Campeonato Brasileiro 2011 preview: Round 15 (part one)

The 2011 Brasileirão continues this weekend with another card full of interesting ties and a nice clássico on Sunday night. Read on for previews of the weekend, starting with the three matches on Saturday.

Palmeiras x Grêmio (Saturday 6th - 18h30 Canindé)

Round 15 kicks off with an interesting clash between two traditional giants, Palmeiras and Grêmio. Both sides came away with a draw in Round 14, but the morale in the respective camps could not be more different. Palmeiras were away from home against Coritiba, and despite playing a large portion of the second half with only ten men, they managed to draw 1x1. Grêmio were at home to Atlético Mineiro and drew 2x2 after conceding a very late goal. Grêmio coach Julinho Camargo was sacked the following day after only 33 days in charge, and he has been swiftly replaced by Celso Roth, who will be managing the Tricolor for the fourth time.

Palmeiras will be without Luan and Thiago Heleno who are suspended, but they should be buoyed by the inclusion of centre-back Henrique for his first start since returning to the club from Barcelona. Playmaker Douglas returns for Grêmio, and he will play in Roth's favoured 4-2-3-1 formation. Grêmio may be able to pull off a surprise result as so often occurs when a team brings in a new manager, but Palmeiras have a great record against Grêmio and are heavily favoured in this one.

EXPECTED FORMATIONS 

Flamengo x Coritiba (Saturday 6th - 18h30 Engenhão)

In Rio de Janeiro, Flamengo will be trying to continue their assault on leaders Corinthians with a home match against Coritiba. Fresh from a vital 1x0 win over Cruzeiro, Ronaldinho Gaúcho &co will take the game to Coritiba and are clear favourites to win. Coritiba played well against Palmeiras on Wednesday, but could not find a winning goal and left very disappointed with their 1x1 draw.

Flamengo are without Ronaldo Angelim and Airton - suspended after picking up a third yellow card against Cruzeiro - but will have battling midfielder Willians back in the team. Coritiba should field the same side that played against Palmeiras, the only change should be the inclusion of Jonas ahead of Maranhão at right back. Coxa will give it everything they've got against Flamengo, but a resounding win for the home side is the safest bet.

EXPECTED FORMATIONS

Campeonato Brasileiro 2011 preview: Round 14 (part two)

We are back with the preview for Round 14 of the 2011 Brasileirão, we still have two move games tonight to cover, and then tomorrow's match-ups.

Cruzeiro x Flamengo (Wednesday 3rd - 21h50 Arena do Jacaré)

Cruzeiro host Flamengo in Sete Lagoas in what is certainly this week’s headline match. The home side have had some difficulties of late and after some good performances in the past month or so, they have now suffered two straight defeats against lesser opponents. Sitting in mid-table, they will be desperate to claw their way back up into a Copa Libertadores place. Cruzeiro are still without Thiago Ribeiro and Roger, but will have a strong line-up to call upon.

Flamengo are the league's form team at the moment and they remain as the only unbeaten side in the Brasileirão. Craque Ronaldinho Gaúcho is hitting form and sits at the top of the goalscoring charts, while Thiago Neves is putting in some excellent performances in the midfield. On paper, this one looks like a nailed-on Flamengo win, but Cruzeiro have an uncanny knack of beating Flamengo, in fact they have been victorious in the last six league meetings between the sides. Expect an even game without many goals.

EXPECTED FORMATIONS 

Coritiba x Palmeiras (Wednesday 3rd - 21h50 Couto Pereira)

The last time that Coritiba and Palmeiras met at the Couto Pereira, the home side recorded a historic win, defeating Palmeiras 6x0 in the Copa do Brasil. Times have changed now, Palmeiras are a much stronger side who are secure in defence and Coritiba's momentum seems to have slowed down.

Palmeiras welcome back ídolos Marcos and Kleber to the starting 11, and new signing Henrique makes in the squad, although he will most likely start on the bench. Coritiba are the favourites for this one, despite Palmeiras' high league position. This should be an interesting match, with Coritiba investing their hopes in their attack and Palmeiras doing the same only in defence. Expect a tight scoreline, perhaps even a 0x0 draw with plently of missed chances.

