Some of the men who featured in the Selecao's ill-fated World Cup could well be forced to view the 2015 Copa America in Chile from the sidelines
The trauma of Brazil's 7-1 defeat to Germany in Belo Horizonte still haunts supporters of the five-time world champions. Six months on from the thrashing suffered in the semi-final of the World Cup at the hands of the eventual winners, Brazil is looking to reinvent itself.
Luiz Felipe Scolari left his post following the tournament and Dunga, who took charge of the nation's 2010 World Cup campaign that ended in a quarter-final defeat, was reinstated for a second spell at the helm.
He has begun with a renovation of the squad, offering chances to many new faces. It was inevitable that some of the older players would step aside, and with approximately five months to go until the Copa América begins in Chile, we take a look at who has lost ground with the Selecao.
Julio Cesar
At 35-years-old, Julio Cesar bid farewell to the national team at the World Cup. Although he is continuing to play at a high level domestically with Portuguese giants Benfica, the goalkeeper retired from the international stage in order to open up space for younger players, such as Botafogo's Jefferson and Rafael Cabral of Napoli.
Dani Alves
The decline of Dani Alves in recent years, which has brought with it speculation over his future at Barcelona, was reflected in his performances with Brazil. After a poor World Cup, the right-back has been overlooked by Dunga, who has instead used Danilo of Porto to occupy the position which once unquestionably belonged to the Camp Nou defender.
Maicon
The full-back was, in fact, selected by Dunga after retaking the helm and started on the coach's return in the 1-0 friendly victory against Colombia. However, a disciplinary problem saw him dropped from the national team before the following match and he has not been called up since. Furthermore, at the age of 33, the Roma man's age is not on his side.
Marcelo
Another of the players who was not at his best during the World Cup, which began with an own goal against Croatia, was the Real Madrid left-back. Despite still being young at 26-years-old, Marcelo has since lost his place under Dunga, only featuring in the friendlies against Colombia and Ecuador because Alex Sandro was injured. A call for the Copa America looks distant.
Dante
Dante himself believes that Brazil reached the 'end of a cycle' after the World Cup because of the age of some of their squad. At 31, the Bayern Munich centre-back has seen Dunga opt for more youthful players in the likes of Miranda and Marquinhos, who have both climbed above him in the pecking order. It seems likely that he will have to settle for watching the Copa América from home.
Thiago Silva
Although still very much present in Dunga's squad, Thiago Silva has fallen from the position of power he enjoyed at the World Cup. The Paris Saint-Germain defender lost the captain's armband to Neymar and also his starting spot, with Miranda now partnering David Luiz at the back.
Paulinho
A difficult season at Tottenham Hotspur was reflected in the World Cup, and Paulinho has subsequently lost his place with the Seleo. An integral part of the 2013 Confederations Cup triumph that brought so much promise and hope to the South American nation ahead of the World Cup, the midfielder has since seen his role in England decline and it will take some time for him to regain his place in the national team.
Hulk
One of Scolari's favourites, Hulk has been another victim of the shaming in the Estadio Mineiro by Germany. Much criticised, the Zenit St Petersburg forward ended the World Cup without even scoring a goal and has lost ground under Dunga. The 51-year-old coach has instead handed opportunities to less established players such as Diego Tardelli, Roberto Firmino and Luiz Adriano.
Bernard
A player that Scolari hoped would be able to make a positive impact and change games with his speed and agility failed to live up to expectations at the World Cup. A poor performance against Germany, when he was selected to replace the injured Neymar, coupled with his ongoing struggles at Ukrainian side Shakhtar Donetsk - where he is yet to complete a full 90 minutes in the league this season - have distanced him from a place in the Seleo.
Fred
The striker found himself the focus of the boo-boys during the World Cup and, having scored just once in the tournament, it appeared that his time with the national team would end following their fourth-placed finish. Although he ended the Campeonato Brasileiro as the top scorer with 18 goals, Dunga has opted for a different tactical approach which does not require a traditional centre-forward, thus restricting Fred's chances of a return to the team for the Copa América
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