Saudi Arabia – Brazil SOCCER PICKS
Five-time world champion Brazil gets on the plane to the Saudi Arabian capital Ryadh, to take on the oil state there. A big win is obvious, although the sweltering conditions will also affect the Brazilians.
Saudi Arabia:
We find Saudi Arabia in 71th place on the FIFA world rankings, which actually shows that we do not have a big football country here. De Groene Valken did not make the best impression at the last World Cup, although they managed to beat Mohamed Salah’s Egypt 2-1 in their last group match.
Federal coach Juan Antonio Pizzi was allowed to stay on in any case. In view of the Asian Cup of next year, he plans to drastically rejuvenate the selection, as no less than eighteen players have fewer than ten caps behind their names. Strange duck is defender Hussein Abdulghani, who, with his 41 years (!) And 134 international matches, has to take care of the experience. He is also one of the few with European experience, because ten years ago he defended the colors of the Swiss Neuchatel Xamax for a season. The fact that the Arabs do not really have much to look at in European top football became painfully clear last season. In exchange for undoubtedly a sizeable bag of money, several players were leased to Spanish first and second graders, but none of them regularly came into action.
The Brazilian national team knows no secrets for the seasoned football fan. The past World Cup was disappointing with a 1-2 defeat against Belgium in the quarter finals, but it is clear that De Divine Canaries are indeed of absolute world class.
Also this international season, national coach Tite has put together a strong selection. Star player Neymar is of course, as well as well-known names like Coutinho, Casemiro, Ederson and Gabriel Jesus. Six field players have fewer than three caps behind their names, although players such as Richarlison, Arthur and Malcom have already earned their spurs in international top football. Willian and Douglas Costa are the main absentees, although the Brazilians still have plenty of quality. A few days after the meeting against Saudi Arabia, the cracker against eternal arch rival Argentina follows, although Tite does not seem to be saving on the basis of the training.
