Last night’s friendly gave Brazil fans something to cheer about again. After Dunga’s stifling tactics robbed the Canarinha of their usual flair in South Africa, the country demanded the return of joga bonito. TV outlet Globo (the largest commercial television network of Latin America and the third largest in the world) recapped the game with a to-be-expected nationalistic slant. Huge thanks to Mark Gannon, our correspondent on the ground in Brazil, for the translations.

For the original article in Portuguese click over to globoesporte.

Football is joy!  New Brazil attacks with strength and beats the United States

In the first friendly of the Mano Menezes era, the Seleção won 2-0 in New Jersey.  Neymar and Alexandre Pato scored the goals in the win. By Leandro Canônico, Direct from New Jersey (Globo.com)

Speed, dribbling, “pedaladas,” joy… the ingredients that were missing from the Seleção are back.  At least in the first friendly of the Mano Menezes era it went that way.  Well-organized defensively and offensive like in the good times, Brazil didn’t have much work to beat the USA 2-0 on Tuesday.

New Meadowlands Stadium in New Jersey, full of fans wearing yellow shirts had room even for shouts of “olé” for the canary-colored team with Paulo Henrique Ganso, Neymar, and Robinho on the field.  And that trio that shone at Santos in the first semester was still reinforced by Alexandre Pato.

He and Neymar, expected to be the duo up front in 2014, scored Brazil’s first two goals in the Mano era.  The Santos player (Neymar), by the way, joins other great Brazilian players who scored in their debuts with the yellow shirt, players like Pelé, Zagallo, Jairzinho, Zico, and Rivaldo, just to name a few of the most important.

The series of friendlies looking toward the 2014 World Cup in Brazil will have two more chapters in September.  The CBF has not yet announced the opponents, but  Mano Menezes’s team will play games on the 3rd or 4th and the 7th or 8th.  If the play is like that of Tuesday night, fans will have a lot to celebrate.

That’s Brazil!

The first few minutes of Mano’s seleção were a little startling.  After two minutes, Donovan received a good pass from Buddle, dribbled around David Luiz and came out right in front of the goal.  André Santos, however, arrived to intercept.  Right after that, Daniel Alves made two bad passes in a row and got a light scolding from the coach.

Those who are more pessimistic might have even thought that Brazil was nervous.  But there wasn’t time for that suspicion to take root.  Looking like classic Brazilian soccer, the seleção went right at the United States.  They did get startled.  Fast and effective touches market the green-and-yellow first half.

With Ganso commanding the midfield, Brazil got a lot of quality (talent and play) for constructing plays.  One reason was because Neymar and Robinho positioned themselves very well on the wings and received support from wingbacks Daniel Alves and André Santos.  In fact, it was on a touchline play that Brazil’s first goal was scored.

In the 28th minute, Robinho made a beautiful pass to André Santos.  The wingback played well on the touchline and crossed the ball perfectly for Neymar to open the scoring with a header.  In his celebration, the Santos forward kneeled on the grass, pointed toward the sky, and received a warm collective embrace from his teammates.

Under the power of the offensive football of the “new Brazil,” the United States didn’t create any dangerous situations.  On the other side, Howard got tired of seeing Brazilian forwards in good situations.  And in the 45th minute, he couldn’t avoid the seleção’s second goal.  Ganso tapped the ball to Ramires, who put Pato right in front of the goal with the ball.  The forward dribbled around the goalie and rolled the ball into the net.

The North American team returned for the second half with three alterations.  Mano Menezes’s Brazil chose to return with the same formation and the same attitude.  Right in the first minute, Robinho made an excellent play on the left and put Pato in position to score, but the forward missed an incredible chance.

“Loose” on the field, Brazil almost scored a third goal in the 8th minute.  Daniel Alves advanced and crossed into the middle of the penalty area.  Pato let the ball go to Neymar, who shot right into defenders.  On the rebound, Robinho volleyed, taking the goalie and central defenders out of position, but the ball bounced capriciously off the post.

Taking advantage of a few mistakes on passes by Brazil, the United States managed to get and use more space.  The USA even put the ball in Brazil’s net in the 12th minute, but Bradley was offside when he headed the ball into the back of the goal.  However, the green-and-yellow team quickly retook control of the game and heard the fans shout “olé.”

In the 29th minute, a sad note.  Éderson, who had just come in for Neymar, hurt himself on his first play.  After receiving the ball on the right, he tried to dribble and felt a muscular injury.  Upon forcing a cross, he fell to the ground and couldn’t continue playing.  He was replaced by Carlos Eduardo.

The second half of the friendly wasn’t as exciting as the first half, but at least Brazil had two balls on the post, from Robinho and Paulo Henrique Ganso.  And the fans, excited, quieted the North Americans with “olé” and shouts of “Brazil, Brazil, Brazil.”  On the other hand, they could have celebrated more goals if it weren’t for the chances Mano’s team missed at the end (I think they meant to say “in the second half,” but I’m not sure).

Mano’s boys

It was perfect.  But it won’t always be like that.  It’s clear that Mano Menezes’s group will go through oscilllations.  It’ll lose now and then.  It will be criticized (even by me, when it deserves it).  And it will have problems.  But against the United States it was fun and invigorating to see it in action.  Mano was smart to bet on the trio of ex-Santos players (sic; as of now, only Robinho isn’t a Santos player, and he’s trying to find a way to get Man City to let him stay at Santos) (Robinho, Neymar, and Ganso), given that the two youngsters, Seleção standouts, played so much and with such quality that they appeared to be in the comfort of Santos FC’s home in the Vila Belmiro neighborhood of the city of Santos.  And Brazil even had Pato, once again motivated, happy, and incorporated into the style of “Mano’s Boys” [translator note: the term “os Meninos da Vila” (the Boys from the Vila Belmiro) has been used a lot to describe the young and exciting Santos team that was the best in Brazil in the first half of the year, and “os Meninos de Mano” is clearly meant to refer to that].  And with Ramires and Lucas, volantes (often translated as “defensive midfielders”) who support the attack, players who mark but know how to pass a ball and make assists, like Ramires’s on the second goal of the game, scored by Pato.

All these elements recovered our origins.  And, if preserved, they will bring back Brazilian fans, who will also be thrilled with the modern side of the team.  Mano got two central defenders (Thiago Silva and David Luiz) who also defend and go on the attack like volantes.  André Santos proved he would be the best left wingback for the World Cup [translator sez: I think he meant “would have been,” referring to 2010].  And, in the scheme.  Mano adopted the modern European standard.  Brazil came in with a healthy 4-2-1-3, with Lucas as volantes-meias [translator sez: think of it as being something like “offensive defensive midfielders”], Ganso making the connection, Robinho opening up to the right, Pato moving around in the middle, and Neymar on the left.  Perfect and comfortable for anyone who sees (and cheers).  We know the team won’t be invincible, but it will certainly do a lot of good for our health and well-being.