Brazil 4-0 Denmark conclusions

After a pair of stuttering goalless draws with South Africa and Iraq in the opening matches of Group A, Brazil threw off the shackles with an emphatic 4-0 win over Denmark in Salvador, teeing up a quarter-final tie with Colombia in the process. The Seleção looked reinvigorated with Rogerio Micale opting for a bold 4-2-4 […]
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sambafoot_admin
2016-08-11 21:23:00

After a pair of stuttering goalless draws with South Africa and Iraq in the opening matches of Group A, Brazil threw off the shackles with an emphatic 4-0 win over Denmark in Salvador, teeing up a quarter-final tie with Colombia in the process. The Seleção looked reinvigorated with Rogerio Micale opting for a bold 4-2-4 / 4-2-3-1 system that the team has worked on in training and it paid dividends in a comfortable victory.

As expected, Denmark sat deep with a bank of four defenders and five midfielders ahead of them strung across the penalty area. They looked to repeat the tactic that bore fruit for South Africa and Iraq as they tried to squeeze Brazil into wide positions and marshal players into congested areas of the field. However, this time Rogerio’s team were prepared for the tactic, with a subtle shift in the front 3. Neymar took up a false 9 position, with Gabriel Jesús starting from the left.

The pair swapped constantly, making Brazil’s attacks far less predictable. In previous matches, the Seleção’s patterns had become very readable, with the ball nudged to Neymar on the left and a frustrated captain left to negotiate a sea of bodies as he sought to cut in on his right foot. But starting from a more central berth, Neymar was able to move from inside to out, which made him much harder for Denmark to pick up.

Anticipating that Brazil would be forced wide, Micale asked Douglas Santos to push right up and look to make runs in behind right-back Mikkel Desler. Desler simply never got a hold of this strategy. Neymar constantly withdrew from the centre, took the ball in the number 10 position and looked to feed the penetrating runs of Douglas Santos at every opportunity. Santos picked up two assists in this manner, with a perfect low cross teeing up Gabigol for the first and a sharp run and cutback for Luan to score the third. Desler was removed after 64 minutes and Santos was quite possibly Brazil’s man of the match.  

It’s true that the hosts also had a little more felicity on their side on this occasion. In the first half, they did not create an awful lot more than they did in the opening 45 minutes of the Iraq and South Africa games. The difference was that this time they took their opportunities. Gabigol and Gabriel Jesús took advantage of their wide starting berths with smart back post finishes. Jesús’ in particular was a consummate finish, steering a rising ball into the roof of the Denmark net.

From here, Brazil were able to relax and exercise their will. With a two goal cushion, they made far more collective decisions, opting for interplay and teamwork. Second half showings against Bafana Bafana and Iraq were marred by frustration, as players sought overcomplicated, individual solutions. Luan’s selection also gave Brazil a more central focal point to their attacks and he supported the front three ably by picking up pockets of space between the lines of Denmark’s defence and midfield.

With Jesús and Luan attacking central areas, Neymar had the freedom to collect the ball in pockets of space, while Douglas Santos kept the pitch nice and big with his constant raids from full-back. Brazil started attacks in a 4-2-3-1 shape, but in reality, their dominance of possession saw them play in a 2-2-5-1 with the full-backs pushed right up and Jesús, Luan, Gabigol and Neymar rotating positions. It was an enterprising shape, but Rogerio knew well that, with Denmark only needing a draw to confirm qualification, the opponents were unlikely to undertake an adventurous approach.

The Seleção’s victory was partly down to clever tactical tinkering that made them more fluid and less predictable. However, taking their chances in the first half allowed for a far more relaxed approach. Colombia will provide sterner and more ambitious opposition on Saturday in São Paulo. But for now, Brazil can breathe a sigh of relief with qualification and their tournament can begin in earnest. With Mexico and Argentina eliminated, they remain favourites for their first gold medal for soccer at the Olympics.

TEAM: 1.WEVERTON, 2.ZECA (13.William ’74), 3.RODRIGO CAIO, 4.MARQUINHOS (14.Luan ’83), 6.DOUGLAS SANTOS, 12.WALACE, 5.RENATO AUGUSTO (15.Rodrigo Dourado ’79), 7.LUAN, 9.GABRIEL BARBOSA, 11.GABRIEL JESUS, 10.NEYMAR(c). 

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by
sambafoot_admin
Aug 11, 2016