I'm the type who likes the idea of a new champion once Brazil is eliminated, but I don't particularly follow closely once we're out. I guess we'll see how tomorrow's matches go. As for this match, it's heartbreaking. So much potential, some of it represented in today's goal. I actually spoke to a couple of people last night on a last minute podcast and we all agreed the 3x2 in midfield would be key for Croatia. And sure enough, it was. I encourage everyone to speak their mind here, and I'll add mine, as predictable as it is: we can't throw everything out and start from scratch. There's good stuff to build on. It just sucks in the moment when you want it to be different right now.
Why, why did so many of the players go up in attack with only 4 min remaining? That was so stupid from the team. Also, why did Tite take off Vinicius? The game called for more speed. If Vinicius was taken off, another fast player like Martinelli should have come in his place. Rodrygo does not normally play on the left wing.
Lack of experience or naivete is my guess. That was the time to park the bus with 8 or 9 behind the ball and dar chutão pra frente.
malandragem basica do futebol brasileiro. Faltando 5 ou 10 minutos pra acabar num mata-mata, "nao tem mais jogo".
To put things in perspective: Brazil didn't win the WC between 1970 and 1994. 24 years. That's the minimum our drought has now been extended. During our last drought, we had one of the best generations we've ever produced. This happens. Even to the best teams. And this wasn't our best team. Winning the WC is bloody difficult. Growing up watching 1994-2002 spoiled many of us with unrealistic expectations.
I'd say we should've reached the semis and the final more than a few times from 06 to now. That's a realistic expectation considering the size of our talent pool compared to the rest of the world. Having this many QF exits (4 out of the last 5) is definitely an underachievement.
At least we're consistent. Lol. If you're ready to start making fun of it to dull the pain, click here.
I think about this often lol. I barely understood what 1994 meant since I was still young. 98 destroyed me only because I was older and understood what was happening. Then of course 2002 which was my greatest memory being a NT fan. I just want to see Brazil win one WC as an adult.
I don’t think I’ve ever cried so much at the end. That last play will be in my nightmares for decades. We didn’t deserve this just like so many other cups we didn’t deserve to lose. Será que Deus é mesmo Brasileiro?
The truth is Brazil is lacking the generational attacking players it used to have from 94-2002 like a Romario,Ronaldo, Ronaldinho and between 2006-18 they were playing more like European teams, atleast this time we saw some of the Brazilian flair. The number 9 slot has been barren for years, hope Endrick is the answer to it.
Sorry for you ! Even i am not being able to digest it ... football can be harsh at times. Should have never been so attacking with just a few minutes left, that was elementary.
Galvão is an asshole. I truly hope he rots into retirement. This guy will throw anyone under the bus at a moments notice.
Mas sério. Se levamos um gol de cabeça na retranca (totalmente possível), todo mundo ia reclamar que ficamos muito atras. O problema, na minha opinião, foi não conseguir matar o jogo com a bola no pé depois de marcar o gol. Uma Croácia cansada e vendida e não conseguimos manter a bola pra matar o jogo. Talvez até pegar eles com a defesa aberta. Inadmissível na minha opinião.
That's the thing. Pelé e Garrincha são Brasileiros. Romário e Bebeto são Brasileiros. Ronaldo, Rivaldo e Ronaldinho são Brasileiros. But with the benefit of more perpective, having lived through 2006-2022, not just 1994-2002, I'm more convinced the football gods don't take sides. The winning formula for us has always involved a team that's at least solid, and one or more world-class attackers. For all the criticism of him, the only person who found the net today was an injured and obviously less than 100% Neymar. That's not enough when you have a bad turn of luck and have to dig deeper, because luck isn't going to break your way for four consecutive games. That's not to say we couldn't have won today by avoiding some naive mistakes, but really shouldn't have gotten to that point. There was no plan b during regular time.
I will admit that I was not convinced we'd win the WC. But I did think, after the KO round draw was defined, that we'd be in the SF. Losing to this Croatia is not something I expected. It's not something that I saw coming. A Croatia with 120 mins on it's legs from R16 and no real attacking threat. Yet we looked like the team with the heavy legs off the gates. We came out flat. I don't know what it was. It feel like we didn't want to spend energy already thinking of a tough SF game. As if the game was going to fall our way at one point or another. And it actually did in extra time. While I don't think we deserved to lose, we didn't do enough to guarantee a win and avoid any accidents. Out all of the recent eliminations this is definitely the most surprising. I understood 2010 and 2018 even if we played them well enough to win given the quality of our opponents ... but they way we came out playing this game from the start was a surprise to me. Not having Neymar take a PK is inexcusable. He should have gone 1, 2, or 3. And you can't put Rodrygo at 1st. I don't know what to say about that decision. I know hindsight is 20/20, but I would have gone with Neymar or someone with experience at the 1st spot.
Casemiro could have been the first, for example. Missing the first penalty set up the second miss. Neymar could have been 2nd or 3rd. This was just badly thought out.
Hindsight is 20/20, but I think Tite should have gone with Fred in the mid today from the start. Granted we controlled the 2nd half. I also think Martinelli should have come in instead of Rodrygo on the left if Vin Jr. really had to be subbed off. I didn't get that sub at all.
Like @Redshift said above me, the winning formula for us has always been a solid team with one or more world class players. A combo of Ney, Vini, Raphinha, Richarlison, Antony and Rodrygo should have been enough but imo there were too many times where they'd ignore each other and go for a goal or pass it to someone who wasn't open. Also not to be a debbie downer but I'm not sold on Endrick at all esp for 2026. I hope this is a lesson for moving forward. We need to be strategic with penalties in tournaments if.a game even looks like its heading to OT. The whole thing just seemed so unorganized. No more Neymar or whoever is the "star" of the team at the time waiting for a glory shot a la CR7 at the Euros.
No Brasil se reclama de tudo. Ate quando ganha como em 94 o Que não falta e critica. Tentar agradar o torcedor brasileiro reclamão por natureza e os pundits is a fools errand. Parking the bus was the common sense approach that Tite and the team ignored.