Carlo Ancelotti / Photo: © Wagner Meier / Stringer / Getty Images Sport / Gettyimages.ru
The current generation of Brazilian players clearly does not do not reach the level of great predecessors.
The Brazilian team showed the worst result in history in the qualifying tournament for the World Cup, taking fifth place in the South American group. In the match of the final round, the team led by Carlo Ancelotti lost to the Bolivia team (0: 1). At the end of the meeting, the Brazilians did not hide indignation at the behavior of the host side.
Brazil turns into a middle peasant
The Brazilian team is considered to be the favorite of any tournament, but recently it has been happening, rather, by inertia. In the finals of the World Cup, the most titled team of South America has not been seen since 2002. The best result from that time was the access to the semifinals of the 2014 Home World Cup, which ended in Fiasco in the game with Germany (1: 7). At the next two world championships, the Brazilians were content with only quarter -finals.
The Brazilian team never missed the main tournament of the four -year -old history. Even with all the problems of Celeso, hitting the World Cup 2026 also did not cause doubts. In many ways, because of the selection scheme in South America: out of ten teams, six go directly to the final tournament, and the team, which took seventh place, goes to joints. As a result, Brazil scored 28 points in 18 matches, passing forward not only the main favorites and principal rivals of the Argentines, but also Ecuador, Colombia and Uruguay. In fact, the Brazilians turned into middle peasants even at the continental level.
Brazilian players / Photo: © Buda Mendes / Staff / Getty Images Sport / Gettyimages.ru
In the course of the qualifying tournament, the Brazilian Confederation of Football decided to dismiss the head coach of the national team Dori Zhunior and for the first time since 1965 decided to invite a foreigner. The authority and experience of Carlo Ancelotti had to help the Brazilians to get out of a protracted crisis, but the arrival of a star specialist did not make instant effect. Under the guidance of a 66-year-old Italian, the team managed to spend only four matches: in June after meetings with Ecuador (0: 0) and paragraph (1: 0), the task was to go to the World Cup, but the Brazilians’ game left issues.
In the two remaining rounds, Anchalotti could afford experiments and testing of players that he had not called before. Two Zenit players were invited to the national team – Douglas Santos and Luis Enrique. There were no problems at home with Chile (3: 0), but the visiting game with Bolivia did not promise.
Brazilians in shock from Bolivia’s behavior
Guest matches against the Bolivians are a serious test for almost any team. As far as the factor of native walls is important for Bolivia, you can judge by the results of this national team and visiting. If at the exit she lost eight out of nine matches, then in her field she managed to take 17 points. Such a contrast is largely explained by the conditions of the meeting: the home stadium of the Bolivia team is located in the highlands (4150 m above sea level). Players of visiting teams simply do not have time to adapt and experience big breathing problems due to rarefied air.
Bolivia – Brazil / Photo: © Buda Mendes / Staff / Getty Images Sport / Gettyimages.ru
The motivation of Bolivia in the last match was also transcendental. If the Brazilians resolved all issues on the access to the World Cup for a long time, then the hosts had a chance for butt meetings. The first half passed with the minimum of the goal, and just before the break, the Bolivians received the right to a penalty fulfilled by Miguelito.
In the second half, the Brazilians added to activity, but the owners defended the minimum advantage in the score in all available ways. The tightening of time became one of the main weapons of Anderdog, which the angry president of the Brazilian Confederation of Football mentioned after the game.
– This is a real mess! This is clearly not what we expect from world football or South American football. At such a height, it is difficult in principle to play football, especially against 14 people. This should not be. This is absurd.
We came to play football. Even at this height of 4000 meters, we played against judges, police and Bulboys, who specifically pulled time and did not return the balls to the game, ”said Samir Haud.
The words of the head of Brazilian football are largely fair, but it is still difficult to perceive them seriously if you remember the colossal difference in the cost of the compositions of two teams. According to Transfermarket estimates, all players of the Bolivian team cost less than 14 million euros, while the total cost of the Brazilians pulls 735 million. Meanwhile, with bold Bolivia, the next month will be played against the Russian national team. The game on October 14, fortunately, will be held not in the conditions of the highlands, but at the Dynamo Moscow stadium.