In a somewhat bizzare fashion, Brazil national team coach Dunga has given a call-up to ex-Milan and Real Madrid star Ricardo Kaka after Bayern Munich’s Douglas Costa was removed from the squad due to a left thigh injury.
Dunga has left many a Selecao fan disgruntled after his failures to achieve the right results and his often ridiculous team selections. After the inclusion of 36 year old Santos striker Ricardo Oliviera who is also incidentally a former Milan player (brought in to replace the then outgoing Shevchenko and failed miserably at it), Dunga has opted for the 34 year old Orlando City midfielder. Oliviera was subsequently replaced by Benfica’s Jonas.
Kaka has been a regular feature though in Dunga’s side despite not getting much game time. He has only played 60 minutes in the Selecao shirt in the last 3 years despite boasting 91 caps and 29 goals scored for the national team. Dunga’s continual exclusion of PSG’s Lucas Moura has left a bitter taste in the mouth of many fans. Moura seemed like a natural replacement for the outgoing Douglas Costa.
Moura, who’s 23 year old, possesses the Bayern winger’s technical abilities, skills, passing and dribbling. On the other hand, Kaka, despite once being a Balon d’Or himself and a world champion, is 34 now and was never quite the same player after leaving Milan for Real Madrid.
Kaka, however, expressed his earnest gratitude on Twitter by thanking the selectors for this opportunity.
That’s with great pride and joy that one more time I take the chance to defend my country and this shirt! #selecao pic.twitter.com/JalJb9dl2n
— Kaka (@KAKA) May 27, 2016
This will be Kaka’s maiden Copa America as the CONMEBOL (Latin American) and the CONCACAF (North American) teams will meet in the US, who play the host for the first ever Copa America Centenario (Centennial Copa America, since its inception in 1916). It will be a somewhat special occasion for Kaka as his maiden appearence in a Copa America will be in the prestigious tournament’s 100th edition.
Brazil will kick start their tournament on 4th June against Ecuador in the Rose Bowl Stadium in Pasadena and will then face Haiti on the 8th in Orlando. Brazil’s final group game will be against Peru on the 12th of June.
