Scolari ignores world’s best back line

Filipe Luís and João Miranda not included in Brazil's World Cup squad

Posted by on May 7th, 2014 in General -

filipe miranda atletico madrid

Filipe and Miranda (Globeesporte.com)

We know, we know. Partido a partido. There are three more games to play before Atlético win the double and we shouldn’t get ahead of ourselves.

But every now and then we can’t help but look forward to the month of June, when the world’s biggest tournament commences, this time in Brazil.

And that’s why, this time more than ever, all Brazilians dream of representing the Seleção on their quest to their sixth World championship.

That’s also why it seems even more cruel that Luiz Felipe Scolari has decided not to call up João Miranda or Filipe Luís, effectively ignoring their part in forming Europe’s strongest defence and best team of the moment.

Instead, Felipão has selected Marcelo and Maxwell for the left back position, while David Luiz, Thiago Silva, Dante and Henrique keep Miranda out of the squad.

Perhaps some will be happy that two of our key players will get some rest during the summer, but I for one feel proud everytime an Atlético player represents his national team, let alone one of the title favorites.

Soon more coaches will announce their World Cup squads to get us psyched for the tournament, but we will know that the home country is missing out on seeing two of its biggest stars.


  • Vlad

    NO F**CKING WAY!!!

    What an IDIOT…

  • Jeronamo

    Madness. I hope brazil leaks tons of goals during the world cup

  • Urban

    Forget Scolari, he is a moron.

    I only feel very, very sorry for Filipe and Miranda – I imagine they are heartbroken. They deserved this so much. Its a real shame, but I hope they will try to show Big Phil how wrong he was by winnin La Liga and UCL, in which Filipe will totally overshadow Marcelo.

  • Ahmad Hossainy

    I’m not surprised, I already knew it since he said :
    “I want Atletico to knock Chelsea out so that David Luiz, Ramires, Oscar & Willian can join us earlier”

    I hope that doesn’t affect Filipe & Miranda in our last 3 finals, or make them leave for a “cool” club like Chelsea or Bayern where you can be picked by Scolari no mater what shape you are in

    I hope you lead Brazil to another Maracanazo, Scolari
    I hope you meet Spain in the round of 16 and Costa scores a hat-trick against you precious defenders

    and who the fuck is Henrique ?!

  • ali_

    if there are any brazil fans here, im sorry but i hope the brazilian NT will be nowhere on this tournament. i hope they will have the shittiest defence, and concede a lot of goals. and obviosuly im not against their players (tho i dont like most of them), im against their fucking dickhead coach.

    its outrageous, im so pissed off

  • Farzad from Iran

    they are so so fantastic players,,, scolary dont love diego costa and because of this he didint include flipe and miranda to squad

  • Ratchet

    What a tool.

  • EC

    What an idiot. I hope it doesn’t affect Felipe or Miranda too badly.
    I believe that Felipe is the best left back in the world and Miranda has also been one of the best centre backs in the world this season. Luiz is decent but not as good as Miranda, Dante has been shit this season and I don’t even know who Henrique is but he can’t be that amazing since Napoli are pretty poor defensively.

    Honestly if Brazil went with a back 4 of Felipe Luis, Miranda, Silva, Alves they would have arguably the best defence in the tournament.

    Can’t believe Maxwell is going ahead of Felipe, Unbelievable

  • EC

    Valladolid have started well agains Real Madrid, Javi Guerra really should’ve put them 1-0 up. Also on a very pleasing note Ronaldo has just limped off with a thigh injury

  • EC

    0-1 to Real Madrid. Sergio Ramos scores again a 25yrd freekick…..

  • starvs

    ABSOLUTE BULLSHIT. Literally zero chance Maxwell is better than Fililpe . Just none.

  • Amr Misir Mukadaffi

    Real madrid 0-1 ahead.. This is looking good for us Atletico =)

  • valinia

    No surprising at all, scolari is never a fan of atleti players. I feel so bad for the lads since they hv been doing extremely well this season n they deserve to be in the wc.. I wanna see brazils defence being f**ked so badly n hopefully this will not devastate them on tge pitch 🙁

  • Jelle

    1-1 in the Real game now.

