Brazil have been able to relax for a long time now regarding their place at the World Cup in Qatar this year, but they still want to make sure they finish top of the CONMEBOL group, ahead of arch-rivals Argentina. With that goal in mind, it was very important for them to triumph over Chile at the Maracana Stadium in Rio de Janeiro, and they did so convincingly.
Paris Saint-Germain star Neymar broke the deadlock from the spot in the 44th minute and Real Madrid winger Vinicius Junior added the second in the first-half stoppage time. Philippe Coutinho, currently at Aston Villa on loan from Barcelona, converted another penalty in the 72nd, before Everton forward Richarlison produced the pick of the bunch by curling a quick low effort past Claudio Bravo in the Chile goal with the 90 minutes just gone.
Brazil – Hunting No.6
It’s never easy to guess who ends up winning a World Cup, and there are certainly a number of teams that must be counted among the favourites, but Brazil surely must be placed at or near the very top of the list. The selection options at Tite’s disposal are unbelievable, in every position.
Coutinho and Richarlison scored after entering the fray from the bench. Fabinho, Bruno Guimaraes and Gabriel Martinelli were also substitutes given a chance in the second half, while the likes of Dani Alves, Alex Telles, Weverton, Arthur Melo, Rodrygo Goes, Eder Militao and Everson remained seated. There are also numerous top level players that weren’t even there on the night, such as Manchester City duo of Ederson Moraes and Gabriel Jesus, Liverpool forward Roberto Firmino, or Arsenal in-form defender Gabriel Magalhaes.
Those who were named to start certainly don’t need too much introduction – Alisson Becker in goal, Danilo on the right defensive flank, Guilherme Arana on the left, Marquinhos and Thiago Silva between them, Casemiro and Fred as the double pivot in midfield, Luis Paqueta further up, Neymar flanked by Vinicius and Antony in attack. Some team.
The country that has won five World Cups so far unsurprisingly continues to produce top talent in abundance. They are always among the favourites, even if they do sometimes fall unexpectedly short of expectation. This time they appear to be the real deal and no team will relish facing them in Qatar.
Chile out
This defeat, coupled with Uruguay’s triumph over Peru, means Chile will not be going to Qatar. With one game left to play, the gap between them and the fourth place – the last to lead to the World Cup – is four points; game over.
Chile boast a number of extremely experienced players, but the likes of Alexis Sanchez, Arturo Vidal, Gary Medel or Claudio Bravo, who have played hundreds of important matches between them, simply weren’t up to the task of stopping this brilliant Brazil side.
Chile took a total of 10 shots in this match, but only two found their way into the frame of the goal, but for a ‘keeper like Alisson Becker, they posed no danger whatsoever. The Brazil back line, marshalled by Thiago Silva, dealt with most situations without any issues. Martin Lasarte’s team managed to shift a gear up for a while, right after the break when they obviously felt they could still avoid defeat, but it didn’t last long and they were soon pegged back again.
All in all, Chile have nobody but themselves to blame for the lack of success in these qualification. They won only two of the first 11 matches in the campaign, and after that, it was never realistic to expect them to reach the tournament in Qatar.
Arturo Vidal
One of the most amazing facts about this match is that Arturo Vidal played from the first to the final whistle without getting booked.
The Inter Milan midfielder was particularly reckless, committing numerous arguably bookable fouls, doing his best to poke and provoke the opposition players, and arguing with the officials incessantly. He contested every decision which went against his team, he reprimanded Brazil players for trying to dribble past him let alone for doing something actually wrong, and every time an incident seemed on the verge of breaking out, you could always see the recognizable hair of the 33-year-old in the thick of things.
This behaviour is nothing new when it comes to Vidal; he is well-known for his controversial, battle-ready approach to every game, but what exactly made referee Dario Herrera decide against booking him every single time remains a mystery.
Gary Medel acted in a similar way, but the defender, also quite known for such antics, did pick up a yellow card after 72 minutes.
Much-needed confidence boost for Richarlison
Richarlison has had a rather difficult season at Everton. Struggling with a knee and a calf issue, the 24-year-old has so far managed just four goals in 20 Premier League appearances, and quite apart from his own problems, the Toffees are currently locked in a battle against relegation. They still look likely to survive, but this is definitely not where they’d have wanted to be before the season started.
It’s therefore very important for Richarlison’s confidence that Tite still trusts him. He repaid the coached faith in full; his goal was brilliantly taken – a quick-fired shot, bent low around the ‘keeper and into the far corner, with every opponent powerless to prevent it.
Richarlison is contracted to Everton until the summer of 2024 and he recently expressed a great desire to be successful at Goodison Park, but if things don’t pick up there soon, he might want to consider other options for his future soon. There will surely be takers for his quality among the teams competing for trophies in the top five European leagues.
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