Coach Tite brings beauty and respect back into Brazilian game
HAPPY DAYS: Brazil manager Tite and the Seleção have enjoyed a surge that was necessary after the 2014 World Cup humiliation against Germany. He is seen here with children on World Down Syndrome Day after a training session in São Paulo this week, ahead of their World Cup qualifier against Uruguay and Paraguay THE last time Brazil won seven World Cup qualifiers in a row, they went on to lift the trophy in 1970 in Mexico — their third of five titles. Coach Tite’s team is far from that level, and Neymar is not Pele. But victory in Uruguay this week almost but secured their place at next year’s World Cup in Russia.
One thing is clear: after their biggest humiliation, the Seleção are back.
The 7-1 loss to Germany in the 2014 World Cup semifinals has become an increasingly distant memory since Brazil beat top sides such as Argentina and Colombia. The emergence of new players like striker Gabriel Jesus has also helped to motivate the squad after its crushing defeat.
Under Tite, Brazil are now so confident of their prospects that they have scheduled a friendly away to Germany next year.
Even teams that used to brag about having a positive record against Brazil now sound more concerned. That’s the case with Uruguay striker Edinson Cavani, who faced Brazil on Thursday in Montevideo, in which the Brazilians recovered from conceding an early goal to beat them 4-1, with Paulinho grabbing a hat-trick in a win that all but cemented their World Cup finals place.
“The difficult moment that Brazil went through taught them lessons. They have a new way of playing and they made changes that brought more balance, more continuity to their national team,” Cavani said.
England v Lithuania; Scotland v Slovenia; Norway v Northern Ireland; Azerbaijan v Germany Tuesday: Bolivia v Argentina; Ecuador v Colombia Wednesday: Chile v Venezuela; Brazil v Paraguay; Uruguay v Brazilian players have the same feeling. Defender Miranda said: “Wherever I go with Inter Milan now they say good things about us, [they] ask about our coach. The opponents now feel that this is the Brazil of always. A team widely respected, strong and always a candidate to achieve big things.”
Before September, many Brazilians feared their team would not qualify for the World Cup for the first time.
Since then, a more intense and creative style has emerged. It has produced seven wins in seven matches and 21 goals in South American qualifiers. Fourteen of those came after assists, a sign that Brazilian teamwork has improved.
Brazil have also conceded just two goals in that stretch.
The old reliance on Neymar has vanished. Striker Jesus scored five goals in the qualifiers, one more than the Barcelona star. Midfielder Philippe Coutinho added another two goals, arriving from spaces opened up by the front duo. Six others also scored.
The number of exchanged passes also points to a different Brazil in Russia.
Under former coach Dunga, the average was 431 passes per match, according to figures from Brazil’s football confederation. Now it’s 474.
Scoring opportunities have also risen, from 12.5 to 14.5, and players have said Tite’s 4-1-4-1 tactics allow them to create much higher-quality chances, and closer to goal.
Several managers have praised Brazil’s form, including Germany’s Joachim Loew and Edgardo Bauza of Argentina. The most recent is Uruguay’s Oscar Tabarez.
“Brazil leads the pack, they are playing great football,” Tabarez said. “They have more than Neymar. They have midfielders that recover the ball and score. They will be in contention in Russia.”
Brazil were much less impressive under Dunga, who was fired in June 2016. He took over from Luiz Felipe Scolari after the debacle against Germany in Belo Horizonte.
They were languishing in sixth place in the 10-team qualifying standings for South America before September, following two wins, three draws and a loss. The team had scored 11 goals and conceded eight.
Now Brazil are top, with a seven-point lead (30 points) over second-place Uruguay.
Under Tite, the defence has become rock solid with Dani Alves, Marquinhos, Miranda and Marcelo, a back four that also has the protection of midfielder Casemiro. However, goalkeeper Alisson, until recently a reserve at AS Roma, is still seen as a liability.
The rest of the midfield is yet to be figured out, with Paulinho, Fernandinho and Renato Augusto fighting for two positions. Liverpool’s Coutinho meanwhile faces competition from Chelsea’s Willian.
But Brazil are not yet mathematically over the line. But then again, effectively they are home and dry after a series of consecutive wins under coach Tite stretched to seven — and the latest was the most impressive of the lot. — Sports Desk and agencies