SAO PAULO: Wingers, false nines, target men and center forward in the Brazil squad for the World Cup are giving coach Tite a nice selection headache up front.
As the five-time champion aims to win the title for the first time in 20 years, Tite also knows his attack has limited experience on the sport’s biggest stage. That’s something which he hopes will be offset by an abundance of skill, speed and aggressiveness to worry — or terrify — opposing defenses.
Tite will have almost a week of training in Turin, Italy, to tune up.
The nine forward in the 26-man squad are Neymar, Vinicius Jr., Rodrygo, Richarlison, Raphinha, Antony, Gabriel Jesus, Gabriel Martinelli and Pedro.
Only Neymar, from the 2014 and 2018 World Cups, and Jesus, Brazil’s starting striker four years ago in Russia, have experience in the tournament. The other seven will make their World Cup debuts in Qatar.
Tite has said he plans to use all nine. The main decision is where to play Neymar, a regular starter for 10 years. The coach has leaned toward a formation with Neymar adopting a midfield role in support of the attack, like “a bow behind three arrows,” according to Tite.
With Neymar as a midfielder-striker, Brazil’s most promising starting lineup has included Vinicius on the left, Richarlison as a target man, and Raphinha on the right. Many expect that to be the chosen option in the opening match against Serbia on Nov. 24. Switzerland and Cameroon are also in Group G.
The alternative would be to place Lucas Paquetá on the left in a position where he could move into the midfield. That was often the case in World Cup qualifying but Brazil would be choosing a player who is recovering from a shoulder injury over Vinicius, who scored the winner for Real Madrid in the Champions League final this year.
“Brazil was very predictable for a while due to its dependency on Neymar,” Brazil great Zico said in September. “Now he is just the icing on the cake, the guy who will deliver something extra. Brazil has other players up front. A lot of players.”
Richarlison, who has seven goals for Brazil in his last seven internationals, will likely have Neymar behind him. Vinicius — or Paquetá — and Raphinha will be allowed to focus on their attacking skills because the likely left and right backs, Alex Sandro and Danilo, are expected to play more defensively.
If Vinicius and Raphinha fail to deliver, Martinelli and Antony will be warming up on the bench. Jesus and Rodrygo can also play on the flanks. If Paquetá starts and struggles, Tite could still field a rested Vinicius or Martinelli.
Tite’s squad also leaves three players in waiting if Richarlison fails.
Jesus has improved as a finisher since the tournament in Russia and is also agile enough to open gaps for box-to-box midfielders such as Fred and Bruno Guimaraes to exploit. Rodrygo can do likewise while Pedro was the top scorer at the latest Copa Libertadores.
Pedro, who scored 12 in 13 matches for champion Flamengo, could end up as the team’s main striker during the World Cup. Tite has previously praised the player’s “unique” style and said he has an ability to “follow the quick thinking of midfielders.”
Experience could also influence bringing Jesus into the starting lineup when the tournament moves to the knockout stage if Brazil, as expected, advances from its group. Four years ago, Jesus failed to score in Russia but says he’s ready to make an impact this time.
Many were upset that Liverpool’s Roberto Firmino, Atletico Madrid’s Matheus Cunha and Flamengo’s Gabriel Barbosa were not chosen. And Brazil great Ronaldo, who scored both goals against Germany in the 2002 World Cup final, said 16-year-old striker Endrick of Palmeiras should have been selected.
“If I could take one, just to be a part of it, with little chance of playing for real, I would take Endrick,” Ronaldo said on his YouTube channel. “It would be a sensational experience for him and for the future of the national team.”
Not just Neymar: Tite plans Brazil’s attack at World Cup
https://arab.news/nm6fu
Not just Neymar: Tite plans Brazil’s attack at World Cup
- Only Neymar, from the 2014 and 2018 World Cups, and Jesus, Brazil’s starting striker four years ago in Russia, have experience in the tournament
FIA President Ben Sulayem welcomes Trump to Miami Grand Prix
- The former US president witnessed maiden Formula 1 win for McLaren’s Lando Norris
MIAMI: Former US president Donald Trump was welcomed to the Miami Grand Prix by FIA President Mohammed Ben Sulayem, where he saw McLaren’s Lando Norris notch up his first Formula 1 victory.
Sunday’s race saw British driver Norris take the checkered flag from three-time world champion Max Verstappen in the Red Bull Racing car. Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc came third.
Trump, along with a number of famous athletes and other celebrities, delighted the audience by engaging with fans and attendees. He was also invited behind the scenes to tour the McLaren pit garage accompanied by the team’s CEO, American Zak Brown.
A spokesman for the Miami Grand Prix said the race weekend had sold out, with more than 275,000 fans in attendance to witness the high-octane atmosphere and exciting result.
Sandhagen to face Nurmagomedov at UFC fight night in Abu Dhabi
- The event will take place at the Etihad Arena on Aug 3
ABU DHABI: UFC has announced that its return to Abu Dhabi will see No. 2 ranked bantamweight Cory Sandhagen face No. 9 ranked Umar Nurmagomedov on Saturday, Aug. 3 at Etihad Arena.
Tickets for the event, held in partnership with the Department of Culture and Tourism — Abu Dhabi go on sale from on Tuesday, May 7
Sandhagen, with a record of 17-4 and fighting out of Aurora, Colorado, returns to the UAE capital to cement his status as top contender in the bantamweight division. The Colorado native boasts wins over Rob Font, Chito Vera, and soon-to-be UFC Hall of Famer Frankie Edgar. He now hopes for a convincing win over rising star Nurmagomedov to make his case for a title shot.
Nurmagomedov, 17-0, fighting out of Chelyabinsk, Russia, looks to put the division on notice by taking out a top-ranked opponent and making his first Octagon appearance in Abu Dhabi. He made his mark in the division after delivering dominant performances over Raoni Barcelos, Brian Kelleher and Sergey Morozov.
