Author: Vishwajit Sawant
In preparation for the World Cup qualifier against Venezuela, the Brazilian national team will make two important changes to the line-up compared to the victories over Bolivia and Peru. Left-back Renan Lodi and striker Raphinha, both sidelined with injuries, will be replaced by Guilherme Arana and Vini Jr.
The new team formation was tested by coach Fernando Diniz during two intense training sessions at the Arena Pantanal in Cuiabá on Tuesday and Wednesday.
Éderson, Danilo, Marquinhos, Gabriel Magalhães, Guilherme Arana, Casemiro, Bruno Guimarães, Neymar, Vini Jr, Rodrygo and Richarlison.
This strategic change comes after Brazil’s victories over Bolivia (5:1) and Peru (1:0), during which coach Diniz kept a consistent line-up. He emphasized the importance of maintaining this consistency in a scenario with little time for training. The only adjustments made were due to injury absences, despite the early return of Vinicius, who missed the last FIFA date due to injury.
With two consecutive wins in the first two qualifying rounds, Brazil currently lead the group with six points, the same as Argentina, with a slight advantage on goal difference: 6-1 against 4-0. CONMEBOL offers six direct places at the World Cup, with the seventh-placed team having the opportunity to secure their place through a play-off.
In the first round, Venezuela lost 0-1 away to Colombia and in the second round they beat Paraguay at home by the same scoreline (a 93rd minute winner).
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After the clash with Venezuela, the Brazilian national team will travel to Montevideo, where they will face Uruguay on Tuesday at 9pm local time in the historic Centenario stadium. This next match represents another challenge for Brazil, who are looking to maintain their strong start in World Cup qualifying.
Line-up changes due to injuries are an integral part of international soccer, where teams often face changing circumstances and need to adapt to maintain their competitive edge. It remains to be seen how these adjustments will affect Brazil’s performance against Venezuela, a squad that will certainly bring its own strengths and tactics to the field.
As the Seleção strive to secure their place at the 2022 FIFA World Cup in Qatar, these changes reflect the adaptability and depth of talent within the squad, with Diniz and his coaching staff carefully assessing the players available to ensure Brazil remain a formidable force on the international stage.