England vs. Brazil: Match Preview.

Just looking at the current FIFA rankings, and I see that England sit in 5th place and Brazil in 18th…

The ranking places, perhaps sum up the stupidity of the FIFA system, but everyone knows that Brazil remain a benchmark for international football and are without question an opposition to stir the emotions of even the most negative of fans. In recent years, I see the ethos of Brazilain football gaining a better team balance from my recollection of them from my youth. Though the image of all out attack, with no defence and a useless keeper, might be slightly exaggerated (I say slightly..) The current group of players have a decent mix of silk and steel and with the game getting less physical and embracing technique and individual brilliance more and more, you can see Brazil continuing to be the box office attraction, but also remaining one of the games most feared and respected teams for a very long time to come.

I assume the only reason why Brazil have slipped down the rankings is because they all too often place commercial interests above football ones and without having to qualify for next years World cup, competitive football has very much made way for games that are profile, friend-making and no doubt highly lucrative. Recent opponents such as China, Japan and Iraq, are hardly challenging opposition, but as Brazil look to retain their image of The Harlem Globetrotters of football, They may be making friends and plenty of cash, however I do wonder if this policy will come back to bite them on the backside when they face real and motivated opposition and they might be found wanting, for all their individual brilliance. The reappointment of Big Phil Scolari might be a masterstroke however and with his experience, discipline and tactical prowess, he might have the missing ingredients to make a very good team a great one

England haven't beaten Brazil for twenty-three years and although this is only a friendly, victory tonight would be seen as a massive boost to Roy Hodgson and his players, and perhaps we will see the making of a John Barnes style legend, should we see a moment of brilliance from a Rooney, Welbeck, Walcott or whoever? The reality for me is that I want to see England start to develop a tactical and team stability, and tonight is an ideal opportunity to play as strong a team as possible and see how they compare to the one of the best in front of a capacity Wembley crowd. Sure there are one or two injuries, however, there is no guarantee that any of Carrick, Sturridge of Defoe would have started and you assume that Hodgson is happy with the players that he has at his disposal, as he hasn't gone for a single replacement for the injured three.

With the current fashion for 4-2-3-1 formations, I wonder if Roy will look at playing this system? You certainly see there being the players to make it work and we may see Steven Gerrard and Jack Wiltshere together in the centre, in what for me is a mouth-watering prospect.Though I still feel we are lacking in one or two areas, such as central defence and on the left hand side of midfield/attack, I do feel we have those players either close to being ready or one or two that are not selected for whatever reason. Is there really an argument that we have two better centre halves than Rio Ferdinand on current form? Whilst I would have liked to see Daniel Sturridge produce his Liverpool form for England. I would like to see Jack Butland given a few minutes tonight, but hesitate to suggest that he should get a start. Playing Brazil in front of a capacity home crowd, might inspire him to greatness, however, that gamble could all too easily backfire and tonight might not be the best night to start him, but could 30 minutes at the end, be a compromise?

My team tonight would be: Hart, Johnson, Jagielka, Lescott, Cole; Gerrard, Wiltshere; Walcott, Rooney, Cleverley; Welbeck.

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