International Football
OVERVIEW OF SOUTH AMERICA’S 10 TEAMS JOSTLING FOR QATAR 2022 TICKETS
ARGENTINA
The experienced Lionel Messi and Nicolas Otamendi head up a squad that contains a number of new faces brought in by coach Lionel Scaloni, who was given the job on a permanent basis in July.
Since Russia 2018, Scaloni has handed more prominent roles to the likes of Lautaro Martinez, Leandro Paredes, Rodrigo De Paul, Lucas Ocampo and Juan Foyth. His new-look side is beginning to acquire an identity of its own and should be among the main contenders.
BOLIVIA
Appointed in August, Bolivia’s Venezuelan coach, Cesar Farias, is looking to build a team around experienced campaigners such as Carlos Vaca, Alejandro Chumachero, Danny Vejarano, Jhasmani Campos, Juan Carlos Arce and Carlos Saucedo.
Youngsters Paul Arano and Henry Vaca are tipped to join them in what looks set to be a challenging campaign for the Bolivians.
BRAZIL
Since topping South America’s qualifying for Russia 2018, Tite has made changes at the back, with Danilo and Sandro coming in alongside the experienced Alisson Becker and Thiago Silva.
The coach is spoiled for choice in midfield and up front. Though Neymar is still the star act, Artur, Gabriel Jesus, Willian and Firmino, to name but a few, all have lots to offer. Brazil will once again be one of the teams to beat.
CHILE
Colombian coach Reinaldo Rueda was handed the job in January and the spine of his side virtually picks itself: Claudio Bravo, Mauricio Isla, Gary Medel, Charles Aranguiz, Arturo Vidal, Alexis Sanchez and Eduardo Vargas, all of them two-time Copa America winners.
Guillermo Maripan, Erick Pulgar, Alfonso Parot, Gabriel Arias and Oscar Opazo are four players who are beginning to break through and could be crucial to Chile’s bid to atone for their failure to make Russia 2018.
COLOMBIA
Colombia’s Portuguese coach, Carlos Queiroz, has plenty to work with. The likes of David Ospina, Yerry Mina, Davinson Sanchez, Wilmar Barrios, Juan Cuadrado, James Rodriguez, Juan Fernando Quintero and Radamel Falcao remain very much part of his plans, while newcomers Luis Muriel, Mateus Uribe and Duvan Zapata are all taking on more responsibility. Colombia are one of the favourites to qualify.
ECUADOR
Still without a coach since the departure of Hernan Gomez, La Tri are going through a major transition.
Spearheading the new generation are Jhegson Mendez, Xavier Arreaga, Jordan Sierra and Michel Estrada, with a clutch of South American U-20 Championship winners waiting in the wings, such as Diego Palacios, Gonzalo Plata and Jose Cifuentes.
Leading them on the road to Qatar 2022 will be Enner Valencia, Angel Mena and Renato Ibarra, though it remains to be seen who their coach will be.
PARAGUAY
Since taking on the job, Argentinian coach Eduardo Berizzo has been looking to fashion a team with a character of its own.
It is a side in which players such as Matias Rojas, Junior Alonso, Jorge Moreira, Miguel Almiron and Dario Lezcano have all established themselves after being brought in by Berizzo’s predecessor.
Together with brothers Oscar and Angel Romero, Gustavo Gomez and Derlis Gonzalez, they form the nucleus of a team that is aiming to take Paraguay back to the World Cup for the first time since South Africa 2010.
PERU
Ricardo Gareca achieved the seemingly impossible in the last qualifying competition and will be looking for his charges to kick on this time.
The structure of the side that took Peru to their first world finals in 36 years remains largely the same, with the likes of Paolo Guerrero, Pedro Gallese, Luis Advincula, Miguel Trauco, Renato Tapia, Christian Cueva and Edison Flores all ready to go again.
URUGUAY
Oscar Tabarez heads into his fifth World Cup qualifying competition with the same solid-looking squad that he put together before Russia 2018 and of which much is expected.
As well as the experience of Luis Suarez, Edinson Cavani, Diego Godin and Fernando Muslera, Tabarez can count on several youngsters with leadership qualities, among them Jose Maria Gimenez, Matias Vecino and Lucas Torreira. Uruguay are one of the sides expected to push hard for a place at Qatar 2022.
VENEZUELA
Last place in the Russia 2018 qualifiers was a backwards step for Venezuela, who have nevertheless kept their faith in Rafael Dudamel.
The coach remains committed to his youth policy, having brought through the likes of Wuilker Farinez, Yangel Herrera, Yefferson Soteldo and Ronald Hernandez.
If Venezuela are to finally make their World Cup dream come true, however, they will need veterans Tomas Rincon and Salomon Rondon to fire.
International Football
Former Brazil coach Tite taking break to take care of mental, physical health
Former Brazil coach Tite said he is taking an indefinite career break in order to take care of his mental and physical health.
