Paraguay vs. Brazil

Estadio Defensores del Chaco, Asunción, Paraguay, June 8, 2021

Kickoff: 8:30 PM EDT / 9:30 PM BRT / 12:30 AM GMT

US TV / Streaming: FuboTV (not available through their free trial since you need the “CONMEBOL & More” add-on package to watch it)

Likely Starting Lineup: Alisson; Danilo, Éder Militão, Marquinhos, Alex Sandro; Casemiro, Fred, Lucas Paquetá; Richarlison, Neymar, Gabriel Jesus.

On The Bench: Ederson, Weverton; Emerson Royal, Rodrigo Caio, Felipe, Renan Lodi; Douglas Luiz, Fabinho, Everton Ribeiro; Everton Cebolinha, Gabigol, Roberto Firmino, Vinícius Júnior.

Unavailable: Thiago Silva (injured)

Notes And Storylines

Brazil vs. Ecuador

Estádio Beira Rio, Porto Alegre, June 4, 2021

Kickoff: 8:30 PM EDT / 9:30 PM BRT / 12:30 AM GMT

US TV / Streaming: FuboTV (not available through their free trial since you need the “CONMEBOL & More” add-on package to watch it)

Likely Starting Lineup: Alisson; Danilo, Éder Militão, Marquinhos, Alex Sandro; Casemiro, Fred, Lucas Paquetá; Richarlison, Neymar, Gabigol.

On The Bench: Ederson, Weverton; Emerson Royal, Rodrigo Caio, Felipe, Renan Lodi; Fabinho, Everton Ribeiro (questionable); Everton Cebolinha, Roberto Firmino, Gabriel Jesus, Vinícius Júnior.

Unavailable: Douglas Luiz (suspended), Thiago Silva (injured)

Notes And Storylines

This Friday, Tite will announce the squad for Brazil’s first games since November, World Cup qualifiers at home to Ecuador on June 4 and away to Paraguay on June 8. No word yet on when the Copa América or Olympic squads will be announced, but the Olympic team will be playing friendlies on the same dates, so expect Tite’s squad to make some concessions in that regard.

It’s been such a long, dark time since Brazil’s last games that it’s hard to have many specific wishes in mind about players to call, and with the Copa América almost immediately following the qualifiers, Tite might well get a do-over if someone he calls completely flops.

So here are a few questions bouncing around in my mind.

In his piece “The Death Of Basketball”, Jon Bois uses the video game NBA 2K14 to simulate a future in which all basketball talent suddenly dries up and the NBA is forced, year after year, to draft from a pool of short, scrawny, completely useless players, each as devoid of athleticism and technical skill as the game will allow. It takes a while for the change to become apparent; for a few seasons, the horrid new players barely see any action and teams continue as they were with the stars they drafted in the before times. But, inevitably, the cracks soon start to show. The first teams to press the new players into starting roles unsurprisingly slump to historically bad seasons. As the quality of those around them declines, the dwindling group of good, but aging, players who remain begin posting astounding numbers. Desperate teams begin digging forgotten players out of free agency, years after they last played in the NBA. The Atlanta Hawks win an NBA championship. Finally, when the last good player retires, the statistical bottom falls out. Game 1 of the simulated 2034 NBA Finals ends 3-0, after 12 overtimes. Basketball dies an ignominious virtual death.

Uruguay vs. Brazil

Estadio Centenario, Montevideo, Uruguay, November 17, 2020

Kickoff: 6:00 PM EDT / 4:00 PM BRT / 11:00 PM GMT

US TV / Streaming: PPV only

Likely Starting Lineup: Ederson; Danilo, Thiago Silva, Marquinhos, Renan Lodi; Allan (Arthur), Douglas Luiz, Éverton Ribeiro; Richarlison, Roberto Firmino, Gabriel Jesus.

Updated Squad:

Goalkeepers: Alisson, Ederson, Weverton.

Right-backs: Danilo (Gabriel Menino cut without replacement – COVID).

Left-backs: Alex Telles, Renan Lodi, Guilherme Arana (last-minute callup to cover Telles if a positive COVID test kept him from entering Uruguay, but that didn’t happen, so Arana’s just here for general cover now).

Center-Backs: Marquinhos, Thiago Silva, Felipe (replaces Éder Militão – COVID), Diego Carlos (replaces Rodrigo Caio – injured).