Now, he sets his sights on securing the biggest win of his career by getting his hand raised against Sandhagen.
Al-Itttihad fined $37,000 for King’s Cup misconduct
- The reigning Saudi Pro League champions lost 2-1 to Al-Hilal last week in the semifinals of the Kingdom’s renowned competition
RIYADH: Al-Ittihad Football Club have been fined $37,000 (SR140,000) for misconduct by players and fans in its recent 2-1 defeat by Al-Hilal in the semi-final of the King’s Cup.
A statement issued by the Saudi Arabian Football Federation’s disciplinary and ethics committee said Abderrazak Hamdallah and Saad Al-Mousa were each fined around $5,300 for not fulfilling their post-match media duties.
The committee also imposed a fine of $27,000 on the Jeddah club after fans threw bottles at opposition players from the stands. Nobody was harmed as a result of the incidents.
The authorities stressed that the three decisions are not subject to appeal.
Mitchell rallies Cavs for series-clinching Game 7 win over Magic
- Cavs move on to second round a year after a stinging first-round loss to the New York Knicks
- The Celtics will host Game 1 of their Eastern Conference semifinal series on Tuesday
LOS ANGELES: Donovan Mitchell and the Cleveland Cavaliers silenced the young guns of Orlando, beating the Magic 106-94 in Game 7 of their NBA playoffs first-round series Sunday to book a meeting with Eastern Conference top seeds Boston.
It was another magisterial performance from Mitchell, who scored 39 points two days after pouring in 50 in the Cavs’ Game 6 defeat.
This time he had plenty of scoring support from teammates as the Cavs erased an 18-point second-quarter deficit to clinch a series in which the home team won every game.
Caris LeVert scored 15 points off the bench and Max Strus scored 11 of his 13 points in the third quarter, when the Cavs outscored the Magic 33-15 to take charge.
Evan Mobley scored 11 points with 16 rebounds and five blocked shots and Darius Garland chipped in 12 points to help Cleveland withstand a 38-point performance from Paolo Banchero.
The Cavs, with starting center Jarrett Allen sidelined a third straight game with bruised ribs, moved on to the second round a year after a stinging first-round loss to the New York Knicks.
“I didn’t want to go home,” Mitchell said of the mindset that saw him score 17 points in the third quarter as he virtually willed Cleveland to the lead.
The Magic delivered a strong first punch, Banchero scoring 10 points in the first period as Orlando grabbed a 24-18.
In the face of Orlando’s suffocating defense the Cavs connected on just six of 22 shots in the first quarter and didn’t make a three-pointer until Sam Merrill drilled one midway through the second quarter.
The Magic pushed their lead to as many as 18 points in the second quarter before the Cavs clawed back to cut the lead to single digits.
Banchero’s layup in the closing seconds of the first half saw Orlando take a 10-point lead into the break, but momentum was on Cleveland’s side and they overwhelmed the Magic in the third.
“I didn’t feel our confidence waver much, even when we had 18 points in the first quarter,” Mitchell said.
“They came out and jumped on us,” he added, saying the key was for the Cavs “to respond the way we did, keep plugging, just keep chipping away.”
Mitchell, again relentless in the paint, tied it at 64-64 with a floater and LeVert drained a pair of free throws to give the Cavs their first lead since the first quarter.
Strus hit back-to-back three-pointers as Cleveland built a 76-68 lead going into the final period.
The Cavs pushed their advantage to 14 points in the final frame, fans chanting “We want Boston” as the final minutes ticked off.
The Celtics will host Game 1 of their Eastern Conference semifinal series on Tuesday, and Mitchell vowed the Cavaliers will be ready for the team that posted the best record in the regular season.
“We didn’t make the group we made just to win the first round,” he said. “We accomplished one goal. Now we have to do it again.”
It was a crushing end to a strong season for the Magic, collectively the second-youngest team in the playoffs behind the Oklahoma City Thunder.
Wendell Carter Jr. scored 13 points and Jalen Suggs added 10 for the Magic, but Franz Wagner was held to just six as Orlando remained in search of a first playoff series victory since 2010.
Mitchell heaped praise 21-year-old Banchero, the top pick in the 2022 draft.
Banchero himself said the Magic’s fight back from 0-2 down in the series to force game seven “just shows where we’re headed.”
Sporting Lisbon win Portuguese league after Benfica stumble
- Last season’s victors stumbled 2-0 at Famalicao to complete Sporting’s triumph after Ruben Amorim’s triumphant side thrashed Portimonense 3-0 on Saturday
- Sporting will face Porto in the Portuguese Cup final on May 26, aiming to secure a double
LISBON: Sporting Lisbon were crowned champions of Portugal for only the second time in 21 years on Sunday after second-placed Benfica lost.
Last season’s victors stumbled 2-0 at Famalicao to complete Sporting’s triumph after Ruben Amorim’s triumphant side thrashed Portimonense 3-0 on Saturday.
Sporting, the division’s top scorers by far with 92 goals in 32 matches, are eight points clear of Benfica with just two games remaining.
Amorim’s side have lost just two times this season on the way to securing the club’s 20th league title, trailing Porto on 30 and record winners Benfica on 38.
Swedish forward Viktor Gyokeres’ goals have powered Sporting’s title success and he netted his 27th of the campaign on Saturday to wrap up their victory.
The striker signed from Coventry City last summer for a club record fee of 20 million euros ($21.5 million) plus add-ons.
It is the second league trophy brought to the club by former Benfica player Amorim, who led Sporting to glory in the 2020/21 season.
Sporting will face Porto in the Portuguese Cup final on May 26, aiming to secure a double.
