The Brazilian elimination to Croatia in the quarterfinals of the World Cup had a particularly bitter taste because Tite’s team was winning until almost the end of the second period of extra time. The European tie came out in a counterattack that caught the defense in disarray, at a moment in the game that Brazil needed to gain time and tie. After the tie, Neymar charged the midfielder.
In a video that started circulating after the match, Neymar can be seen arguing with his teammates. Even if some parts of what he says are not clear in lip reading, it is understood that he asks why the team advanced so much in the final minutes of the match, when Brazil had the advantage in their hands.
“Hey, hey! There’s no need to go up. It’s one to zero! One to zero, five minutes to go. Why are you going to go up?”
Shortly before the Croatian goal, Tite gestured and seemed to order the national team players to retreat the line of marking.
Then, in the defense field, Danilo, 31, charges a long lateral in the direction of the checkered defense, which plays advanced, almost in the middle line. Modric, leans back, and the defenders curl up with the ball high amid the marking of the center forward Pedro and Fred, who sees the opportunity for a tackle with the Croatian defense off guard, and advances a lot.
The duo’s pressure has an effect: the ball deflects off Fred after a clumsy header by defender Gvardiol, 20, and lands at the feet of Pedro, who launches the midfielder with a low pass. The counterattack scenario was good for Brazil, with the Croatian defense open, and the entire line of Brazilian attackers and midfielders went on the run, including Neymar.
Gvardiol, however, recovered with an accurate tackle from behind, and disarmed Fred as the two reached the right corner of the penalty area. The ball is left with the defender, Lovren, who kicks forward. The ball is again disputed in the air, and lands at Modric’s feet.
At this moment, seven of the ten Brazilian outfield players are in the attacking field, five of them in front of the ball line — including Fred, who was close to the bottom line, where he tried to dispute with the left defender. Among the five, only Pedro tries to return to reinforce the marking.
Casemiro, the first player behind the line, tries to fight with Modric, but ends up splashing the ball back, in the advance of the Croatian counterattack. There are four markers against four attackers, almost one-on-one.
Most players in the attacking field come back slowly, and only start running when they realize the danger of the play, too late. The chess team scores its goal after a shot by Petkovic, who was free to receive the ball and hit first.
The apparently uncoordinated advance of the Brazilian team was one of the points most questioned by commentators and the public on social networks after the crash.
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