  • EC

    GOOOAAALLLLLL!!!!!!! 1-1

  • Will

    Yeah.. there is a Brazilian fan here: me!

    That’s ridiculous and everybody in Brazil is questioning mainly about Miranda.

    About Filipe:
    Maxwell is playing ok and is better playing supporting the attack than Filipe in my opinion. I just don’t think there’s a better left back in the defense than Filipe Luis in the world right now. You can place Di Maria, Messi or Bale to play on his side and it’s magic how they can’t create anything in his side. I think it was a big stupidity. But a few people is questioning about Filipe here. But…

    Abou Miranda:
    Everybody is questioning how could him left Miranda off? What else can a Defender do to deserve to be called up? Does he need to fly? Maybe. This is getting very serious. Filipão called “Henrique” from Napoli, a player that everybody knows is not playing half what Miranda is but is in Filipão’s trust list. He played in Palmeiras, coached by Filipão last year. So, is it about friendship and not competency?

    It’s in portuguese but you’ll get from the title: http://globoesporte.globo.com/futebol/selecao-brasileira/noticia/2014/05/vc-convoca-internautas-querem-philippe-coutinho-e-miranda-na-copa.html

  • EC

    yes yes yes! 1-1 Full-time. Back to back draws and Ronaldo injured. Doesn’t get much better than that

  • Jeronamo

    Real dropped more points

  • EC

    Guys we can win the league at the weekend

  • Chewie

    How about that now?! One more point goes to Atletico. Now all we need is at least 2 draws.

  • Hmm

    Nerves are too much right now.. We should be champions by the weekend. Barca could have dropped points so many times in the last couple games. Hopefully Elche puts up a good fight. Either way, it’s a nerve wrecking end to La Liga. What a spectacle.

  • Chewie

    If Barcelona drops points, it is fucked. To compete for the league they need to win. Damn, it’s turning into one hell of a thriller and it’s good to know that the big two has much more to worry about at the moment.

  • palestine-atletico

    Elche plzzzzzzzzzz do it i will support u next year if stopped barca….
    I love you elche 😉

  • Amr Misir Mukadaffi

    Title is gone now.. I don’t see Barca losing or playing draw against us at their own home. They will give 100% especially after we wiped them in the CL.. If that damn Real Madrid won against, valladolid, then ther was hope to get the title, since Barca didin’t want Real to be champion.. So they had to let us win.. But now, it’s all diffrent 🙁

  • jeronamo

    @amr are you an Atleti supporter? Sometimes i have to question how people can write off games that haven’t been played yet and why on earth would you want Real to win today’s game? One game at a time for us, We NEED to defeat Malaga

  • palestine-atletico

    We will beat malaga and elche will draw barcelona.
    I am sure of that guys

  • Amr Misir Mukadaffi

    @ Jeronamo

    I am 100% Atletico fan. Since 2001.

    This title means alot for me.. now we have like 40% chance.. If Real Madrid won against Valladolid, then it was 100%. Because a win for Real ment that they had 86 points on 85 of Barca. That means, Barca couldn’t be champions anymore if Real Madrid won their last game. So Barca was kinda forced to let Atletico win at Camp nou, ohterwise Real Madrid would be champions, and they’ll do anything to PREVENT that.. But now, Barca has no worrys about Real anymore…

  • jeronamo

    @AMR We can’t afford to worry about what those two do, we still have to live by our same philosophy and that is game by game. We hold our own future in hand and no matter what you think I just couldn’t see Barca rolling over for us BUT you’re talking like we have no chance, remind me how many games we lost to barca so far this season…. I thought so, stop counting our fucking team out when we are still in a good damn position

  • EC

    @amr why are you so defeatist. We now have a better chance of winning la liga than we did a few weeks ago. That is Real Madrid basically out of the running. If we beat Malaga tmr then the worst we can finish is 2nd. Real Madrid will no longer be able to do better than us :).

