Thursday 5 July 2012

Mano Menezes announces Brazil Olympic squad




Mano Menezes has revealed his 18-man Brazil squad to take part in the Olympic Games this summer.

There is no place for Chelsea centre-back David Luiz who misses out on one of the three spots for players over the age of 23. Hulk joins Thiago Silva and Marcelo as the trio of more experienced players.

His decision to leave out David Luiz suggests he was sufficiently impressed by the performances of Juan Jesus during last month's friendlies. He will likely start alongside the AC Milan defender with Bruno Uvini offering the only cover.

Sandro and Romulo will face little competition for the two volante rolls, though Danilo could provide cover in that area with Manchester United's Rafael da Silva offering cover at right-back.

Further up the pitch, Hulk's inclusion means there will no doubt be a straight shoot-out between Oscar and Ganso for the central attacking-midfield position. Judged by recent form and the manner in which Oscar excelled in the friendlies, he could well force the Santos playmaker onto the bench.

Neymar will continue out on the left side while Leandro Damiao could come in  for some stiff competition from Alexandre Pato to lead the line. Leandro did not produce his most convincing performances last month but is better suited to the lone striker role.

Brazil's 18-man Olympic Squad:

Goalkeepers: Rafael Cabral (Santos), Neto (Fiorentina).

Defenders: Rafael da Silva (Manchester United), Danilo (Porto), Thiago Silva (AC Milan), Juan Jesus (Inter), Bruno Uvini (Sao Paulo), Marcelo (Real Madrid), Alex Sandro (Porto).

Midfielders: Romulo (Vasco/Spartak Moscow), Sandro (Tottenham Hotspur), Oscar (Internacional), Ganso (Santos).

Forwards: Hulk (Porto), Neymar (Santos), Lucas (Sao Paulo), Alexandre Pato (AC Milan), Leandro Damiao (Internacional).

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