Brazil fans, are you ready for a deep dive? After a World Cup flop, Ancelotti promised change, but Brazil's midfield woes continue! We break down what went wrong against Australia, why the 4-2-4 isn't working, and how the team can turn things around. Want more smart soccer talk? Subscribe to our channel and drop a comment telling us what you found most interesting! #soccer #Brazil #WorldCup #football #sports
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0:00 - Pre-match Expectations and Lineup Concerns
0:34 - Brazil's Build-Up Play and Structural Issues
2:41 - Analysis of Positional Play and Attacking Problems
6:13 - Pressing Triggers and Difficulty Advancing
8:46 - Midfield Weakness and Ineffectiveness in Attack
11:02 - Match Examples Demonstrating Tactical Flaws
16:14 - Suggestions for Midfield Changes and Future Outlook
We're now available on Spotify! Listen now https://open.spotify.com/show/
👉 This channel was created in collaboration with https://www.youtube.com/@futebolmaximo
0:00 - Pre-match Expectations and Lineup Concerns
0:34 - Brazil's Build-Up Play and Structural Issues
2:41 - Analysis of Positional Play and Attacking Problems
6:13 - Pressing Triggers and Difficulty Advancing
8:46 - Midfield Weakness and Ineffectiveness in Attack
11:02 - Match Examples Demonstrating Tactical Flaws
16:14 - Suggestions for Midfield Changes and Future Outlook
We're now available on Spotify! Listen now https://open.spotify.com/show/
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SportsTranscript
00:00After a World Cup plagued by serious midfield problems, Ancelotti's call-up promised a completely different midfield setup for this
00:07post-World Cup period.
00:08But what we saw in that terrible performance against Australia was a repetition of the same mistakes and proof that
00:14Brazil is still on the wrong track.
00:18That's because on the eve of the match against Australia, Ancelotti confirmed Brazil's starting lineup with four forwards and only
00:25two midfielders,
00:26reviving old ghosts from this national team cycle and suggesting that this game against Australia might not go so well.
00:34And indeed, it wasn't good at all.
00:35To start analyzing the Brazilian national team, let's look at Brazil's build-up play from the back and their attempt
00:40to establish themselves in the attacking half.
00:42For this game specifically, Ancelotti made a change to the build-up structure.
00:46Back at the World Cup, it was often Douglas Santos who dropped back to form a backline with the centre
00:49-backs.
00:50In this match against Australia, it was Danilo, the left-sided defensive midfielder,
00:54who dropped deep to help build out from the back with Marquinhos and Vitor Reis.
00:58At times, Bruno Guimaraes would drop deep on the right side to set up the build-up with the two
01:02centre-backs,
01:03one holding midfielder and another pushed forward.
01:05A three-man build-up with at least one more to support it.
01:08Space for the full-backs to push forward, but a team that invariably split in two, as we'll see in
01:13a few examples here.
01:14So, Brazil builds up play with Marquinhos carrying the ball here, look.
01:18And here's an interesting thing, right? Because at certain moments in this match,
01:22the forwards even tried to drop deep to offer a passing lane to try and give the team some continuity
01:27on the pitch.
01:28But this movement here by Estevon is completely pointless.
01:31I understand that behind it, there's perhaps the desire to try to drag the defender away,
01:35disrupt the marking a bit, shake it up and offer a passing option.
01:38But it's not Estevon leaving his position here on the right side,
01:41or a position he could occupy more centrally that will help Brazil play more fluidly.
01:45No, it'll just be one more player dropping back and one fewer player up front to try and create plays.
01:51Fewer players circulating between the defensive lines.
01:53So, at times, that happened.
01:55We'll even see in the next play here that Rafinha drops deep to try and help too,
01:59very much in an effort to provide solutions for a game that just wasn't clicking.
02:03So, here Estevon came over, didn't really have a chance to receive the ball, and he took off, pushed forward.
02:10Notice here that as Marquinhos carries the ball forward,
02:13look at how Andrik makes a run into space, accelerating behind the defensive line.
02:19That's an aspect this front four has in common.
02:23There are four players with explosiveness, power and speed in the final yards.
02:28But you have to create opportunities so these players can exploit the space that's created.
02:33Instead of just launching long balls for them to fight for and maybe win a duel here or there.
02:38Kind of randomly, right?
02:40So, a lot of times during these build-ups, we saw this right here.
02:43Look, the player in possession carrying the ball and the forward making this run to break through,
02:48making this run to accelerate behind the defensive line, just like Enrique did here.
02:52He makes the run to break through and accelerate.
02:55But Marquinhos chooses not to play the pass to him.
02:58Here's another flaw in the Brazilian national team's build-up,
03:01which is the center-backs carrying the ball forward very little, right?
03:05There's plenty of space to push forward, to get into the attacking half, to compact the team up front.
03:09And many times the defenders chose to do this right here.
03:12Look, a long diagonal ball, looking for the fullback or winger.
03:15And the pass didn't come off, like what happened on this play here from Douglas Santos and things don't work
03:19out.
