England have continuously struggled to overcome their obstacles in facing Brazil. They have rarely achieved success against them, holding a particularly poor record compared to their other opponents. This was evident in their recent game, adding to manager Gareth Southgate’s growing concerns.
It was intended to have a different approach, to be a preparation tool for the European Championship in the upcoming summer. However, some important players were absent, including captain Harry Kane, Luke Shaw, and Bukayo Saka. Brazil was believed to be in turmoil, with new manager Dorival Júnior admitting he didn’t have an instant solution. But in the end, it seemed like he did.
England did not perform at their best. They struggled to create opportunities on the offensive end, as the absence of Kane and his teammates was felt. The substitutes did not do enough, except for a few impressive moments from Anthony Gordon. Throughout the first half, it was evident that England was in a precarious position, as Brazil’s decline has been exaggerated. In the end, Dorival Júnior’s team scored the goal they earned.
The mistake occurred when England’s substitute Lewis Dunk misjudged a header. Andreas Pereira then passed the ball to Vinícius Júnior, who was making a run behind John Stones, causing concern for England. Although Vinícius was stopped by Jordan Pickford, another 17-year-old substitute from Palmeiras, Endrick, was there to score from the rebound. Endrick, who will be joining Real Madrid in the summer, had come off the bench and had another opportunity for a close goal but was blocked by Pickford in a one-on-one.
The scattered jeers at the end of the game were expected, almost a customary occurrence, and Southgate had a lot to consider before Tuesday’s friendly against Belgium. England’s history against Brazil reveals 12 losses out of 27 matches, with only four victories.
England manager Southgate was without four of his usual players, including a concerning issue in the midfield next to Declan Rice, and it became five when Kyle Walker had to leave the game due to a hamstring issue. Newcomer Ezri Konsa came in to make his debut at right-back. This made it challenging for England to find their groove.
The conversation leading up to the match centered around how this was a new and unfamiliar Brazil team, one that the millions of fans back home are struggling to connect with. Despite their recent losses in the South American World Cup qualifiers, there is a widespread belief in Brazil that their football is not on the same level as Europe’s top teams. With a number of players injured, Dorival Júnior made the decision to give five players their national team debut in the starting lineup. However, having Vinícius on the team provided a sense of reassurance. As the team worked to find their rhythm and passing connections in the beginning of the match, Vinícius shone on the field with his dangerous gameplay. The subdued Wembley crowd was a testament to Brazil’s slow start.
Vinícius missed the opportunity to score in the 12th minute, shooting weakly past Pickford. This gave Walker the chance to defend the goal. The chance was set up by Lucas Paquetá’s impressive skill and a floated pass. There was another moment where Vinícius managed to evade Walker in the penalty area, but instead of shooting, he exaggerated the contact and fell down. However, it was not a penalty.
“Move through the newsletter without receiving the promotion.”
after newsletter promotion
Brazil defied negative predictions and displayed a more threatening performance. Although Vinícius posed a clear danger, he failed to deliver any results before halftime, as did Rodrygo who had a fleeting moment and then missed a major opportunity in the 42nd minute. Harry Maguire made a mistake he will likely regret, getting dispossessed by Rodrygo, whose shot went wide. Brazil also had a chance when Paquetá hit the post with a sidefoot in the 35th minute.
During the game, England experienced the strong physical presence of Brazil, which was testing the limits. Thankfully, Paquetá was not given a second yellow card for tripping Jude Bellingham just before half-time, even though it was his fourth foul.
During the game, it seemed like Brazil was intentionally focusing on Bellingham, who received a yellow card for a harsh challenge on Bruno Guimarães. This put the Real midfielder’s temperament to the test as he could sense his anger rising.
During the first half, England had opportunities to score but Ollie Watkins was unable to capitalise on the best one after receiving a pass from Conor Gallagher. Gordon also had some attempts before half-time, but none seemed likely to result in a goal. The closest chance came from a free-kick at the far post, while Ben Chilwell’s shot was not quite accurate when positioned well following a partially cleared corner.
Gallagher, who was on Southgate’s team with Rice, had a difficult night. Brazil was able to control the game while he frequently lost the ball. It may have been unfair to solely criticize Gallagher, as Phil Foden also struggled to make a impact on the game, whether it was on the right wing or in the No 10 position after Southgate substituted Bellingham.
The energy in a packed Wembley stadium was lackluster – we were at the point of making paper airplanes – which highlighted the smoothness of Brazil’s rapid passing plays; and also showed England’s struggle to find a good rhythm and effective offense.
The biggest cheer of a tepid second half from an England perspective was that which greeted the introduction of Kobbie Mainoo from the bench for his debut. Southgate’s team created nothing after the interval. Paquetá had bent a fabulous first-time shot past the far post and it was Endrick who made the difference.
Source: theguardian.com
