Opinion – PVC: The life of the Brazilian team goes beyond Neymar

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If it were essential for the striker to score, France would not have been world champions twice without goals by Guivarch and Giroud, in the 1998 and 2018 campaigns. It turns out that for Brazil it was always different, because Vavá, Tostão, Romário and Ronaldo scored in the campaigns up to the penta.

That’s why Richarlison’s goals are representative, the first number nine of the selection to score in Cups in nine games. Since Fred against Cameroon in 2014.

Also representative Vinicius Junior took the ball from the foot of Neymar, who seems not to want to let go of it at all. While rehearsing to take the entire defense, Neymar let the ball slip away the last centimeter for Vinicius to kick, Vanja released and Richarlison showed his opportunism.

Brazil was strong. If the match seemed dull at times, it was because Serbia is the strongest rival of all the debuts of world champions in this Cup. It was not by chance the ninth first stage without a goal for Brazil in debuts. Everything was nine.

Only Richarlison was ten. And Vinicius Junior, a deluxe assistant with a pass to the second goal and finishing that resulted in the first.

Neymar held the ball a lot and, although he was important for the opening goal move, he has technical leadership, indispensable for capturing the attention of the defenders, he did not demonstrate the protagonism he can have.

Not that it matters. Every time Brazil was world champion it had more than one star. Didi, Garrincha and Pelé in 1958, Amarildo and Mané in 1962, Pelé and Jairzinho in 1970, Romário and Bebeto in 1994, Ronaldo and Rivaldo in 2002.

It is valuable to discover in Vinicius Junior a player capable of facing his scorers, trying to dribble without fear, shooting on goal, participating in two goals. Having a striker striker, it’s not even said.

The Serbs behaved as Tite’s coaching staff imagined. They made a defensive line of five, but not attached to their penalty area. They advanced the defense, marked the departure of the Brazilian ball, proved to be candidates for the round of 16.

Even so, Brazil scored 2-0, kicked the post twice and showed the repertoire it has. Vinicius exits, Rodrygo enters. Neymar is out, Antony is in.

It has a lot of tactical variation and strength in the defense, which did not concede goals, even bothered by the high, with the giant Mitrovic.

The offensive repertoire also appeared. In the first dangerous move, at 4 minutes, Alex Sandro launched himself outside the attack, completing a line of five forwards – with Raphinha, Richarlison, Neymar and Vinicius Junior.

It wasn’t always like this, as it also happens with Spain, with a more expressive result in the first round, more exciting football, but a weaker rival. Serbia is not Costa Rica.

The problem is that the Spaniards announce themselves at the top of their group and, if Brazil continues as it started, there may be a classic against the Spaniards in the quarterfinals.

One step at a time.

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