Opinion – Tostão: Brazil valued the ‘fast legs’ and forgot the ‘lucid legs’

​In the last year, with the rise of several players, such as skilled, fast and dribblers (Vinicius Junior, Raphinha, Antony, Rodrygo and Martinelli), the Brazilian team has improved, changed its strategy and increased its price at bookmakers to win the World.

Tite called the fast wingers “fast legs”. In the 2014 World Cup, Felipão said that Bernard had “joy in his legs” and made him 7-1. Without comparing the individual quality -“fast legs” are clearly superior to “joy in the legs”-, Germany, with a midfield with several “clear legs”, such as Kroos and Schweinsteiger, took charge of the ball and the game, with exchange of passes and collective sense, and thrashed Brazil. Big teams need “fast legs” and “clever legs”.

In recent decades, Brazil has valued “fast legs” too much and has forgotten about “clever legs”, constructive, creative midfielders who attack, defend and play from one intermediate to another. That has slowly changed. The Brazilian team and teams have good players with these characteristics, but we still don’t have a player at the level of the best in the world in the position.

The current selection plays with two wingers that attack and return to defend, forming, with the two midfielders, a line of four in the marking. If the Cup were today, would Tite choose Neymar more advanced, free, without a striker, with Paquetá (or Coutinho) next to him? Or would you put on a striker and withdraw Neymar? In this case, Paquetá would come out, who could be an option on the side or further back, in Fred’s position. Depending on the moment of the match, Tite still has other options, such as scaling Casemiro and Fabinho together (Fred would leave) and even putting Paquetá in Fred’s place, with Coutinho and Neymar more advanced, without a striker.

Was young Danilo, from Palmeiras, called up because he’s great, because 27 were called up instead of 26 or because Fabinho is uncertain because of the injury?

Tite called three left-backs because he has doubts about the best ones or because he will take all three, if the 26 are confirmed in the Cup? In case of emergency, the selection does not have, in another position, a player who has played on the left side. On the right, Marquinhos and Militão can be improvised. In the defense, Casemiro and Fabinho, from time to time, play in the position in their clubs. The same is true from the middle to the front.

I have doubts if Tite should think about the possibility of taking four goalkeepers, if there are 26 for the World Cup. Probably, Covid will not disappear until November, in Brazil and in the world. Can you imagine if two goalkeepers test positive on the day of the final? Even if the rule allows, there will be no time to call another goalkeeper.

Brazil has improved its quotation on the betting exchange, but Neymar, the main player, who has always had, at the highest level, fast legs and lucidity in the legs, has had frequent injuries, has been irregular and has shown not to have the same speed as before. .

Even considering that the players will be there before the middle of the season, the ideal would be for Neymar to stop playing for PSG at least a month before the Cup and prepare himself physically for the World Cup. In the 1970 World Cup, Pelé, who was criticized before the World Cup, for not having the same physical strength and speed, trained during the four months before the World Cup to get back in shape. Today, this is no longer possible. The world got more rushed.