    We’ve played Barca 5 times this season and they haven’t managed to beat us yet, plus there probably worse now than they were earlier in the season. So I don’t know where you are getting this Barca will 100% beat us crap from. We knocked them out of the CL and we are above them in La Liga, we are better than them!

    Besides imagine Barca screw up away to Elche which is definitely possible after all they did draw at home to getafe.

  • Abdullah Karam

    We gonna win malaga and barcelona will lose or draw ..
    And AHMAD HOSSAINI WHO IS GONA WIN WORLD CUP , WHO IS GONNA WIN CHAMPION LEAGUE THIS SEASON AND THE 10 YEARS AHEAD AND LA LIGA AND EVERY LEAGUE IN THE WORLD AND WHO WILL SCORE EACH GAME AND WHAT TIME IS THE END OF WORLD AND AND LETS BENEFIT FROM YOU HABIBI !!!! U know every thing of every thing !!! Habibi u dont know shit :*
    Be a good boy and u r a typical egyption guy !! Knowing every thing of anything !!! We r atletis since 94′ since cameniro , kiko , cholo ,, PLZ STOP THIS SHIT PLEASE

  • EC

    Also we might mess up against Malaga and draw (it could happen) because Real dropped pts tonight if we were to draw with Malaga the title will still be in out hands

  • EC

    Our*

  • kris

    For fucks sake, for once, why don’t we stop caring about what is happening to Barcelona and Real Madrid and just be us?? Our goal is to win, win, and win and repeat that same pattern until the end of the world. God, I absolutely hate how we are caring more about these other thieves than ourselves. Absolutely pathetic.

    And Abdullah, it’s amazing how rude you can be after being around for so many years. God bless you, man.

  • valinia

    @will marcelo is brilliant in attack but shite at defence, scolari shud hv called a more defensive alternative. Also i disagree that filipe is not as good as maxwell in supporting the attack, just watch atleti with/without filipe, u can tell the difference on the left side.. I would say filipe is currently the best lb in the world in terms of balancing between attacking n defending

  • kris

    Valinia is absolutely right. When Filipe isn’t playing, we don’t seem to be attacking as well and in the defense, you know how he is. Nothing really gets past him. But fook Scolari, he’s a sellout.

  • Ratchet

    Right, Real screwing up helps Atleti. See, if we went to the Nou Camp needing a win, I’d say it’s a very tall order. Going to the Nou Camp needing only a draw at least however is a very different story. In the former example, the game would be very open which would suit Barca, and we would be playing with the pressure that we need a win, Barca playing with the kniwledge that they can scrape the title from a Madrid team’s grasp with a win. However, with a draw, the pressure is on Barca, we need to handle that, yes, but we ‘ve drawn with Barca what, 4 times this season? Twice at the Nou Camp?

    Furthermore, Elche is no easy game, especially for a team that has dropped points against Getafe, at home. Elche need a win to secure their safety, it’s very, very tight at the bottom. With Valadoid getting a great point against Real, despite having a better head to head over Getafe, Elche drew twice with Valadoid meaning it goes to goal difference I believe, which Elche are just 2 better. A Valladoid win and an Elche loss puts Valadoid above Elche, meaning that there is a very real chance that they could be tied with 3/4 other teams in points for the last game of the season. They obviously do not want that, so they will be at least looking to get a point from Barca.

  • palc

    Its all about composing a team, not all about gatherng together the best defenders. We all know that Filpe Luis is one of the best left- backs and Miranda maybe only second to Thiago Silva, but truth is they did not perform at this level untill the recent years. The’re clearly better than Maxwell and Henrique, but these players are back-ups. While David Luiz, Thiago Silva and Marcelo have been in the team for a long time and therefore untouchable. I do believe Big Phil did not call up Filipe Luis and Miranda because they are not suitable for being back-ups. The’yre too good for that, and it might harm the harmony Big Phil is aiming for within his squad.

    Just my two cents..

  • Yon

    They have both been great players for at least 2 years now Palc, Scolari has had plenty of chances to integrate and include them in the squad!

