Brazil were once a class apart, they delighted us with their stunning finishes and beautiful free flowing passing, but gone are the days of the Ronaldo’s, Ronaldinho’s and Rivaldo’s of the world. Brazilian football today is a shadow of the past, going through a transitional period, with new stars who are yet to set the world on fire.
The 2011 Copa America was the first real hurdle for this new look Brazil side and unfortunately they failed to get over it. They went out of the tournament in the quarter final to Paraguay, after a calamitous penalty shoot out, where they missed all four of their penalties. Their overall record in the tournament was less than impressive, with three draws alongside a flattering 4-2 win over Ecuador. The young and mostly inexperienced side seemed to struggle to understand how to play together as a team.
Of course winning the Copa America was never the main goal for Brazil, their focus is 100% on building up to the 2014 World Cup on home soil. However, with a lack of matches now ahead-as hosts, their only competitive matches will be in the Confederation’s Cup in 2013-times are worrying for fans of the samba nation.
The transitional period for Brazilian football, which began under Dunga, has seen them lose their glorious flair, in favour of a more industrious kind of play, with an emphasis on team play and defense. This style of play lacks the sparkle that Brazilian teams have shown in the past, and they still seem to be struggling to regain that characteristic flair that has always defined them. The fact that most of their best current players are defenders seems to say it all.
New coach Mano Menezes seems fully aware of the job in hand, to get this team at their peak for the World Cup. He has put his faith in the ability of young players, and has used the Copa America to blood youngsters like Pato and Neymar, giving them vital experience at this level before the World Cup, a move which may pay off well in the long run. However, like his predecessor Dunga, Menezes, has also placed heavy emphasis on the defensive aspect of the game, with his side based around two defensive midfielders, Lucas and Ramires, at the expense of any sort of creative spark, or talismanic figure that can push them forward.
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Brazil have three years to prepare for the World Cup, so there is certainly time for youngsters like Neymar and Ganso to develop and build on their early promise, but the lack of competitive matches before then is a concern if they are to knit together as a team.
Come 2014, Brazil will be under the highest pressure imaginable. Anything other than a World Cup victory will be a catastrophic failure for the home nation. The home fans will be expecting glory and they will be expecting it in a style of play that they have become accustomed to. Brazil need to break away from the defensive style they seem stuck in and rediscover their traditional flamboyant football, if they are to challenge for, let alone win, the 2014 World Cup.
Let me know your thoughts on the current state of the Brazilian national team. Comment below or follow me on Twitter @LaurenRutter.
