Renato Augusto opening the score for Brazil
Source: FIFA.COM

Tchau, Brazil; the team who cried wolf too many times

by Isa Vasconcelos

And it is over. It was fun while it lasted.

In Kazan, Belgium beat Brazil, 2-1, and will go on to the semi-final against France.

Brazil coach Tite made magic, creating a team with a great defense and an almost perfect attack, keeping up a streak of a year without loses and only allowing six goals. But it was not enough to break the two-year streak, lasting 24 games that Belgium had.

Brazil started better than their other games, Coutinho gave hope on the 8th minute with a ball that hit the post, but that was just a small taste of how complicated it would be.

Five minutes later, during a corner, Fernandinho’s arm opened the scoring for Belgium.  An own goal. Belgium 1- Brazil 0.

But there was still hope, hope for a turnaround, that Gabriel Jesus would wake up and do what he does best, that Coutinho would score, that Neymar would show the kind of game everybody expected of him (without the dives, please).

Tha aspiration ended on 31 minutes when Kevin De Bruyne’s long range shot found the back of the net. Belgium 2. Brazil still zero.

Thibault Courtois did the rest. With 37 Minutes gone, the Belgium keeper showed that he would not let anything pass easily and defied Coutinho.

Tite tried to change things after the interval, bringing Firmino on for the ineffective William. More chances were created, but still, that was not enough. Ten minutes later, Gabriel Jesus was the next one to be substituted, in went Juve midfielder Douglas Costa. Tite was trying to fix the midfield, creating more and giving opportunities to Coutinho and Neymar.

His last throw of the die came in the 73rd minute, Renato Augusto came in, replacing Paulinho, who was not having a good day. It was Auusto who gave Brazil their one moment. In the 76th minute, a Coutinho cross found him Renato Augusto and he skillfully headed the ball into the back of the net.
There was hope yet. No.

The Belgians did not fold, they kept their cool, and held back the last of the South American team in this World Cup all the way until the end of the match. Brazil was out again even before the semifinals.

If you cry wolf too many times..

VAR or no VAR, there are so many times you can take a dive and expect the referee to respond with a penalty. Brazil cried wolf ( or foul, or penalty) one too many time, and suffered.

Gabriel Jesus found his way to the box, passed the ball through the legs of Jan Vertonghen, and then came up against Vincent Kompany who went in hard. Penalty. It was clear.

But Brazil had cried wolf too many times. Brazil had dived too many times, and that may have influenced the referee not to give the penalty. VAR or not VAR. No-one believed Brazil any more.

Four more years for Tite

Brazilian soccer federation, CBF, announced this afternoon, that they want Tite to continue for another four years, according to the Brazilian sports website Globo Esporte. Tite has not commented on the offer, and it is said that nothing will be decided until the coach goes back to Rio de Janeiro.

Overall Tite’s numbers with the Seleção are good, 26 games, 20 wins, four draws and 2 losses, the team scored 55 goals, and only allowed eight.