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In a duel of contrasts, Brazil receives Bolivia this Friday in Sao Paulo on the first day of the South American phase for the Qatar 2022 World Cup, with Neymar in doubt due to back pain and a curiosity: the debut in these qualifying rounds of the Uruguayan referee Leodán González. A clash that puts David against the Goliath of South America.
Brazil is currently the third best ranked in the FIFA ranking while Bolivia is the 75th in the world. The ‘Canarinha’ is five-time world champion while the Andeans add just three participations in Cups, those of 1930, 1950 and 1994.
The weight of history smiles widely on Brazil: of the 30 times it has faced Bolivia, 21 victories fell on the Canarinho side, compared to four draws and five defeats for the Andeans.
The last match between the two teams was held in June 2019 at the opening of the Copa América at the Morumbí stadium in Sao Paulo, with a 3-0 for the Brazilians. Almost 16 months later, Brazil and Bolivia meet again, although this time without an audience for the covid-19, which still hits the South American giant hard.
“A seleçao”, winner of the Copa América that it organized in 2019, had had mediocre results before the stoppage due to the pandemic, with a run of three draws against Senegal, Nigeria and Colombia, two defeats against Peru and Argentina, and only one win against South Korea.
The games against Bolivia this Friday and against Peru on October 13 will serve to elucidate whether those results in friendlies were a pájara or a deeper downturn. Wickers to shine are not lacking.
Adenor Leonardo Bacchi coach ‘Tite’ may be deprived of his top star, PSG striker Neymar, if his discomfort persists. ‘Ney’ left one of the training sessions this Wednesday due to back problems.
Tite tried out creative Éverton Ribeiro (Flamengo) as a possible replacement. Neymar did not exercise with his teammates this Thursday at the Neo Química Arena stadium and only on Friday, the same day of the match, will there be a final decision on his participation, confirmed the doctor of the Brazilian team, Rodrigo Lasmar.
Without the injured starter Alisson (Liverpool-ING), the starting goalkeeper position will fall to Weverton (Palmeiras), ahead of Éderson (Máncherter City-ING) and Santos (Athletico Paranaense). Likewise, the coach cleared the doubt about the steering wheel that accompanies Casemiro (Real Madrid). It will be Douglas Luiz (Aston Villa-GBR) and not Bruno Guimaraes (Lyon-FRA).
Casemiro, 28, will be the captain of Brazil against Bolivia, within the captaincy rotation scheme envisaged by Tite due to the absence of Dani Alves (Sao Paulo). Another incentive is to see if Philippe Coutinho, who has just returned from a loan at Bayern Munich, extends the good form shown with Barcelona with the Brazilian team.
The Venezuelan César Farías, 47, has officially led Bolivia since the 2019 Copa América ended, in which the Andeans did not add a point. Farías, a coach who achieved historic results with Venezuela, prepares the Bolivians for their difficult debut against Brazil and Argentina since last August. And the last weeks training in his fort in La Paz, at more than 3,600 meters of altitude.
For defender Gabriel Valverde they now have “a strong team physically, tactically, soccer and mentally as well”, a product of hard work in recent months and whose results they will try to “assert themselves on the field of play.”
La Verde was second to last in the 2018 World Cup qualifiers in Russia and has not qualified for that tournament since 1994, when it arrived in the United States under the leadership of Spanish Xabier Azkargorta. That was the only time that Bolivia achieved a place in a soccer World Cup.
In the midst of internal fights between clubs and the Bolivian Federation, which led to three summoned by Oriente Petrolero leaving the concentration, Farías has chosen to combine the experience of players such as goalkeeper Carlos Lampe and gunner Carlos Saucedo, with a renewed squad that includes at least 18 players between the ages of 18 and 23.
In La Paz, the internationals Marcelo Moreno Martins – his best known player, currently in the ranks of the Brazilian Cruzeiro -, Alejandro Chumacero, Jaume Cuéllar and Boris Céspedes will be waiting for the second day of the qualifying rounds against Argentina on Tuesday 13.
The one chosen to whistle the Brazil-Bolivia in the stadium that hosts the Corinthians matches is the Uruguayan Leodán González, 37 years old. It is the first time that González has officiated a match of senior teams.
In his international curriculum, so far a U-20 World Cup in 2019 and 12 Libertadores matches stand out. The last of them was held on October 1 between a Brazilian club, Palmeiras de Sao Paulo, and another Bolivian, Bolívar.
Probable lineups
Brazil: Weverton; Danilo, Thiago Silva, Marquinhos, Renan Lodi; Casemiro, Douglas Luiz, Philippe Coutinho; Neymar Éverton Ribeiro, Éverton “Cebolinha”, Roberto Firmino.
DT: Tite.
Bolivia: Carlos Lampe; Jesús Sagredo, José María Carrasco, Gabriel Valverde, José Sagredo; Antonio Bustamante, Erwin Sánchez Jr., Diego Wayar, Jhasmani Campos. Franz González; Carlos Saucedo.
DT: César Farías.
Referee: Leodán González (URU).
Stadium: Neo Química Arena in Sao Paulo (headquarters of Corinthians), with a capacity for almost 50,000 spectators.
Schedule: 7:30 pm (Colombian time).