The 63-year-old, who led Brazil to the 2019 Copa America title, was hospitalised due to a heart issue last August. He was sacked by Flamengo the following month and had most recently been linked with the Corinthians job.
“I realised that there are times when you have to understand that, as a human being, I can be vulnerable and admitting that will certainly make me stronger,” Tite said in a statement posted on his son Matheus Bachi’s Instagram on Tuesday.
“I’m passionate about what I do and I’ll continue to be so, but after talking to my family and observing the signals my body was giving off, I decided that the best thing to do now is to take a break from my career to look after myself for as long as it takes.
“As has become public, there was a conversation in progress with Corinthians, but it will have to be paralysed by a difficult but necessary decision.”
Tite, who stepped down as Brazil coach after their quarter-final exit from the 2022 World Cup, has previously coached a string of Brazilian sides including Gremio, Atletico Mineiro and Palmeiras.
-Reuters
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Brazil have sacked head coach Dorival Jr, the country’s football confederation (CBF) said on Friday after the five-time world champions were thrashed 4-1 away to fierce rivals Argentina in a humiliating qualifying loss in Buenos Aires.
The 62-year-old was appointed in January 2024 after the team spent a year under two caretaker coaches as the Brazilian FA were unable to lure Italian Carlo Ancelotti from Real Madrid.
“The Brazilian Football Confederation informs that coach Dorival Jr is no longer in charge of the Brazilian national team,” the confederation said in a statement.
“The management thanks (Dorival) and wishes him success in continuing his career … the CBF will work to find his replacement,” it added.
Dorival was handed the job after his success with Flamengo in 2022 where he won the Copa Libertadores and Brazilian Cup, a trophy he lifted again the next year with Sao Paulo.
However, he never seemed to get to grips with the national team job and failed to earn the trust of Brazil’s demanding fans after winning only seven of his 16 games in charge.
Sources told Reuters the CBF was not confident in Dorival’s work, considering there had been little to no progress since a lacklustre Copa America campaign when Brazil were knocked out in the quarter-finals by Uruguay last year.
Still, the CBF was willing to wait and see until the 2026 World Cup qualifiers against Ecuador and Paraguay in June to reassess the situation following the end of the European season and the Club World Cup in the U.S. in June and July.
But after Brazil slumped to their heaviest-ever loss in a qualifier when they were thrashed by Argentina this week, CBF president Ednaldo Rodrigues decided to pull the trigger.
IDEAL CANDIDATE
Sources told Reuters Ancelotti was still the ideal candidate but he is under contract with Real until July 2026 and there is no indication he would leave the European and Spanish champions.
Brazilian media have reported that Al Hilal’s Portuguese coach Jorge Jesus is the favourite to replace Dorival.
Brazil have been in unfamiliar territory for over two years since crashing out of the 2022 World Cup against Croatia on penalties in the quarter-finals, a heartbreaking elimination that led to the exit of long-time manager Tite.
Their humbling defeat in Buenos Aires was the latest of a series of negative records Brazil have set under caretakers Ramon Menezes and Fernando Diniz and with Dorival in charge. They had never conceded four goals in a World Cup qualifier.
Brazil are in the midst of their worst-ever World Cup qualifying campaign. They are fourth in the South American standings with 21 points, a point above sixth-placed Colombia who currently occupy the final direct qualifying berth.
Never have Brazil lost so many games, conceded so many goals or set so many negative records in the qualifying competition. They have lost five of their 14 games and conceded 16 goals.
Brazil’s 1-0 defeat by Argentina in the Maracana late in 2023 was their first-ever qualifying loss on home soil.
They also lost to Colombia for the first time, saw the end of their unbeaten run against Uruguay stretching back over two decades and were defeated by Morocco and Senegal, having never previously lost to an African nation.
-Reuters
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International Football
England’s German manager Tuchel will not sing the English anthem in his first game
England manager Thomas Tuchel said he would have to “earn the right” to sing the national anthem, God Save the King, after announcing his 26-man squad on Friday ahead of the team’s World Cup qualifiers.
Tuchel, who was appointed as Gareth Southgate’s successor in October and named his first squad to face Albania and Latvia this month, said he would not sing the anthem in his first games in charge.
“It means a lot to me, I can assure you, but I can feel that because it is so meaningful and it is so emotional and it is so powerful, the national anthem, that I have to earn my right to sing it,” the 51-year-old German told a news conference.
Former caretaker manager Lee Carsley was criticised last year for not singing the anthem during his tenure.
However, Tuchel added that while he is proud to be in charge of the team and knows the words to the anthem, he plans to earn the right with results.
“Maybe I have to dive more into the culture and earn my right from you, from the players, from the supporters, so everyone feels like ‘he should sing it now, he’s one of our own, he’s the English manager, he should sing it’,” he said.
-Reuters
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