Since 2011, the Seleçao hasn’t won the Sudamericano U20. Emerson Aparecido, Marquinhos Cipriano & co will try to lead Brazil back at the top during the new edition which started on Thursday.
The new edition of the South American championship U20, commonly known as the Sudamericano, starts on Thursday at Chile. The ten nations of the continent will try to clinch the title. Among them, Brazil.
Most successful team in the competition’s history (11 titles), the Seleçao hasn’t clinch this trophy since 2011. Also, the Brazilians haven’t reached the final since that year.
Unbelievable for the Auriverde. A team that shone collectively and individually in the past. Romario, Adriano and Neymar : all these Brazilian stars have finished as the competition’s top scorer when they played the Sudamericano.
In order to help his side to restore its former glory, the head coach Carlos Amadeu has picked twenty-three players. The promising starlet Rodrygo (Santos), signed by Real Madrid for the next summer, is part of the team obviously.
As well as six players seen at the Maurice Revello Tournament 2017 : Hugo (Flamengo), Phelipe (Gremio), Walce, Igor (Sao Paulo) and Marquinhos Cipriano, who joined Shakhtar Donetsk (Ukraine) last summer.
Not forgetting Emerson Aparecido (Atletico Mineiro) who is one of the marquee names. His convincing performances in the Brazilian top-flight have attracted interest from several European clubs.
His experience will be vital to help Brazil to survive in a group composed of Chile, Colombia, Venezuela and Bolivia in the first round. If the Brazilians progress to the second round, they will find themselves in a group composed of six nations. The best four teams of this second round will secure a spot for the World Cup U20 held this summer in Poland.
Credits photo : CBF