Retrospect doesn’t win the game, but it can turn on a red light for those who believe that the shirt is heavy.
So, it doesn’t hurt to gather data on who has a better record in direct confrontations between the three countries that could face Brazil in the second phase of the World Cup.
It is still necessary to know whether the Brazilian team will actually be first or second in Group C. If this is confirmed, they will face, respectively, the second or first team in Group F, which has the Netherlands, Japan and Sweden in contention.
Detail: if they advance in third place, Brazil will have to wait for the general definition and even runs the risk of catching Germany.
Based on historical numbers, the opponent that could give Brazil the most trouble in the second phase is the Netherlands. And Sweden, in theory, is the most pleasant for Carlo Ancelotti’s team.
See history.
BRAZIL X SWEDEN: 15 GAMES
- 10 victories for Brazil (5 in World Cups, 7-1, in 1950, and a final, in 1958)
- 3 draws (2 in Cups)
- 2 defeats
- 35 goals for Brazil, 17 goals for Sweden
- Of the 15 clashes, Brazil remained 4 games without conceding goals and Sweden only 1
- The last time the Swedes won a match against Brazil was in 1989, in a friendly
BRAZIL X JAPAN: 14 GAMES
- 11 victories for Brazil (1 in the 2006 World Cup and 1 in the 2013 Confederations Cup)
- 2 draws (1 in the 2005 Confederations Cup and 1 2001 Confederations Cup)
- 1 defeat (in the last friendly, when they lost 3-2, last October)
- 37 goals for Brazil 8 goals against (3 in the last game)
- Of the 14 matches, Brazil did not concede goals in 9 and only failed to score in one duel
BRAZIL X HOLLAND: 12 GAMES
- 4 victories for Brazil (1 in the 1994 World Cup and 1 in the 1998 World Cup, on penalties)
- 4 draws
- 4 defeats (3 in World Cups: 1974, 2010 and 2014)
- 15 goals from Brazil 18 goals from the Netherlands
- In the 12 clashes, Brazil went 2 without conceding a goal. The Netherlands, 4 (the last being in the dispute for third place in the 2014 World Cup when they won 3-0)
- The Netherlands have not lost to the national team since June 1999. Since then they have played four times and there have been two draws (in friendlies)
