6 Lessons to Take Away from Dunga's First 2 Friendlies as Brazil Boss
Two games, two wins. In understated style, Dunga has got his second Brazil reign off to a positive start with a pair of 1-0 victories over South American neighbours Colombia and Ecuador.
There is little respite, however, for the 1994 World Cup-winning captain. In less than a month, Brazil face their greatest-ever rivals, Argentina, before facing Japan on October 14. The coach will name his squad for those matches on September 17.
While continuing to use predecessor Luiz Felipe Scolari's World Cup squad as a foundation—of the starting line-up against Colombia, eight of the players were at the FIFA tournament—Dunga is already putting his mark on this squad.
Here are six lessons the boss can take away after coming through his preliminary tests unscathed.
1. Jefferson Has Finally Established Himself
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Having been on the periphery for years and only managing to pick up a handful of caps, Jefferson has now finally made the No. 1 jersey his own.
Two clean sheets is a promising start for the Botafogo captain, and he is clearly streets ahead of his locally based rivals, Victor and Diego Cavalieri, third-choice stoppers at the World and Confederations Cups respectively.
Meanwhile, the young pretenders, Rafael Cabral, Neto and Gabriel, are yet to fully establish themselves at club level, let alone the international stage.
At 31, Jefferson still has enough years in him to be first-choice for the foreseeable future and will only be 35 by the time of the next World Cup. The next four years are his for the taking.
2. Marquinhos May Have to Move Again
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The 20-year-old defender played the full 90 minutes against Ecuador, and despite a few teething problems, gave a reassuring performance.
A player of substantial talent, the bitter irony surrounding the Paris Saint-Germain blocker is that the two players standing in his way at the Selecao door are also stopping him getting regular game time in French football.
PSG have just made David Luiz the most expensive defender in history. They may be one of the richest clubs in the world, but it is unlikely the owners spent tens of millions of pounds to see the 27-year-old sit on the bench.
That means, if Marquinhos is to make progress, he may well have to be on the lookout for another club yet again, at least temporarily. The French champions are already his third side, having previously spent a year in Italy with AS Roma, and the former Corinthians prodigy has been hopping from club to club like a fully charged Energizer bunny.
But after showing such promise on Tuesday night, a season spent warming the bench would be a horrific waste. A short-term loan move in January could be beneficial to all parties.
3. Luiz Gustavo Has More to His Game
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Luiz Gustavo's position in the Brazil team shape is known in Portuguese as the “primeiro volante,” literally “first steering wheel.” His job is to sit, to break up attacks and move the ball on quickly; the role defined by Claude Makelele over a decade ago.
But, against Ecuador in particular, the Wolfsburg midfielder showed he is capable of steering as well as applying the brakes to the opposition. Liberated by the newfound flexibility between midfield and attack, the 27-year-old was able to break free more frequently and showed his ability to play incisive passes.
If need be, Gustavo can perform the role currently in a custody battle between Ramires and Fernandinho.
4. Everton Ribeiro Has an International Future
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In this corner of the world, the press are always keen to talk up a local player's chances of representing the national side. The fact he is plying his trade domestically rather than having flown the nest for Europe can make him the darling of the media.
For a year now Everton Ribeiro has been the standout player of the Campeonato Brasileiro, helping Cruzeiro to last season's league title. The Belo Horizonte outfit look favourites to take a second successive crown this December; they are currently top of the table with a seven-point cushion, and their talismanic playmaker has been championed by Brazilian sports journalists for months.
The 25-year-old finally made his international bow under Dunga. Given only 19 minutes against Colombia, Ribeiro played the second half against Ecuador and was bright, involved and threatening.
He missed a good chance to put the result beyond doubt, and against more stringent opposition may be forced to rue such profligacy, but he has done enough to throw his hat into the ring in Dunga's striker-free Selecao shape.
5. Brazil Have Modernised
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Neymar, Oscar, Willian, Diego Tardelli. Dunga's new formation is an exercise in Spot the Striker as his front four swapped roles seamlessly.
Tardelli was particularly impressive, performing the thankless task of covering both flanks and the middle as the leader of the attack. He often drifted out to the left, allowing Neymar to move inside, confusing opposition defenders as man-marking became a nigh-on impossible task.
The side's offensive threat was infinitely more fluid than the immobile model used during the World Cup. With further training and familiarity with Dunga's methods, the forwards' newfound freedom can become a potent weapon.
6. Neymar Is Still King
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Scorer of one winner and providing the assist for the other, there is no escaping the fact that this Selecao side will continue to revolve around the Barcelona "craque."
The decision to make him captain in Thiago Silva's absence speaks not only of his maturity but of the faith Dunga puts in his forward as a leader.
Neymar was the only player to emerge from the World Cup with his reputation enhanced, and early indications show he is continuing to go from strength to strength, his form and confidence unaffected by the disastrous conclusion to the FIFA tournament.
Few players in world football are capable of making such a telling difference to a team in the same way as Neymar. Whatever the formation, whatever the game plan, if success is to return to the Selecao, the 22-year-old will need to shine.
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