Brazil will stick with their taste – even supposing it manner dropping to Argentina | Tom Sanderson

Brazil slumped to their fourth defeat of the yr on Thursday. Luis Díaz scored each targets in a 2-1 win for Colombia as his father watched from the stands, a couple of days later being excepted by means of kidnappers. It used to be a lovely night time for Colombia and the Díaz nation, however a hard one for Brazil and Fernando Diniz.

Brazil’s method has been mocked by means of Ibis, the self-proclaimed “worst team in the world”. The tiny membership from the north-east of Brazil made their title by means of dropping suits however, later a contemporary upturn in method, they joked: “We have more victories in 2023 than the Seleção.”

The defeat in Colombia additionally made unfavourable historical past – later dropping 2-0 in Uruguay utmost time, they’ve now misplaced back-to-back International Cup qualifiers for the primary date. They usually may just best draw with Venezuela of their earlier sport. But, don’t glance to stand-in schoolmaster Diniz – nonetheless imposing on important Fluminense to a ancient overcome Boca Youthful within the Copa Libertadores ultimate – to throw a pity celebration or get his feathers ruffled by means of being the architect of any such downturn. He says “looking only at the result” doesn’t “interest” him.

So, what does passion Diniz? What curious sport is he enjoying? Necessarily, Diniz desires to deliver again the “essence” of Brazilian soccer to the Seleção. When the rustic’s soccer affiliation leased him, they knew precisely what they have been doing. Diniz’s enjoying taste is extremely unorthodox: he is taking the chaos of Brazilian side road soccer and expands it into an 11-a-side model on the best possible stage of the game, the place complex tactical methods reign excellent.

All over Diniz’s managerial occupation, his concepts were pushed aside as untruth or even insanity. How may just a sport based totally so closely on player-centred improvisation – a kind of free-jazz soccer – perhaps compete towards the meticulous orchestration of the arena’s elite tactical coaches? But Diniz has continued and Fluminense’s fresh high-profile victories display his philosophy can win fat when it actually issues.

This is the reason Diniz feels empowered enough quantity to mention he isn’t completely all in favour of outcomes. Regardless of Brazil’s defeats, they’ll nonetheless qualify from the crowd – they simply have to complete within the govern six of South The us’s 10-team qualifying workforce. At this level, Diniz’s remit turns out extra rooted in aesthetics than outcomes – a re-imagining of what it manner to play games in an authentically “Brazilian” means.

It’s now not abnormal to listen to soccer aficionados wax lyrical about how the sport interacts with population in undisclosed and profound ways in which walk some distance past the mere digits of the scoreline. Diniz’s appointment acts out this conviction. As Globo journalist Jessica Cescon put it all the way through the utmost global crack: “Diniz’s mission is not to win.”

In a results-obsessed nation like Brazil, despite the fact that, it’s unthinkable communicate for a supervisor at any given date, by no means thoughts when everlasting competitors Argentina are up nearest. Revered pundit Walter Casagrande fears the worst, writing in his UOL column that the “arrogant and stubborn” Diniz is “completely lost”. Casagrande says Brazil may just face the “biggest embarrassment in their history” when Argentina seek advice from the Maracanã – worse even than their 7-1 devastation by means of Germany on the International Cup in 2014.

Diniz has, alternatively, admitted that he desires to “correct the defensive aspects” of his group. Colombia had 23 pictures, 18 of which have been throughout the segment, in Barranquilla. Brazil’s full-backs, Renan Lodi and Emerson Royal, didn’t stop crosses from entering the field and their centre-backs, Marquinhos and Gabriel Magalhães, didn’t offer with them.

“The team is evolving little by little,” says Diniz. “We are going to correct the defensive aspects and the results will begin to appear. And, when they appear, they will be consistent.” Diniz is true in regards to the indicators of development. Within the opening phases towards Colombia, there used to be some skillful link-up play games. Gabriel Martinelli blended splendidly with Vinicius Jr on his approach to scoring his first objective for Brazil.