03:20So, here's the third example to wrap up this first part of the analysis.
03:23The Brazilian national team's build-up play.
03:25Brazil positioned further forward, you know, higher up the pitch.
03:27It's not a build-up from the back.
03:30And here we can clearly see this shape and the team split in two in a very precise way, right?
03:35Marquinhos, Vitor Reyes, and Danilo dropping back to provide a passing lane.
03:38And there's an aspect here that's worth keeping an eye on,
03:40because when Ancelotti drops Danilo deep to build from the back alongside the center-backs,
03:44he takes away Danilo's main strength, which is surging forward and getting into the box.
03:49When Danilo is the guy responsible for playing out from the back alongside the center-backs,
03:53you end up taking away the best part of his game.
03:55So, for me, that was clearly one of the worst decisions Ancelotti made in terms of roles during the match.
04:02Yes, Danilo has played as a holding midfielder for Palmeiras some time ago,
04:07but he's no longer the kind of player who just helps build from the back the entire time
04:10without being able to get forward, break through lines, and push into the opponent's half.
04:13Yes, he can help with the build-up, and he can alternate with Bruno Guimaraes.
04:16But doing only that, as he did for much of this game, is way too little.
04:20So, we come back here to the national team's setup when building from the back.
04:22Danilo over here on the left side, with Bruno Guimaraes as the more central holding midfielder.
04:27That 3-plus-1 build-up, both full-backs push high.
04:30Douglas Santos on one side and Mateusinho on the other, and the front four are playing inside.
04:34So, Vinicius tucks in a bit, Estevon tucks in a bit, along with Hendrik and Rafinha.
04:38Look at the spacing of this team. This team is completely split in two.
04:42We have the defensive block, right?
04:44The two center-backs, plus the two midfielders, and then the block of six players up front.
04:49The two full-backs and the four attackers.
04:51Four and six.
04:52The team is completely spread out, with no chance of advancing through build-up play,
04:56stringing passes together, finding support, or moving the ball quickly.
04:59That was also one of Brazil's biggest mistakes, as their attacking was terrible, right?
05:02So, here, Danilo received the ball.
05:04Look, since he has no forward-passing option, he's got Douglas Santos out wide.
05:07So, he prefers to play the ball backward.
05:09Vitor Reis, who drifted more central, passes it back to Marquinhos.
05:11And that's that point I mentioned just a moment ago, right?
05:13Since Marquinhos has space to move forward, just like Danilo did, just like Vitor Reis has,
05:18he's got room to push up, to attack, to advance, to carry the ball forward, right?
05:22To push Australia back a bit more.
05:24And try to get other players to show for the ball, move around, drift through that more central area.
05:27But that doesn't happen either, right?
05:28The center-backs played a very cautious game in that regard.
05:31Look at how Marquinhos has plenty of space, yet he keeps hesitating.
05:34Look, at no point does he break through, speed up, take up that space, or push forward.
05:38Number, he prefers to play a sideways pass to Danilo.
05:41Danilo doesn't do it either.
05:42Look, once again, it's a player who receives the ball out wide, and he's not going to speed it up.
05:46He's not going to drive forward to try and create any imbalance.
05:49And while this happens, look at how the team is completely split in two, right?
05:53Hendrik, Rafinha, Vinicius.
05:54Bruno Guimarães barely pushed up in this play.
05:57Estevão tucked inside.
05:58So, Brazil has five players pinned right up against the defensive line.
06:01Or in the space between the defensive and midfield lines of the Australian national team.
06:05But without actually creating an advantage, something that could help the Brazilian national
06:10team advance up the pitch, create in a dangerous, promising way.
06:14So, that's one of the main aspects Ancelotti will need to look at during this FIFA window.
06:18And you, who subscribe here to the Football Maximo channel, will keep following this whole
06:22FIFA window.
06:23There's another match against Australia.
06:25There's another against India.
06:26And we're going to keep our eyes wide open for these possibilities for the Brazilian national
06:30team.
06:30So, if you're not subscribed, go ahead and subscribe to the channel to follow this progress.
06:34Or, lack thereof to, from the Brazilian national team.
06:36I'll admit to you that, for me, the prospects aren't very positive.
06:39And for you, comment below what you expect from the Brazilian national team in these upcoming
06:43matches.
06:43So, here Danilo doesn't break through, he doesn't push forward, so the ball goes back
06:47again.
06:47And here's an interesting point.
06:49Because passing the ball backwards, pressing trigger, what does that mean?
06:53The team is circulating the ball back there among the defenders.
06:55When a ball goes back, that's a trigger, an alert for the opposing team to go press.
07:00So, that's something arranged right there in the locker room.
07:03Look, as long as those guys are circulating it among the centre-backs on a more horizontal
07:07line, cool.
07:08We'll keep a more set, compact shape.
07:10If the ball goes back even a bit, the press pushes up, accelerates, tightens to try to
07:15win it back.
07:16And that's what Australia does on this play here.
07:18Brazil even manages to find a forward pass, right?
