As has been well-documented with The Sportsman, Roma’s Alisson Becker has been one of club football’s most sought-after goalkeepers in the transfer market thanks to a successful 2017/2018 season that saw the Italians reach the Champions League semi-final and the Brazilian national team number one catch the eye of outfits such as Liverpool, Real Madrid and Chelsea.
Becker went on record in saying that he wished to have his future resolved by the start of the tournament so as not become distracted as Brazil attempts to land its sixth title on this stage. Of course as Brazil has now advanced to the Last 16 with its shot-stopper still in Serie A employ, it was a call that went unheeded by his current employers and agent.
But the truth is that, thanks to a watertight defence led by Miranda and Thiago Silva, Alisson has had little to do thus far and until yesterday’s 2-0 Group E decider against Serbia had conceded just one goal while forced to make only a solitary save.
By the close of play against the Serbians, who rallied to keep themselves alive in the competition, just a further two shots were added to this tally meaning that in the group stages after Uruguay’s Fernando Muslera, who didn't see a single attempt pass him, Alisson and Hugo Lloris of France had conceded the least goals in the initial stage of the competition of all their peers in Russia after Mexico’s Guillermo Ochao let three in against the Swedish
In comparison however, Muslera, even though protected by the “Blue Wall” of Diego Godin and José Giménez for La Celeste’s first two ties before injury ruled the latter out of the team’s third, had to make six saves overall before Uruguay's own Last 16 tie with Portugal.
And while they have also made just a single stop each, Spain’s David de Gea and England’s Jordan Pickford have had to pick the ball out of their own net on five and two occasions respectively prior to the Three Lion’s Thursday showdown with Belgium.
“The system defends the whole [unit]” beamed Tite, who now turns his attention towards overcoming Mexico on Monday afternoon and hoping that Brazil’s stinginess in giving away chances and goals continues as part of a defensively-heavy yet attackingly-expressive philosophy the former Corinthians commander has honed.
