Opinion – PVC: The Brazilian Championship has more and more strategy games

Ricardo Gomes played for Paris Saint-Germain in 1994, directed by the Portuguese Artur Jorge and was asked by this columnist, at the time a reporter for Placar magazine, what is the difference between Brazilian and European coaches.

“In Europe, they make the game’s recipe and follow it until the end. In Brazil, the coaches change the system according to the progress of the matches.”

Internacional x Corinthians showed positioning changes in both teams. Vítor Pereira was especially transformative.

He opened the game with a lineup of four defenders and three midfielders, Mantuan on the right wing, Willian on the left. At 15 minutes, he had already pulled Bruno Melo to the center of the defense and designed a 3-4-2-1, which in the defensive recomposition became 5-4-1.

Pereira does this in almost every game and the biggest surprise was starting against Portuguesa, in Itaquera, with this formation. In his interview, he defined his option as 3-4-3 and made clear the accordion to form a line of five defenders, in the recomposition.

The best performer of this type of system was Antonio Conte, at Juventus, three-time Italian champions between 2012 and 2014, at Chelsea, English champions in 2017, and currently at Tottenham. Without controlling the game in the minutes in which he made his line of five, Vítor Pereira returned to use four defenders and set up 4-2-3-1. Corinthians improved in the second stage, back to 4-3-3.

It is very common to see tactical variations in Liverpool and Manchester City, due to the ability of players to understand and perform more than one role. Understanding the game is part of the player’s job.

Today, coaches of all nationalities obey what the matches say. If players need to change positions, it is mandatory to do so at the exact moment when the opponent begins to dominate.

Rogério Ceni has also changed the tactical formation of São Paulo, as well as Abel Ferreira has a strategy for each opponent. On Thursday (12), against Juventude, Ceni used Léo as a third defender, pulled the sides Igor Vinicius and Reinaldo to protect the defense and explained the option for the five-line, in the first half against Juventude: “We were suffering in balls reversed from right to left, on the backs of the sides.” In the second half, he started Patrick in place of Arboleda and reassembled his team with four men behind.

The risk of copying Antonio Conte’s success, especially at Chelsea, is not having a quick transition to attack and being stuck behind, until conceding the goal.

In the 2016/17 season, Guardiola tried to mirror his Manchester City to Conte’s Chelsea and failed. Lost at home 3-1.

It is not new for teams from Brazil to reproduce tactical drawings of teams from Europe. Fabio Capello’s Roma, winners in Italy in 2001, had three centre-backs, a line of four midfielders, Totti in the lead and two forwards, Montella and Batistuta.

Celso Roth’s Palmeiras reached the Libertadores semifinal using exactly the same scheme. But without the same success, for not having the same rehearsal time or the same characteristics of the players.

The Brasileirão has more and more strategy games.

UNLEASH

São Paulo turned the game around, has a pattern and we can already understand that Rogério wants a place in the Libertadores for the Brazilian and try to win the Cups, when they funnel. But something is always missing. It is in third place, without being convincing. Who is convincing?

THE RISK OF GUARDIOLA

Manchester City pressed and took the first goal. Then the second. Guardiola felt the blow of elimination from the Champions League and City need to beat Aston Villa to be English champions. The trophy is easy. Guardiola’s life is more controversial than ever.