Brazil showed a lot of individual and collective talent in their 2-0 win against Senegal, especially in the first half. The selection was compact and intense, as a big team needs to be, with a lot of pressure to recover the ball all over the field, lots of passing exchanges and speed plays. In the absence of a talented young full-back, Militao and Alex Sandro admitted they are the best options.
Casemiro and Bruno Guimarães repeated their excellent performances, allaying the negative notion that Brazil’s team lacked stars in its midfield. This is very important for team efficiency.
The big question remains whether a reliable evaluation can be made until Brazil plays against the world’s leading teams. The strategy and team are almost fixed, consisting of four defenders, two midfielders, two marking and attacking wide players, a central attacking midfielder and a central attacking line. Raphinha’s return will allow him to play on either flank or as a central midfielder.
Ancelotti has already defined two tactical options. One option is to replace attacking midfielder Matheus Cunha with another midfielder, perhaps Paqueta. The other had a center forward (Joao Pedro being the most popular) and played on the left wing, passing Vinicius Junior. Brazil is almost ready for the World Cup.
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Some concepts in soccer persist even when they become obsolete. One of them is to analyze the game strategy according to the player’s position on the board, as if the player were a puppet, an avatar. Often, the location of tactical design is different from what happens on the pitch, so even presenting how the team will play before the match does not work.
There is no longer any reason to divide the midfield into a No. 5, No. 8 and No. 10, as has been the case in Brazil in recent decades. they are mixed. As former Liverpool manager Klopp said, it’s more important to collect the ball close to the opponent’s goal than a good traditional number 10. Even better is having both pressure and playmaker options, which happens with many teams.
There is still a place for a midfielder who plays more centrally and deeper, protects the defense and initiates attacking plays with great passing. They are the link between defense and attack. Great teams have these types of players. Casemiro, who has always distinguished himself from midfield, has evolved and is now a great builder.
Ancelotti, understandably, protested against those who treated him only as a great manager because he managed the group so well. Ancelotti is a great strategist due to his technical and tactical knowledge and the wisdom to switch the way he plays depending on the characteristics and qualities of his players.
The main virtue of coaches and professionals is to make complex things simple. Simple means not ordinary. Don’t waste your time on unnecessary things. Of course, some people understand what the other person is capable of. Soccer is full of unexpected events. Just like winning doesn’t always mean it’s right, losing doesn’t necessarily mean it’s wrong.
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