Brazil: From Tragedy to Comedy
July 09, 2014
Juan Zuniga with a vicious knee to Neymar’s back, fracturing his vertebrae, put the Brazilian star out of the semi-final of the World Cup. Zuniga’s tackle on Neymar should have been treated quite similar to Suarez’s bite of the Italian defender yet FIFA has failed to act.
Brazil’s captain and defensive technician, Thiago Silva, ridiculously attempted to kick the ball out of the hands of the Colombian goalkeeper and received a second yellow card which meant Brazil would face Germany devoid of its offensive star and defensive stalwart.
Germany is a better team than Brazil but to lose 7-1 shows the ineptitude of Scolari. For the first twenty-five minutes, the Brazilian defenders allowed Germany to mesmerize them. The Germans scored at will. They ran off the ball, ran into spaces and it became as easy as children taking candy from the baby.
Scolari throughout the World Cup had this blind faith in Fred who was like a marooned sailor lost at sea. Fred should never have been selected and the same applies to Jo. Brazil entered the World Cup without a striker.
Hulk was another player who should never have been selected. He was a passenger throughout the World Cup. Other than Neymar, there was not one forward who was selected who was up to World Cup standards.
Scolari selected a team without a playmaker. The only player capable of making a pass was Neymar. Without Neymar, Brazil is like a cripple in the last third.
Scolari made strange decisions in selecting the team and in determining the kind of football that they played. Brazil could only put passes together when they were doing a slow walk in the defensive third. Passes in midfield, passes in the attacking third were non-existent.
Brazil’s selected method of attack was to boot the ball as far downfield to the forward line. There was no sense of movement, no possession in the midfield, and no sense of compactness.
Brazil won in 2002 not because of Scolari but in spite of him. Brazil has to return to the drawing board. They need to turn to players like Coutinho of Liverpool, Lucas Leiva also of Liverpool and Lucas Moura of Paris Saint-Germain. Fred, Hulk and Julio Cesar should be discarded. Brazil needs a new coach and they need to look outside of Brazil. Dunga, Menezes and Scolari have not been up to the task. The Brazilian mystique has been shattered. They are behind the giants in World Soccer like Germany, Netherlands and even Argentina. As Brazil emerges as a power in the world, their stature in the world of soccer has been diminished.
Ball Harambee By Bagga Wilks
