The 5-time world champion Brazil football team has been struggling recently. Under the leadership of coach Ancelotti, the team is no longer dependent on Neymar. Vinicius Junior’s strong attack is his strength, while midfield and defense are his weaknesses.
New Delhi: The magic of ‘Joga Bonito’ on the Amazon forest and plains… there is hardly anything more beautiful than this on Brazilian soil. Pele, Zico, Socrates, Garrincha, Ronaldinho, Ronaldo, Cafu, Rivaldo… there are so many names who became symbols of struggle and victory in the world of football. When football reached the streets of Rio de Janeiro from the fields of Europe and became the identity of an entire country, then imagine what magic these players must have created with their feet.
But after two and a half decades of the 21st century, the question that has to be asked is what has happened to Brazilian football? How did he become anonymous in the last 25 years, whereas there was a time when he was everything. Now when the team lands in America for the World Cup, how far will it go? The history of five World Cup titles has its place, but there are some bitter truths that are troubling the team. The question is, will Carlo Ancelotti’s players be able to overcome all this?
When Ancelotti was asked if his dream team was ‘perfect’, he flatly refused. ‘Don Carlo’ said that to win the World Cup, one does not need a ‘perfect’ team, but a ‘resilient’ team, and he is trying to create such a team. It is also true, today Brazil’s team is probably not as strong as France, Spain, Portugal or Argentina. This team, which had suffered 6 defeats in the World Cup qualifiers, was gradually losing its identity. For the first time in history, the Brazilian people themselves began to believe that no Brazilian coach would be enough to get the team back on track.
So what is Ancelotti’s specialty? He does not fit the players in his system, but creates a system according to the players’ game and their style. He did the same at AC Milan and Real Madrid. He is not doing anything different with Brazil either. If the mistakes of the last five World Cups are not to be repeated, then the team needs to play as a team and not have ‘star moments’.
Even in the years when Brazil won the World Cup, it cannot be completely said that it was the best team of the tournament. History is witness to the fact that in 1982, when he entered with his best team, he was eliminated in the second round itself. This time the strength of the Brazilian team can be known just by looking at its names – Attack. Ancelotti has prepared the team in such a way that maximum advantage can be taken from the attack. Like in the last decade and a half, this time the team is not playing ‘Neymar Centred’ i.e. completely dependent on Neymar.
The team includes Vinicius Junior, Matheus Cunha, Gabriel Martinelli, Igor Thiago, Andrique, Ryan and also Neymar. For Brazilian fans, it might be Neymar’s tournament, but it’s actually Vinicius’s. Vinicius’ creativity will decide how long Brazil’s journey will be. He is one of the best players in the world, a creator who can make any ordinary moment dangerous for the opposition, without even needing the support of his team.
Raphinha is there for pressing, link-up and attack. Cunha is an expert in playing between positions. Martinelli is there for speed. Andrić’s play is unpredictable and Ryan’s goalscoring is amazing. The only drawback is that Igor Thiago, despite being in form, could not find his rhythm before the World Cup.
Now let’s talk about Neymar’s role. If the real beauty of Brazilian football still remains in any player in the team, it is Neymar. This is why his presence in the team is so emotionally important. The style that has propelled Brazilian football to the top of the world – imagination, vision and creativity – is in their game. Since Neymar is not fully fit yet, it is almost certain that Ancelotti will use him as an ‘impact sub’.
But the question is, does Brazil have a strong midfield to support this experienced and young attack? There is doubt on this. There is no player like Zico or Socrates in the team, but a player who meets the standards of today’s football is also not seen in the midfield. How creative the midfield of teams like Portugal and Spain is, became clear in the friendly matches. Although there are Bruno Guimaraes and Casemiro in the team, but both are not at their peak.
However, Ancelotti will rely on Lucas Pucketa. An example of this was seen in the friendly match against Panama, when after Paqueta came on the field, a new life and flow came to Brazil’s game. For this reason, Paketa got a place in the starting eleven in the match against Egypt.
Brazil, which gave the world full-backs like Dani Alves, Cafu, Marcelo and Roberto Carlos, does not have players of that level this time, which is a big weakness. This means that the defensive midfielders will have to help the defense more. The defense consists of Ederson, Douglas Santos, Alex Sandro, Gabriel, Marquinas, Danilo, Bremner, Ibanez and Leo Pereira. Wesley’s absence is another blow.