It’s a shame that the match in
Johannesburg might be spoilt by suspensions. While Kaka is back for
Brazil after that red card against the Ivory Coast, Chile will have
to cope without Gary Medel, Waldo Ponce and Marco Estrada, whose foul
play against Spain causes them to miss one of the biggest games in
the country’s history.
While manager Marcelo Bielsa will still
encourage his team to line up offensively for the match and hope to
take the game to the Brazilians as they did against Spain on Friday,
this was a tactic that helped Dunga’s team achieve 4-2 and 3-0 wins
over the same opponents in qualifying.
A safety first approach from the Samba
Kings is not true to the style of their predecessors, although modern
day football calls for pragmatism and that’s why Felipe Melo and
Gilberto Silva station themselves in front of the defence and allow
the more creative players to weave some magic. Robinho could help to
do that after sitting out the match against Portugal.
PREDICTION:
BRAZIL -1 @ 2.08 with LADBROKES
Power Rating
Squad (4.5/5)
They are the best and they know it. Brazil even have a choice of decent goalkeepers, although central defence may not be as secure as they might like.
Squad (3/5)
Young enough to want to win and tough enough and good enough to maintain the momentum from qualification.
Coach (4/5)
Dunga is a nickname and means Dopey after one of the Seven Dwarves. The Brazil manager is anything but and will need all his toughness and shrewdness to control colossal expectations.
Coach (3/5)
Marcelo Bielsa’s attention to detail is such that he has been known to measure the pitch himself. He deserves some kind of recompense for all the pain of 2002.
Attack (5/5)
Only Spain and Argentina can match the Brazilian forward line with its array of skill and sheer physical power.
Attack (3/5)
The number of goals scored in qualification is testament to what the forward line led by Fernandez, Sanchez and Suazo are capable of.
Defence (3.5/5)
It can be very good as they proved when easily overcoming England in a pre-tournament friendly but should Dunga stay with Dida or go with Julio Cesar in goal?
Defence (3/5)
They are unlikely ever to plumb the depth of the Battle of Santiago but they can be an uncompromising bunch.