Mauro commented,
The quest for a record-extending sixth World Cup title continues as Brazil suffered a disappointing 2-1 defeat to Norway in the Round of 16 on Sunday. This loss marks the sixth consecutive tournament where Brazil has failed to claim the championship, prompting some critics to label this trend as the reverse hexa.
As anticipated, the backlash from fans and commentators in Brazil has been fierce. Neto, a former international player turned pundit on Radio Bandeirantes, criticized the current generation of players harshly.
“It’s a generation that won fuck all,”
“There are six players who won one Copa América and that’s it. It was embarrassing from the beginning and everything that happened before that game. It was a shameful campaign and these guys are losers. It’s a generation of lies.”
he stated, further lamenting,
Manager Carlo Ancelotti, previously lauded for his tactics in Brazil’s 2-1 victory over Japan in the earlier round, also faced scrutiny. Cahê Mota, writing for Globoesporte, remarked that Ancelotti’s substitutions against Norway exacerbated the team’s struggles:
“The Seleção are out of the World Cup and Ancelotti’s plan failed. Brazil bet on a booby-trap game: they gave the ball to Norway and bet on a transition at speed. It worked very little. “The penalty missed by Bruno Guimarães would have given the game a different shape, but the Seleção bet big on a style that does not match its tradition and they did not know how to be lethal when they had chances. You can’t even regret it. You can’t say there was injustice. You can’t even say the defeat happened but we played like Brazil.”
Mota noted that while a missed penalty by Bruno Guimarães could have shifted the game’s momentum, the team’s approach did not align with Brazil’s traditional style, stating,
“It’s shameful to see a Brazil team, which for years has relied on marketing ploys like ‘joga bonito’, having a strategy to give the ball to the opponent and only play in transition,”
Brazil’s possession dropped to 34% against Norway, the lowest recorded since 1966, prompting Mauro Cezar Pereira, a prominent pundit, to express his dismay. He said,
“The poor quality of Carlo Ancelotti’s work is embarrassing.”
“embarrassing.”
Pereira described this approach as “That’s what decided the game,” and criticized Ancelotti’s coaching, calling it
Calls for Ancelotti’s dismissal have emerged, particularly after the Brazilian Football Confederation extended his contract just months before the tournament. The management of Neymar has sparked divided opinions; supporters argue that had he started the match, he could have converted the penalty, altering the game’s outcome. However, detractors believe that introducing Neymar shifted the team’s dynamics unfavorably.
“From the moment he entered, Norway had even more possession. They attacked more and built plays until they scored goals. With Neymar, Endrick and Vinícius, Brazil became even weaker in combat, in the fight for possession, and were definitely subjugated by the Norwegians. Suicide.”
Neymar, who debuted with the national team in a friendly against the USA in 2010, now retires from international duty after amassing 130 caps and scoring 80 goals. Reflecting on his career, he said,
“It started here at MetLife Stadium and I finished here. It is now over.”
Many Brazilians are calling for a complete overhaul, suggesting that Neymar, Casemiro, and their cohort step aside to make way for a new generation. Optimistic fans hope for a return to producing skilled midfielders and full-backs reminiscent of Brazil’s glory days. The next challenge lies in the Copa América, scheduled for two years from now in the US. Should Ancelotti replicate his World Cup performance in that tournament, it is unlikely he will see out his lucrative £8.5 million-a-year contract.
