After the Intercontinental Cup final against PSG, Filipe Luís, Flamengo’s technical committee and board realized and/or became convinced that for the team to be one of the greats in world football, as the board wants, it will be necessary to reinforce it from the middle forward. Flamengo easily lost the ball whenever they passed midfield due to the lack of talent and the pressure from the French team’s excellent defenders. Furthermore, Pedro, as usual, was not in his best physical shape.
Apart from Arrascaeta and Jorginho, who, if they could, would be candidates for a place in the Brazilian team group, the others from midfield forward are very good, but to compete in national and South American championships. In the defensive system it is different. Alex Sandro and Danilo should go to the World Cup. Léo Ortiz and Léo Pereira are close to the team’s excellent defenders. Varela, if he were Brazilian, would probably be called up, especially given the lack of players in that position. Rossi is an excellent goalkeeper.
For all this, to reinforce the attack, Flamengo insists on signing Kaio Jorge, who would be greatly missed by Cruzeiro, even more so with the departure of Gabigol. Cruzeiro, if it wants to compete with Flamengo and Palmeiras in the title fight, needs Kaio Jorge and reinforcements. Gerson would be one of them.
Brazilian football is going through a time of signings and player departures. Flamengo is trying to sign the excellent midfielder Marcos Antônio, from São Paulo. He is one of those rare Brazilian players, skilled and active from one midfield to the other. Palmeiras signed the great midfielder Marlon Freitas, who was from Botafogo. Another big reinforcement will be the return of Paulinho, if he returns to playing like he did at Atlético-MG. Botafogo disfigured itself after the Brasileirão and Libertadores titles.
Some teams spend fortunes on players based on the performances they had in other seasons, not because of how they have performed more recently, like Atlético-MG, which paid huge sums for Dudu and Rony. Clubs need to invest more in the youth categories.
Neymar renewed his contract with Santos. If he shines again, regularly, for a long time, and if, above all, he is called up and performs well in the team’s two friendlies in March against France and Croatia, he will probably play in the World Cup.
The doubt is not just physical. If Neymar returns to the national team, it will be as a central midfielder, replacing Matheus Cunha. That’s the danger. To play in this position, you will have to participate in marking and move from one midfielder to another, as Matheus Cunha does, in the national team and at Manchester United.
In the best moments of his career, Neymar played as a striker who moved from the left to the center to decide the plays. After moving to PSG, he started to act centrally, in a small space, where he retreats to receive the ball and, standing still, tries to start great individual plays. Most of the time it is disarmed or knocked down. This paralyzes quick transitions and exchanges of passes from defense to attack. It’s no longer possible to act that way. Football has changed, evolved and needs to be played with talent and intensity.
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