The contrast between two of the managers at June’s Copa America could hardly have been more obvious. First there was Dunga, the arch-paranoia-pragmatist, piling on extra central defenders – there were four on the pitch by the end of the game – to protect a slim lead against humble Venezuela, before his side’s paucity of attacking options sans Neymar was painfully revealed in defeat in its next game against Paraguay. On the other hand there […]
For Dunga and Brazil, the qualifiers for the 2018 World Cup get underway in October, so the coach does not have much time to pick over the rubble of a pretty disastrous Copa América campaign. The Copa is usually considered a neat precursor to the qualifiers. It marks the beginning of a new cycle in the international calendar, and as such, many coaches use it as a laboratory to perfect the formula for the seasons […]
Just as all comic book heroes need to have a flaw – because, frankly, the story would otherwise be too boring – so too did Brazil’s national team which would otherwise have been unbeatable. And, for a long time, that flaw stood helplessly between the posts. By way of explanation, it used to be said that every child in Brazil wanted to play with the ball at his feet; to dribble his way up the […]
As a Botafogo supporter, a Saint Garrincha fan, I wished the Lone Star had stayed in the Brazilian top division, the Brasileirão. However, I am not amongst the downtrodden rank who see relegation as a symbol of doom. Relegation is a lesson to any club; it says that the must prove they are better. Garrincha proved he was better than many, using his natural skill along with determination and joy. Botafogo have to do likewise, […]
Brazil’s first competitive games after the World Cup shambles came in the South American Under-20 Championships, which have just come to a conclusion in Uruguay. With a young, articulate coach in Alexandre Gallo, who had time to prepare for the competition, this was an excellent opportunity to put last year’s disappointments in the past and show that Brazilian football has licked its wounds, learned its lessons and moved on. That opportunity was emphatically not taken. […]