NZME’s world-renowned football blog Goalmouth Scramble is back. Our rotating stable of football writers will offer daily hot takes on all the action from the World Cup in Qatar. Today, Michael Burgess analyses a special Brazilian team that could go all the way.
OPINION:
It’s always been easy to fallin love with a Brazil football team.
Maybe not for Argentinians or Uruguayans, but for the rest of the world the sight of the Selecao in full flight is a special element of the Fifa World Cup.
There’s the exotic names, the individual flair, the beautiful patterns and the pure joy of playing, all set to the rhythmic support from the grandstands.
Brazil usually bring more media and more fans than any other team and their games are the ones that neutrals clamour to see.
That’s down to their glorious history and also the sense of the unexpected that comes with the famous yellow shirts.
Football has become much more homogenised in the last 30 years, as analysis and structure have taken over and the player pool is concentrated in Europe.
It was best epitomised by the third goal finished by Richarlison that left the Koreans bemused and bewitched.
At their best, Brazil play to their own rhythm — often to the beat of drums in the stands — and can seem untouchable.
Brazil's Neymar, center, celebrates his penalty kick goal with teammates during the World Cup round of 16 soccer match between Brazil and South Korea, at the Education City Stadium in Al Rayyan, Qatar, Monday, Dec. 5, 2022. (AP Photo/Ariel Schalit)
For those not old enough to have witnessed Pele’s era between 1958-1970, the reference point is often the 1982 team, who re-introduced ‘futebol arte’ to the world, after a fallow Brazil period in the 1970′s.
The names still reasonate — Zico, Socrates, Falcao, Eder, Junior, Cerezo et al — and many Kiwis will remember their stylish 4-0 win over John Adshead’s All Whites in Spain.
But that team is also synonymous with glorious failure, as their defensive frailties were exposed by a clinical Italian team.
It was the same story in 1986, when beautiful football just wasn’t enough.
That led to a pragmatic approach to regain the World Cup in 1994, while the successful 2002 team were blessed with the triple threat of Ronaldo, Rivaldo and Ronaldinho and a functional group behind them, as well as a kind draw, as other heavyweights faltered.
Since then, it’s been mostly misery.
Quarter-final exits at three of the last four tournaments, along with the astounding 7-1 hammering by Germany in the 2014 semifinal in Belo Horizonte.
That capitulation could have left scars for generations but they rebuilt quickly under manager Tite and showed promising signs in 2018, before being knocked out by Belgium.
The current team appears a perfect blend of 1982 and 2002.
They have flair in abundance but also a strong spine, with Alisson Becker (arguably the world’s best goalkeeper) and holding midfielder Casemiro key, while Richarlison is the robust No 9 every team needs.
Unlike the last two Cup editions, there isn’t an over reliance on Neymar and thankfully the Paris St Germain forward has (mostly) shelved his ridiculous histrionics and tumbles when fouled.
They also have the right work ethic, a noticeable feature of Tuesday’s game, as the forward trio tracked back regularly to cover runs or win possession.
The only concern for Brazil might be that everything is going too well.
Compared to some other big teams, they had a straightfoward group, with little adversity to face, though Switzerland held them out for long periods.
And instead of their expected battle with regular rivals Uruguay in the round of 16, they faced Korea, who appeared exhausted from their group heroics and a touch overawed.
It will be a different story against 2018 finalists Croatia (Saturday 4am) who are mentally tough and fear no one, before a semifinal with Argentina or the Netherlands if they progress, which would be a huge physical and psychological test.
But this Brazil team have the goods to go all the way, which would be surely the most popular World Cup victory since 2002.
