Brazil looks at Argentina defeat in search of lessons for World Cup debut

Just a short walk through the main sights of Doha, from the traditional Souq Waqif market to the Katara Cultural Village amphitheater, or even walking through the residential streets of the capital of Qatar, is enough to find people with shirts from Brazil and Argentina.

Two of the favorite teams to win this year’s World Cup are also the favorites of the local public, especially migrants. Some of them were especially frustrated this Tuesday (22), when the Argentines debuted with a historic 2-1 defeat against Saudi Arabia.

The so-called zebra reinforces the connections between Brazilians and Argentines in Qatar, after all it serves as an important lesson for the squad commanded by Tite before their debut in the World Cup, this Thursday (24th), against Serbia.

The emotional balance was decisive for the embarrassment of Messi’s selection. Despite having a good first half and opening the scoring, Argentina was unable to consolidate its advantage.

Serbia, of course, has more technical resources than the Saudis. In the Fifa ranking, they appear in the 21st position, while the Arab nation is in the 51st. But not just for that.

In addition to the entire Serbian squad playing in European football, most play in the main leagues on the continent, especially in Italy and Spain.

That alone is enough reason for Tite to have more work than the Argentine Lionel Scaloni, even considering the fact that, in 2018, the duel against the Serbs was the easiest for the Brazilians in the first phase of the Russian Cup, when the team Canarinho won 2-0.

Believing in an alleged weakness of the opponent, however, is precisely the risk that Brazil needs to learn from the lesson of the Argentines.

“Sometimes, the opponent is overcome by our motivation. Lionel Messi will play with Saudi Arabia and he will say to himself that he must start well, of course, but it is not the same thing as playing against Brazil”, said the coach. from Saudi Arabia, Hervé Renard.

Motivation was something that the Middle Eastern nation did not lack. Mainly because of the support they received from the stands. Even though most of those present were fans from Argentina, the ones who most supported and marked their presence in the arena were the Saudi fans, a key element for the outcome of the game.

At least Brazil probably won’t have to worry about that. While Saudi Arabia was the nation that bought the most tickets for the World Cup in Qatar, according to the Supreme Committee for Delivery and Legacy, the Serbs are unlikely to have a massive presence in the country.

Even so, the Brazilian technical commission tried to create an environment that could reinforce the confidence of the players, so as not to let external factors shake the team.

On the walls of the Grand Hamad stadium, where the national team trains during their stay in Doha, the inscription “mentally strong” was placed, words that Tite usually repeats with some frequency to the players before each match.

To increase the concentration of athletes, the commander also took an unprecedented measure during the preparation of Brazil. Training this Tuesday (22) was closed to the press. Not even guests, such as relatives and friends of the athletes, could follow the activity.

It was the first time he chose to hide his work since the team met for the Cup last week in Turin, Italy.

In addition to privacy, the measure aims to maintain the secrecy that Tite intends to make of his lineup for the duel with the Serbs.

On Monday (21), he tried to do that, releasing the presence of the press only during the athletes’ warm-up, but a photo posted by a friend of one of the players who was at the stadium revealed the choice of Vinícius Júnior as starter.

The attack, then, would have Vinícius Júnior, Neymar, Raphinha and Richarlison. Although not confirmed, this should be the coach’s team for the World Cup debut. To see how the Brazilian players will react in the debut.