This beautiful city Kazan has seen some astonishing matches in this World Cup but this, perhaps,was the best,Brazil threw its heart and soul into a second half salvo aimed at saving its World Cup life, and that didn’t get it done either. In homes and bars and on beaches and in churches back home (because soccer is a religion there), they watched and waited and yes, did plenty of praying too,but all of this was not enough to save Brazil.Brazil has everything we look for in a dynasty but in reality, it is not one any longer. Yes, it has the name, one still capable of conjuring smiles of satisfaction from those who love soccer, whether they are from Rio, or Russia or Redding, Calif.
Feelings that always surrounds brazil, the sense of desire and expectation. Adenor Leonardo Bacchi, commonly known as Tite, is a Brazilian football coach and Tite, almost certainly, will be blamed, because that is what coaches are for right, but his half-time switch to a 4-4-2, bringing on Roberto Firmino in place of Willian and shifting Gabriel Jesus to the right, did stem the Belgian tide.The biggest problem was that by then they were already 2-0 down, having been eviscerated on the break by Kevin De Bruyne. Renato Augusto did pull one back, heading in Philippe Coutinho’s chip with 14 minutes remaining, but Belgium clung on.
Tite said:
“Even with all the pain I feel now and the bitterness, I say that if you like football, you have to watch this game and you will have pleasure if you are not emotionally involved. Triangulations, transitions, saves, what a beautiful game!”
And now lets talk about Roberto Martínez, he may have been almost derided by the end of his time in the Premier League but he deserves enormous credit for Belgium’s victory.Players Martínez brought in were involved in Belgium’s opener, as was the deployment of De Bruyne. Dropping deep, he sliced open the defence with a through-ball to Fellaini whose scuffed shot yielded a corner. Chadli delivered to the near post and, as Gabriel Jesus and Fernandinho jumped together, the ball deflected in off the midfielder’s right arm.
And so it is Belgium that moves on, a team of its time and with a crop of players, led by the fearless Kevin De Bruyne and Romelu Lukaku, that could have been produced in a test-tube and manufactured for how soccer is played right now.
Brazil’s past has set a lofty standard for its current crop. Some nations would give anything for three quarters and a semi in four tries. Not Brazil, where those at home count progress using gleaming trophies and nothing else.
Brazil will come again; always a contender, always compelling. But if it wants to find success, it needs to find itself.
We can certainly hope that Brazil will learn from their mistakes and comeup as great as they once were....
Thanks for reading