EXPECTED FORMATIONS

São Paulo x Bahia (Thursday 4th - 21h00 Morumbi)

Moving on to Thursday's games, we start at the Morumbi as São Paulo take on Bahia. New São Paulo boss Adílson Batista has had a pretty unconvincing start to his reign, especially at home. His only two home games in charge have ended in disappointment, with a defeat to Vasco and a draw against Atlético-GO. On Thursday they will be looking to bounce back against a Bahia side struggling in defence.

Bahia are a side that have been suffering from similar problems, they have managed good results against big sides away from home, but their home form is lamentable. O tricolor baiano should make it very difficult for São Paulo, and if their defence can manage to stop São Paulo's wonderkid Lucas, they might just be able to sneak a result.

EXPECTED FORMATIONS

Fluminense x Internacional (Thursday 4th - 21h00 Engenhão)

Internacional travel to Rio de Janeiro to take on a rejuvenated Fluminense side at the Engenhão, and with the return of some key players for the away side, we could be in for a cracking match. Since Abel Braga took over as Fluminense boss, the morale amongst the squad has beed good, but results have been poor. Last weekend though, Flu managed a 4x0 win over Ceará in what was certainly their best performance of the season so far. Forwards Fred, Souza and Marquinho all seem to be in good form, and they will certainly be very hard to beat at the moment.

Their opponents Internacional are trying to pull themselves out of a disappointing phase, littered with injury problems and unconvincing results. However striker Leandro Damião will make his return against Flu and when he is in the side the whole team seem to function better. Zé Roberto is still injured and Oscar and Juan are with the Brazilian under-20 squad, but Inter are starting to get their big men back. This promises to be an excellent game, both sides are needing the points and there should be goals.

EXPECTED FORMATIONS

Atlético-GO x Atlético-PR (Thursday 4th - 21h00 Serra Dourada)

The last game of the weekend sees a battle of the atléticos as Atlético Goianiense take on Atlético Paranaense in Goiânia. This match may be forgotten amongst the other more high profile encounters, but it promises to be an intriguing game with both sides making big improvements over the past few weeks. The home side are unbeaten in their last three games, and when you consider those games were against São Paulo, Cruzeiro and then Internacional, that is even more impressive. 

Atlético Paranaense, o Furacão, had a terrible start to this year's campaign, only picking up two points in their first ten matches. However, wins against Botafogo and Santos (a thrilling 3x2) in the past ten days has breathed new life into the players and lifted them up off the bottom of the league. The signing of Uruguayan striker Santiágo 'Morro' García has given their attack some much-needed firepower and who knows how far this resurgence can take them.

EXPECTED FORMATIONS

 

Campeonato Brasileiro 2011 preview: Round 6 (part two)

Following on from yesterday’s part one, here is the final part of the Brasileirão round six preview. All six games on Sunday are covered.

The Pacaembu is the only place to start on Sunday as Corinthians take on São Paulo in one of the biggest clássicos in the country. Both teams have had strong starts to their respective seasons, both are unbeaten, with São Paulo maintaining a 100% record and sitting atop the Brasileirão table. Corinthians have played one game less than the rest of the league, after they were due to play Copa Libertadores champions Santos last week (that match has been re-scheduled for August), and after a very tough run of fixtures to open the league they can be very happy with their ten points.

Corinthians will only make one change to their last time out, captain Chicão returns from suspension and takes the place of Wallace at centre-back. They were served a blow earlier this week when they were told they would not be able to play new-signing Alex from Spartak Moscow. The player has not been fully registered in time with the league, and it looks like he will have to wait until next week to finally make his debut, over a month since he signed.

