Feature: Dunga ListsBrazil Most Iportant Players

With Luiz Felipe Scolari leaving the managerial role of the Selecao and Dunga returning to the job he previously held between the years of 2006-10, there should be a sweeping change of the Brazilian national side. Since that World Cup humbling at the hands of Germany - and to a lesser extent Holland - Brazil have won every game they have played, including a recent win against arch-rivals Argentina. However, that is not to say that everything is rosy in the Maracana - far from it in fact. Dunga knows that his side is in a transitional phase. He needs to get rid of the deadwood and inject new faces and new life into this hurting side. So who are Brazil’s most important players right now? 
Neymar

The Barcelona forward is obviously the most important player in a yellow shirt. We don’t know what would have been for the samba outfit had the striker not been injured for the World Cup semi-final, but his absence was felt nonetheless.

Despite being the just 22 years of age, Neymar has proven he can carry the weight of a nation on his shoulders. On the international stage he has proven himself as one of the most ruthless finishers in Brazilian history - his record of 36 goals in 56 appearances is quite frankly, ridiculous.

Neymar has always been able to cut it on the international stage, but what will be really pleasing Dunga is the striker’s performance in La Liga. The Barcelona man has been absolutely brilliant in front of goal so far and is one of the main reasons why Betfair have the Catalans listed as their favourites for La Liga success.


He is honing his skills in Spain and is without question the most important piece of Dunga’s Brazil puzzle.
David Luiz
While Neymar may be the national darling and Thiago Silva is the captain, David Luiz is the de facto leader of the Brazil squad. He is the shoulder to lean on, that enthusiastic presence in the dressing room.
Luiz plays with a smile, and this exuberance will rub off on the rest of his teammates. True, his defending can be error-some at time, but there is evidence that Luiz is getting better, and when all is said and done, he does have one hell of free-kick in his locker.
The former Chelsea man is the glue that holds the dressing room together. He’s above cliques and does genuinely seem pretty level-headed. In the years past, Brazil’s dressing room has been divided in factions; this could still be the same now. If that is the case Luiz can likely act as a mediator within the ranks.
Luiz Gustavo
What was evident throughout the Germany game is that Brazil lacked a spine. Gustavo played in that game and, in truth, was utterly useless. However, players cannot be judged by one game. If so, then the Wolfsburg man would never been able to command a £16 million fee.
As witnessed in Dunga’s previous regime as Brazil coach, he is pretty defence orientated, to the point that he was actually unpopular. He himself was a defensive midfielder, so you can imagine him to be constantly chewing the ear of Gustavo.
The modern game requires defensive stability, something that the free-roaming Brazil side do have in Gustavo. He just needs a manager to utilise him properly; Dunga will do that.
Alexandre Pato
Slightly a left-field choice but Brazil need a centre-forward. There is no way that Fred will ever be able to make it back into the national set-up after the backlash he received following his lacklustre World Cup campaign. The criticism was that bad that the 30-year-old has called time on his international career. Pato is a goal-scorer and someone who Dunga should bring back into the team instantly Pato has the pace to keep up with the explosive duo that is Willian and Neymar, and he has the intelligence to make the off the ball runs that will delight Oscar.
The former AC Milan forward shouldn’t be in Brazil much longer, he’s too good. It will only be so long before a top European club comes in for him, and when they do the main benefactor will be the Brazilian national side. Once he is up and going again in European football, Brazil will be blessed with one of the most potent goal-scorers in world football.
These are four key players for Dunga, but there will be more. There are a lot of spaces to fill and Dunga should, and hopefully will, look to the huge talent pool that Brazil possesses and make the Selecao a team to be feared again.