Yes, we’re excited as you are about Brazil’s friendly against Portugal in a few weeks time and it appears that we’re not alone. For some reason, Dunga flew to Lisbon to meet Carlos Queiroz in what appeared to be a cheesy shirt ceremony – but at least Maradona’s best friend is smiling again. Both coaches had to watch their words, though, especially when it came to the tricky issue of Brazil-born players in Portugal.
The spotlight is on Liedson, a Brazilian born player who plays for Sporting Clube De Portugal in the SuperLiga. He’s about to pull a Deco and will receive his Portuguese passport in a few weeks, which means he’s pretty much at Queiroz’s disposal. Dunga never called him up to play for the selecao, despite his impressive goal-scoring record.
“Liedson is a player with great quality, but Brazil has Adriano, Luis Fabiano and Alexandre Pato. There’s a lot of competition and every player has to wait for the right moment,” Dunga told Globo last Friday. “The game against Portugal will be a difficult game. Both teams have players with a lot of character and quality. It will be more attractive because two of the World’s best players, Cristiano Ronaldo and Kaka will be playing in it.”
Queiroz added : “The game will be a great day for football – one that will commemorate the social and cultural similarities that both countries have. More importantly, it is an important preparation for the 2010 World Cup.”
Yes, we can’t wait.
