2024: A Year to Forget for Brazil!
The Copa América was a disappointment, and when all was said and done, it was a failure. As for the World Cup Qualifiers (WCQ), Brazil sits in 5th place—a position that, while enough to advance, is still embarrassing by Brazil's lofty standards. Instead of dwelling on the last few results, let’s focus on some key areas for the team going forward.
- What to make of the youngsters?
This includes 18-year-old Endrick, 17-year-old Estevão, and 20-year-old Savinho. While not all of them had enough minutes to prove themselves, only Savinho looks convincing enough to retain his spot. Endrick and Estevão may need more time to earn their place again—or perhaps Dorival simply didn’t give them enough opportunities?
- Should Vinícius be benched or dropped altogether?
The numbers for 2024 couldn’t be worse for the national team: in 10 games this year, Vinícius managed to score only two goals. Across his entire Brazil career, he now has five goals in 36 matches. Even when his performances were solid in stretches, luck didn’t seem to favor him. So, is it a matter of poor form, bad luck, or both when it comes to his contributions to the national team?
- What to do about the defense?
With Éder Militão likely out for the foreseeable future due to injuries, it’s time to accept that he may never return to his previous level. Moving forward, should Brazil settle on Marquinhos and Gabriel Magalhães as the central defensive pairing? While they’re both solid, the defense as a whole often looks shaky, and clean sheets are rare—something that used to be the norm under Tite.
One potential solution could be a three-man defensive line, adding Bremer alongside Marquinhos and Magalhães. However, it’s unlikely Dorival would consider this option.
- What to make of the midfield?
Which players should Brazil build around, and who should be dropped? Most would agree that Lucas Paquetá’s time is up—not only has his effectiveness waned, but his legal troubles also seem to have affected him mentally. Should the team focus on players like Bruno Guimarães, Gerson, André, Andreas Pereira, and Ederson?
And what about the veterans like Casemiro, Joelinton, and Douglas Luiz? Can they still contribute meaningfully to the squad?
- Who should be our options for center forward in 2025 and beyond?
Matheus Cunha, Pedro, Richarlison, Endrick, Evanilson, or Vitor Roque? Personally, I still believe in building around Endrick, but João Pedro might deserve more opportunities as well.
- And finally, the most crucial question: if the coach gets fired, who should replace him?
Let’s stick to realistic options—names like Ancelotti and Guardiola are out of the question. Possible candidates include Tite, Sylvinho, Filipe Luís, or even Tite’s former assistant João (on a caretaker basis, for now).
---
As you can see, 2024 leaves us with more questions than answers—frustration and uncertainty abound. But let’s imagine, for a moment, how different things might have been if Neymar had stayed healthy and if Dorival had been replaced by a more credible coach, say Vanderlei Luxemburgo. At the very least, Brazil might have reached the Copa América semifinals and secured 2nd or 3rd place in the WCQ standings.
The Copa América was a disappointment, and when all was said and done, it was a failure. As for the World Cup Qualifiers (WCQ), Brazil sits in 5th place—a position that, while enough to advance, is still embarrassing by Brazil's lofty standards. Instead of dwelling on the last few results, let’s focus on some key areas for the team going forward.
- What to make of the youngsters?
This includes 18-year-old Endrick, 17-year-old Estevão, and 20-year-old Savinho. While not all of them had enough minutes to prove themselves, only Savinho looks convincing enough to retain his spot. Endrick and Estevão may need more time to earn their place again—or perhaps Dorival simply didn’t give them enough opportunities?
- Should Vinícius be benched or dropped altogether?
The numbers for 2024 couldn’t be worse for the national team: in 10 games this year, Vinícius managed to score only two goals. Across his entire Brazil career, he now has five goals in 36 matches. Even when his performances were solid in stretches, luck didn’t seem to favor him. So, is it a matter of poor form, bad luck, or both when it comes to his contributions to the national team?
- What to do about the defense?
With Éder Militão likely out for the foreseeable future due to injuries, it’s time to accept that he may never return to his previous level. Moving forward, should Brazil settle on Marquinhos and Gabriel Magalhães as the central defensive pairing? While they’re both solid, the defense as a whole often looks shaky, and clean sheets are rare—something that used to be the norm under Tite.
One potential solution could be a three-man defensive line, adding Bremer alongside Marquinhos and Magalhães. However, it’s unlikely Dorival would consider this option.
- What to make of the midfield?
Which players should Brazil build around, and who should be dropped? Most would agree that Lucas Paquetá’s time is up—not only has his effectiveness waned, but his legal troubles also seem to have affected him mentally. Should the team focus on players like Bruno Guimarães, Gerson, André, Andreas Pereira, and Ederson?
And what about the veterans like Casemiro, Joelinton, and Douglas Luiz? Can they still contribute meaningfully to the squad?
- Who should be our options for center forward in 2025 and beyond?
Matheus Cunha, Pedro, Richarlison, Endrick, Evanilson, or Vitor Roque? Personally, I still believe in building around Endrick, but João Pedro might deserve more opportunities as well.
- And finally, the most crucial question: if the coach gets fired, who should replace him?
Let’s stick to realistic options—names like Ancelotti and Guardiola are out of the question. Possible candidates include Tite, Sylvinho, Filipe Luís, or even Tite’s former assistant João (on a caretaker basis, for now).
---
As you can see, 2024 leaves us with more questions than answers—frustration and uncertainty abound. But let’s imagine, for a moment, how different things might have been if Neymar had stayed healthy and if Dorival had been replaced by a more credible coach, say Vanderlei Luxemburgo. At the very least, Brazil might have reached the Copa América semifinals and secured 2nd or 3rd place in the WCQ standings.
