10 reasons to think Brazil will win gold in the Olympic football tournament this summer

The opening ceremony for Rio 2016 may not take place until Friday, but one sport clearly has no time for administrative niceties: the women's Olympic football tournament kicked off on Wednesday, with Sweden and Brazil among the winners.

The men have just got underway as I type, with the hosts playing South Africa in Brasília. Brazil are massive favourites to win gold, having named a strong squad for the tournament.

For Unibet, I pick out ten reasons to think they can win gold this summer.

Gabriel Jésus profile: Why Brazil's brightest young star is set to take football by storm in the years ahead

It's not every day that a 19-year-old footballer gets a phone call from one of the game's great coaches, but that's just what happened to Gabriel Jésus a couple of weeks ago.

The Brazilian starlet, who has been at the centre of an transfer scramble between Manchester City, Barcelona and Man United in recent weeks was minding his own business when an unknown number flashed up on his screen. At the other end of the line was none other than Pep Guardiola.

The Palmeiras striker, understandably starstruck, is believed to have been swayed to the extent that City shot to the top of his list of preferred destinations. But just who is Gabriel Jésus? And what will he bring to the Premier League?

Read my scouting report on the MirrorFootball website.

Meet Brazil's Olympic football hopefuls, including 'Big Daddy' and the midfielder who once lived in a sex motel

Football tends to take a back seat during the Olympic Games – both because there are so many other sports vying for attention and because the major nations do not regard it as a priority. The under-23 tournament has produced some memorable moments in the past, but the reality is that, in this era of soaring bank balances and packed schedules, the Games are viewed by many as an inconvenience.

The exception that proves the rule is Brazil, who are taking the competition very seriously indeed. Their priorities for the summer were established early in the year when it was decided Neymar would be left out of the squad for the Copa América Centenario so that he could appear at Rio 2016. He is, by some margin, the biggest star present at the tournament, but by no means will this be a one-man show; Brazil's squad boasts plenty of other talent, especially in attacking areas.

My player-by-player guide to Brazil's Olympic football squad can be found at ESPN FC.

Pace, pressing and pig emojis: Palmeiras setting the pace in Série A thanks to Cuca's modern methods

It was the morning after World Emoji Day, so the headline was rather more oblique than usual.

Beneath a photo of a jubilant Erik, sports daily Lance! had printed a number of symbols that told the story of Sunday's Internacional vs Palmeiras match. Some – a Brazilian flag, a thumbs-up, a smiley face – did not require Columbo-level acts of decryption: even those not versed in the local football scene would have been able to work out that the away side had picked up a useful victory.

It was the remaining pictures that really spelt out the significance of the result, however. There was the number 32, representing Palmeiras' points tally after 15 games of the Brasileirão season. That is three more than anyone else in the division; they have now been at the summit at the end of the last seven rounds. Early days these may be, but the trophy emoji could be getting a few more outings in these circles over the next few months.

Then there was the number 19 with a cross through it, which – investigative journalism alert – isn't actually an existing emoji. But we should probably allow some artistic licence here to mark the end of one of Brazilian football's most dogged hoodoos: this was the first time the São Paulo giants had beaten Inter at the Beira-Rio since 1997. No wonder the little pig emoji (an allusion to a once-pejorative nickname that Palmeiras fans have made their own) looked especially pleased with itself.

The rest of this article, about Palmeiras and their excellent campaign so far, is on the WhoScored blog. Have a read here.

Colin Kazim-Richards in Brazil: The Coca-Cola Kid starts latest leg of world tour with a bang at Coritiba

63 minutes on the clock. The scoreline locked at 0-0. Fans getting anxious. Then, a cheer. Movement on the bench. The fourth official's board comes out.

This is Coritiba vs Atletico Paranaense in Brazil. The Couto Pereira stadium is... well, it's not actually full, but you wouldn't know it from the noise. Giant flags swing back and forth in the stands, the home supporters urging their side on.

They need a goal. The season is only 11 games old, but Coritiba are in the relegation zone. On strides the substitute, the hero-in-waiting. 17 minutes later, the moment arrives. A corner comes in from the left and gets flicked on. He cannot miss and he doesn't.

He wheels away to celebrate with his team-mates before kissing the lens of a television camera. They love doing that in Brazil. They also love a number ten and that's the shirt he's wearing.

But this is no home-town favourite and no rising star. He's a new signing. He's not even Brazilian.
The man who has just settled one of the most heated rivalries in South America is Colin Kazim-Richards.

Read more on the MirrorFootball website.

Sonic youth: Five breakthrough Série A stars who could be playing their way into Brazil contention

After Brazil's embarrassing early Copa América elimination and the subsequent sacking of Dunga, there have been calls for a new approach and fresh blood in the Seleção set-up. Tite has taken the reins after an impressive spell with Corinthians and will be charged with dragging Brazil into the modern era after the drudgery of the last decade.

The task starts at the Rio Olympics, where Brazil will be able to test some of the players who, it is hoped, will form the spine of future sides. The likes of Gabriel Barbosa, Walace and Rodrigo Caio were drafted into the squad for the Copa and should play a major role in the campaign, but Tite will be well aware that there is a whole crop of youngsters doing the business in Série A this season.

For WhoScored, I pick out five who have impressed so far this term.

Unwanted, unloved, underwhelming: Brazil sack Dunga for a second time after latest embarrassment

Say what you will about Dunga; he was no quitter.

Even on Wednesday evening, 48 hours after Brazil's latest embarrassment at a major tournament and as speculation about his future swirled, there was a bullish – some would say foolhardy – conviction emanating from his camp.

Gilmar Rinaldi, Dunga's affable right-hand man, insisted that Dunga would be around to guide the Seleção at the Rio Olympics, the second major appointment in what is now already looking like a nightmare summer for this great football nation. He spoke of their plans and insisted they were "on the right path".

It was a masterpiece of delusion and it was hard not to believe that somewhere, holed up in a bunker surrounded by all his advisors and allies, Dunga really did believe that he would be able to turn things around. Now, though, the curtain has closed on his second reign in charge.

Read my Dunga post mortem on the ESPN FC blog.