Diniz has obviously been inspired by means of Vinicius and Rodrygo’s fresh performances for Actual Madrid, as he has picked them in a entrance two for Brazil – adopting the method worn by means of Carlo Ancelotti, his rumoured successor. Vinicius went off injured within the first part towards Colombia and used to be changed by means of João Pedro, the Brighton striker, with the suffering Richarlison unnoticed of the squad completely.

Rodrygo stood out within the Negative 10 blouse usually old by means of Neymar, his fellow Santos academy graduate. The teen used to be Brazil’s primary writer, enjoying his phase in offering probabilities for Bruno Guimarães and Raphinha – who clash the submit and had some other attempt tipped simply week the woodwork. Bafflingly, Diniz took him off. The executive used to be criticised for the substitution however defended himself by means of announcing Rodrygo used to be exhausted and stating that his walk had not anything to do with Díaz’s targets.

It’s most probably Diniz will deploy the similar “4-2-4 on paper” formation towards Argentina, with Gabriel Jesus turning back spearhead the assault. Another choice will be the prodigious Endrick. Brazil’s unedited wonderkid has been electrical for Palmeiras and his explosive, associative taste might be simply what the misfiring assault wishes. Whether or not Diniz thinks the 17-year used is able for a aggressive fit towards the arena champions left-overs to be unmistakable.

Wingers Raphinha and Martinelli are prone to retain their parks, with André and Guimarães picked once more – even supposing the midfield has been the most important infection all the way through Diniz’s 5 video games in rate. Dinizismo depends upon the slower rhythms of similar, decrease passing and the group transferring upfield in combination, however Brazil become stretched and perceptible towards Colombia. Because of this, the second one part descended right into a run-and-gun shootout, with Brazil wilting within the Barranquilla warmth.

Presen André has revel in of enjoying in Diniz’s extra languid taste each and every while at Fluminense, Guimarães is suffering to toggle out of the crash-bang-wallop of Eddie Howe’s all-action Newcastle. It’s essential that this factor of velocity is addressed. Diniz’s taste calls for longer, extra gradual sessions of ball ownership to permit the connections between avid gamers date to assemble.

In a curious twist, Argentina’s luck on the International Cup can have been the catalyst for Brazil to make a choice Diniz as supervisor. Again in 2019, Argentina’s soccer affiliation appointed Cesar Luis Menotti, the chief in rate after they gained the International Cup in 1978, to manage the rustic’s nationwide groups. Menotti mentioned his purpose used to be to “recover the essence and genetics of Argentina’s football”.

“We have to be open, debate and give coaches the freedom to decide which tactical system to use based on the players available to them,” defined Menotti. “Our footballers are what they are. We cannot play like Guardiola’s Barcelona.”

Next dropping to Saudi Arabia of their opening sport on the International Cup, wherein Lionel Scaloni deployed a inflexible 4-2-4, Lionel Messi mentioned the group needed to “get back to the basics of who we are”. Because the event stepped forward, Argentina become extra fluid. This allowed avid gamers to collect nearer to Messi, developing the statuses the place fast wall passes and pass-and-move exchanges may just emerge.

This used to be what Menotti had alluded to – a enjoying taste unfastened from any pre-existing tactical blueprint that used to be rather born from the relationships between avid gamers. It used to be a go back to the soccer that they had performed as youngsters within the potrero – the communal areas the place younger Argentinian footballers be told the sport.

Argentina’s impressive rediscovery in their identification on the International Cup best served to spotlight the a lack of the Brazilian spirit that used to be in all probability embodied maximum poetically by means of the 1982 International Cup aspect. That magical group of Zico, Socrates and Falcão is remembered for its bright samba sway instead than utmost victory at the scoreboard. It is a truth now not misplaced on Diniz, a recognized admirer of the group who not too long ago prompt that “what happens artistically remains in the memory”.

Diniz is enjoying a protracted sport however his combatants for this International Cup qualifier display what can also be carried out. Argentina rediscovered their taste with shining repercussions. Brazil’s footballing rebirth is but to spark into month.