The finals of the Carioca, Paulista and Mineiro championships, three of the most important tournaments in Brazil's bewildering soccer year, are due to be held between May 20 and the end of the month. The Carioca final is almost certain to be between Vasco da Gama and Flamengo, who between them provided five players for the squad last month when Brazil played Peru. Corinthians, favourites to reach the Paulista final, supplied three more. Emerson Leao will try and pick and squad. Leao has already said he is uneasy of depriving the clubs of their best players at one of the most important points in their season.
Brazil are at one of the lowest ebbs in their footballing history.
They have slumped to fourth place in the South American World Cup qualifying group from which only four teams qualify, while the fifth plays off against the Oceania zone winners. They have lost away to Chile, Paraguay and Ecuador and been held at home by Peru, teams they would have brushed aside in their heyday. The fact these tournaments clash with the national team's commitments is a joke in very bad taste. Click here for Terms of Use and Privacy Policy applicable to this site.