Brazil - France

International Friendly Match

There's no need to go into too much details for this game, as we all know about Brazil and France. Both have great players, and are solid squads, even though they have left us with a sour taste recently. France are far away from their glory days, as they went through a lot of trouble and a lot of changes (also, some not so good coaches), and their best performance in recent years is just a quarter-final in last year's European Championship. Brazil is also in a similar position, even more so, since they haven't had any official matches since 2011, when they lost in the Copa America quarter-finals with Paraguay. And their recent results are nothing to brag about, as they have won just one game from their last 8 games, 4-0 against Bolivia. Other than that, worth mentioning are a couple of draws with Russia and Chile. They will use their Confederations Cup squad, and they have a lot of skilled players, but they don't seem as a blend-in team. Therefore, game relations are suffering, and unless the players show a glimpse of genius, they struggle to create dangerous chances. France is also using a team with mixed players, combining experience and youth. They still have a solid team, with players like Benzema, Gomis and others, so they should at least be able to keep it tight with Brazil. It is a friendly game, after all, and Brazil's form isn't great either, so a handicap line of 1 is just too much. Worth for some small stakes. GL!

France (+1 AH) @ 1.80, 3/10
Result: 3-0, LOST

Bolivia - Brazil

International Friendly Match

Exhibition match in Bolivia, in the memory of a kid who died during a Copa Libertadores match. The purpose of this match is to raise some funds, so expect a nice-flowing game, with lots of goals, willing to please the crowd and to honor the deceased fan. No foreign-based players are allowed, so both teams will have to rely on local players, and this obviously brings a huge advantage to Brazil. If we look in their squad, we can see a lot of big names and some very classy players: Ronaldinho, Jadson, Neymar and Pato, plus a few talented youngsters, but without too much international experience (especially in the defensive line). Now, I am aware that the big stars probably won't play throughout the match, as almost all of them have Libertadores duties, but with the amount of quality that they have, even one half on the pitch should be enough. The Bolivians can't boast about their player's skills. They are using a mix of experienced players and some youngsters, but there is little to say about them, even the experienced ones. The only ones worth mentioning are Marcelo Moreno and Juan Carlos Arce, as they should be the only ones capable of putting some pressure on Brazil's fragile defense. Also, the match will be played at Santa Cruz, where there is no altitude, so the Brazilians can just get on with their usual game. With nothing at stake here, I'm expecting both teams to show something nice for the fans and viewers, and when this is the case, usually both teams score and we have several goals. GL!

over 2.5 goals @ 1.88, 4/10
Result: 0-4, WON

Brazil - Venezuela

Copa America

I expect a big flop for Brazil in this Copa America. I really don't find their squad too impressive, and I don't expect them to go very far in the competition. They will of course qualify easily from the group, as they have some relatively easy opponents (don't see Venezuela or Ecuador able to pose some problems to them). And since their period of 'Jogo Bonito' is long gone, their matches will most likely be some low-scoring affairs, especially if we look at their squad. Most midfielders are defensive minded (Leiva, Sandro, Elias), with just Elano, Jadson and Paulo Henrique playing more offensively, but they surely won't be on the field at the same time, and Elano/Jadson aren't world class players able to decide a match by themselves, while Ganso is still pretty young. Pato, Neymar Robinho and Fred are the strikers, but again, nothing impressive there. Venezuela aren't an impressive team, and offensive-wise, they can't pose many problems to the Brazilians, so I expect them to try and play it safe in defense, crowding their own area. A narrow one/two goals loss will still be a good result, as snatching some points against Paraguay or Ecuador seems more realistic, so they have to watch their goal difference. Brazil also won't push too hard for a huge victory, and I don't really expect a bigger result than 3-0. GL!

under 3.25 goals @ 1.91, 3/10

Result: 0-0, WON

Brazil - Romania

International Friendly

I'm not a big fan of these friendly matches, especially if they have high handicap lines, but this particular one should be a good one. As you probably may know, this will be Ronaldo's retirement game, so he will for sure play a part in it (let's hope he won't play the full 90 minutes though). And despite Brazil missing some players with big names, they still have plenty of quality within their ranks. Lucio, Maicon, Luisao, Elano, Robinho, Neymar, Pato... just to name a few, and they are all in the squad, probably with high chances of playing. So, Brazil has a big advantage in quality, both individually and as a team, and this gap will be even bigger, since some of Romania's best players didn't even make the trip: Mutu, Rat, Sapunaru and Tamas, that leaving the team with an improvised defensive line (pretty weak one), and with some 'patches' in midfield and offense. But even more important than that is their determination and mentality. Romanian players rarely kill themselves with effort, especially in friendly matches. And since the season is pretty much over, I expect them to enjoy a nice holiday in Brazil for a few days. The players also need to adjust to the time zone, and play in front of what is expected to be a full stadium. Really doubt they will ruin the party, and Brazil is more than capable of putting a few goals in Romania's net. Small stakes though, as it's still just a friendly. GL!

Brazil (-1.75 AH) @ 1.74, 3/10

Result: 1-0, LOST

Iran - Brazil

International Friendly

New life and new tactics for the Brazilian National Team ever since Dunga left after the World Cup, as they are done with the defensive tactics employed by him. Now, Brazil reverted to their old offensive style, and coach Menezes is building a new squad from the many talented and young player that he has at his disposal. That means no more over-paid self-sufficient players, who couldn't give a rats' ass about the National team, and this new young players are giving their all for the team, hoping to seal their place for the 2011 Copa America. They made a great match last month against USA, fully controlling the game and going forward at all times, and the 2-0 result looks very mild for the Americans. The Iranians shouldn't be organized as well as the USA, and they should also try something, as a Friendly against Brazil is always a reason to celebrate, and a goal for them will be as good as a victory. Moreover, Brazil probably received quite some money to play in this game, so I'm also expecting the players to make a show, to justify the fee. And they certainly have enough quality to do it. I see goals here, and a pleasant match to watch, so it shouldn't be any doubt about the over 3 goals. GL!

over 3 goals @ 1.92, 4/10

Result: 0-3, VOID