Misto de Palmeiras e Flamengo para salvar a seleção
The balance left by the Brazilian national team in the Copa America was negative. The elimination to Uruguay on penalties showed several vulnerable points that need to be corrected by coach Dorival Junior. However, some things remain as absolute certainties. These players lack team spirit; the team is young and still forming; the best players were not on the field; and a selection without Neymar and Vinícius Junior leaves much to be desired. Not to mention the disrespect of the players towards coach Dorival Junior (being left out of the final huddle for a last chat before penalty kicks). An unprecedented embarrassment. Mentally weak squad.
Dorival failed to give the team a game pattern, and the tactical variations were a horror; However, the group as a whole disappointed. Lack of boldness and initiative for several athletes; negligence on the field; lack of commitment; and where were the individual talents? Too heterogeneous a group, a luxurious mix that seemed anything but a representative selection of a five-time world champion Nation.
In 1969, Brazil had a bunch of great players, but no one could figure out how to make the team competitive at the level of individual quality. Until the legendary João Saldanha took over. To qualify in the Qualifiers, the brilliant João did the obvious: he called up half of the Botafogo RJ and Santos teams (at the time the greats of Brazilian football), filling the roster with indispensable names such as Rivellino (Corinthians), Tostão (Cruzeiro) and so on. The result was an explosion of football art. A series of victories against South American squads.
This idea could be used by Dorival. Today the two best teams in Brazil are Flamengo and Palmeiras by far. Just mix the two teams, with one or two extra call-ups, and you’re done. The party is on. It would be a more appropriate way of selection. It would avoid the problem of lack of chemistry, for example. Germany became champions in the 2014 World Cup with seven Bayern Munich players, or have you forgotten the 7-1 and the domination at the Mineirão?
And that’s my two cents!
