There's a long road ahead for Brazil to regain supremecy

Last Sunday my local football team, the Wanderers, played our biggest rivals in a local derby that had massive ramifications in the title race.

We were second, chasing our first title in 40 years, while they were bottom of the table. So despite injuries, we were pretty confident of coming away with the three points.

In a seven-goal thriller, we lost 6-1 in a match where we came away with a feeling that we may have let the title slip away for another year.

I tell this story as, despite my sorrow over our loss, I’d like to thank the Brazil football team for making Wanderers players feel a little better about themselves at training this week.

The Seleção‘s 7-1 loss to Germany in Wednesday’s World Cup semi-final was less a humiliation and more a disembowelling of a once great footballing emperor who simply could not keep up with modern football.

For a squad who aimed to erase memories of the 1950 Maracanazo, they managed to erase that disaster out of their fans’ minds and insert a greater shame into Brazilian society.

For those of us who grew up revering the style and samba-like tactics of Brazilian football, Wednesday’s disaster was sad to watch.

Yet while the final score was unpredictable, the loss was not.

Brazil at best is an average football side who were considered pre-tournament favourites simply because they were hosts.

Luis Felipe Scolari’s squad was whimsically constructed on a foundation of Thiago Silva at the back and Neymar up forward. With the two unavailable, his team went from the sturdiness of concrete to the sturdiness of a house of cards in a hurricane.

Without Neymar, second-in-command striker Fred looked impotent up forward with the Brazil-based striker unable to exert the same level of influence or imposition on the game that his Barcelona counterpart has done so well.

In defence, the absence of Thiago turned the back four into a shambles, with David Luiz marshalling a defence that had the concentration and defensive attributes of an Under-8s’ squad.

Time after time, Germany played balls into the box and managed to catch the entire back four watching the ball and losing their knowledge of where their opponent was positioned.

While Brazil’s football culture has never really concentrated on defensive skills, this performance would have shocked even the most ardent proponent of attacking football.

Unfortunately for Brazil fans, this squad is likely to be in place for a few more years as there’s a lack of competition for positions.

There is no great central defender sitting out this tournament, nor is there a great set of attacking players that could challenge the current squad.

The latter issue is the most eyeopening aspect of their predicament considering that Brazil’s reputation has been based on the fact past teams have produced quality attacking players at factory-like quantities.

While Neymar is quality there is no great support structure around him in the way Ronaldo had Rivaldo, Ronaldinho and Juninho supporting him during their 2002 World Cup success.

The cupboard is bare and it’s arrogance that seems to have caused it.

Tim Vickery is arguably the most renowned English-speaking expert on the South American game and his piece a few days ago for the BBC got to the crux of the issue.

“There is now no hiding place. Even the most blinkered Brazil fan can no longer point to the triumphs of the past and pretend there are no problems with the country’s football,” he wrote.

“The Brazilian club game is currently a shambles, both in terms of organisation off the field and ideas on it.

“While the game developed, Brazilian football stood aloof, staring at its own belly button, polishing its medals, encircled by its own certainties.”

I encourage you to read the article as it shows that Brazil has a long road back to being a proud footballing nation.

Brazilian football needs to recognise that it’s no longer the system that the world aspires to, it needs to come into the future with an improved football culture that can survive in the 21st century.

This process must start in the third-place playoff against the Netherlands. While a 40-0 scoreline wouldn’t gain them forgiveness from their indignant fans, a spirited performance may go an inch towards healing the pain of Wednesday.

However if they fail to heed the lesson of 2014, a long winter of mediocrity could befall a proud footballing nation.

Twitter” @JohnHunt1992