São Paulo boss Paulo Cesar Carpegiani has quite a few changes to make from his side that defeated Ceará last weekend. Rodrigo Souto and Juan are both suspended, while star man Lucas is away with the Brasil squad for the Copa América. O Tricolor should line up in a 4-4-2, Luiz Eduardo deputizing at left-back with Bruno Uvini covering at centre-back. In the midfield, Ilsinho and Carlinhos Paraíba come in to play on the wings, with Casemiro and Wellington marshaling the middle of the park. Dagoberto returns up front alongside Marlos.

Many will be backing São Paulo to continue their rhythm and record their sixth straight league win, but Corinthians’ pedigree for clássicos is undeniable, o Timão have not lost a Paulista clássico at the Pacaembu since 2007. In that time they have played Paulista rivals sixteen times, winning twelve and drawing four.

Expected Formations


Next, back to the Engenhão in Rio de Janeiro as Botafogo host gauchos Grêmio. Both teams could only draw their respective matches last week, and will be hoping to kick on with an important victory.

Botafogo have a few players missing from their preferred starting eleven, Egidio Arévalo and Loco Abreu are still away with the Uruguayan national team, and since last week goalkeeper Jefferson has joined up with the Brasil side. Left-back Bruno Cortês picked up an injury in the Flamengo match last week, and Márcio Azevedo will deputise. Apart from that, their system remains largely the same, and they should line up 4-5-1 as they did last week.

Grêmio will be making a significant change to the side that drew with Vasco last week, moving to a 3-5-2 to try for a different approach after being criticized when playing 4-4-2. Captain Fábio Rochemback is suspended, and goalkeeper Víctor is with the Seleção and they will be replaced by Fernando and Marcelo Grohe. Junior Viçosa and Saimon are dropped, and new signing Marquinhos and Rafael Marques will play in their absence. Lúcio and Gabriel will be moved out to wing-backs, with Rafael Marques, Mário Fernandes and Neuton playing at centre back. Marquinhos will play centre midfield, supporting playmaker Douglas who plays just off the lone centre-forward Lins.

I will be expecting another draw for these sides here, when you have a look at the two formations on paper, both defenses appear to be well positioned against the respective attackers. Game-changing players like Maicosuel, Elkeson and Douglas will be looked towards to provide the all-important spark.

Expected Formations


Bottom side Avaí host reigning champions Fluminense at the Ressacada, and a win for either side would be extremely welcome. Avaí’s problems are clear to see, bottom of the league, only one point out of fifteen, and a dreadful goal difference of -13. Fluminense are having their own troubles however, and new boss Abel Braga will be absolutely desperate to record his first victory after taking over two weeks ago.

With morale low after their 5x0 thrashing at the hands of Palmeiras, Avaí will surely be doing anything they can for some points this week. There will be some changes to the squad for this match, George Lucas and Róbson are dropped, with new loan signing Daniel and the returning Rafael Coelho being introduced. Centre-back Cássio is injured and should be replaced by new signing Welton Felipe, who only joined the club on Wednesday.

In the absence of Fred, who is with the Seleção, Fluminense will alter their formation to a 4-5-1 for Sunday’s game. Marquinho and Diguinho are re-introduced to the first team, with Valencia and Ciro making way for them. Rafael ‘He-Man’ Moura will start as the lone striker in the place of Fred.

Conceding an average of 3.4 goals per game, Avaí’s defence has been truly woeful so far. If Fluminense can capitalise on this they could secure a very important morale-boosting victory. Anything other than a win is unthinkable for the reigning champions.

Expected Formations


The last of the Sunday afternoon games sees Ceará face Palmeiras in Fortaleza. Both sides have had good starts to the season by their own standards, with Palmeiras impressing the most in 2nd place with the most goals scored in the league.

Vozão coach Vagner Mancini has just about a full squad to choose from, with the returns of Boiadeiro, Fabrício and fan favourite Geraldo. Their only worry is central midfielder Michel, who is trying to shake off a knock picked up last week. Ceará should line up as follows: Fernando Henrique, Boiadeiro, Fabrício, Diego Sacoman, Vicente; Michel, Heleno, Thiago Humberto, João Marcos; Osvaldo, Washington.

