will win this trophy with the golden boy Ronaldinho showing off. Come on know, he’s former two times world player of the year. Twice in a row. Give him a break, he just had one bad season with injuries slowing him down, but he is well now.

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  6. im sure argentina has an amazing team. but lets think realistically: riquelme is an old F%uk, he cnt run for his life.. gago didnt sho anythin wen his plyed for the nationl team, the back 3 (Zabalta/Burdisso/Garay) have no expirience and a foward like didier drogba and salomon kalou (ivory coast) will eat them up. Messi and Aguero is all argentina has…. messi lookin rusty from a long tragic barcelona season

    In other thoughts i think Brasil has a great chance; being underestimated, ronaldinho will do anythng to be in the olympics and he will come to life -lets face it, no one is better than ronaldinho at his best.. also pwered by young ones diego, pato, robinho, rafinha, Jo… brasil offense is lookin good: the question is can the defense ge the job done? NO LUCIO NO JUAN

    also, i think netherlands could take the gold, having ajax young talent controlling medfield: Maduro, they also have Babel liverpools young striker.. and a pair of yong talentd organizzed player that can form a winning squad.

    I also think Serbia has a very strong team and host china has an advantage….

    I could be wrong, well have to wait till these games start. feel free to debate 🙂

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  7. So the Olympics are important after all? Here is exactly why L.D. must be on the U.S. team. The Olympics may outdraw World cup viewership in the US. For a jumpstart to the MLS & soccer in general it ois important to field a top team.

    Does Brazil have a qualifier during the olympics?

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  8. Doug… you really think the Olympics is going to make a big difference in Ronaldinho’s future transfer fee? I thought the FIFA World Player of the Year trophies and the other honors spoke for themselves, I mean he isn’t a kid. I don’t think Milan or Citeh would say here’s another 5 million for the great Olympics.

    It makes sense, if he gets injured he stays with Barca and many view him as a cancer. He’s just coming off and injury filled season. I think if he does play it will be just to get him away from the team.

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  9. why would barca not release ronaldihno? they told him he wasnt part of the next season’s plans. By letting him play Barca can increase his transfer value. It doesnt make financial sense to not allow him to play. I dont believe Barca wont let him play

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  10. Barca is refusing to release Ronaldinho. Not surprising. If they do allow him to go to the olympics it devalues his trade value in my opinion.

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  11. ives rumour has it that Diego and Rafinha wont be released from Bremen and Schalke respectively. If this is so, I suspect Anderson will take Diego spot in you lineup with Hernanes sliding next to Leiva. Now who to play the RB position? Maicon? Alves? somebody else? what do yo think

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  12. Only 3 years ago, Ronaldinho was easily one of the best players in the world. Despite his recent fall from grace, he’s still on the right side of 30 and I think he his hungry to show his talent again. I think he’ll have a big tourney. The question is how will the young Brazilians, especially in defense handle the pressure. But they will score goals.

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  13. They allow overage players because they want to sell tickets and get more viewers on TV. The “wild card” rule was created after lackluster attendances at the Barcelona ’92 Summer Games. FIFA and the IOC thought allowing 3 “wild card” players would drive up interest in the tournament.

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  14. Remember that Barça or wherever he ends up still has to let him do this so this is no slam dunk. I’m actually a little surprised Real Madrid will let Robinho go, they still may put up a fight for him too. Inter is already pulling back Nicolás Burdisso so Argentina needs to find another over age player.

    Why do they even allow any over age players? Why not just make this a U-23 event?

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  15. This is obviously desperate times in Brasil! If Dunga cannot win this outright with these players, then he will be gone for sure. He should have been gone already after getting smacked by Venezuela!

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  16. The deadline for naming the 18-man squad and the four alternates is July 23, about two weeks before we open against Japan.

    Plenty of teams haven’t named their squads yet.

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  17. File this one with Argentina under “scary good.”

    It should be fun to watch youngsters Jo and Pato. I am also very interested to see Ron’s fitness level. Like RK said: here is a big opportunity to put himself back on the map.

    Everything aside though, I’m hurting for quality live soccer. Bring on the Olympics and WCQ! Who’s with me?

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  18. Strike that “either” before Pato. I had originally said “Pato or Diego”, but decided that Ronnie isn’t probably going to play centrally in a 3-mid where he would have to if Pato and Robinho and Jo were on the field.

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  19. If they go with a 4-3-3 (which they won’t), it would be either Pato who would sit. Ronaldinho on the left, Robinho on the right, and Lucas and Anderson holding behind Diego.

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  20. Let the race for Bronze begin!! I would def. start both Thiagos, Neves and Silva spcially after their display at Copa Libertadores….

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  21. Now that I look at it, I am slightly shocked not to see Cassio at least on the squad after starting the U-20 World Cup in Canada. I understand he probably wouldn’t beat out Alves, but he is pretty good.

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  22. I still think Argentina are the favorties. Their Olympic team would make the World Cup quarterfinals easy. This team can play with Argentina, but I could see it being severely challenged by a physical grinding team.

    Argentina’s Olympic team also seems to have more of the actual national team with them, whereas the Brazilians look like the understudies for their national team (except the overage players, of course).

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  23. That team is perfectly equipped to play a 4-3-3 considering that most of the competition will be inferior to them. This team is stacked and while I love the talent the US can put on the field if they can take their full team, this is simply an embarrassment of riches. Reading these guys club teams is like a who’s who of soccer elite.

    Perhaps one day the US can put a youth team like this on the field…

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  24. How Dunga uses Anderson will be interesting given the lack of more defensive options in midfield.

    ——–Robinho——–Pato———

    ————-Ronaldinho————-

    ——Anderson———-Lucas——-

    ————–Hernanes————–

    -Marcelo——————–Rafinha-

    ——Thiago Silva–Alex Silva——

    ————Diego Alves————-

    I’d like to say Diego would start, but Dunga plays so defensively in that 4-3-1-2 they play with the senior team (Gilberto Silva, Miniero, Josue were on the field at the same time against Paraguay). Lucas or Hernanes could drop for Diego if Dunga gets a clue but I doubt he does.

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  25. If Ronaldinho is in shape and his heart is in it hes still the best in the world. But right now you never know what youll get from him

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