We’ve got another doubleheader on the cards tomorrow.
Brazil Women vs. Jamaica
Stade du Hainaut, Valenciennes, June 18, 2019
Kickoff: 3:00 PM EDT / 4:00 PM BRT / 7:00 PM GMT
US TV / Streaming: FS1, Telemundo, FuboTV
Likely Starting Lineup: Barbara; Letícia, Katheleen, Mônica, Tamires; Luana, Taysa, Debinha; Andressa Alves, Cristiane, Marta (C)
Brazil Men vs. Venezuela
Arena Fonte Nova, Salvador, June 18, 2019
Kickoff: 8:30 PM EDT / 9:30 PM BRT / 12:30 AM GMT
US TV / Streaming: Telemundo, TV Globo international feed, ESPN+, FuboTV
Likely Starting Lineup: Alisson; Dani Alves (C), Thiago Silva, Miranda, Filipe Luís; Casemiro, Arthur, Coutinho; Richarlison, Roberto Firmino, David Neres.
Storylines to watch:
Can the women make it through? After losing to Australia last time out, the women’s team is in a precarious position in a tough group. A draw will see them through to the last 16, and even a loss might be enough if they end up as one of the best third-placed teams. The women may well only advance by the skin of their teeth: Italy are arguably the strongest team in a very difficult group, having beaten Australia in their opener. Marta’s fitness could be key: Brazil went 2-1 up in the 45 minutes she played against Australia, only to lose 2-3 after she came off at the break.
Whatever happens, I just want to see her get one more goal to pass Miroslav Klose as the top scorer in World Cup history.
Venezuela a threat or a pushover? Venezuela have at various times over the past few years seemed on the verge of becoming truly competitive. Most recently, their comprehensive victories over Argentina and the United States suggested they could cause problems for top teams at the Copa América. I certainly thought they’d be the toughest test in a fairly easy group. But in their tournament opener against Peru, they were bailed out only by Peru’s inability to stay onside or finish their chances. I’m going to go with my customary prediction of a 2-0 win for Brazil.
Work in progress: While Brazil showed an energy and intensity against Bolivia that has long been lacking, it didn’t result in many clear goalscoring chances before VAR gifted us a penalty early in the second half. Arthur is back fit and will replace Fernandinho, but otherwise, Tite is sticking with the same lineup against Venezuela. It means we’ll really get to see where the problems lay in the first game. Was it just pre-tournament nerves that affected the team against Bolivia, or was it the lack of width that comes with having such old fullbacks? Will Arthur’s movement improve the midfield play when it looked so flat with Fernandinho? Will Coutinho’s two goals give him the confidence he needs to take this tournament by the scruff of the neck, or is he simply not influential enough in this setup to orchestrate play? Did Roberto Firmino struggle because he lacked familiarity with his teammates or because he isn’t suited to playing a true number 9 role? We might get some answers tomorrow.
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