With the suspension of last week’s goal hero Luan, Felipão will make a tactical change from his side that defeated Avaí 5x0 last week. Defensive midfielder Chico should replace the forward, and Palmeiras should line up with three deep midfielders, congesting the centre of the park. Wellington Paulista may lose his place in the starting line-up to Adriano, with Felipão looking for a more mobile forward to support Kléber.

Palmeiras look like they will have enough about them to pull off an important win this afternoon, Felipão’s anticipation of his opponents looks like it will neutralise Ceará’s central threats. If I was a betting man I would put my money on a 1x0 Palmeiras win.

Expected Formations


Moving on to the two late games, first of all we have two southern teams facing off, with Internacional hosting high-fliers Figueirense. Figueira have been one of the stories of the season so far, winning all three of their home games, drawing with Copa do Brasil champions Vasco and only losing to top side São Paulo in the Morumbi. The away game at the Beira-Rio, a traditionally difficult ground to play at, should prove to be a stern test for the newcomers. However Inter are yet to win at home this season, so the florianopolitano side may well fancy their chances.

Inter have had a very indifferent start so far, their fans being frustrated at the points they have dropped and the several chances that their forwards have passed up. There should be only one change to their side from last week’s draw with Coritiba, with midfielder Oscar returning to the starting line-up. Defensive midfielder Glaydson should make way for his return, with Tinga dropping back to replace the gap left in his absence.

Figueira have some niggling selection problems in their squad, strikers Reinaldo and Lenny are still out injured, while Rhayner joins them after earning a suspension last week. Midfielder Wilson Pittoni suffered an injury last week and will miss out, it will be between Coutinho and Túlio to take his place in the middle of the park.

Figueirense have every right to believe that they can get something out of this match, but Internacional are a team of great quality that appear to just need one result to kick in to a good phase, and this match – at home to a newly promoted side – could be just the fixture they need.

Expected Formations


Finally, the weekend is rounded off at the Serra Dourada in Goiânia, as Atlético Goianiense host Copa do Brasil winners Vasco. Atlético, o Dragão, have had an excellent start to the season by their standards. Before the season began, they were tipped by just about everyone to be one of the four relegated teams, but they have started fantastically, sitting in 8th position. Vasco are only one point ahead in 7th place, and their supporters are still in ecstasy after their Copa win and subsequent Copa Libertadores qualification.

Atlético are completely unchanged from the team that drew 2x2 with Atlético Mineiro last week, while Vasco will make a couple of changes. Left back Ramon and defensive midfielder Allan will miss out, with Márcio Careca and Eduardo Costa taking their places. A victory for either side would put them in a fantastic position after six rounds, and with both sides scoring and conceding their fair share of goals, this one should be exciting.

Expected Formations

Campeonato Brasileiro 2011 review: Round 1

After a frantic few months of state championships and cup competition for clubs in Brasil, the real work starts here as the Campeonato Brasileiro 2011 got underway this weekend with every team in action. Join me each week for a complete review of the round of games, along with weekly awards and highlights.

The 2011 season kicked off on Saturday evening at the Moacyrzão in Macaé, Rio de Janeiro as Flamengo strolled to victory against Avaí. It was quite a one-sided match as with one eye on their Copa do Brasil semi-final on Wednesday, Avaí did not look completely motivated and failed to deal with Flamengo's attacking threats. Goals from Bottinelli, Ronaldinho Gaúcho, Thiago Neves and Diego Maurício gave a 4x0 win to the Mengão.

In Minas Gerais, Atlético Mineiro got their season off to a wonderful start with a 3x0 win over Atlético Paranaense. Another game that was never really in doubt, an early goal from defensive midfielder Toró and then two headed goals from Magno Alves sealed the points for o Galo. Atlético Paranaense have reasons to be worried in the light of this result, as they failed to put any real pressure on their opponents and were very one-dimensional in attack.

