u/SambaFootBR

Obviously this was a very frustrating match. Big heartbreaker to lose like this after so many opportunities. However I can live with this one. They played a complete game imo (my viewing experience was very poor so take this with a grain of salt). But when finishing is this poor, a team like Norway will eventually carve a path.

Casemiro will have nightmares about this match as he should, and Endrick should have been brought on earlier, but we lost fair and square today. It is what it is

The Japan match may have been huge for us! If Carlo really figured some things out during that match as I'm hoping, I think we should be confident going forward. Regardless, Norway is going to be a battle. Our defense is going to get tested. Luckily, their defence seems to be on the weaker side

They are probably going to treat him as a break glass in case of emergency option. Hopefully he is really healed and they aren't just being stupid

The decision will probably be made officially on Thursday

https://www.goal.com/en-ca/lists/brazil-raphinha-world-cup-round-of-16-norway/blt18da306f60c66906

https://barcauniversal.com/raphinha-injury-update-barcelona-star-returns-to-pitch-training-still-uncertain-to-play-against-norway/

Carlo put Endrick in very early, and it did wonders for us today. Paquetá's minor injury could be a factor, but so far Carlo has seemingly done everything in his power to keep Endrick on the bench, so this was not meaningless in any sense.

We saw Brazil play with a lot more energy and intensity in the 2nd half. Unlike the cautious football we are used to, they took a lot more risks with their passing and attempts to penetrate the defense. And they got rewarded for it.

The match itself was nothing to be proud of. Even the 2nd half was far from perfect, as they went back to their overly cautious, endless-passing playstyle quite often, but I am very encouraged by the possible implications for the rest of the tournament. It seems like even though I don't always align with Carlo's philosophy, he "gets it" very quickly. For instance, I would have bet on Endrick not seeing another minute in the tournament before betting on him playing an entire 2nd half in a match where the entire tournament was on the line.

I'm a bit stressed for this one ngl. I guess I still have PTSD about Croatia.

Not having Raphinha really sucks. Apparently he could be back as early as next match but realistically, we are probably talking about the Round of 16 here (so the match after the next one).

How good is Japan's offense? What are their strengths? On the bright side, I liked the little we saw from Neymar last match but I don't think Carlo will use him as more than a "the game is already over anyway" type of player

I remember this tournament vividly, even though I was still a teenager at the time. Brazil looked terrible throughout the entire competition. We were getting past weak teams through penalties. Neymar did the most underrated carry job I've seen in my entire life.

But because the media is stupid and people don't actually watch the matches, the public assumed that Brazil was still a top team or even the favourites at that point. We weren't. It was very obviously the weakest Brazil team ever. Sometimes, you just get through a slump. It happens to all great teams. It just hurt Brazil the most because of the aura we had in the past

I blame this loss for the way the team is perceived right now. Every Brazil team since 2018 has been far better than that 2014 team. But people are still stuck in 2014 as if it defines Brazil.

Yes, Brazil has been very disappointing in recent history, 2018 aside. But look at our current squad: even after all the injuries, we are still competitive. Why are people hyping up weak teams and shitting on Brazil as if we were the bottom of the barrel in this competition??

It's hard to take much away from a match with such a huge discrepancy between the level of the two teams, but a few things still stood out to me:

1. Brazil is resilient. We've lost so many important players, and yet the team keeps looking decent (not the usual Brazil standards, but good nonetheless)
2. If Raphinha is not available for the knockouts, we are done for 100%. Injuries will be the end of this team
3. Vini Jr actually cares and that's the most important thing of all. Absolutely loving his arc right now
4. Defense is solid imo, but I am not an expert on that

I say 3-1 but beyond the score I care most about how they play. Does the offense look good? Do Vinicius and Raphinha continue their good form into this match? I also liked the defence in the second half of the previous match, so I would like to see them keep it up.

But you know what? None of that matters if Endrick doesn't play. I would rather lose 4-0 than see him on the bench. I swear, if he doesn't fucking suit up, he needs to throw a tantrum

People will point to the box score, but on the pitch it wasn't close. Complete domination for the last 40 minutes. Chance after chance after chance. Maroc had a few opportunities here and there but they were fluky at best. They did okay for the first 30 minutes but after that it was all Brazil.

To be clear, this Brazil team is nothing special either. This is far from 2018 Brazil and probably a step below 2022 as well: terrible finishing, defense shaky for stretches, mind-bogglingly bad coaching decisions (where is Endrick Carlo ???) but as far as Morocco is concerned, Brazil looked like the better team.

Pros:

• Vini was a major bright spot
• Raphinha was unbelievable both on O and D
• Pressing noticeably picked up in the 2nd half
• Paqueta was okay

Cons:

• Midfield is abysmal
• Defense looks very prone to counterattacks (organization turns to panic)
• WHERE IS ENDRICK UGHHHHH

7/10 for me

I haven't followed Morocco since 2022. How do you think we'll fare against them? What are their strengths and weaknesses?

I would like to take the pulse of the community on this.

2018

I think 2018 Brazil was the best iteration of our team since 2006. The team was firing on all cylinders: chemistry, coaching, effectiveness, and just pure football spectacle with so many incredible goals and highlights. The match we lost was actually not bad at all. We created so many chances, but finishing was the problem.

2022

While 2022 featured a lot of rising stars and, in my opinion, a very good coach (the same as in 2018), the team just didn’t click as well. IIRC, we even lost one of the group-stage matches before the knockout stage. The team felt clunky and not cohesive at all. Several players severely underperformed (specifically Paquetá and Raphinha).

2022 undoubtedly had the advantage in terms of star power, but 2018 wins in almost every other area when it comes to actual product on the pitch.