The day after elimination is always sad. Not so much because of defeat, because winning and losing is life, but because of realizing that we don’t leave the place. The search is always for a villain, and not for the reflection of what has improved or deteriorated in the last four years.
This time there is an objective measure, a symbol.
De Arrascaeta was the only player from a South American club to score in this Cup. In Russia, there were two. Eight years ago, in Brazil, five, like in South Africa.
It is no longer possible to live in two worlds. One, in which the abyss between Europe and America is detected on October 7, 2021, the date of France’s upset over Belgium and the suffocation for the selection to win against Venezuela. Another, of the supposed favoritism of Brazil, created by the same people who now consider it absurd to be eliminated by Croatia.
On the eve of the elimination on penalties, Michel Bastos said on SporTV that it would be easy for Argentina to explain a possible defeat to the Netherlands, but it would be difficult to understand a disqualification against Croatia. The counter-argument: Croatia is world runner-up.
Botafogo coach Luís Castro says that not realizing the opponent’s strength is the first step to not winning. Playing in five World Cups and not reaching the semifinals in four means being outside the elite.
Although this is an exaggeration.
The first floor of national teams includes all those that have players and coaches who share knowledge in Europe. Brazil is still in it, but the only sector where this nobility lives is among the players. Neither technicians, nor managers, nor the press drink from the same water.
Hence, we dawn the day after looking only for the biggest fault: 1. Neymar didn’t take the last penalty; 2. Tite made the wrong substitutions; 3. he Took a counterattack with four minutes to go in extra time.
Everything is true and also has a counterargument.
The order of charges, for example.
Brazil disputed five times the classification in charges of eleven meters. Lost two. In 1986, the best batsman was Sócrates. He charged the first one and wasted it. Defeat for France. In 1994, the best kicker, although insecure, was Bebeto. He stayed last and didn’t need to knock. Brazil won first. In 2014, against Chile, Neymar took the fifth. Scored.
Doing everything right does not guarantee victory.
Our current case is to recover the country of football, not the national team, which remains strong, for the players it has.
Tite’s legacy is to show that a national team coach works every day, with a committee that watches and studies every game around the world.
The return to the narrowest elite requires the creation of the League, the construction of a strong championship, which only Brazil has the economic conditions to carry out in South America. It is no longer possible to discover that the man on the field in the Libertadores and Copa do Brasil finals stumbles over the ball when entering the World Cup, as happened to Éverton Ribeiro, against Cameroon.
It’s not his fault.
Brazil continues to believe that the close relationship between its stars and the ball is enough. We asked when Neymar would be the best player in the world and the obvious answer has always been: when the national team wins again. And when will Brazil win again? When we return to be part of the world, which spreads knowledge about football at the same speed as turning on a cell phone.
As a seasoned news journalist, I bring a wealth of experience to the field. I’ve worked with world-renowned news organizations, honing my skills as a writer and reporter. Currently, I write for the sports section at News Bulletin 247, where I bring a unique perspective to every story.
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