As Brazil labored to a 1 – 1 draw against an excellent Morocco in their World Cup opener on Saturday evening, the memories of legends like Ronaldo, Ronaldinho and Pele seem so very distant. So, the question must be asked: where did it all go wrong?
Truthfully, Brazil have not been anywhere near the top of the world since their last World Cup victory in 2002. They’ve only managed to reach the quarter-finals in all but one tournament, their famous 7-1 defeat to Germany in the semi-final of their home World Cup of 2014. Even with the star power of Neymar Jr, a man as admired as he is maligned, the rest of the world has seemingly caught up to them.
The Moroccan team were far more comfortable in possession, with standout performances coming from 18-year-old Ayyoub Bouaddi and captain Achraf Hakimi. If it weren’t for the individual brilliance of Vinicius Jr. midway through the first half, Brazil would have comfortably lost this game. Bluntly, this squad is too old, with an average age of 29 and a starting midfield with an average age of 30; they were miles off the pace for much of the first half, leaving Morocco with a host of opportunities that they perhaps should’ve done more with.
Is there any hope moving forward, though? Well, as always is the case with Brazil, there are some bright young attacking threats in players like Endrick and Rayan, but in the heart of the team, there’s no one in the squad who is being prepared to take the reins of Casemiro (aged 34) and Fabinho (aged 32) going forward.
Lucas Paquetá has recently returned to club football in Brazil with Flamengo, having been marred by accusations of gambling while playing in the Premier League; Bruno Guimaraes is a very good player, but at 28, he’s likely close to his peak and not quite at the level to take Brazil to the top again.
The crux of the issue is this: Brazilian players increasingly crave the big-money move to Europe at an early stage of their careers, and which position is most likely to make this move and make it successful? Forwards. Much more grace is given to a young forward; a little trick or flick can really be enough to sway a fanbase to give them some time. Whereas any defensive mistake is essentially a death sentence to a young player’s career at a club.
https://www.stadiumrant.com/four-best-brazilian-forwards-in-soccer-history/
On top of that, the money is better for attackers, the sponsorship opportunities are better, and the chance of bettering your community back home is better. Therefore, the more defensive or ‘boring’ positions have fallen by the wayside. The starting fullbacks against Morocco play in Russia and Saudi Arabia respectively, and were immediately singled out by the Moroccan attackers as weak points in the team, especially Ibañez on the right.
So, how can this crisis be solved? As is the case in almost everything in football, the answer is investment. It needs to be made in all facets of the game, from recruitment, development, coaching, and contracts. A structured national development program has been proven to work.
In France, with their famed Clairefontaine campus that has produced star after star for them over the last 30 years, including the likes of Kylian Mbappe and Thierry Henry. More recently, in England, there has been a marked upturn in both technical quality in position players and tournament results after the introduction of St. George’s Park as their national centre of football.
If Brazil want to reach their dazzling pinnacle once more, they must stop relying on the fables of what they are meant to be, and start organising and nurturing their greatness from far earlier.
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