0 
0 0 0
It was all going so nicely. Maybe too nicely.
True, Brazil struggled to interrupt down Serbia within the first half of their World Cup opener. However the ball moved faster and the expertise flowed as Richarlison‘s brace sealed a 2-0 win in a scintillating second half. And, absolutely to the delight of coach Tite, the crew went with an ultra-attacking lineup however at no time appeared within the remotest hazard of conceding a purpose. Even the truth that the crew needed to work exhausting for its openings was a plus.
Issues may hardly have gone higher — till a cloud was solid with these two accidents, doubtlessly knocking out Neymar and Danilo from at least the next two matches.
– World Cup 2022: News and features | Schedule | Squads
There are some awkward coincidences within the two ankle accidents. Neymar has a historical past of World Cup misfortune, compelled out of 2014 in the middle of the competitors and 4 years later getting back from a long-term layoff. And Danilo additionally fell by the wayside throughout Russia 2018.
Extra considerably, the lack of these gamers sheds gentle on the 2 mini-controversies within the squad that coach Tite introduced earlier this month: the absence of Roberto Firmino and the inclusion of Dani Alves.
Brazil have extra high quality huge gamers than they know what to do with. They in all probability want {that a} soccer discipline may have 4 flanks. The ultimate place within the squad ended up going to a kind of huge strikers — the membership type of Arsenal‘s Gabriel Martinelli proved not possible to withstand. Firmino made method, though he’s the closest Brazil can get to a substitute for Neymar within the false No. 9 position, opening up area and slipping passes by to the wingers.
Some in Brazil level to the 2019 Copa America, which Brazil gained with out Neymar, who was injured on the eve of the competitors. They argue that, partially based mostly on the proof of the Serbia match, Brazil are higher off with out their No. 10. That is absolutely a false argument. Wingers and centre-forwards not often win video games on their very own. The likes of Richarlison and Vinicius Junior profit massively from the work of Neymar, nonetheless Brazil’s excellent attacking expertise.
However some in Brazil have even been celebrating his harm. Neymar has at all times been a divisive determine, and absolutely did himself few favours with an ill-judged entry into the political area. In a democracy, everybody has the correct to vote for his or her candidate of selection, however Neymar went additional along with his vocal assist of far-right incumbent Jair Bolsonaro, who was crushed in Brazil’s current presidential elections.
It takes Neymar into terrain which, at this stage in his life, he’s ill-equipped to traverse. This, in any case, is a person who just some weeks in the past in a Spanish courtroom confessed that he merely indicators papers his father places in entrance of him. He might have damaged a pact through which the Brazil squad seem to have agreed to not turn into over-involved within the nation’s most polarised election in reminiscence.
His selection appears to be like no higher within the gentle of occasions — Bolsonaro misplaced his bid for reelection and issues about his anti-democratic tendencies have been heightened by his reluctance to simply accept the end result. And Neymar unwisely reworked the crew right into a political car when he promised to dedicate his first purpose in Qatar to Bolsonaro. Neymar, then, has discovered a technique to put a majority of the nation towards him, and plenty of have latched on to Richarlison as the brand new hero, each for his targets and his social conscience.
However it might be unwise to conflate any bitterness about Neymar’s political stance with doubts about his high quality as a participant and his significance to the crew. He shall be missed. And it might be merciless certainly if he doesn’t get an opportunity to point out himself at his greatest on this competitors.
So, with out Firmino to step in, Brazil must get by with out Neymar, for the following two video games no less than. A extremely promising technology of attackers now have to simply accept extra duty. The teaching employees has enormous religion in Rodrygo of Real Madrid, seen as the way forward for the nationwide crew. Has the longer term come early? Maybe, though there might not be area for a substitute.
Brazil at all times meant to make use of their ultra-attacking formation towards Serbia, and revert to one thing extra orthodox towards Switzerland, whom they face Monday. They see the Swiss as a extra balanced aspect, with defensive solidity and attacking tempo. So the plan at all times was for Fred to return to the midfield, with Lucas Paqueta transferring greater up the pitch.
Somebody must drop out, which till Neymar’s harm appeared like a really robust selection. Earlier than the Serbia sport the clear candidate was Vinicius Jr., however it might be an enormous name to drop him after his show Thursday. And so Paqueta may merely transfer up into Neymar’s slot, the sorcerer’s apprentice promoted to the highest job, permitting Brazil to retain two wingers and a centre-forward.
0:24
Richarlison’s opener, in addition to his acrobatic purpose for Brazil towards Serbia on the World Cup recreated in Lego.
The presence of Fred turns into important if Brazil are to switch Danilo with the opposite specialist right-back, Alves. On the age of 39, he wants the safety supplied by the lung energy of Fred. Coach Tite has traumatic reminiscences of the quarterfinal elimination to Belgium 4 years in the past. The left aspect was Marcelo, Philippe Coutinho and Neymar. Nobody was doing a lot defending, and that’s the place Belgium appeared to strike. A proper flank of Alves, Paqueta and Raphinha appears to be like equally susceptible.
An alternate can be to play Eder Militao as a defensive right-back. Brazil had a have a look at this in September’s pleasant towards Ghana, and the outcomes have been higher than anticipated. However it might depart the coach uncovered to criticism. What was the purpose, it might be stated, of taking Alves if he was not going for use when the first-choice right-back will get injured? Such an choice would make the absence of Firmino all of the extra evident.
World Cups, after all, can’t be gained within the group section. They’ll solely be misplaced. And the excellent news for Brazil is that they have already got three factors within the bag. It provides them some respiratory area as they search to regulate — hopefully, solely quickly — to life with out Neymar.
