Rip down the bunting. Throw turps on the street murals. Put out the barbecue coals.
The Hexa has died.
Off the back of their 2-1 World Cup quarter final defeat to Belgium, Brazil’s hopes of landing a record sixth title are now on hold for another four years and naturally, the disappointment in Tite’s men, tipped as one of the favourites to go all the way in Russia, falling short has been no better communicated among the South American country’s press and public.
“Green and yellow hell”, La Gazeta Esportiva called it. “Something was missing” ran the headline to a globoesporte piece, which then went on to explain this as “Balance: The national team exited the World Cup high on defence and substitutes with an attack that didn’t shine”. “Lower than what was hoped and expected” was another that accompanied a picture of a disappointing and disappointed Neymar in a heap on the ground in defeat, while elsewhere it was decreed that “Hazard and Lukaku destroyed Brazil in 45 minutes.”
After the outlet’s TV coverage, 2002 legend Ronaldo criticised a “horrible result” and those that failed to commit a professional foul on Lukaku that would have broken up play and prevented Kevin De Bruyne’s stunning second goal. Over on Fox Sports Brasil, his France ’98 teammate Edmundo ripped into Tite: “Why did [Brazil] come back to the second half with Jesus, having Douglas Costa at his disposition? Tite’s hard head cost Brazil qualification [to the semi-finals].”
Though Ronaldo encouraged Tite’s continuation, as have his employers, the CBF, swathes of the public were critical of the coach for persisting with an injured Fred who could have been cut from the squad in order to make way for Barcelona-bound Arthur.
Naturally, for one’s own goal and the other’s lack of them over five appearances as Brazil’s number 9, Manchester City pairing Fernandinho and Gabriel Jesus have been attacked on social media with the latter sadly branded even worse than “Fred Cone”, i.e. 2014 target man Fred, and the “worst striker in the history of the Seleção.
“Tuesday will be Brazil v France and I don’t want to know [otherwise]. I’ll work until midday and after it’s barbecue and beer. I won’t suffer due to the errors of others” insisted Osvaldo Bispo, clearly angered by his plans for next week being hampered. “Since 2014, I noticed something. Marcelo doesn’t contribute anything when he wears the yellow shirt and he was practically walking on the field” raged Elizabeth Carrasco of the Real Madrid left-back, who has been singled out for a rather weak attempt to block the aforementioned successful De Bruyne effort that put the Belgians 2-0 ahead.
“When Brazil learns to have tranquility and cold blood like the Europeans when they’re losing, we can be champions again” insisted José Aparecido Costa. “Neymar will be 30 at the next World Cup” began Junior Sosa. “We hope he is mature enough to lead the national team to the title as has been expected in recent years and we wait at least four years to know”, it was ended – which is all Brazil can do now: hope and wait.
Come Qatar 2022, the five-times champions will have gone 20 years without a world championship but can set off on the road to rectifying this by exorcising the demons of 2014 with a Copa America win on home soil next year. Whether coach Tite will be there to lead them, or have the majority of these psychologically-bruised players under his command, is another matter entirely.
