O JOGO BONITO ESTA MORTO?
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The beautiful game might not be dead, but in Brazil, its unwelcomed hiatus is cause for national concern.
When you think about Brazilian football, pragmatism isn’t going to be the first word that comes to mind. While perhaps a stereotype, the overarching cultural presence of this great nation does not find its roots in absolute rationalism. Rightly or wrongly, many view their sporting stylings as a microcosm of the country itself, one of beauty and enchantment. Bound to the fabric of football, this is a country with 5 World Cup successes, won in spellbinding fashion. With the colour and pageantry of Carnival, dynamic metropolises and gorgeous coastlines, it’s a nation that never does things by halves. Why is it then, that one of their greatest sons has accused Selecao’s current crop of such behaviour?
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Ronaldinho took to his Instagram page, announcing:
"I've been following football since I was a kid, long before I thought about becoming a player, and l've never seen a situation as bad as this. Lack of love for the shirt, lack of grit and the most important of all: football.
I'll repeat, our performance has been one of the worst things I've ever seen. Such a shame. I therefore declare my resignation. I will not watch any CONMEBOL Copa América game, nor celebrate any victory.”
Ouch.
Did Ronaldinho really mean it? Or was it a mere ploy to put fire into the bellies of the twenty-six selected to represent his nation. Well, maybe a bit of both. While it’s true that this squad can’t hold a candle to Ronaldinho’s ‘99 Copa America and ’02 World Cup winning sides in technical aspects, intangibles such as joy and love can be hard to measure. Clearly, there‘s no doubt that the Barcelona great and his national teammates showed it to us nigh on everytime they were called by Verde-Amarela. In effect, all R10 had done was dare this selection to prove him wrong by evidencing a similar desire on the continental stage.
The opening opportuntity did not go well. Struggling to create, Brazil were offering more questions than answers. Opponents Costa Rica rarely looked overawed in the tussle and settled into their shape nicely without any real signs of panic stations ever setting in. The L.A. crowd watched on, witness to a total lack of verve and gumption from those sporting the yellow shirt. If was almost as if Selecao were missing somebody.
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Neymar cut a frustrated figure in the stands of SoFi Stadium. Still recovering from a torn ACL, Brazil’s superstar lost his race to make this Copa America squad weeks ago. If we look to the numbers, trying to replace a man with 79 international goals to his name is no easy task.
Chopping it up with basketball star and close friend Jimmy Butler, it was easy to pick up on his agitation as the game progressed. The Al-Hilal man looked visibly dumbfounded—bordering on aghast—as Dorival Junior made the call to withdraw Ballon d’Or candidate Vinicius.
When the full time whistle sounded twenty minutes later, the scoreboard hadn’t changed. 74% possession and 19 shots served Brazil no value at all. Their group stage had begun with a troublesome splutter, and something needed to change quickly. A 4-1 win against Paraguay lifted spirits, as Vini Jr stepped up to show his class with a tidy brace. It could never be enough for the critics though, as this quickfire double only progressed the 23 year old to 5 goals in national team colours. At the same age, Neymar had already managed to bag a dizzying 46.
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Perhaps the fault-finders were correct, as the Real Madrid man flattered to deceive in Brazil’s final group match. The quality oppositon of Colombia showed little fear, and if not for Raphinha powering in a sensational freekick, Canarinho would’ve been on the end of a defeat.
The 1-1 draw was all they could muster, locking in Group D’s second position. As a result, sweltering Las Vegas and a quarter final tie against Marcelo Bielsa’s red hot Uruguay awaited. However, it appeared that the biggest moment in all of this was Vinicius’ untimely caution, leaving him suspended for the upcoming knockout clash. Less than ideal.
It was a match fraught with 41 fouls in 90 minutes, Uruguay delivering 26 of them. Brazil huffed and puffed, but bar a few chances for Raphinha, a goal never looked likely. Vinicius Jr’s replacement? Endrick. With praise lavished upon the teenager for some time, many believed it was his time to shine. Let’s just say, he’ll be hoping his future employers in the Spanish capital were asleep. The golden child of Palmerias completed a single pass…it was from kickoff. Maybe Ronaldinho was right.
Unlike their European counterparts, CONMEBOL once again decided that the kockout phase—bar the final—was to do away with extra time. To be honest, this game wouldn’t miss it. However, with Nahitan Nunez’s expulsion in the 75th minute, Brazil certainly would. A crunching challenge caught Rodrygo high, leaving VAR with no other option than to upgrade the on field yellow to red. Thirty minutes more would’ve likely done Brazil no harm, yet, it’d have been disingenuous to claim this as their first rodeo. Our rules of engagement were known when the first whistle sounded, and this game remained deadlocked for the final quarter of an hour.
To the penalty lottery they went. Or maybe…roulette is more apt.
All in. Spin the wheel.
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Goal. Miss. Goal. Goal. Goal. Miss. Miss. Goal. Goal.
4-2 Uruguay.
Game over. Brazil bust once again.