World Cup and Brazil, these two are forever attached names. Every four years of the football world cup, Brazil’s name always comes up as the favorite team. But why always Brazil, and how do they get this place in the world cup every four years? As we all know, there is no need to explain the answer. No matter the team conditions, Brazil is always the favorite in World Cup.
In the upcoming November World Cup, Brazil kept the same. Hope for Brazil started flying all over the sky four months earlier; Neymar will surely bring the world cup home for Brazil. Though, in mid-June, “The Analyst” said by calculating in a supercomputer that Brazil has no chance of winning the Qatar tournament.
However, all the football fans know this calculation doesn’t go with Brazil. It’s like that; the world cup tournament means Brazil is the favorite team. That’s why there is no need to explain separately why Brazil is the favorite. Even so, five things can be identified as specific reasons.
Where being the runners-up is a failure, let’s the five possible reasons for that country to become the champions.
1. Neymar
PSG’s start age is now 30. Last year in October, he hinted that he could retire from the national team after finishing the Qatar World Cup. So, it’s inevitable that this will be the last World Cup of Neymar for Brazil. A similarity can be found between the 1970 World Cup and the current situation. That was Pele’s previous World Cup. Celebrities like Tostao, Gérson, Rivelino, Clodoaldo and Carlos Alberto were beside him. As Pele was the leading player of Brazil at that World Cup, Neymar is the same now.
And beside Neymar- Lucas Paqueta, Vinicius, Raphinha and Casimiro are staying. So naturally, Neymar will be desperate to win the World Cup with them. Cause, this time, they won’t stay behind in power, like in the 1970 World Cup. Neymar is closing his World Cup journey in 30 like the legend of Brazil Pele did, so there will undoubtedly be a different level of inspiration.
We can add another thing: Last October, Neymar said his only goal was to make Brazil champions in the World Cup. Before retiring, Neymar surely wants to include his name in the elite list of the legendary World Cup-winning players. He has no lack of personal experience and ability to do that. Brazil’s fans only wait now for Neymar to stay fit and sound in the world cup. And the time will tell us the rest.
2. Experience and Tradition
79 teams played in the football World Cup’s final round until the last World Cup. But only 8 teams win the World Cup- Brazil, Germany, Italy, Uruguay, Argentina, France, England, and Spain. Only Brazil can play in the allld cup final round among these winning teams. So, no team could put Brazil behind in the experience of playing in the World Cup. How expensive this experience is can understand by seeing their most time winning record. Brazil is also ranked number one by winning 76 matches in 109 played. There is a need to say that a team with this much experience will surely stay ahead in a run for the World Cup. But the question is can Brazil succeed by mixing these traditions and experiences.
If winning is a habit, then we can say there are many winners in Tite’s team. Casimiro, Vinicius, and Rodrigo will step into Qatar World Cup with the confidence of winning the Champions League and League for Real Madrid. Goalkeeper Alisson Becker has also had a good time in English Premier League. Neymar won the league for PSG and Gabriel Jesus won for Manchester City. Apart from them- Coutinho, Lucas Paquetá, Rapinha, and Antonio have enough experience in Europe League. So, facing European teams won’t be a problem for Coutinho-Neymars. As when it comes to the World Cup, mainly Latin America vs. European matches matter. This team of Brazil won’t stay behind in that matter.
3. Casimiro
There is a saying, a single player can never win World Cup. It’s true, and at the same time, it’s wrong. Brazil coach Tite could show logic why it’s wrong. Remember the last World Cup quarter-final match of Brazil vs Belgium? The defensive midfielder Casimiro could not play the match cause of the yellow card banned. Kevin de Bruyne-Eden Hazards destroyed Brazil’s midfield by using this opportunity. You must remember the 31 minutes goal of Bruyne? Romelu Lukaku almost entered Brazil’s dangerous area with the ball without facing any obstacles from mid-field. This goal put Brazil out of the contest last time.
So many people believe the results would be different if Casimiro had played in that match. Cause his job is to dismiss opponents’ attacks before they would reach any harm. In today’s football, coaches give importance to the midfield. Pep Guardiola lost the 2021 league final game cause of not putting experts in that position. At now, Casimiro is the best player in that position. In this world cup, a defensive mid-fielder will get huge importance, and every team dreams of having a tank-like Casimiro. Brazil is ahead of others cause they have it.
4. Attacking Coordination and Form
Brazil doesn’t have the Samba dance rhythm anymore in their game, is an old accusation. Nobody now comes forward anymore to disprove the accusation; not even the coach Tite is ready to give up his everything to call himself a worshiper of beautiful football. Even though Neymar-Vinicius stayed unbeaten for 13 consecutive matches, an issue has been seen for the last few months. It’s better to mention since previous year’s Copa America, a good understanding is going notice in Brazil game, especially among the attacking players.
Suppose Neymar plays from a bit of behind, his chemistry with Lucas Paquetá, and tries to break the defense with one to one pass. Fans can find hope seeing all this. Other players’ balls of movement are worth watching. At the time Vinícius runs with the ball from the left side means it automatically creates positions inside of the opponent’s defense.
In 2002, when Brazil won the World Cup for the last time, two wingbacks, Kafu’s and Roberto Carlos were outstanding. After halftime, Denilson also kept the opponents busy. Even though it does not having great fullbacks on the team, Brazil will stay ahead of two side attacks with wingers like Vinicius, Rapinha, and Rodrygo. And Neymar-Paketa is there to spread terror in the midfield.
5. Neymar isn’t the only Hope
Yes, Neymar is the main celebrity in Brazil in Qatar World Cup. But is it possible to give assurance to winning the World Cup just by relying on the main star? As football is a team-based game, it has to be played as a team. In the 2014 and 2018 world cup, Brazil understood the effects and results of relying just on Neymar. He couldn’t even get the chance to play correctly in the last world cup cause of the injury. Now the thing is, what would happen if the accident occurs again? What if Brazil doesn’t get Neymar in their essential matches! Then we have to find a way to overcome this.
Tite has been working with attacking for the last few months cause of this. He brings variety in attacking third. Sometimes Jesus and sometimes Neymar will show up in there. Neymar has been played in False Nine. Rafinha-Antonio is increasing the right-wing space, and Vinicius got the license of entering the box. And the Brazilian coach has made midfielder Paketa three in one. Paketa has developed the habit of attacking, defending, and playing with passes aloincrediblehocking shots from outside the box.
So, the responsibility of scoring and creating balls for others to achieve is not only on the shoulders of Neymar. Almost everyone from the attacking sector has an addiction to scori, besideses that, filling the space like if Neymar moves right or lefts from in front of the box, Paketa or someone else can be seen lying in front of the box. This means they will take shots right away if passes come. Brazil has changed its old day’s football strategy by passing the ball to the box-standing striker. The scoring responsibility was to hand over only on the shoulder of that striker.
