Brazil suffered another poor World Cup result as they lost in the quarterfinals to Croatia.
They will be unable to forget the loss, even though they were able to let go of victory just before the end.
Brazil won 1-0 after Neymar’s brilliant goal in extra-time. However, Brazil let down their guard and conceded to Croatia who scored an equaliser with just three minutes left.
They lost their second straight World Cup quarterfinal and their fourth consecutive defeat in World Cup tournaments. They were defeated 7-1 by Germany in the 2014 World Cup semi-final.
This is a catastrophe for the team that arrived in Qatar with high hopes. They are now surrounded by new talent and Neymar, their talisman.
Instead of being a redemption story for Paris St Germain’s forward, it was turned into a third World Cup nightmare.
In 2010, Dunga left him out for being too young. Four years later, he suffered a fractured vertebrae during Brazil’s semi-final win over Colombia. He watched as his teammates were defeated by Germany from his hospital bed.
His World Cup dreams were again hindered by injuries at Russia 2018. Neymar suffered an injury to his right ankle earlier in the year. He was also affected by a metatarsal fracture in his foot.
A similar injury occurred in Brazil’s opening match in Qatar. He was unable to play the following two matches. However, he managed to get back in time for South Korea’s last 16 match. They looked fantastic in that 4-1 victory.
He scored an amazing goal on Friday that secured Brazil’s spot in the semi-finals against bitter rivals Argentina.
But, they lost the game due to a mental and tactical breakdown. The shock at conceding the final equalizer proved too much for Brazil’s players and they collapsed during the shootout.
Neymar stated that he wasn’t sure if he will play for the national team again after Friday’s match.
Brazil must wait for a sixth title in the world, their first since 2002.
Real Madrid’s trio of Vinicius Jr., Rodrygo, and Eder Militao, as well Premier League rising stars Bruno Guimaraes and Antony Martinelli may help the team.
Endrick, a 16-year old prodigy from Palmeiras is making waves in Brazil’s under-19 team. European media reports claim he’s close to signing for Real Madrid ($63.18M) and a Brazilian league record of 60 million euros.
There is still a lot of uncertainty about who will be taking over the role as coach after Tite quit following two unsuccessful attempts to win Brazil’s gold medal.
Some debate whether Brazil should hire a European coach in this modern age.
Brazilian media report that Pep Guardiola, the Spaniard, was asked by the FA of Brazil about his availability. The recent successes enjoyed by Jorge Jesus, Abel Ferreira, and Luis Castro, the Portuguese manager, with Flamengo and Palmeiras, has made Brazilian fans more open to this idea.
The new coach, regardless of his or her experience, will face a difficult task and must avoid creating more problems while leading the team’s next phase without Neymar (who turns 31 on February).