    Gutted for Filipe and Miranda, 28 and 29 so don’t even know if they will get another chance 🙁

    In a way though I am glad, I have always hated Brazil, so now I don’t have to want them to win because of these 2, and they will be fresh for next season!

  • Gerard Piqué the God

    And Miranda/Filipe are not among the best defenders in the world. Miranda is a joke and garbage player, complete disaster, and Filipe Luis is hardly world class or anything. Any team can make its defenders look good if you park 8 men in the defensive half of the pitch and do not expose them. Mourinho made crappy Lucio look good at Inter, Simeone is doing the same for you glory hunters at Pathetico. Simple as that.

    Visca el Barça!

  • palestine-atletico

    @ Abdullah. What’s wrong with you??? The comments of ahmad are the best in terms of analysis and info.
    Plz behave and dont be rude.
    Ta7ya masr um el donya 😉

  • Ahmad Hossainy

    @Will : oops !! .. I totally forgot about you
    please forgive me and forgive us all for wishing a bad luck for Brazil
    we still do but we will not say it out loud 🙂

    @Amr : believe me I get you, getting a draw in Camp Nou is not that easy, especially if a win will give Barca the title, and I think the fact that we drew twice there this season make it more difficult not easier
    but for me, I want Real to get out of the race as soon as possible
    I want it to be between us & Barca and let the best team win,
    and for either of them it will be totally deserved
    but Real doesn’t deserve a shit, not because it’s Real, but because they got just 1 point out of 12 against the top 2, and 5 out of 18 against the top 4
    with these numbers you don’t deserve to be Champion or even to be second

    BUT THERE IS SOMETHING MORE IMPORTANT THAN ALL OF THAT :
    Amr, what about Espanyol game ? .. why did you forget about it ?!
    if Real have won last night and won against Celta they would have 89 points
    and if Barca won against Elche they will have 88 point
    in the last game, if Espanyol got at least a draw against Real and Barca beat Atleti,
    Real will have 90 pts & Barca will have 91 pts making them the champions

    so what should Barca do if Real have won against Valladolid & Celta ?!
    score a goal against Atleti and wait until say min. 80 and then if Real is wining they will let Atleti score a goal, or 2 goals if we have drawn with Malaga ?!!

    so, if you don’t believe like many of us that Barca will never let us win or draw even if they need nothing from the game, it is a fact that Real could have beat Valladoloid & Celta and Barca will still have a chance to win the title when they play us

    and if all of that is not enough for you, just remember that there is at least a very little chance that we lose against Malaga, then you will be the happiest one that Real got a draw last night

    and finally, and please forgive me for this :
    I think your big fear from Barca is a little disrespect and unfaith of Atleti

    I am very very happy for Real’s draw last night,
    and I think every Atleti fan should be too

    @KRIS @PALESTINE-ATLETICO :
    Thank you very much my friends,
    but I wish you haven’t said anything
    ignoring this kind of people is the best thing to do .. it drives them crazy 😉

  • Dircil

    let’s hope that barca will drop points when they face Elche!!

  • big up

    haha pique is back
    Too bad about Miranda and Filipe, I don’t really care about national teams n shit, but it would have been great for them to have thejr dream come true, which they would have deserved in my opinion

    I dont have to play but so freakin nervous for the Malaga game haha
    Hope we win, preferably with Barça dropping points, so the Calderón can get a great party and Barça would have to honor Atleti in their home <3

  • Ratchet

    >Barca fan
    >Calls Atletico fans glory hunters

    #Pique2014

  • ali_

    damn i really missed this pique guy 😀

  • Kris

    I actually would like for us to go to the Camp Nou with nothing to play for by already winning the title before traveling to Barcelona. Some of you guys might have forgotten that we play the Champions League final in 7 days after the Barca game and the last thing I want is for any of our players to be injured before such a crucial game. I don’t know, I think that is just me but like Simeone said if there is more intensity, maybe then our players will be motivated far more than they already are. Whatever happens, it will be for the best and I hope and pray that we win the Double this season. That would be historic.

