Opinion – Tostão: While soccer changes, Brazil repeats vices accumulated for decades

Palmeiras, in the second half against Sport, improved a lot after the entry of midfielder Scarpa in place of one of the two defensive midfielders. After the match, a reporter asked Scarpa if he could play as a second defensive midfielder, as if there was only one option, the usual for almost all Brazilian teams, with two defensive midfielders in a row and a liaison midfielder in front of the two. At Palmeiras, the starting midfielder is Raphael Veiga.

Before and after the match between Flamengo and Athletico, they commented, a million times, that Andreas Pereira played in the wrong place, as a liaison, and that he should play as a second defensive midfielder, in place of Diego.

I haven’t seen a single analysis that the two could play together, as midfielders, one on each side, scoring, building and attacking, with only one defensive midfielder, Arão, in the center and further back. That’s how the best teams and teams in the world play. Of course, there are some differences between teams, depending on the characteristics of the players.

As the best European teams are compact, there is no space or need to have a free, classic midfielder, with the mission of receiving the ball between midfield and defense, between the lines, as they are so fond of saying. Midfielders score like midfielders and attack like midfielders.

Manchester City, for pressing and acting most of the time in the opposing field, plays with a defensive midfielder and two midfielders near the other team’s area. They make decisive passes and score goals.

Real Madrid, on the other hand, for being a more cautious team, scores farther back and plays with a defensive midfielder (Casemiro) and a midfielder on each side, Kroos and Modric, who are more builders and scorers than attackers. Liverpool also have a trio in midfield. The three score and attack as a block.

The 2014 world champion Germany team, the 7-1, had three exceptional midfield players (Schweinsteiger, Kroos and Khedira). The three switched positions, scored, attacked and had control of the ball and the game. The French team, world champions in 2018, also had a trio in the middle, with Kanté, Pogba and Matuidi.

All teams that have a trio in the middle, when they lose the ball and cannot pressure, score with five, as the two on the side also return to defend. When they retrieve the ball, four of the five arrive in the area, along with the center forward.

While football changes over time, in Brazil the repetition of vices, accumulated over decades, continues, such as having two defensive midfielders in line and a midfielder, shirt 10, in front of the two. It became an obsession, a compulsion. Pele, the biggest of the 10 shirts, and others were attackers, spearheads. They weren’t connecting socks.

Convocation

Tite and the technical team of the selection are very well prepared, fair, rational. However, at times, they give the impression that they know all the information, but that they do not notice the subjective, occasional details.

Vinicius Junior shows, every day, great evolution at Real Madrid, with chances of becoming an important player for the national team. Because of the meritocracy imposed by Tite, without variations, he prefers Antony, a good player, because he played well when he entered the second half against Uruguay.

Against Chile, Vinicius Junior spent all his time marking the opponent’s side, without prominence, because the Chileans suffocated the Brazilian team, without giving any chance of counterattack.