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<DIV class=pagedate>Updated: Aug. 9, 2006 </DIV><H1>Dunga drafts plan B</H1><DIV class=bylinebox style="MARGIN-TOP: 8px"><DIV class=bylinetext>Andrew Downie
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RIO DE JANEIRO, Brazil - Less than six weeks after France won the World Cup, the new international season gets under way with Dunga leading Brazil into a brave new era against Norway next week, with a new side and a new philosophy. <DIV class=phinline>
<DIV style="WIDTH: 205px"><DIV class=photocred2>GettyImages</DIV><DIV class=photosubtext>Dunga leads by example as Brazil skipper at France 98</DIV></DIV></DIV>
Just three weeks after he replaced Carlos Alberto Parreira as the new Brazil coach, Dunga takes a new look Brazil squad to Oslo for a friendly against a team they haven't beaten in three meetings since 1988. The fixture is fraught with difficulties for the new coach, who is missing many European-based stars as well as players from Brazil's two leading clubs, Internacional and Sao Paulo, who play the second leg of their Copa Libertadores final the same evening. The former Brazil captain and leader of the 1994 World Cup winning side has picked an experimental squad that is vastly different from the one that failed so spectacularly in Germany and many questions surround his choices. Charged with the task of instilling some grit and commitment back in the side, Dunga has opted for youth and several young players whose international experience is based largely on appearances for Brazil's under-15, under-17, under-20 and Olympic teams. Sixteen of those in the 22-strong squad have represented their country at a lower level and only seven of the 23 Parreira took to the World Cup survive. The squad is filled with unfamiliar names. Goalkeeper Fabio is unknown outside Brazil, full back Maicon laboured in relative anonymity with Monaco before signing last month for Inter Milan and midfielders Dudu Cearense of CSKA Moscow, Wagner of Cruzeiro and Morais of Vasco da Gama are equally unknown. The inclusion of Jonatas, the Flamengo holding midfielder about to sign terms with Espanyol and Fluminense's 18-year old fullback Marcelo also raised eyebrows. 'I get the sense that these players have been called up as a response to the criticism of the fans and the media,' explained Arnaldo Ribeiro, editor at football magazine Placar. 'This is a B squad. We'll see how many of them are still there in six months when the top players are back. New managers often call up a bunch of new players and usually on two or three establish themselves. We'll see if that happens here.' Dunga said he chose so many home-based players because he wants to give some of the European-based players a chance to get back into the groove with their clubs before stepping up to international level again. It was a decision that was popular with fans who feel the European-based stars lack passion. Many Brazilians believe they crashed out of the World Cup because players like Ronaldo, Ronaldinho Gaucho and Roberto Carlos spend too much time making money away from the game and not enough concentrating on their football. They and some other senior players were on TV ads and billboards every day in the lead up to the tournament and they were criticised as lacking focus. Younger, Brazilian-based players are seen as being more Brazilian on the field - read more swashbuckling - and more humble off it. Nevertheless, Dunga's first squad was filled with surprises. There is a suspicion, for example, that he has not seen
Archive </DIV><DIV style="FLOAT: left"></DIV></DIV><BR clear=all><DIV class=text11 style="BACKGROUND: #fff"><TABLE cellSpacing=0 cellPadding=0 width="100%" border=0><TBODY><TR><TD vAlign=top>
RIO DE JANEIRO, Brazil - Less than six weeks after France won the World Cup, the new international season gets under way with Dunga leading Brazil into a brave new era against Norway next week, with a new side and a new philosophy. <DIV class=phinline>
<DIV style="WIDTH: 205px"><DIV class=photocred2>GettyImages</DIV><DIV class=photosubtext>Dunga leads by example as Brazil skipper at France 98</DIV></DIV></DIV>
Just three weeks after he replaced Carlos Alberto Parreira as the new Brazil coach, Dunga takes a new look Brazil squad to Oslo for a friendly against a team they haven't beaten in three meetings since 1988. The fixture is fraught with difficulties for the new coach, who is missing many European-based stars as well as players from Brazil's two leading clubs, Internacional and Sao Paulo, who play the second leg of their Copa Libertadores final the same evening. The former Brazil captain and leader of the 1994 World Cup winning side has picked an experimental squad that is vastly different from the one that failed so spectacularly in Germany and many questions surround his choices. Charged with the task of instilling some grit and commitment back in the side, Dunga has opted for youth and several young players whose international experience is based largely on appearances for Brazil's under-15, under-17, under-20 and Olympic teams. Sixteen of those in the 22-strong squad have represented their country at a lower level and only seven of the 23 Parreira took to the World Cup survive. The squad is filled with unfamiliar names. Goalkeeper Fabio is unknown outside Brazil, full back Maicon laboured in relative anonymity with Monaco before signing last month for Inter Milan and midfielders Dudu Cearense of CSKA Moscow, Wagner of Cruzeiro and Morais of Vasco da Gama are equally unknown. The inclusion of Jonatas, the Flamengo holding midfielder about to sign terms with Espanyol and Fluminense's 18-year old fullback Marcelo also raised eyebrows. 'I get the sense that these players have been called up as a response to the criticism of the fans and the media,' explained Arnaldo Ribeiro, editor at football magazine Placar. 'This is a B squad. We'll see how many of them are still there in six months when the top players are back. New managers often call up a bunch of new players and usually on two or three establish themselves. We'll see if that happens here.' Dunga said he chose so many home-based players because he wants to give some of the European-based players a chance to get back into the groove with their clubs before stepping up to international level again. It was a decision that was popular with fans who feel the European-based stars lack passion. Many Brazilians believe they crashed out of the World Cup because players like Ronaldo, Ronaldinho Gaucho and Roberto Carlos spend too much time making money away from the game and not enough concentrating on their football. They and some other senior players were on TV ads and billboards every day in the lead up to the tournament and they were criticised as lacking focus. Younger, Brazilian-based players are seen as being more Brazilian on the field - read more swashbuckling - and more humble off it. Nevertheless, Dunga's first squad was filled with surprises. There is a suspicion, for example, that he has not seen
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