Opinion – The World Is a Ball: Four doubts on the eve of the selection for the World Cup

One of the most awaited moments before the World Cup will be experienced at 1 pm this Monday (7), when, in Rio de Janeiro, Adenor Leonardo Bachi, Tite, will summon the 26 players who will defend the Brazilian team in Qatar.

I don’t know how many people the coach shared the list with – his direct assistants are Cléber Xavier, former midfielder César Sampaio, and his son, Matheus Bachi –, but it remained a secret until the moment this text was written.

If the 26 –there were 23 until the 2018 World Cup in Russia, but FIFA expanded the number for this edition– they are actually defined just over two days after their announcement.

Because Tite and his commission may still be trying to pin three or four players who deserve to have the name given by the coach in front of dozens of journalists at the headquarters of the Brazilian Football Confederation.

My doubts are few, four, and the following list.

Will Daniel Alves, 39, be called up to the right side?

Captain of the national team in winning the 2019 Copa América in Brazil, the veteran spent the last few months in Mexican football (Pumas), where he did not play well.

My guess: yes, because of the history with Tite and because Tite almost didn’t test many options in the sector, even improvising the defender Militão there in a friendly.

Who will be the fourth quarterback?

Not to be confused with the position, quarterback.

Three names for the central defender are right: Marquinhos, Thiago Silva and Éder Militão. The remaining spot has been unknown, with Gabriel Magalhães, Felipe, Bremer and Ibañez, who were in the most recent calls-up, in the running.

My guess: Gabriel Magalhães, for being left-handed (having the possibility of, in case of emergency, playing on the left side) and for being in an excellent moment at Arsenal, leader of the English Championship.

Will Philippe Coutinho be on the list?

One of the biggest darlings of the Tite era (since mid-2016), the midfielder has had more lows than highs in his career for a while now.

The football that made him an undisputed starter in the 2018 World Cup gradually disappeared, coincidentally from the time he left Liverpool. At Barcelona and Bayern Munich he had flashes, and the same has happened at Aston Villa, where he is currently a reserve.

My guess: yes, for the same reason as Daniel Alves (“services rendered to the national team” with Tite).

In attack, who gets the last spot: Rodrygo, Gabriel Martinelli, Pedro, Gabriel Barbosa (Gabigol) or Matheus Cunha?

I calculate that Tite has reserved eight spots for forwards in the call-up. I bet that seven athletes are still called: Neymar, Richarlison, Gabriel Jesus, Roberto Firmino, Raphinha, Antony and Vini Jr.

There would be one spot left for five: Rodrygo, from Real Madrid, Gabriel Martinelli, from Arsenal, the flamenguists Pedro and Gabibol, and Matheus Cunha, from Atlético de Madrid.

My guess: Peter. For having left a very good impression in the September friendly against Tunisia (he came on and scored), for playing too much this year and for being the only professional striker of all those mentioned. It will hurt to leave Rodrygo out, as he scored decisive goals in the victorious campaign in the Champions League and plays well in the three offensive positions (right, center and left) -Martinelli plays fixed on the left, Cunha is a reserve at his club (which does not favor him), and Gabigol, hero in winning the Libertadores, was not called up in the last three calls-up.

So there’s a big chance, in my understanding, that the list will look very similar to this one:

• goalkeepers: Alisson (Liverpool), Ederson (Manchester City) and Weverton (Palmeiras).
• Sides: Danilo (Juventus), Daniel Alves (Pumas), Alex Sandro (Juventus) and Alex Telles (Sevilla).
• Defenders: Marquinhos (PSG), Thiago Silva (Chelsea), Éder Militão (Real Madrid) and Gabriel Magalhães (Arsenal).
• steering wheels: Casemiro (Manchester United), Fred (Manchester United), Fabinho (Liverpool) and Bruno Guimarães (Newcastle).
• Socks: Everton Ribeiro (Flamengo), Lucas Paquetá (West Ham) and Philippe Coutinho (Aston Villa).
• Attackers: Neymar (PSG), Richarlison (Tottenham), Raphinha (Barcelona), Gabriel Jesus (Arsenal), Vinicius Jr. (Real Madrid), Antony (Manchester United), Roberto Firmino (Liverpool) and Pedro (Flamengo).

It should be noted that these players are the ones that make sense in my head. I’m not psychic and I don’t think like Tite, nor is that the intention.

You, the reader, may agree with many names and disagree with some. Everyone who likes football has a little bit of a coach and our preferences and convictions.

Tite, a technical profession, deeply knowledgeable about football, who lived with the athletes for more or less long periods, has his beliefs and certainly, like all of us, doubts.

He will bring to Qatar those he considers best, for obvious reasons and others not so much, and those he trusts the most.

Those who support Brazil, those who hope that the sixth championship will finally arrive – it has been 20 years since winning the fifth title – expect it to make the appropriate choices.