The fans would not forgive failure to defeat South Korea in the last 16 of the World Cup but Tite’s squad will not be afraidFootball is a whole world in itself, a democratic sport that brings some feelings that are impossible to describe to people who do not follow it. Within football there are also things that are passed down from generation to generation, just like in a country in the real world.Each great football country has its own characteristic, its own way of seeing football and that, in turn, forms how football is being played in that country, how a national team relate to their supporters, how the media analyses the games and much, much more. But one thing...
The World Cup favourites showed enough in their win against Serbia to suggest they can perform well against Switzerland even without their star playerBrazil had a decent start to their 2022 World Cup. The first game of the tournament is always a little bit more difficult. An early wrong turn, a miscontrolled ball or a badly placed pass can dictate the story of the game. A team that wants to go on to win the tournament need to realise that and manage the raw emotions and the overall energy of those first minutes. Brazil did that in their 2-0 win against Serbia. But let’s be careful. The three points does not guarantee anything, not even progress to the knockout stage....
The striker’s second goal was magic and as part of a reshaped attack there may be a new lease of life for NeymarA little presumptuously perhaps, the Lusail Stadium, the vast and startling mothership of this tournament, insists on calling itself the Iconic. It was the Iconic before the only pre-World Cup event of its lifespan, an awkward test affair where, iconically, there wasn’t enough water. Fair enough. Maybe one day every stadium will be iconic for 15 minutes.But the Lusail did host an authentic moment here, one of those instantly fixed and screen‑printed Word Cup happenings, a goal for the montage, the expertly sketched animation; and an indicator in its own way that no matter how much you stretch...
The past four years and the recent election has split the Brazilian population. Tite’s side can heal the woundsThe Brazilian national team arrive in Qatar with a well-balanced squad. Football-wise, that is. A solid and experienced defence, a combative as well as creative midfield, and an attack of the highest technical ability made up of players who complement each other well. All this gives the head coach, Tite, a wide range of possibilities of how to set up.However, a World Cup is not just about the football, as we have seen in Qatar over the past few days. And for Brazil, going in to this tournament, the political situation matters too. Continue reading...
The stakes are high for the Seleção as a fractured country’s future might just begin to be mended if they win a sixth titleEvery four years, the district of Caiçara in Belo Horizonte transforms itself. Rows of Brazilian flags dance from lamp-posts and telephone poles; the roads and pavements are slathered in blue, green and yellow paint by an army of volunteers.It is a tradition that goes back to the 1994 World Cup, and until now has taken place entirely without objection. This time, however, the local community felt it necessary to issue a caveat. And so, in among the bunting and the balloons, a banner reads: “NÃO É POLÍTICA, É COPA.” It’s not politics, it’s the cup. Continue reading...