The Heart Always Said Brazil, This Time the Head says so too

Is there a country more synonymous with a game than Brazil is to football? Considering parameters like population, global popularity of the game involved, and what the game means to the people of the country, the answer is a resounding “No”. The first image that conjures up when anyone imagines Brazil is hundreds of kids playing the beautiful game in the streets of Rio, in the beaches of Rio, in anything and everything where a round ball can be used to show some trickery.

Most Indian football fans( especially from the part of the country I come from) swear by either Brazil or Argentina (depending on when you started following the game). Since I was born a few years after the Hand of God, and grew up just in time to see the original Ronaldo (not the robot with the six pack currently ripping shirts in Madrid) suffering a seizure at the biggest stage of them all and then redeeming himself 4 years later on the same stage, my allegiances were forever sworn to Brazil. And with how things stand now, Brazil winning the cup this year is a real possibility.

Rising from the depths of 2014

2014 was a disaster for Brazil. First things first, for a country fighting rising poverty and crime,  using taxpayers money to host the biggest spectacle in all of sports was not the most sensible choice. And with it, came the pressure. And they wilted. Belo Horizonte will never be forgotten. The ghosts will remain. 4^th place out of 32 would be a decent outcome for any football nation. Not for Brazil. Not after the humiliation handed out by Lahm and co. Man for man, Brazil was a much inferior team to Germany (In case there is any doubt, the 2 strikers went by the names of Jo and Fred, and anyone would struggle to find worse strikers representing the Sambas in the cup). And with Neymar out, they had absolutely no chance. But the manner in which they capitulated was traumatic for every one of Brazil’s fans across the world.

Post 2014, mistakes were again made. Dunga was brought back and horror performances followed in the beginning of the qualification process, and Brazil were out of the qualification spots after the first few games . And the patience of the public was running out. Dunga got sacked. Tite became the coach. And things improved, almost overnight. They always had the flair, the best players across each position plying their trade all over Europe’s biggest clubs. It was only a matter of fitting them in. And fit he did. Not just flair, but he got in players with steel and grit. Players like Casemiro, Willian and Firmino. Discarded players like Paulinho and Renato Augusto who were plying their trade in the Chinese league were back in the mix. Combine that with the flair of Neymar, Marcelo, Jesus and Coutinho, and suddenly you have a team ready to take on the best.

The men in Yellow

The Squad

The 23 man Brazil squad covers every base. In Alisson they have one of the best goalies between the bars. Thiago Silva and Miranda form a formidable partnership at the heart of the Brazilian defence. If Dani Alves wasn’t injured, he and Marcelo would arguably form the best fullbacks of the tournament. With Alves out, Danilo should take his place. Given Marcelo’s runs and current form (he will be one of the best left inside forwards if he played in that position), it might be a blessing in disguise to have the more defensive Danilo in place of the similarly attack minded Alves.

There will be intense competition for the midfield spots. If Tite decides to stick to his favoured 4-1-4-1, Casemiro will be the enforcer. The flanks would be taken by Neymar and Willian. Coutinho will be the more attack minded of the 2 central midfielders whereas Tite’s old confidante Paulinho will be doing the donkey’s work. Given Marcelo’s regular runs, Paulinho’s role will be all the more crucial if Brazil are to avoid conceding on counters through their left. It is a testimony to the strength of the squad that players like Fred and Fernandinho will most likely start in the bench.

The lone striker would either be Jesus or Firmino. Given Firmino’s extraordinary season with Liverpool, I would love to see him as the false 9. What he lacks in speed compared to Jesus, he will make up with his skills on the ball and work rate off the ball. While he may not score as many as Jesus, he will bring the best out of Brazil’s flair players, Neymar and Coutinho. But it is likely that Tite will stick to Jesus at least at the beginning of the tournament.

The Draw

Drawn in a straightforward group with Switzerland, Costa Rica and Serbia, Brazil should easily qualify as group leaders. If things go according to plan, a likely round of 16 clash with either Mexico or Sweden should not be too difficult. A quarterfinal clash with either Belgium or England, followed by a semifinal against France will be Brazil’s likely route to the final where they will play either Germany or Spain. This is only if there are no major shocks and surprises. But knockout world cup football is a different beast altogether.

There is a joy for life in general and Football in particular in Brazil unlike any country. It is a country that eats, sleeps, drinks and lives football. And if Neymar happens to be the one lifting the cup of dreams on the 15^th of July, it will not just be the 200 million Brazilians but a good chunk of the world’s football lovers who would be dancing to the tunes of Samba long and far into the night.