Ex-Barça: Ronaldinho could miss World Cup
It seems former Barcelona favourite Ronaldinho is on the verge of missing out on this summer’s World Cup in South Africa. The forward, who now plays his football for AC Milan, has once again been overlooked by Brazil coach Dunga. The 29 year-old has been left out of the 29 man Brazil squad for an international friendly against the Republic of Ireland at Wembley, which is due to take place on March 2nd.
Despite a recent resurgence in Ronnie’s club form (he’s scored 11 goals in 28 appearances for Milan this season with 9 assists), it seems Dunga’s mind is already made up, and with fierce competition for attacking roles within the Brazil squad (there are places for Kaka, Elano and Robinho) it would seem the former World Player of the Year’s chances of making another World Cup seem slim.
There is a place in the squad for Barcelona’s free flying right-back Dani Alves, despite his current injury worries, but none for team-mate Maxwell, who has never won a cap for his country.
The full squad list for Brazil’s friendly against the Republic of Ireland is:
Julio Cesar (Inter Milan), Doni (Roma), Maicon (Inter Milan), Daniel Alves (Barcelona), Lucio (Inter Milan), Juan (Roma), Thiago Silva (AC Milan), Luisao (Benfica), Michel Bastos (Lyon), Gilberto (Cruzeiro), Gilberto Silva (Panathinaikos), Felipe Melo (Juventus), Josue (Wolfsburg), Kleberson (Flamengo), Ramires (Benfica), Julio Baptista (Roma), Elano (Galatasaray), Kaka (Real Madrid), Robinho (Santos), Nilmar (Villarreal), Luis Fabiano (Sevilla), Adriano (Flamengo).
To me, Brazil just doesn't feel the same without Ronaldinho and Ronaldo. I also miss Roberto Carlos from the seleção.
They've lost their samba-style under Dunga and don't have that "joga bonito" way of playing anymore. I might sound a bit harsh but it really isn't the Brazilian team that I've watched, admired, and grew up with in the 90s and up until the World Cup of 2006.
I feel the same way
I wonder what the brazilians think
The critics stopped after they won the Confederation cup. Although his style isn't the usual Brazilian it is after all effective…
Well I didn't say it wasn't effective. I know it's effective and you can tell I mean Confederations, Copa America, and qualifying with ease to the World Cup are all examples of the effectiveness. All I'm saying is, to me, when someone says "Hey let's go watch Brasil play today" I think oh man I'm going to see some happy beautiful football with tricks, but this Brasil isn't anything like that. I maybe am being prejudice to their style, but if it's working for them and they're happy then so be it. Hope them the best. Maybe it's their way, or Dunga's way, to responding to modern football.
Does anyone know anything about Ramires?
I'd seen him play during the Confed Cup and the commentators were saying that he would become a star soon……….Is he really that good?
He's average. Nothing exceptional so far.
I really hope Diego of Juventus makes the squad. He's amazing to watch when hes in top form.
This Brazil squad seems really depleted of the stars we are used to seeing, but make no mistake, they are superb as a team and are the favourites after Spain of course.
When I saw Diego play for the national squad he didn't fulfill the expectations. He maybe is only a club player not a national side player. Ramires is good the only reason he isn't a high star is because he likes to keep things simple and not do those fancy tricks. I haven't seen him play for Benfica though. To me, I believe Dunga prohibited all players to do fancy moves, maybe that's why Ronaldinho isn't called up. I think Dunga only wants one with that freedom and he is seeming to favor Robinho for that spot.
Rameires is a good talent,he is a right winger and Dunga likes him so much,I ve seen him a couple of times,he is a pacy winger with good skills but I think there are many talents who are better than him,the problem for Brazil is 2 positions the LB and RW,if they solve these problems they can win the WC
LB they have felipe and david luis both r excellent.
Hmmm I wonder why Maxwell has never been capped for Brazil. Strange.
sometimes I think like u Brazil inspite of having the best 2 rightbacks in world football,they dont have any even average LB,on the other hand France have excellent 5-6 LBs who can play in any team without having a good RB thats why I sont love internationals.anyway I think Maxwell is good but he isnt first choice in Barcelona,even in Inter he was a regular but not playing every game,when international managers choose players they prefer to choose first choice players for many reasons so Dunga dont pick Maxwell despite the fact that Maxwell is better than Gilberto-Bastos who plays out of position
Filipe was the future LB, he has the best capabilities of doing a great job at LB for Brazil…
but seems like he wont make it, poor dude.
Andre Santos is not good enough for the LB position.
I would play Alves or Maicon there anytime.
Both Alves and Maicon are to good to leave out. Maybe Alves can play RW since he wouldn't really have much competition for the spot. Maybe they can move Maicon to LB since Maicon likes cutting inside and taking shots a lot.
And I agree, Ramires shouldn't be there, Diego should. And if Dunga has to pick between Robinho and Ronaldinho, he should consider their recent form. Robinho is younger and faster but I would much rather see a Ronaldinho-Fabiano combination.
really dont like watching dunga's brazil, typical of the modern game (outside of barca), the resut is more important than how they play. since when have the brazilians been 'efficient', where has the free-flowing football gone? now they just play counter-attacks. and how they cannot choose ronnie, but take felipe melo and elano i'll never know. really hope they dont win the WC
fabiano-robinho
ronaldinho
diego-kaka
melo/gilberto
alves-lucio-juan-maicon
julio cesar
back to the diamond, back to the samba.
Too offensive!!! That will never happen
too offensive?? there is no such thing in brazil
Ronaldinho, Kaka and Diego will completely space each other out! Diego works best when he is at the tip of the diamond and you would have no wingers unless you play Ronaldinho and Kaka as wingers where they don't play that well.
I loved the Brazil of 2002: Ronaldinho, Rivaldo, Ronaldo, Roberto Carlos. This team doesn't appeal to me that much.
Ronaldinho is awesum i still follow him at ac milan … he's the reason i started loving Barca in the first place…
I understand why dunga hasn't selected the great dinho for the team, since the team already is complete, believe it or not even without these superstars they usually have ( carlos, rivaldo, ronaldo,dinho et c ) this team that they have is really great and im not sure if dinho would fit into it completely since his form is like a roller coaster these days, fabiano is the tip of the iceberg and is still scoring his ass off for brazil.