Brazil recall for in-form Fred would be bizarre for long-term World Cup plans


Almost three years have passed since that surreal afternoon in Belo Horizonte when Brazil collapsed in the semifinals of the 2014 World Cup. Germany were five goals up at the interval. The home crowd had plenty of time to try to deal with the extraordinary event and as the second half painfully unfolded, they chose their scapegoat.
The crowd in the Mineirao stadium turned on striker Fred, playing in his home state. He was taken off in the second half. As the camera picked out his image on the...