Ceará and Vasco, two sides who are looking forward to vital Copa do Brasil semi-finals on Wednesday, faced eachother in Brasil's northeast and Vasco ran out 3x1 winners. There is not terribly much we can take from this match, as both sides fielded changed line-ups, resting almost all of their preferred XI. The game itself was a good one, with fringe players on both sides striving to impress. Ceará centre back Cleber gave the Vozão the lead, but three excellent goals (two from Bernardo and one from Jéferson) won the game for Vasco.

Saturday night's late game resulted in a 1x1 draw between Santos and Internacional. This game was one of the most hyped of the opening round, but with Santos fielding a complete second-string XI ahead of their Copa Libertadores semi-final this week, the match turned in to a bit of an anticlimax. Keirrison gave Santos the lead from the penalty spot after Tiago Alves was fouled by Daniel. Zé Roberto equalised for Inter before half time, converting a cross from Oscar. Both sides had chances in the second half, but neither could find the winning goal.

Moving on to Sunday afternoon, and out in the São Paulo countryside in São José do Rio Preto, Palmeiras got off to a winning start by beating Botafogo 1x0. As many had expected it was a tight game, neither side dominating completely, but Palmeiras had the edge and sealed the three points with a stunning goal from captain Kléber. There was more good news for the Verdão when club ídolo Pierre made a late substitute appearance. The defensive midfielder had been suffering from a long term injury, his last match coming in November 2010.

In one of the biggest games of the weekend, Grêmio and Corinthians faced off in what was a tight clash, ending 2x1 to the away side Corinthians. Grêmio took the lead with a penalty from Douglas after Chicão was adjudged to have fouled Leandro inside the area. O Timão equalised with their own penalty kick not long afterwards, Liedson being tripped by Lúcio, and captain Chicão made up for his earlier error by tucking away the penalty. Corinthians sealed the comeback ten minutes later through Liedson, the former Sporting Lisbon hitman pulled off a lovely bit of technique with a flying volley from six yards.

The other two afternoon games threw up some surprises, Coritiba falling 0x1 to Atlético Goianiense, and newly-promoted Figueirense pulling off an excellent 1x0 win against title favourites Cruzeiro. The former was a tight affair, with both teams making several mistakes in the midfield and struggling to establish a rhythm. The match was won with fifteen minutes left, with o Dragão's giant striker Marcão latching on to a Thiago Feltri cross.

In Florianópolis, Figueirense pulled off the shock of the week against Cruzeiro, and they were well worth the three points. Figueira found it difficult in the first half, but after taking the lead through a fortuitous own goal from Cruzeiro midfielder Marquinhos Paraná, they pressed their opponents and looked likely to score a second. Cruzeiro may have reasons to be worried.

The evening games on Sunday kicked off with Fluminense taking on São Paulo at Vasco's São Januario stadium. São Paulo ran out 2x0 winners, but it was not a particularly impressive display from either side. The first half was filled with errors from both teams, with Dagoberto's opening goal the only highlight. In the second half, São Paulo improved slightly while Fluminense did not, and wonderkid Lucas increased the lead with a superb goal.

The final game of the round was perhaps the most exciting, as two newly-promoted sides América Mineiro and Bahia faced off against eachother in Sete Lagoas. The match began at an excellent pace, with Bahia in the driving seat, and they took the lead with the weekend's fourth penalty. Thiago Carleto handled the ball in the area and Souza converted the penalty to put Bahia 1x0 up.

In the second half it was América who took control, equalising in the 3rd minute with a debut goal from Rodriguinho. O Coelho kept up the pressure, and could have won the game with the chances they had, but they got there in the end, with substitute Alessandro making it 2x1 with only three minutes left to go.

PLAYER OF THE ROUND: Ronaldinho Gaúcho (Flamengo)

Photo: Fábio Castro

Hated on Friday, loved on Saturday, Ronaldinho Gaúcho's performance at the weekend paints a clear picture of the fickle nature of Brazilian football supporters. After being criticised, booed and ridiculed after Flamengo's Copa do Brasil exit, Ronaldinho won over the haters by turning in a man-of-the-match performance in Fla's 4x0 win over Avaí.

