Tite’s Plan B, Rodrygo gives dynamism to Brazil’s attack and changes game against Switzerland

Neymar’s absence provoked two simultaneous changes with only one de facto substitution in the Brazilian team’s attack. The options did not work as on the drawing board, and coach Tite had to change the team to guarantee the 1-0 victory over Switzerland this Monday (28), in the second round of the 2022 World Cup.

Without the number 10, injured, Lucas Paquetá was moved to fill the vacant space on the left of the attack, with more freedom to create. In the debut against Serbia (2-0), he had also acted as a point guard, but falling a little further to the right and recomposing the marking alongside Casemiro in defensive moments.

The person chosen for this role was Fred, a trade steering wheel. Even repeating the tactical scheme, however, the team had more difficulty generating goal situations against the Swiss – even though they also went to the locker room with the score zero against the Serbs in the first round.

Well positioned in defense and without Neymar requiring reinforced individual marking, Switzerland managed to close in and neutralize Brazil’s main escape valve, on the left wing, with Vinícius Júnior. Even so, that was where the best play of the selection in the first half came out.

The two line-up changes were undone. At half-time, Tite dropped Paquetá and bet on Rodrygo, an attacker with offensive characteristics more similar to Neymar and who brings as a bonus a greater rapport with Vinícius and Casemiro, with whom he got used to playing at Real Madrid – the striker remains at the club , and the midfielder left in August, heading to Manchester United.

The arrival of Rodrygo improved the dynamics of the Brazilian attack. Vinícius sent the ball into the net in the 18th minute of the second half, after a pass from Casemiro, in a move annulled due to Richarlison being offside.

“It was a tactical option, and sometimes the game asks you for some things. We have to be able to read the game, a very difficult game. Paquetá was in normal conditions, or we wouldn’t use it. Rodrygo’s entry,” said Tite.

At that point, the coach had also put Bruno Guimarães in place of Fred, in the 13th minute of the second half.

Fred played on the right, giving Brazil more balance in relation to Paquetá’s position in the opening game. Even though he was little demanded in the marking, however, he was unable to take advantage of the spaces to appear as a builder of offensive plays.

Guimarães, on the other hand, entered as a defensive midfielder, giving Casemiro more freedom to approach his two former club colleagues – the holder had already gone more to the attack than usual during the first half.

It was there, as a surprise element, that the number 5 appeared free in the area to receive a pass from Rodrygo and score the winning goal for Brazil, in the 38th minute of the final stage.

“We played together for a long time. Casemiro gave us a lot of experience. Shortly before, I told him to let the ball pass, and then he was free. It’s a move we’ve been doing for a long time and fortunately today it worked for the selection”, said Rodrygo .

The other change in Brazil’s starting line-up in relation to the debut, also due to injury, was the entry of Éder Militão in place of right-back Danilo.

A defender by trade, the substitute had already played improvised on the right other times in his career and basically occupied the same spaces as the starter in relation to his debut against Serbia.

Because he had more defensive characteristics, Militão recomposed the defense more alongside Thiago Silva and Marquinhos, leaving Alex Sandro freer to advance on the opposite flank.

In general, Brazil suffered more with the Swiss marking and with their own lack of creativity in the attack. Finished a total of 13 times in the match, five of them on target. Against Serbia, he had taken 23 shots and landed nine.

Even without Neymar, the team attacked proportionally more on the left. There were 179 offensive actions on that side (47%), against 117 on the right (31%). In the first round, there were 183 (44%) and 140 (34%), respectively.

In defense, Brazil had another very solid performance. As in the debut, he did not allow the opponent to finish even in the direction of goalkeeper Alisson.