By Carlos Meneses
Brazilian football player Casemiro participates in a press conference after a training session at the Pantanal Arena in Cuiabá, Brazil, 11 October, 2023. EFE-EPA FILE/Andre Borges
Sao Paulo, Nov 22 (EFE).- After a disastrous 2023 marked by a slew of defeats, including a humiliating loss to Lionel Messi’s Argentina at the Maracana at the latest, the Brazilian football team is currently going through one of its biggest crises in recent memory.
Brazilian football player Endrick participates in a training session at Granja Comary, Brazil’s training center in Teresópolis, Rio de Janeiro, 14 November, 2023. EFE-EPA FILE/Antonio Lacerda
The Canarinha did not find a consistent winning formula under Fernando Diniz, who combined the position of national coach with that of the coach of Fluminense, with whom he claimed the title of Copa Libertadores.
The Brazilian team suffered five defeats this year against Morocco, Senegal, Uruguay, Colombia, and Argentina, respectively, against three wins over Guinea, Bolivia, and Peru and a draw against Venezuela.
It is the first time since 1963 that Brazil have closed the year with more defeats than victories.
But it is not the number that makes Brazil worried.
Their 0-1 defeat against Argentina on Tuesday was the side’s first-ever defeat in a South American World Cup qualifier at home.
Earlier on Thursday, they lost to Colombia (2-1) for the first time in a World Cup qualifier.
They completely overshadowed the first minutes of Endrick, the latest finding in Brazilian football signed by Real Madrid, with the senior team.
In October, Uruguay gave them a shower in Montevideo with a 2-0 win. Neymar, a beacon of his generation, suffered the worst injury of his sporting career in the game when he tore the cruciate ligament and meniscus in his left knee.
It had been 22 years since Brazil had lost to the Uruguayans.
This was the beginning of three consecutive defeats in a qualifying round, which had never happened before.
In fact, it was part of another unprecedented streak of four games without winning, which began with a 1-1 draw against Venezuela.
Brazil’s worst losing streak in its history, including all competitions, was four in 2001, according to data from the BeSoccer platform.
The most successful team in the world has also suffered from technical issues because it lacks leaders, motivation, and the warmth of a fan base that is growing more and more emotionally detached from this team.
Adenor Leonardo Bachi ‘Tite’ left after the 2022 World Cup in Qatar, where Brazil lost to Luka Modric’s Croatia in the quarterfinals, leaving a bigger void than expected.
The Brazilian Football Confederation (CBF) then executed a risky move by betting all the chips on the name of Carlo Ancelotti, the current coach of Real Madrid.
The CBF board claimed to have an informal agreement with the Italian coach to take charge of the senior team starting with the Copa America, which would be held between June and July 2024 in the United States.
The former Milan and Paris Saint-Germain coach denied the news and said he was focused on the Madrid side.
Brazil decided to wait for him and, after Tite’s goodbye, gave the charge to Ramon Menezes, the coach of the U-20 and Olympic teams.
The experiment did not work, as two defeats against Morocco and Senegal and one victory over Guinea ended his stint.
Brazil then opted for Fernando Diniz, who, according to Neymar, is “one of the best coaches in the world.”
He signed with the idea of acting as interim coach until Ancelotti arrived.
It allowed him to continue as the Fluminense coach.
Diniz debuted with a 5-1 win against Bolivia, but his long-possession style of play, more like the style of Pep Guardiola, has not completely gelled yet.
With Neymar and Casemiro over thirty, the Brazilian team hoped that new generations would step forward.
That is where Vinícius, Rodrygo, and company arrive. But they are still far from the level they have shown in their clubs.
Vinicius, who was injured against Colombia, played more than 1,400 minutes with the senior team and scored just three goals.
Endrick and Vítor Roque, the other young promise tied up by Barcelona, are now the great hopes to re-launch the potential of the five-time world champions. EFE
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