His little touches, flicks and nutmegs made you feel like you were back in the Camp Nou in 2005, and his goal was very well taken also. If Ronaldinho can stay fit and in this type of form, it would be hard to look past Flamengo for the title.

VILLAIN OF THE ROUND: Marcelo Oliveira (Coritiba)

Photo: Paulo Pinto

Manager of the league's 'surprise package' Coritiba, Marcelo Oliveira could not have had a worse start to the 2011 season. With their first game at home to relegation candidates Atlético Goianiense and with a vital Copa do Brasil semi-final against Ceará on Wednesday, it was expected that Oliveira would select a changed side and allow his big players extra rest before their cup match. However, Coritiba took to the field at the Couto Pereira with a full strength side, battled hard but lost 1-0 to their organised opponents.

What does this mean for Coritiba? Well, with a full strength side they failed to win at home against a side who are certain to be battling against the drop this year, and on Wednesday they will be playing Ceará who did decide to rest their main XI this weekend. If the Coxa make it through their semi-final safely then this result will be forgotten, but if they do not, Coritiba fans will surely point the finger at the manager.

GOLAÇO DA RODADA: Lucas (SÃO PAULO vs Fluminense)



The first golaço da rodada award of the season goes to Lucas of São Paulo for his magnificent solo effort against Fluminense. The hotly tipped young attacker picked the ball up just inside the Fluminense half, played a quick one-two with Carlinhos Paraiba and then set off on a wonderful dribble, showing off his superb acceleration and leaving the Fluminense defenders floundering, before cutting inside away from Gum and finishing coolly past goalkeeper Ricardo Berna. A truly excellent goal from a young forward who is set to have a huge season this year.

So there we have it, the 2011 Brasileirão is fully underway, and already there is plenty to talk about. Will Flamengo stroll to the title with the good form of Ronaldinho Gaúcho? Did the experts get it wrong with Coritiba? Do Cruzeiro really have a team capable of winning the title this year? We can not possibly know the answers to these questions yet, but it's certainly going to be fun to find out!

This week we have the second legs of the Copa do Brasil semi-finals on Wednesday, as Coritiba play Ceará (first leg 0-0) and Avaí take on Vasco (first leg 1-1). Wednesday also brings us Santos' Copa Libertadores semi-final first leg against Paraguayans Cerro Porteño. The two sides were in the same group in the opening stage of the tournament, drawing 1x1 in Paraguay and Santos coming out 2x1 winners in São Paulo.

At the weekend we also have another full card in the Brasileirão, the pick of the action coming on Sunday afternoon as Palmeiras travel to Sete Lagoas to play Cruzeiro.

ROUND 1 RESULTS:
Flamengo 4x0 Avaí
Atlético Mineiro 3x0 Atlético Paranaense
Ceará 1x3 Vasco
Santos 1x1 Internacional
Palmeiras 1x0 Botafogo
Coritiba 0x1 Atlético Goianiense
Figueirense 1x0 Cruzeiro
Grêmio 1x2 Corinthians
Fluminense 0x2 São Paulo
América Mineiro 2x1 Bahia

Brasileirão In Focus: Palmeiras

The team of the green half of São Paulo, Palmeiras are one of the most successful teams in Brazilian football history, having won the most national championships (8, tied with Santos). Since the return of talismanic coach Luiz Felipe Scolari (Felipão in Brazil), they have made steady progress after a disappointing phase.

This year they finished 2nd in the main stage of the Campeonato Paulista, boasting a superb defensive record, but they lost in the semi-finals on penalties to arch rivals Corinthians. Their performance in the Copa do Brasil was not so great either, as they were eliminated by Coritiba at the quarter-final stage after losing 6-0 away from home, a result that plunged the team in to a mini-crisis.

There is no doubt that there are some problems in the team, but I feel they may be slightly overstated. The Verdão have some of the best talents in the league, but there always seems to be a problem with them. For example, in central midfield, Marcos Assunção is still one of the best set-piece experts in the country, and provides a deadly threat from long shots, but it would appear that he has lost his legs and is no longer able to do the work required of a defensive midfielder in this Palmeiras side, so he often ends up being a burden to the team.

