Another Top Player Goes Down

If you are keeping score at home, here is another first-tier player who apparently will be out of South Africa 2010:

Filipe, the winger from Brazil.

Filipe suffered a broken ankle while playing for Deportivo La Coruna on Saturday, and looks unlikely to be back at full speed in time to play for Brazil this summer.

The difference between Brazil losing Filipe and the United States possibly losing Clint Dempsey (as noted on this blog last week) is fairly stark, however.

Dempsey is one of the handful of U.S. attacking players who has a significant amount of skill.

Filipe is one of dozens of Brazilians who can play at the world level.

So while this is a personal disaster for Filipe, who stood a good chance of making Dunga's squad, it absolutely is not some sort of World Cup death knell for Brazil.

Dempsey, by the way, did not suffer an injury as serious as first thought. His club team, Fulham, hopes he will play again for them this season. Which means he stands a good chance of being ready for the World Cup.

Good luck to Filipe on his comeback, as well.