2022 FIFA World Cup News

Brazil World Cup Bid Built On Solid Foundations Despite Neymar Worries

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Brazil might be fretting about the state of Neymar’s ankle, but if a successful World Cup campaign is built on a solid defence then the foundations are there for Tite’s side to win the title in Qatar.

Brazil might be fretting about the state of Neymar‘s ankle, but if a successful World Cup crusade is erected on a solid defence also the foundations are there for Tite’s side to win the title in Qatar. Two games into Brazil’s shot to win a record sixth World Cup, the Selecao haven’t conceded a thing and haven’t indeed given away a shot on target in palms over Serbia and Switzerland that saw them decide qualification for the last 16 with a group game to spare.

It’s early days, and Brazil always tend to start explosively at the event– they’re now unbeaten in a record 17 matches in the World Cup group stage– but the signs for Tite are good and there’s no need to be exorbitantly reliant on Neymar.

A platoon with Liverpool’s Alisson Becker in thing, Thiago Silva and Marquinhos in central defence, and Casemiro anchoring the midfield looks able of opposing whatever the other main contenders throw at them, indeed if that’s likely to be a lot further than what the Swiss offered on Monday.

Tite admitted that Brazil missed Neymar in that game, with the Paris Saint- Germain megastar still recovering from a sprained ankle suffered in the opening 2- 0 palm over Serbia.

Yet their protective displays so far have been in keeping with their redoubtable record during an unbeaten South American qualifying crusade in which they kept 13 clean wastes and let in only five pretensions in 17 matches.

That’s one reason why Manchester United midfielder Casemiro, who scored the late winner against Switzerland, believes Brazil are a stronger side than four times agone.

They noway really fired at the 2018 World Cup in Russia and went out in the quarter- tests to Belgium.

” Four times have gone in, there are new players and we’ve a wider range of options,” he said after Monday’s match.

” The protectors are more educated. That’s another match with a clean distance, and it’s not just about Alisson or the back four– it starts from Richarlison up front.”

Having a strong defence is crucial– the six pretensions France let in four times ago was the most conceded by a World Cup winner since Italy in 1982.

Spain let in just two pretensions in seven games during their victorious crusade in 2010, just like Italy in 2006 and France in 1998.

Casemiro is so central to maintaining balance in a Brazil platoon overfilled with outstanding bushwhackers– indeed without Neymar– that Liverpool star Fabinho isn’t a regular in Tite’s line- up.

Neymar himself took to Twitter after the Switzerland game to hail Casemiro as having been” the stylish midfielder in the world for a long time”.

” I do not generally note on other peoples’ opinions,” said Tite.” But this time I’ll allow myself to say that I agree with Neymar.”

Behind him the pairing of Thiago Silva, still going strong at 38, and Marquinhos may be indeed more important.

The brace were teammates at PSG for seven times before Silva left for Chelsea in 2020, but Marquinhos was hardly used at the 2018 World Cup when Joao Miranda was preferred to him.

Tite has since realised the significance of Marquinhos, who was a name as Brazil won the Copa America in 2019 and reached the final of that competition again last time.

And Marquinhos himself has a perfect understanding with Silva.

“It’s great for me to have someone alongside me who I know well,” Marquinhos said of the Brazilian captain.

“He’s a great player, a great person, a great friend and a family from whom I’ve learned so much.” Know More News…

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