Another example is Chilean attacking midfielder Jorge Valdivia. El Mago is a stunningly talented player, and on his day he is capable of picking apart any defence in Brasil, but his form has been erratic and he has been extremely injury prone. In attack, Kléber is one of the best players in the league, extremely hard-working and dedicated (explaining his nickname, o Gladiador) but he is so often relied on too much, and left isolated up front, due to having to play there by himself.

Last month the club signed Wellington Paulista, who formed a successful strike partnership with Kléber while the two were at Cruzeiro, and he will be expected to start as the main centre-forward with Kléber playing off of him. Another positive is the signing of Santos’ very impressive young forward Maikon Leite, who will join in July. These additions should improve the attack as a whole, but perhaps more importantly, will help to take a little of the pressure off of Kléber.

Palmeiras play a 4-4-2 formation, and with everyone fit and available, they would play with Valdivia and young Patrik behind the forwards Kléber and Wellington Paulista. This current ‘crisis’ at Palmeiras may have come just at the right time, as the problems in the squad have been identified before it is too late for their season. They do not have as good a squad as some of their league rivals, but with Felipão on the bench, they should perform well enough over the course of the season to achieve a good finish.

Expected formation:

Q&A: Miguel Bianconi

Today, I thought I’d do something different. Recently I’ve been talking a lot about the Copa São Paulo which took place in January. My initial plan was to pick out some players that I was impressed by, and give a little bit of a scout report on each one, letting you know what to expect when they make their move into the big leagues. But I had a better idea. One of the players I was going to write about, Miguel Bianconi of Palmeiras, has recently been promoted to the first team and he made his debut last week in the Copa do Brasil.

Instead of just writing about him from my point of view, I decided to get in touch with young Miguel, and I am now proud to present the first (of many hopefully) player interview exclusively for I Like Football Me.

(Photo: GazetaPress.com.br)

I caught up with Miguel on Monday afternoon, not long after training, only one day after heavy rain in the city of São Paulo gave us these scenes in the stands of the Estádio do Morumbi for the São Paulo x Palmeiras derby. (I also must mention that the interview was conducted completely in Portuguese, and then translated back to English)

I Like Football Me: Good afternoon Miguel, thanks for taking the time out to speak to me. Good training session today?
Miguel: Yeah, training was good. It’s a pity that it was raining so much.

ILFM: Well you do live in São Paulo, you’ll be used to it by now.
Miguel: That’s true.

ILFM: Ok let’s begin shall we? Recently you were promoted to the first team squad at Palmeiras. What has it been like for you to train with the idols of the team like Marcos, Kléber, Valdivia, and to work under such a renowned manager as Luiz Felipe Scolari?
Miguel: It’s very important for my career to begin with such successful players like Marcos, Kléber and Valdivia and to be working with the best manager in the world. I just have to thank God for this opportunity and I’m going to make the most of it.

ILFM: Last week, you were called up to the squad for the first time for the Copa do Brasil match against Comercial in Piauí. What was that whole experience like for you? To travel with the squad, to play in front of the fans…
Miguel: It was really cool and very exciting. A really incredible experience for me. I hope it’s the first of many, but more importantly the team got the victory, and that puts us in a great position for the second leg! (Note: Palmeiras won the second leg 5-1)

ILFM: Palmeiras have made a good start to 2011. The team is playing well, the defence looks strong, and you are sitting in a good position in the Campeonato Paulista, only one point off the top. Do you think the team can continue like this throughout the 2011 season?
Miguel: I am certain that we can. We have a great squad and because we are Palmeiras we always have to be looking for victories and especially we have to win titles. We know that it will be very difficult, but with our ability and the help of the supporters, we will go on and win trophies.

