Pato back in Brazil squad with eye on Olympics
Reuters - Friday 11 May 2012, 16:23
Striker Alexandre Pato
was recalled to Brazil's squad on Friday for friendlies in May
and June but there was no place for his former AC Milan team-mate Ronaldinho.
Brazil meet Denmark and United States in May and Mexico and
arch-rivals Argentina in June with an eye on the Olympic Games football tournament in July and August.
Pato was named in coach Mano Menezes's 23-man squad on
Friday which is made up largely of under-23 players as Brazil
look to try and win the Olympic gold medal for the first time
and complete their collection of top trophies.
Also included were Santos duo Neymar and Paulo Henrique
Ganso who were in scintillating form when the South American
champions crushed Bolivar of Bolivia 8-0 on Thursday night to
book a place in the Libertadores Cup quarter-finals.
Pato, who has been missing for Brazil since the middle of
last year after suffering injuries playing for Milan, is being
given the chance to prove he is fit for the London Games.
Menezes held a joint news conference with Brazilian Football
Confederation (CBF) president Jose Maria Marin who had
controversially said he wanted to see the squad list before it
was announced.
Marin said on Friday he had "full confidence" in the coach,
adding his list was "intact ... I didn't make any suggestions".
Brazil face Denmark in Hamburg on May 26, the U.S. in
Washington on May 30, Mexico in Dallas on June 3 and Argentina
in New Jersey on June 9.
Players in the squad who are over 23 are goalkeeper
Jefferson and defenders Thiago Silva, David Luiz, Marcelo and
Daniel Alves. Menezes said he would take the permitted three
over-age players to the Games.
Former FIFA World Player of the Year Ronaldinho, who played
at the 2008 Beijing Olympics for Brazil, was expected to be
among the over-age players again for London but his form for
Flamengo this year has been patchy.
Squad:
Goalkeepers: Jefferson (Botafogo), Neto (Fiorentina), Rafael
(Santos)
Defenders: Daniel Alves (Barcelona), Marcelo (Real Madrid),
Danilo, Alex Sandro (both Porto), Thiago Silva (AC Milan), David
Luiz (Chelsea), Bruno Uvini (Tottenham Hotspur), Juan (Inter
Milan).
Midfielders: Casemiro, Lucas (both Sao Paulo), Sandro
(Tottenham Hotspur), Romulo (Vasco da Gama), Paulo Henrique
Ganso (Santos), Oscar (Internacional), Giuliano
(Dnipropetrovsk).
Forwards: Alexandre Pato (AC Milan), Hulk (Porto), Leandro
Damiao (Internacional), Neymar (Santos), Wellington Nem
(Fluminense).