VINICIUS CAN HELP LIMIT RELIANCE ON NEYMAR
BRAzIL manager Tite likes to say that the Qatar World Cup marks a full cycle for him and his players. He began coaching the squad in 2016, in the middle of the preparations for the World Cup in Russia.
By full cycle, he means the chance to prepare the team during the four years between tournaments and they have been playing well ahead of two warm-up friendlies in France, against Ghana and Tunisia. Brazil came through the tough South American qualifying campaign unbeaten. Their form is strong and there is a degree of confidence in the team. They won 14 of the 17 games. Argentina also came through unbeaten but drew six.
Tite has just five defeats in his six years in charge of Brazil: the World Cup elimination by Belgium, the loss of the Copa America final to Argentina and three friendlies against Argentina (twice) and Peru.
His most trusted
player is
Neymar (right), but the emergence of attacking players such as Vinicius Junior, Raphinha and Antony will help share the burden of expectation and help to ease what is known in Brazil as ‘Neymar dependence’. ‘Of course, yes, you always have to depend on great athletes,’ said Tite, on the subject. ‘How can a great team do without Neymar? Or Coutinho. The great team and the great squad depends on its great athletes.
‘Just as it will depend on Vini Jnr’s growth and on Raphinha’s affirmation and on Thiago Silva’s consolidation. The dependence is not only on him but on this entire structure.’ It appears that Tite is almost settled on the players that will go to the World Cup. There are now 29 Brazilians in the Premier League and, despite
not calling up the Gabriel trio from Arsenal for these friendlies, Jesus probably has a guaranteed spot in the World Cup squad, with Magalhaes in with a chance and Martinelli likely to be a near miss. Most of the players Tite trusts are in England, especially the two goalkeepers Alisson and Ederson, and midfielders Casemiro, Fred, Bruno Guimaraes, Philippe Coutinho, Fabinho and Lucas Paqueta.
In attack, Liverpool’s Roberto Firmino is still fighting for a spot and will need to show something as Brazil take on
Ghana in Le Havre on Friday and Tunisia at the Parc de Princes in Paris on Tuesday. Antony, Richarlison and Jesus, if fit, will be in Qatar. Thiago Silva provides the defensive security alongside PSG’s Marquinhos.
Tite, however, always keeps in his mind the possibility that a player in good form can also be called into the squad.
‘I cannot close the possibility of a great athlete emerging,’ says the Brazil boss. ‘The bar is getting higher and higher. Soon a player may appear playing very well.’
The only certainty, however, is that Tite will not continue as the manager after the World Cup, no matter the result, as disclosed in an interview in February and he has not changed his mind.
‘There is no chance of continuing,’ he said. ‘Absolutely not. With body and soul I want to do the best possible job for the national squad (at the World Cup). Then I want to be at peace. I want to sleep in peace.’
18
FIVE-TIME winners Brazil have scored 18 goals in their last five games. They even left the in-form Gabriel Jesus out of their squad this week!