By Felipe Leite
It was the first time that Brazil conceded four goals in a game since the 7-1 victory in 2014.
Senegal has never lost to Brazil — the only team in the world to achieve this feat, along with Norway.
This was the second defeat of the national team in three games played after the 2022 World Cup. They only won against Guinea.
More than the numerous negative marks, the Brazilian performance against Senegal is worrying. The well-intentioned Ramon Menezes — “I am here to help” — is not the only culprit. But the 4-2 defeat in Lisbon exposed the unvarnished truth: Brazil needs a coach, with a capital T, as soon as possible.
This is not necessarily a disagreement with the possible coming of Carlo Ancelotti to the post. Opportunities like this have their risk, you have to pay a price. But the price of waiting until May 2024 can, indeed, be softened — the so-called “transition position” is there for that.
Ramon nailed the post-game analysis. Brazil actually started well, dictating the pace of the match — especially with the ace Vinícius Jr. With 15 minutes of play, the match could very well be 2-0 for Amarelinha.
But after such a period, the Selection let Senegal enjoy the match. In an individual failure by Joelinton, the African team reached a draw. Of course, after all, the rival team had a great coach and a lot of quality – it’s not the 18th place in the Fifa ranking for nothing.
However, more than the result, Brazil’s apathy and lack of harmony drew attention.
Tite’s work was judged by many to be weak. Failures in 2018 and 2022 weigh heavily, as they should, of course. But with him, the team lost only six times — all by a single goal difference. The former coach trivialized the victory with his great success and showed, indirectly, what life can be like without someone ready for the position.
Now, it remains to be seen whether the CBF will want to pay a very high price for the correct decision to wait for Ancelotti or will do everything possible to soften the choice itself.
It doesn’t have to be the way it is – and hopefully the setback for Senegal will show that to those who, in fact, are in charge of the entity.
Source: Gazetaesportiva
Kingston is an accomplished author and journalist, known for his in-depth and engaging writing on sports. He currently works as a writer at 247 News Agency, where he has established himself as a respected voice in the sports industry.
