Samba Boys seek to heal past trauma
Wilshere jacked up for England battles Argentina may be a true test in Cup
JACK Wilshere has admitted he was falling out of love with football at Arsenal before joining Bournemouth on loan and winning back his place in the England squad.
Wilshere has been recalled by caretaker manager Gareth Southgate for tomorrow’s World Cup qualifier against Scotland and next week’s Spain friendly after proving his fitness on the south coast.
Wilshere missed most of last season after suffering a broken fibula in August 2015, but was still picked for Euro 2016 in France.
Having been left out of Sam All only England squad, and facing the prospect of spending too much time on the Arsenal subst bench, Wilshere decided he needed to leave the club he had called home since the age of nine.
He was overlooked by Southgate for the last qualifiers against Malta and Slovenia, but earned his recall by completing 90 minutes for the first time in two years in Bournemouth’s game against Tottenham Hotspur.
Speaking of the benefits of his move to Bournemouth, 24-year-old Wilshere said: “It was good for me. For my head. I wanted to get back playing week-in week-out, being involved in the Premier League.
“I have missed a lot of football. I missed the fight of the Premier League, being involved in all the big games and making a difference for a team and I wanted to feel that again, and almost fall back in love with the game again.”
Asked to expand on whether or not he had completely fallen out of
ARESURGENT Brazil return to the scene of the most humiliating defeat in their history today, when they face Argentina in a titantic 2018 World Cup qualifier.
Two years ago, at Belo Horizonte’s Estadio Mineirao, Brazil were ripped apart 7-1 by Germany in the World Cup semifinals, a traumatic mauling that sent the football-mad country into despair.
But fast-forward to this year, and Brazil look to be a team firmly on the road to recovery as they prepare for the 107th meeting with Argentina at the 61 800-seat venue.
A disastrous Copa America Centenario campaign – which saw Brazil eliminated in the first round of the tournament for the first time since 1987 – led to the dismissal of coach Dunga in June.
Dunga’s replacement, Tite, the successful former Corinthians coach, has overseen a renaissance which has left admirers talking about a return of the Selecao’s fabled “jogo bonito” (beautiful game).
A stylish 3-0 win at Ecuador in September – the first in Brazil’s history – was followed by a 2-1 win over Colombia before a 5-0 drubbing of Bolivia.
A further win over Venezuela in October – Brazil’s fourth straight qualifying victory – catapulted Tite’s side to the top of Brazil’s 10-team round-robin standings, with 21 points from 10 games. love with football, Wilshere added: “I wouldn’t say I did. I nearly did. It was a difficult time. As I said before, I was injured and it wasn’t as if it was my first injury.
“The injury last season was the hardest to take mentally because I have been through a lot. I had come back, played for England, scored a couple of goals. I came back in preseason, felt good and it was the best I have felt a while. It was a freak tackle in training. Just a little kick and I got this injury and it took forever to heal. It was dealing with that, going to the training ground and when you do that for eight months to a year, it is tough to take.”
Wilshere will not make any decisions on his long-term future while he is at Bournemouth, but it is clear that he feels his days of sitting in the Arsenal treatment room or waiting for a chance are behind him.
“Of course I love Arsenal, but if there comes a time when I have to leave, then I have to leave,” he said. “If I go back and I’m still not playing then, of course, I will have to think about things.
“But at the moment I’m concentrating on Bournemouth. I want to put myself in a position where I go back next year and I’m a better player and I can play week-in, week-out.” — The Daily Telegraph
“I don’t have the adjectives. I’m living the dream of any Brazilian coach,” Tite said after naming his squad for this week’s clash with Argentina.
“I try not to think too much about the history. I’m just focused on the strategy.”
Brazil are likely to face the most searching examination of their reawakening against Argentina, who will welcome back Lionel Messi after the Barcelona superstar missed their last three games through injury.
Tostao, a veteran of Brazil’s magical 1970 World Cup-winning side, wondered whether a decisive win over Argentina could finally help the country turn the page on the traumas of 2014.
“Would it not be a symbolic landmark to end the depression, the mourning, even if it is not against Germany,” the 69-year-old midfielder wrote in an opinion piece.
Brazil’s rediscovered joie de vivre has been best exemplified by the form of Neymar, dazzling in the win over Bolivia last month, while others such as Liverpool’s Philippe Coutinho and Roberto Firmino have also shined under Tite.
Manchester City-bound teenager Gabriel Jesus has also impressed, scoring three goals in four games under Tite.
While Brazil’s fortunes have been on an upswing, Argentina’s form has tailed off in recent matches.
With Messi missing, Argentina lost one and drew two of their last three games.
A retrospective Fifa decision to award Chile a 3-0 win over Bolivia for the fielding of an ineligible player also hurt Argentina, promoting the Chileans to fifth spot and leaving the Albiceleste in sixth.
The return of Messi to Argentina’s ranks should calm the two-time world champions’ nerves.
Messi arrived in Belo Horizonte this week after hitching a lift in the private jet of Barcelona teammate Neymar
In other matches today, second-placed Uruguay meet third-placed Ecuador in Montevideo, while fourth-placed Colombia take on fifth-placed Chile in Barranquilla.
Chile’s preparations were jolted by a late injury to striker Alexis Sanchez, preventing him from travelling to Colombia.
The top four finishers in South America’s standings qualify automatically for the 2018 finals in Russia. The fifth placed side faces a playoff. — AFP