On the eve of Brazil’s World Cup Qualifier against Paraguay, coach Dorival Jr channeled his inner Jurgen Klopp and said, “We will be in the 2026 World Cup final. We will be finalists. You can film me while I’m saying this. I have no doubts. We will be there”. The lofty prediction echoed what Klopp had said in 2022 when his Liverpool side was beaten by Real Madrid in the Champions League final.
“Where’s the final next year? Istanbul? Book the hotel,” the German had said.
Next year, Liverpool were knocked out of the Round of 16 by Real while on Wednesday, Dorival was served his share of the humble pie by Paraguay who handed Brazil a 1-0 loss via Diego Gomez strike.
This was the Selecao’s fourth loss in five matches in the World Cup Qualifiers and leaves them 5th in the CONMEBOL standings. The 5-time World Champions have been dealing with an identity crisis for a pretty long time. Two major quarterfinal exits; at the 2022 World Cup and the loss to Uruguay in a penalty shootout of Copa America earlier this year has diminished the aura of the Selecao.
If you ask a casual fan what they remember of the Brazil of yesteryears, they would likely point out the players’ individual flair and creative and slick build up play. If you look at the current Brazil team, you wouldn’t be able to distinguish their style of play from any other European side, most of whom go for a tactical approach rather than a free-flowing one.
Most of the attacking players who line up for this current team are from European clubs with Vinicius Jr., Rodrygo and Endrick all from Real Madrid, while midfielders Lucas Paqueta and Bruno Guimaraes play for Premier League sides West Ham and Newcastle respectively. Somewhere through their development and in order to bed in with their club style, Brazil’s famous Joga Bonito has been stifled under the more conservative and tactical approach.
Creatively stunted
If you need any proof about how creatively stunted this team has become, look back at the Copa defeat to Uruguay where Brazil had just 3 shots on target the whole match with their latest star kid Endrick making one successful pass in 90 minutes, that too from the kick off. Against Paraguay on Wednesday, they failed to get a shot on target in the first half before getting just 3 shots on target in the second half. That is simply not good enough for a team which has a player like Vinicius Jr, a Ballon d’Or hopeful.
The form of the Real Madrid star man has been a cause of concern for the Selecao, with the UCL winner unable to create the same impact in a canary yellow shirt like he does in the royal white of the Los Blancos. In the last 2 matches for Brazil, Vinicius attempted just six dribbles, pulling off just one successful one while he managed just 4 shots on target. More worryingly, he has scored just 5 goals and provided 5 assists in 35 matches for his national team since his debut in 2019, which are abysmal numbers for a player who played in 2 Copa Americas and a World Cup.
The national coach’s position resembling a literal game of musical chairs haven’t helped the team either with Brazil employing three managers since their exit from the 2022 World Cup. Ramon Menezes and Fernando Diniz were both given the job as interim boss before the board settled on Dorival but even after one year, he is yet to put a firm imprint on the side, which is crying out for the return of its most recognizable star Neymar, out with an injury since October of last year.
“You’re fighting for your best and it doesn’t always happen. I could feel it. Not just with Viní. The way the first half went, we were missing a lot, I’m responsible for that,” Dorival said after the Paraguay loss. That’s all well and good for now but you can imagine the pressure already mounting for the coach who will have to contend with Chile and Peru in October for another round of qualifiers, matches that will surely act as a litmus test for him and his team.
