How Brazil will cope with loss of Neymar for rest of World Cup group stage

It was each going truthful well. Perhaps excessively well.

True, Brazil struggled to interruption down Serbia successful the archetypal fractional of their World Cup opener. But the shot moved quicker and the endowment flowed arsenic Richarlison's brace sealed a 2-0 win successful a scintillating 2nd half. And, surely to the delight of manager Tite, the squad went with an ultra-attacking lineup but astatine nary clip looked successful the remotest information of conceding a goal. Even the information that the squad had to enactment hard for its openings was a plus.

Things could hardly person gone amended -- until a unreality was formed with those 2 injuries towards the game, ruling retired Neymar and Danilo from at slightest the adjacent 2 matches.

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There are immoderate awkward coincidences successful the 2 ankle injuries. Neymar, of course, has a past of World Cup misfortune, forced retired of 2014 successful the people of the contention and 4 years aboriginal coming backmost from a semipermanent layoff. And Danilo besides fell by the wayside during Russia 2018.

More significantly, the nonaccomplishment of these players sheds airy connected the 2 mini-controversies successful the squad that manager Tite announced earlier this month: the lack of Roberto Firmino and the inclusion of Dani Alves.

Brazil person much prime wide players than they cognize what to bash with. They astir apt privation that a shot tract could person 4 flanks. The last spot successful the squad ended up going to 1 of those wide strikers -- the nine signifier of Arsenal's Gabriel Martinelli proved intolerable to resist. Firmino made way, though helium is the closest Brazil tin get to a replacement for Neymar successful the mendacious No. 9 role, opening up abstraction and slipping passes done to the wingers.

Some successful Brazil constituent to the 2019 Copa America, which Brazil won without Neymar, who was injured connected the eve of the competition. They reason that, partially based connected the grounds of the Serbia match, Brazil are amended disconnected without their No. 10. This is surely a mendacious argument. Wingers and centre-forwards seldom triumph games connected their own. The likes of Richarlison and Vinicius Junior payment hugely from the enactment of Neymar, inactive Brazil's outstanding attacking talent.

But immoderate successful Brazil person adjacent been celebrating his injury. Neymar has ever been a divisive figure, and surely did himself fewer favours with an ill-judged introduction into the governmental arena. In a democracy, everyone has the close to ballot for their campaigner of choice, but Neymar went further with his vocal enactment of far-right incumbent Jair Bolsonaro, who was beaten successful Brazil's caller statesmanlike elections.

It takes Neymar into terrain which, astatine this signifier successful his life, helium is ill-equipped to traverse. This, aft all, is simply a antheral who conscionable a fewer weeks agone successful a Spanish tribunal confessed that helium simply signs papers his begetter puts successful beforehand of him. It whitethorn good beryllium that helium broke a pact successful the Brazil squad wherever they look to person agreed not to go over-involved successful the country's astir polarised predetermination successful memory.

His prime looks nary amended successful the airy of events -- wherever Bolsonaro mislaid his bid for re-election and concerns astir his anti-democratic tendencies person been heightened by his reluctance to judge the result. And Neymar unwisely transformed the squad into a governmental conveyance erstwhile helium promised to dedicate his archetypal extremity successful Qatar to Bolsonaro. Neymar, then, has recovered a mode to enactment a bulk of the state against him, and galore person latched connected to Richarlison arsenic the caller hero, some for his goals and his societal conscience.

But it would beryllium unwise to conflate bitterness astir Neymar's governmental stance with doubts astir his prime arsenic a subordinate and his value to the team. He volition beryllium missed. And it would beryllium cruel so if helium does not get a accidental to amusement himself astatine his champion successful this competition.

So, without Firmino to measurement in, Brazil person to get by without Neymar, for the adjacent 2 games astatine least. A highly promising procreation of attackers present person to judge much responsibility. The coaching unit person immense religion successful Rodrygo of Real Madrid, seen arsenic the aboriginal of the nationalist team. Has the aboriginal travel early? Perhaps, though determination whitethorn not beryllium abstraction for a replacement.

Brazil ever intended to usage their ultra-attacking enactment against Serbia, and revert to thing much orthodox against Switzerland, who they look connected Monday. They spot the Swiss arsenic a much balanced side, with antiaircraft solidity and attacking pace. So the program ever was for Fred to instrumentality to the midfield, with Lucas Paqueta moving higher up the pitch.

Someone would person to driblet out, which until Neymar's wounded looked similar a precise pugnacious choice. Before the Serbia crippled the wide campaigner was Vinicius Jr., but it would beryllium a immense telephone to driblet him aft his show connected Thursday. And truthful Paqueta could simply determination up into Neymar's slot, the sorcerer's apprentice promoted to the apical job, allowing Brazil to clasp 2 wingers and a centre-forward.

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Richarlison's opener, arsenic good arsenic his acrobatic extremity for Brazil against Serbia astatine the World Cup recreated successful Lego.

The beingness of Fred becomes indispensable if Brazil are to regenerate Danilo with the different specializer right-back, Alves. At the property of 39, helium needs the extortion provided by the lung powerfulness of Fred. Coach Tite has traumatic memories of the 4th last elimination to Belgium 4 years ago. The near broadside was Marcelo, Phillippe Coutinho and Neymar. No 1 was doing overmuch defending, and that is wherever Belgium looked to strike. A close flank of Alves, Paqueta and Raphinha looks likewise vulnerable.

An alternate would beryllium to play Eder Militao arsenic a antiaircraft right-back. Brazil had a look astatine this successful September's affable against Ghana, and the results were amended than expected. But it would permission the manager exposed to criticism. What was the point, it would beryllium said, of taking Alves if helium was not going to beryllium utilized erstwhile the first-choice right-back gets injured? Such an enactment would marque the lack of Firmino each the much glaring.

World Cups, of course, cannot beryllium won successful the radical phase. They tin lone beryllium lost. And the bully quality for Brazil is that they already person 3 points successful the bag. It gives them immoderate breathing abstraction arsenic they question to set -- hopefully, lone temporarily -- to beingness without Neymar.