Brazil have many forwards, but Casemiro saves them: great goal, victory over Switzerland and qualification for the round of 16 of Qatar 2022

It had been a while since Brazil hadn’t won in tactics and lost in imagination. And without Neymar, injured, the dose of surprise drops to a minimum.

As it became clear on the night of 974, not all matches are carnival in Doha. Brazil had a hard time beating Switzerland and, incidentally, qualifying for the round of 16 in the second game.

Tite moves the bench in search of offensive solutions but the answer comes from the most defensive midfielder, even the most intelligent, Casemiro, with a tremendous right foot that breaks Sommer’s resistance.

Some time before Casemiro had left Vinicius alone to clean up a play born dirty, which Vini Junior (in constant conflict with the offside) defined with quality, but the VAR stifled his exultation. It was and was Casemiro who pushed Brazil to the right side, despite Raphinha, Lucas Paquetá, Richarlison, Rodrygo, Gabriel Jesús and Antony all rotating with no luck from the attack.

Tite is an attacking coach, bringing together players with good footing and many forwards. Sometimes it’s not enough. If it is true that he plays like you live, it is not necessary to explain how Switzerland plays. Ordered, ordered. And Brazil failed to screw it up in the first half. Raphinha and Vinicius lost more than they won in their personal duels with Ricardo Rodríguez and Vidmar. From the centre, Lucas Paquetá offered no solutions and even less the wingers, Eder Militao (central by nature) and Alex Sandro. Brazil no longer generates the Leandros and Juniors of the ’82 World Cup, nor the Cafú and Roberto Carlos (they were in the pits) of the following years. From the outside, from behind, nothing happens in Brazil.

The Swiss defense was perhaps not a small clock, but it was a funnel. The lateral touch of the yellow-greens was not enough.

He misses Neymar, yes. Tite chose to replace him with Fred, a balance shuttle, for solidity. Perhaps approaching the theorem of Felipao Scolari, who said that by ensuring zero in one’s arc someone from above was going to define. But Tite doesn’t have Ronaldo (he also watched from the area), neither Ronaldinho nor Rivaldo. He brought in nine strikers, but this time he was saved by Casemiro, a branded midfielder.

The match in Brazil is still interesting. Always with the ball but with good transitions from offense to defense. Organized in a 4-4-2 to defend, with Raphinha and Vinicius at the ends and Lucas Paquetá as a second striker, when it comes to attack it becomes more classic with a 4-3-3, and Lucas Paquetá becomes a midfielder.

He lacked a change of pace, precision and speed, the usual when one team attacks another that thinks only of defending.

Of course, the Brazilian coach has options on the bench and to start the second set he has removed Paquetá and put in Rodrygo, the Real Madrid boy. Bold, he threatened with some dribbling. But the game had changed because Switzerland decided to give up and as a result Brazil found spaces they didn’t expect.

Not even he could take advantage of it, he exaggerated with long balls and Tite started with the changeover round. Bruno Guimaraes for Fred (he doesn’t seem to be at his best level) and then Antony and Gabriel Jesús in, Richarlison and Raphinha out.

The match went back and forth, different from the first half. Switzerland has interpreted that it could win it, but Brazil defends a lot, with quantity and conviction. It seemed that zero couldn’t move, but despite his team having many forwards, Casemiro made a trip to the Swiss box. He found a loose ball and switched Sommer’s stick, filling the net with a great goal. And then yes, a small carnival broke out for the majority of the 43,649 spectators who went to see a Brazil that disappointed them a little in the game, but which is undoubtedly a candidate.