  • Ahmad Hossainy

    @Kris : another reason for wishing to seal the title before the Camp Nou game is to have a guard of honor by Barcelona super stars

    I think Gabi & Raul Garcia will not go to Brazil, maybe Koke neither
    so I would love to see them with Filipe & Miranda having a “pasillo” by Xavi, Iniesta, Busquets, Messi, Alves & Neymar who are all going to the world cup

    it maybe will not cure their pain, but it will be a little consolation

  • jeronamo

    Even more consolation after we had to do the same last season least you forget but man what an exciting finishing lap to the season

  • Colin Jones

    1) The Brazil coach is entitled to pick who he wants, he will get enough shit if and when they get knocked out

    2) To call Atletico fans “glory hunters” is some kind of bad joke

  • palestine-atletico
  • palestine-atletico

    http://spanishfootballsports.blogspot.com/2014/05/atletico-de-madrid-makes-13m-offer-for.html?m=1

    At the same time we are approaching damiao from santos. A very good striker.

  • big up

    I think only an injury would keep Koke away from the WC

  • Jelle

    I dont Think that Damiao is good enough.

  • Will

    Damiao did some good work in the past but is not worthing all this money by now. He’s not even a regular starter in Santos… We can get something better for this price.
    @AHMAD, I forgive you my friend :p

  • Farzad from Iran

    we can win laliga this week if barca drop point,,,,,,IF GOD WANT ,,IF…….

  • palestine-atletico
  • ali_

    he is a true rojiblanco, if things goes like this in the future, i think he wanna leave soon.

  • Jelle

    I’ve read at twitter that Diego Costa is injured. He is doubtful for the Malaga game.

  • Ahmad Hossainy

    if there is only one Atleti star that I’m sure he will not leave any time soon (by his own will) he will be Koke

    he was the only one who was very clear in his statements about his future :
    “I’m very happy at Atleti, I can’t say I will stay here forever because no one can know what happens in the future, but I’m staying for a long time, that’s why I signed a long-term contract”

    so, unless the club needs some cash (and we don’t and will not do in the future as long we keep cashing big money from CL) or if we got a crazy offer and by crazy I mean something between 75 & 100 million, not the 60 million which is Koke’s clause right now, unless in one of these 2 cases, I guess Koke is staying

    and about the right of first approval we signed with Barca :
    this type of conditions don’t last for ever, it has an expiration date
    when Barca signed Neymar they also had a similar deal with Santos for the right of first approval of 3 Santos players, and all will expire this summer

    beside, usually the right of first approval is for young players not the stars

    and more importantly, Barca is a big rival for Atleti, an it’s of Atleti interest to see them getting weaker not stronger, so we will not make them stronger by our own hands
    we will never give them the next Xavi (Koke) or the next Iniesta (Oliver)

    I can’t remember -at least since we promoted to La Liga again in 2002- that we sold one of our stars inside La Liga .. we always sell outside Spain

    Anyway, it’s a part of being an Atleti fan to keep reading rumors about the departure of your best players
    just keep calm and enjoy the moment, because we can’t afford to think about the future
    isn’t that why our motto is “partido a partido” ?!

    @Jelle : sadly, Costa will probably not play against Malaga
    he has a muscle spasm in the back of his right leg
    I guess this is the last chance for David Villa to get another contract with Atleti and to get a ticket to Brazil

  • x

    What if Barcelona wins La Liga and Real Madrid becomes the champions league winner.All the success Atletico Madrid has achieved this season will be overshaded.

  • Urban

    @Ahmad – i think the true test for Villa will be the game vs FCB. I would bet on him in this game, this would be like the most important match of his long career (league wise, Im not talking about national team or CL) to beat barca on their stadium and win the title with another team next season they dismissed him. He would die to score a goal there, or at least celebrate the title.

  • Ali

    Brazil coach is an absolute cunt!!
    Henrique is not even starter for napoli..
    Argentina will fuck Brazil very hard if they get the in round of 16 because of a cunt coach with old and attack minded defenders!!