Brazil ready to take Russia by storm
Selecao swagger is back under coach Tite
MOSCOW: Brazil arrived in Russia yesterday hungry to make amends f or their World Cup humiliation in 2014 with Neymar apparently fighting fit.
The Brazilians landed in the early hours in Sochi, the Black Sea resort where they will be based, buoyant after beating Austria 3-0 in their final warm-up match on Sunday.
If anything summed up Brazil’s new approach under coach Tite, it was his celebration of the fact that they committed only eight fouls in Sunday’s win.
For Tite, fouling the opponents means his team has wasted a chance to win back possession of the ball and start a new attack.
“Eight fouls — that shows that we use aggressive marking to try and win the ball and then come out playing,” he said after Sunday’s game, the last before their opening Group E game against Switzerland on Sunday.
Under Tite, Brazil have regained the swagger that has been missing from recent World Cup squads.
The individual talent is there as always but the team are better balanced than their unloved recent predecessors.
The defence is solid, the forwards are lethal when they get a sniff of goal and they have the patience to unlock the most stubborn defences.
Brazil have won 17 of their 21 games since Tite took over two years ago and lost only once. They have scored 47 goals, conceded five and kept 16 clean sheets.
Yet, the 57-year-old coach remains littleknown outside his own country where he has spent nearly entire career, coaching more than 10 teams, and including three stints at Corinthians where he made his name.
Sunday’s match suggested that Brazil could start the World Cup in Russia with the so-called magic quartet of Philippe Coutinho, Willian, Gabriel Jesus and Neymar.
The foursome, starting together for the first time, worked superbly in difficult conditions on Sunday to break down an Austria side which had beaten Germany only one week earlier.
“When you are always exchanging passes and moving the ball around, it wears the other team down,” said Tite. “Sixty percent of our goals are scored in the second half.”
Neymar played 83 minutes in only his second game since returning from a metatarsal injury in February but scored a stunning goal and looked very close to full fitness. It was Neymar’s 55th goal in a Brazil shirt, allowing him to draw level with Romario on his country’s list of all-time leading scorers — only Pele and Ronaldo have more goals for their country.
“I don’t know Neymar’s limits,” Tite said. “His technical and creative capacity is impressive. When we get him in the last third of the field, he is lethal.”
Brazil crashed out of the last World Cup on home soil in a humiliating 7-1 semi-final defeat to Germany.
The 2018 World Cup kicks off in Moscow on Thursday.
Meanwhile, a big question mark hangs over the participation of Egypt and Liverpool striker Mohamed Salah, who is still receiving treatment for the shoulder injury he suffered in the Champions League final.
Egypt are banking on the availability of Salah as they try to get past the first stage of a World Cup for the first time.
The Egyptians arrived at their base in Grozny on Sunday, after Salah sat out their final training session in Cairo.
Once they touched down, tracksuited Chechen leader Ramzan Kadyrov was among the first to greet Salah.
Team doctor Mohamed Abou al-Ela admitted the striker, who scored 44 goals for Liverpool this season, was unlikely to play in Egypt’s opening Group A match against Uruguay on Friday. “He still feels pain... this type of injury needs a recovery period of three weeks before going back to the field,” he said.
Before Thursday’s kick-off, Fifa will focus on choosing the host of the 2026 World Cup between a joint bid featuring the United States, Canada and Mexico and underdogs Morocco. Fifa member states will vote on the issue at their congress tomorrow.