Brazil’s Marquinhos and teammates huddle forward of the World Cup qualifier in opposition to Argentina on November 21, 2023
| Photo Credit: Reuters
Until this year, Brazil’s nationwide soccer group had by no means misplaced three video games in a row. The Selecao had by no means misplaced a World Cup qualifying match at house. It had by no means had something however wins in opposition to a visiting Venezuela group, for a few years the weakest in South America.
Interim coach Fernando Diniz, nonetheless, has needed to endure all these setbacks in only some months on the job — all whereas Brazil hopes that Real Madrid coach Carlo Ancelotti will quickly take over.
Diniz’s troubles, and the dearth of a confirmed reply from Ancelotti, have elevated the strain on the Brazilian group, despite the fact that qualifying for the expanded 2026 World Cup remains to be anticipated regardless of a 1-0 loss to Argentina on Tuesday.
The prime six groups in the South American qualifying group will achieve direct entry to the 48-team event in the United States, Mexico and Canada. The seventh-place group can earn a berth in an intercontinental playoff.
Brazil, the one group by no means to overlook a World Cup, has gained solely three of 9 matches in 2023 — the nationwide group’s poorest report in years. The five-time World Cup champions are in sixth place in the 10-team South American qualifying group with seven factors after six matches — eight behind chief Argentina. Performances have been equally disappointing.
Many soccer analysts in Brazil say the group has struggled this year as a result of Diniz has had little time to implement his techniques. Injuries and dwindling performances have additionally contributed to the group’s poor kind.
The 49-year-old Diniz, who took over in July, has cut up his time with the nationwide group and Brazilian membership Fluminense. That alone has drawn the ire of a few of his membership’s followers and people of the nationwide group. His attacking model of play is admired by many, much more so after his group’s Copa Libertadores title this year.
The interim coach just isn’t a fan of positional play, not like predecessor Tite, who left after six years following final year’s World Cup elimination in opposition to Croatia. Diniz does not consider in spreading his gamers on the sphere. Instead, he concentrates them wherever the ball is so he can outnumber the opposition the place it issues.
The drawback for Brazil is that formulation takes time to succeed, as it did with Fluminense. If opposing groups transfer the ball quick sufficient, they are going to discover an unmarked man sooner or later, one thing that has occurred to Brazil in a number of World Cup qualifying matches.
Few Brazil gamers coming from European leagues have understood what the coach desires from them.
“We have a different style. It is different from what we had with Tite,” Brazil defender Emerson Royal mentioned Wednesday.
“It is not easy to play like that. Few teams in the world can do that. What Diniz is trying to do with Brazil is a very hard thing to do.”
Royal, one of many gamers who acquired probably the most jeers on the Maracana Stadium on Tuesday earlier than the loss to Argentina, is one other a part of the group’s issues this year. The proper again is among the many gamers struggling to do properly for each his membership and the nationwide group, however nonetheless beginning matches for Brazil due to an absence of choices and accidents.
That can be the case for defenders Marquinhos and Gabriel Magalhães, left again Renan Lodi, midfielder Bruno Guimaraes and striker Raphinha. To make it worse, Brazil has misplaced a few of its greatest to damage, together with starters like Neymar, Casemiro and Vinicius Júnior.
“If I were there I think I would have made some mess with them,” Neymar mentioned on social media concerning the match in opposition to Argentina.
The subsequent South American qualifying matches will happen in September, after the Copa America in the United States. That lengthy hole will enable the group to get better a few of its gamers and provides extra room to promising strikers like middle ahead Vitor Roque, presently injured and signed by Barcelona, and teenage sensation Endrick, who will be part of Real Madrid subsequent year.
Critics must wait till the primary friendlies of 2024 to see if any classes have been realized. Brazil will play in Europe in opposition to England and Spain in preparation for Copa America.
Until then, Brazil’s coach must cope with upset followers.
“Our fans chanting Ole’ for Argentina when they passed the ball was a little too much,” Diniz mentioned after Brazil’s loss.
“Getting bitter about the team because it is not winning is extremely understandable. We need to live with the jeers and the pressure.”
