In the middle of the week, as always, we had a huge number of matches for the European Champions League and the Brasileirão. As an analyst, I need to learn, as many commentators do, how to watch two or three games at the same time and still understand the many tactical variations. I’m young and one day I’ll make it.
A few days ago, there was an event at the Brazilian coaches’ federation with tributes to the Italian Ancelotti. He thanked and praised our country’s technicians. Then, Leão, a former goalkeeper, without leading a team as a coach since 2012, with inelegance and prejudice, harshly criticized the hiring of foreign coaches. The elegant Ancelotti remained silent. Leão went further, saying that the ball passing by exchanging passes from the goalkeeper, used routinely around the world today, is absurd due to the number of errors.
Evidently, the teams, due to the intense pressure from the opponent, need to improve their ball release. On the other hand, it brings great benefits by making it easier to reach the opponent’s goal. Every now and then, mistakes happen. Even the regular and excellent defender Marquinhos fails, as in Bayern’s goal against PSG. That doesn’t mean Marquinhos will no longer be a member of the national team.
Another difficulty in modern football is the advanced marking of defenders, sometimes in midfield, as Barcelona, Manchester City and other teams do. In this way, the team leaves a lot of space behind the defenders. On the other hand, compactness makes it easier to exchange passes and control the ball. Barcelona, against Brugges, from Belgium, scored three goals and could have scored six. The opponent also scored three and had the chance to score six. It’s quite a pleasure to watch Barcelona games.
I think the best solution is an intermediate positioning of the defenders, between the penalty area and the center of the field, as is most common. Brazilian teams, with the exception of Flamengo, Cruzeiro and a few others, tend to play with defenders glued to the penalty area, which is worse, as they leave many spaces between the defense and the midfield.
Estêvão arrived at Chelsea already adapted. He plays as if he were at Palmeiras, unlike many young talented Brazilians who go to Europe and disappear, because of difficulties in adapting or because they were not as good as they seemed, as it is much easier to shine in Brazil against weaker teams. The same problem happens when the player goes to the national team. The opposite also happens, athletes who evolve alongside superstars.
In the middle of the week, in the Brasileirão, Palmeiras and Cruzeiro won, and Flamengo drew. In the second half of Palmeiras’ 2-0 victory over Santos, when the team improved and the two goals occurred, the six best players from midfield to forward were present (Andreas Pereira, Raphael Veiga, Vitor Roque, Flaco López, Felipe Anderson and young Allan). There were no more scoring midfielders. It’s not always possible to play this way, but when it is possible, it becomes more beautiful and efficient.
Palmeiras today has the best squad of Abel Ferreira’s time. It is necessary to rethink the concept, spoken so often, that Flamengo has the best squad in the country. More than that, the soul of the Palmeiras team has been stronger.
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