Midfielders: Bruno Guimarães (replaces Casemiro – COVID), Allan (replaces Fabinho – injured), Douglas Luiz, Arthur, Lucas Paquetá (replaces Coutinho – injured), Éverton Ribeiro.

Forwards: Everton Cebolinha, Firmino, Gabriel Jesus, Richarlison, Vinícius Júnior, Thiago Galhardo (replaces Pedro – injured, who himself effectively replaced Neymar – injured).

Notes And Storylines

Brazil vs. Venezuela

Estádio do Morumbi, São Paulo, November 13, 2020

Kickoff: 7:30 PM EDT / 9:30 PM BRT / 12:30 AM GMT

US TV / Streaming: PPV only

Likely Starting Lineup: Ederson; Danilo, Thiago Silva, Marquinhos, Renan Lodi; Allan, Douglas Luiz, Éverton Ribeiro; Richarlison, Roberto Firmino, Gabriel Jesus.

Notes And Storylines

This morning, Tite announced Brazil’s squad for the upcoming World Cup qualifiers against Venezuela on November 13 and Uruguay on November 17:

Goalkeepers: Alisson, Ederson, Weverton

Right-backs: Danilo, Gabriel Menino

Left-backs: Alex Telles, Renan Lodi

Center-Backs: Éder Militão, Marquinhos, Rodrigo Caio, Thiago Silva

Midfielders: Casemiro, Douglas Luiz, Arthur, Everton Ribeiro, Fabinho, Philippe Coutinho

Forwards: Everton Cebolinha, Firmino, Gabriel Jesus, Neymar, Richarlison, Vinícius Júnior

Additionally, U-23 coach André Jardine called up the Olympic squad for preparatory friendlies against Saudi Arabia and Egypt ahead of what is now next summer’s tournament. If there’s a U-23 player you felt was missing from the main squad, there’s a good chance he’s in this squad instead. I’m including club names for these players because most of us are probably not familiar with at least some of them.

Goalkeepers: Phelipe (FC Dallas), Gabriel Brazão (Real Oviedo), Daniel Fuzato (Gil Vicente)

Fullbacks: Emerson (Real Betis), Dodô (Shakhtar Donetsk), Caio Henrique (Monaco), Ayrton Lucas (Spartak Moscow)

Center-Backs: Gabriel Magalhães (Arsenal), Ibañez (Roma), Luiz Felipe (Lazio), Lyanco (Torino)

Midfielders: Bruno Guimarães (Lyon), Wendel (Zenit), Maycon (Shakhtar Donetsk), Marcos Antônio (Shakthar Donetsk), Lucas Paquetá (Lyon), Reinier (Borussia Dortmund)

Forwards: Antony (Ajax), David Neres (Ajax), Evanilson (Porto), Matheus Cunha (Hertha Berlin), Pedrinho (Benfica), Rodrygo (Real Madrid)

Recontesting the Copa América final, again.

Brazil vs. Peru

Estadio Nacional del Perú, Lima, October 13, 2020

Kickoff: 8:00 PM EDT / 9:00 PM BRT / 12:00 AM GMT

US TV / Streaming: Pay-per-view only

Likely Starting Lineup: Weverton; Danilo, Thiago Silva, Marquinhos, Renan Lodi; Casemiro, Douglas Luiz, Coutinho; Neymar, Roberto Firmino, Everton Cebolinha (Richarlison).

Bench: Ederson, Santos, Gabriel Menino, Felipe, Rodrigo Caio, Alex Telles, Fabinho, Bruno Guimarães, Éverton Ribeiro, Matheus Cunha, Richarlison (Everton Cebolinha), Rodrygo.

Notes and Storylines

The Seleção is back at last.

Brazil vs. Bolivia

Arena Corinthians, São Paulo, October 9, 2020

Kickoff: 8:30 PM EDT / 9:30 PM BRT / 12:30 AM GMT

US TV / Streaming: Pay-per-view only

Likely Starting Lineup: Weverton; Danilo, Thiago Silva, Marquinhos, Renan Lodi; Casemiro, Douglas Luiz, Coutinho; Neymar (Éverton Ribeiro), Roberto Firmino, Everton Cebolinha.

Bench: Ederson, Santos, Gabriel Menino, Felipe, Rodrigo Caio, Alex Telles, Fabinho, Bruno Guimarães, Éverton Ribeiro (Neymar), Matheus Cunha, Richarlison, Rodrygo.

Notes and Storylines