Opinion – Tostão: Midfielders returned to play with talent and skill, as in the past

In the previous column, I talked about the sadness and bad things that happen in the country and in Brazilian football. There are also many good things, such as the transparency and security of electronic voting machines. Apart from the old and serious political, economic, social and behavioral problems that plague the country, such as racism (a crime), present inside and outside the stadiums, we saw, in the pandemic, the solidarity, generosity and professional responsibility of the majority of Brazilian citizens.

The two years of the pandemic, with empty stadiums, and the recent return of the public to matches confirmed that teams that play at home, on average, in Brazil and around the world, have a great advantage.

At home, supported by the crowd, players tend to be more vibrant, daring, as long as the pressure to win and emotional tension do not exceed certain limits. Athletes cannot lose the lucidity to make the right decisions. Visitors, on the other hand, are often inhibited and tend to act more cautiously. There are exceptions on both sides.

The current strategy of pressing and trying to get the ball closer to the other goal favors teams that play at home. There are also risks. If the midfield advances and the defenders stay behind, large spaces open up between the two sectors. In Flamengo’s 3-2 victory over Universidad Católica, for Libertadores, both teams had great facilities to exchange passes and reach the goal.

If the midfield and defenders get ahead, they increase the spaces between the defense and the goalkeeper. To alleviate the problem, teams need goalkeepers who know how to play away from goal and quick and intelligent defenders. Veteran Thiago Silva, before the ball is released, notices all the movements of his teammates and opponents, anticipates and even starts counterattacks with a good pass.

In Manchester City’s 4-3 victory over Real Madrid, Vinicius Junior gave Fernandinho a spectacular dribble, on the midfield line, from the sidelines, and had a huge free space to the goal, as the entire defense of the City was early. Many remembered Belgium’s goal against Brazil, in the 2018 World Cup, when Fernandinho was also dribbled. They think that if there were, in Fernandinho’s place, a player like Casemiro, he would be missed, and there would be no goal. I have doubts if any marker would be able to stop Vinicius Junior.

Casemiro and Fabinho, holder and reserve of the selection, evolved a lot. The two, in addition to putting pressure on the opponent and disarming with ease, learned, with talent, to continue attacking plays. This also occurs with the best current steering wheels in the world. In Brazil, we also have midfielders with these characteristics, such as Danilo, from Palmeiras, Allan, from Atlético, and Queiroz, from Corinthians. There is no more place for midfielders who only score or for those who are slow and lacking intensity.

In the 1950s and 1960s, the most central midfield player, called the central midfielder, was the one who had the best pass to start offensive plays. Over time, they were replaced by brucutus, heavy, defenders who only gave short passes and to the side. Today, the midfielders returned to play with talent and skill, as in the past.

Life takes many turns. To evolve, it is necessary to look back and think ahead. Past, present and future are intertwined. Destiny is a mixture of planning, dreams and chance.