Brazil coach on scouting trip to Europe, Asia for 2018 WC

Sao Paulo April 20 (IANS) Brazilian football team coach Adenor Leonardo Bacchi known as Tite together with his assistants will travel to Europe and Asia during the next two weeks to study closely the players with options to complete the squad for the 2018 FIFA World Cup in Russia.

The technical commission of the five-time world champions began its tour in Brazil on April 8 to spy on potentially eligible players in various Copa Libertadores league and regional tournaments reports Efe news agency.

The commission then continued on Thursday their tour to Europe and Asia with the assistants Sylvinho and Thomaz Araujo observing the match between Atletico Madrid and Real Sociedad which claimed a 3-0 victory against the Madrid team.

In addition they will attend the two semi-finals of the UEFA Champions League and a match in Guangzhou China.

Tite himself will be at the first leg of the Champions League semi-finals between Liverpool and Roma and then between Bayern Munich and Real Madrid.

Among the Brazilian players that caught the eye of the commission are Real Sociedad s Willian Jose Chinese Shandong Luneng Taishan FC s Carlos Gilberto "Gil" Nascimento Silva and Bayern Munich s Rafinha in addition to Liverpool s Roberto Firmino Roma s Allison and Real Madrid s Marcelo and Casemiro.

Tite will announce the final list of the 23 players for the 2018 World Cup on May 14 with the almost guaranteed presence of the Brazilian soccer star Neymar who is currently recovering from surgery on his fractured foot sustained in early March.

One of the favourites in the 2018 World Cup Brazil will debut on the field on June 17 against Switzerland then faces Costa Rica on June 22 and Serbia on June 27th.

Before that they will face Croatia and Austria in two preparatory friendlies that will be used to fine-tune the squad.

--IANS
ajb/bg