08/25/2020
So how did the Brazilian footballers do this past season?
In a lot of ways, it was a year of passing on the guards. There are many in the 2014-2018 Brazilian World cup generation that will not make it out of 2020 in an influential way in world football, nor to the Brazilian team or fans.
From the stats in the Champions League, you can see that this is another year where Brazilians have played a huge influence in football’s highest competition. Brazil were tied for the top spot in goals scores in the Champions League of 2020 and they are closing the overall gap of nation’s goals in the competition overall. You can watch the progression here which is quite remarkable given that the competition started in the 50s, but the influx of Brazilians didn’t start in Europe until the 90s. Yes, Brazilian football is still quite relevant.
With that said, how did the more prominent Brazilians do? Who will be featured among the Brazilian elites? Who can we expect to wear the yellow during the next World Cup? Let us review how the year went, and where that leaves in the future:
Neymar: Still a critical player in the CL and in world football. I do not think anyone would argue that he was among the top 5 best footballers this year. Many placing him only behind Lewandowski. He is still Brazil’s #10. 2020 has been a year that Neymar has matured on the field with more decisive performances and less off the field distractions.
Thiago Silva: He led the defense of PSG brilliantly this year. He honed a new defensive partnership with Kimpembe but this was his last chance to win it as a leading player. He leaves PSG this summer and will likely be an important squad player at another top club, but he won’t be the captain, and he wont be their primary defensive man. Thiago Silva hopes he can continue to play for Brazil, but his age won’t do him any favors in 2022. If he cannot secure his starting spot at a top club, he will most likely not go to the World Cup in 2022. After years of being the among the world’s best defenders, his influence on the field has sharply declined with the closing of this season.
Marquinhos: The new defensive boss for Brazil. Marquinhos was PSG’s best man in the Champions League Final. Throughout Ligue 1 and the CL, Marquinhos defenders firmly without defensive mistakes, even moving up to more of a defensive midfielder role. Even when facing strong pressing teams, Marquinhos does not make passing mistakes and still times his tackles well. His position in Brazil’s national team has only grown with this year’s performances.
Gabriel Jesus: Gabriel Jesus has grown in stature, prominence, and threat this year. Although he seems to miss the odd open opportunity, in general he has had his best year this year. He was decisive in the Champions League matches that City played and was often scoring first goals or giving first assists in matches. The kind of performance that you would expect from a player that shifts the balance in a match. Jesus still has plenty to grow in, but still at 23, has his best years in front of him. He will certainly be a crucial player for Brazil in the years to come.
Richarlison: Richarlison had a promising start to the year but seem to taper off. He was an important part of the Copa America squad and he built his place on the team match by match. Being able to play both on the right and in the center of the pitch, he has been a much-needed big man for Brazil. However, for Everton he has been less than stellar. He is still young however, and in a team that does not have the quality of his Brazilian National team side, yet he scored the most goals (jointly) and was second in assists produced for the team in the Premier League last year. If he were to compete for a spot with Gabriel Jesus he would certainly be benched, however, as a right winger, he would certainly be a contender for a starting XI position for Brazil.
Coutinho: It seems that Coutinho has been given one additional lifeline year. After being part of the Champions League winning team, Coutinho seems to have found renewed hope as he travels back to Barcelona. Though Barcelona are in turmoil, it seems that Coutinho could now be given an opportunity to play in his proper position and to be a catalyst at the club. At 29, this will certainly be his last chance to be a world class player again and justify his position in the Brazilian national team.
Rodrygo and Vinicius Jr. : There is promise in these players and because they are only 1 year apart from each other and playing on the same team, they will inevitably be linked together and spoken about in the same breathe. But to me, Rodrygo has always seemed like the greater promise. He doesn’t have the flair and pace of Vinicius Jr. for sure, but if either of these players are going to play for the National team, Rodrygo will be first. It’s his passing and vision and overall awareness of the game that makes him more likely to be a world class player. Both players aren’t afraid to attack and take responsibility with the ball in their feet, but Rodrygo has yielded for better results. He was the second highest CL scorer for Madrid (scoring more than Neymar in the whole competition!) while having the most assists for Los Blancos in this year’s CL.
While Vinicius flies down the flanks for an individual play, many times they don’t lead to a successful outcome. Rodrygo seems to have integrated better with the rest of the team and is more involved in the general team play.
Willian, Marcelo, Lucas Moura, Douglas Costa: As these players age, their place on the bench will only increase. No longer are these players guaranteeing a top spot in their position. Douglas Costas was already struggling to find a starting position. These players are certainly on their way out of the Brazilian national team and should no longer be called for service.
There are other key players that Brazil had that at least maintained their relevance. Casemiro, Fabinho, Alisson, Ederson, Weverton, Alex Telles, Danilo, Militão (who failed to convince us of a bright future), Firmino, Renan, Dani Alves (even at his age).
It was a year for sure this 2020 of ours. It was full of lows, but still there are highlights worth remembering. For all the Brazilian fans out there, this was a year of new promise. As always Brazil continue to produce relevant players! Sadly, as players age, we say goodbye to some of our old favorites as they continue into obscurity. Thank you, Willian, Marcelo, Lucas Moura, Douglas Costa and others, for your service.
This is our new Starting lineup recommendation for Brazil.
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Alisson
Danilo Marquihos Militão Renan
Richarlison Casemiro Fabinho Neymar
Firmino Gabriel Jesus
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Stats of gols per nation in the 2019/20 Champions League. Courtesy of Globo Esporte
