Since 2003, Brazil has not lost so many games in the same year… and on Tuesday Leo Messi’s Argentina arrives at Maracaná
The Seleçao had never lost two World Cup qualifying games in a row and in five games they have conceded more than in the entire 2022 phase
2023 is on its way to becoming an ‘annus horribilis’ for the Brazilian teamwhich does not find the pedal stroke, first with Ramon Menezes and now with the also interim Fernando Diniz. Every game he plays, he accumulates negative records.
To begin with, it had been twenty years since the ‘verdeamarela’ had lost so many times. In 2003, when he was hungover after conquering the ‘Penta’ in the World Cup in South Korea and Japan, he was defeated four times, a number that he has now equaled… and in the early hours of Tuesday to Wednesday, there is the superclásico with Argentina, in Maracaná. The difference compared to 2003 is that the Seleçao suffered four defeats in 17 games and, now, it has only been in eight.
Under the direction of Diniz, which in theory will be replaced by Carlo Ancelotti When the season ends at Real Madrid, Brazil has lost two consecutive World Cup qualifying matches for the first time in its history: in Montevideo, against Uruguay Marcelo Bielsa (2-0), which is going strong and on Thursday won 0-2 in La Bombonera, and in Barranquilla; and, on Thursday in Barranquilla, against Colombia (2-1) who came back from the match with a ‘double’ in three minutes by Liverpool winger Luis Díaz.
The vulnerability of this Seleçao is in its defensive systemwhich was, without a doubt, the strong point of tite. For this reason, in just five rounds of South American qualifying, the Brazilians have already conceded more (six goals) in the 18 rounds of the previous edition prior to the 2022 World Cup in Qatar.
So, in 17 games (the Brazil-Argentina suspended due to immigration problems of some Albiceleste internationals was pending), the group of tite He only received five goals.
Diniz received a team that was unbeaten in 34 qualifying matches for the World Cup… He increased it to 37, but then two very painful KOs came. The Seleçao had not lost against the Celeste for 22 years and, furthermore, had never lost to Colombia in a World Cup qualifying match.
There is a lot of pessimism in Brazil. The Seleçao, which no longer had Neymar Jr., has been left without Vinicius Jr. The worst is already feared. Argentina has never won on Brazilian soil in South American qualifiers, but if it is a specialist in something Leo Messi throughout his career is about breaking taboos.