ILFM: That’s music to my ears Miguel. Ok moving on, to play for a big club in Brazil, especially in São Paulo, can bring a lot of pressure to the players on and off the pitch. Recently we saw Roberto Carlos leaving Corinthians for Anzhi Makhachkala of Russia, citing “personal safety” as one of the reasons for his exit. Do you feel you would be prepared to deal with that kind of pressure at Palmeiras?
Miguel: I don’t think I am, I am sure I am! This past year in the youth squads I have been preparing a lot both technically and psychologically. Of course I know that the fan pressure at Palmeiras is massive, but I’m sure that over time I will show them my worth in the squad and then hopefully I’ll have formed a good relationship with the fans.

ILFM: This year was your second year playing for Palmeiras in the Copinha (Copa São Paulo de Juniores). Last year, you scored twice as the team got to the semi-finals. I watched you play in this year’s Copinha, and you improved your performance and scored four goals. What aspects of your game do you think you have improved upon since last year?
Miguel: I know that my in first Copinha, I didn’t play much for the team, I focused on my own performance more. But this year, I played looser, I dropped deep to get the ball, generally I moved around a lot more, trying to help the team. Thank God it went very well and today I am in the first team. The improvement was all thanks to the coaches who trusted in my ability and supported me every step of the way.

ILFM: Continuing with the Copinha, I was impressed by several players in the Palmeiras team, (Patrick Vieira, Bruno, Vitor and yourself of course!) do you think there are any players in this team that can have a big future at Palmeiras?
Miguel: Definitely. Palmeiras have done a very good job with the youth team, and we will be enjoying the fruits of their labour very soon. I’ve started the year in the professional squad, and hopefully I can stay there!

ILFM: That definitely sounds positive. Are there any players in particular you think will shine?
Miguel: Patrick Vieira, Paulinho and Peterson. Great players that can bring the joy that the supporters and the directors are always looking for.

ILFM: You are a strong, energetic and tenacious attacker who plays at Palmeiras. Naturally the media like to compare you with Palmeiras’ idol Kléber. What do you think about these comparisons between you and O Gladiador?
Miguel: I think that it’s too early for all of this. Kléber is an established footballer, and I am just starting out. I hope to one day win what he has won, and principally I would love to be a hero at Palmeiras like he is. Sure, I have a long way to go, but with the help of God I can get there.

ILFM: Brazilian football loves “the craque”, the idol of the team. Who is your craque? A player who you admire more than any other.
Miguel: My idol in football is Ronaldo. Just for everything that he won in his entire career while having to overcome so many obstacles at the same time.

ILFM: Brazil is absolutely obsessed with football, there are matches from all over the world on television every day. Do you watch much football from outside of Brazil?
Miguel: Yeah I do. I really like Bayern Munich in Germany, they have quick, light players but at the same time they have big, strong players. The team is really good in the Champions League, and recently they have been good in the Bundesliga as well. Basically, I watch a lot when I have days off, and I try my best to learn from them.

ILFM: Footballers can often be quite superstitious and ritualistic people, especially on matchdays. For example, goalkeepers in Brazil will almost always pray on their goal-line at the start and end of each half, and players often have a pair of boots, shinpads or even underwear that they regard as their “lucky pair”. Do you have any superstitions or rituals that you go through on matchdays?
Miguel: No I don’t. I believe in God and I have a lot of trust in Him, my family are Evangelists and I learned to hand over my career into the hands of God, and to allow Him to resolve it. I think that this business of superstitions has nothing to it, but of course I respect those who have them.

ILFM: Excellent, now finally some quick-fire questions to finish off:

Messi or Cristiano Ronaldo?- Messi
Copa Libertadores or Champions League?- Champions League
Volleyball or MMA?- Volleyball
Twitter or Orkut?- Twitter
Feijoada or pizza?- Pizza
Faustão or Gugu?- Neither! I don’t watch any of them.
Funk or Sertanejo?- Again, neither. I like gospel music mainly.
And finally, an easy question…. Pelé or Maradona?- Pelé.

ILFM: Thanks so much for speaking to me today Miguel. Good luck in your future, I’ll be cheering for you!
Miguel: No problem, bye for now. God bless.