07:20Vitor Reis finds a pass forward.
07:23Estevam plays it right back to Bruno Guimarães.
07:25But the play doesn't flow because he has little support, man.
07:28So, the ball goes back again.
07:29And Brazil goes back to playing this more pedestrian game, you know, from player to player, passing
07:33from side to side without speeding up the tempo that much.
07:36And they keep retreating.
07:37Notice something very important.
07:39Look, back at the beginning of the play, when I was illustrating the moment of the pressing
07:42trigger here.
07:43Look where the trio of players building up from the back for Brazil is.
07:48Danilo, Vitor Reis and Marquinhos.
07:50Look how in a few seconds, within that same play, right?
07:53Because the movement wasn't good enough for them to move up the field or make any progress.
07:57Look how in just a few seconds, these three players are almost inside Brazil's penalty
08:01area.
08:01So, Brazil keeps dropping back, dropping back, dropping back.
08:04And before they know it, Australia has pushed up their marking.
08:07Stepped up.
08:08Pressed.
08:08And they managed to box in Brazil's play out from the back.
08:11That press wasn't executed that well in this specific play.
08:14So, Hugo Souza is even going to find a way out here.
08:17Look, with Bruno Guimarães a bit more on the inside.
08:19A very, very clean way out.
08:21Bruno Guimarães has an option here because the Australian team's marking also split a
08:26little.
08:26So, here, Bruno Guimarães would have the chance to receive it, turn and face forward with
08:31an open field.
08:32To drive the team forward.
08:33But in this specific case, the pass from Hugo Souza is really poor, isn't it?
08:37The pass isn't good.
08:38Bruno Guimarães hesitates.
08:40Brazil ends up losing the ball.
08:42So, here we can see that Brazil had a lot of trouble progressing up the pitch in moving
08:47foul compactly with support, moving the ball well from one side to the other, switching
08:51it quickly.
08:52So, you can also try to find spaces in the defensive line.
08:54And as the team dropped back, Australia pushed their marking up slightly.
08:57And it bothered them.
08:58That was kind of the pattern of the match.
09:00After about 15 minutes into the first half, it was the most unstable spell for the Brazilian
09:04national team.
09:05And for a very long period in this match, right, Brazil wasn't really able to establish
09:10themselves, push Australia back, move the ball with speed, create good scoring chances.
09:15That became very, very clear in this match.
09:18That sluggishness.
09:19And positioning also stemming from this formation.
09:22With a thinned out midfield and four guys up front, which didn't work.
09:26And there is no prospect of it working.
09:28When we check out the 365 Scores website to take a look at the game's stats, we can see
09:33that Brazil actually had a lot more possession.
09:34But that possession was mostly between defenders, just as I pointed out earlier.
09:39They had way more shots.
09:4116 shots to 7.
09:42But the quality of those shots was very low, right?
09:45An expected goals of only 1.15 Brazil did score.
09:491-0 while the Australian national team had an expected goals of 1.45 in this game specifically.
09:55And when we look at the big chances created, this number right here for me really catches
10:00my attention to Brazil created two big chances and Australia also created two, even completing
10:08less than half the passes that Brazil completed in this game.
10:11Which shows and illustrates that a lot of things are out of sync in Brazil's attacking play.
10:18And that was one of the main aspects for me of the match.
10:22Brazil's limited ability to speed up that possession.
10:24Even though they have players in midfield, in attack, who have that quality?
10:29Estevan, Vinicius, Rafinha are quick players.
10:32Danilo himself and Bruno Guimarães, who formed the midfield duo there.
10:36But something just didn't flow.
10:38So the Brazilian team's play lacked that dynamic, that power, that speed to move the ball quickly
10:43and try to find space against a well-organized defense.
10:46They had their merits.
10:48Very compact.
10:49A line of 5, a line of 4.
10:51The Australian team is well-organized.
10:53A physically strong team.
10:55But technically, they are very far from being able to compete.
10:58Go head-to-head and play as equals with the Brazilian team.
11:02Which is what we saw at many points in this friendly.
11:04And now we're going to take a look at some plays that illustrate this slowness, this sluggishness
11:09of the Brazilian team.
11:10And this limited ability to create a more fluid game moving forward.
11:13Here again, that typical build-up play for Brazil in this match.
11:17Danilo makes a pass to Vinicius, right?
11:19Vinicius drops back a little bit here to offer a passing option.
11:23And look at how the moment he receives the ball, three Australian players immediately come
11:27to press Vinicius on this play.
11:29He has no advantage at all.
11:30He has no opportunity to turn.
11:32He has no way to drive Brazil forward.
11:34Because of that, what is he going to do?
11:36He's going to pass the ball back.
11:37And as I said, passing the ball back is a pressing trigger.
11:39Look.
11:40Look at how with the ball going back.
11:41Brazil is already under a bit more pressure from Australia.
11:44Here again, there's a lack of coordination in this press.
11:47And space is going to open up for Bruno Guimarães.
11:49He's going to receive a clean pass from Marquinhos.
11:52Marquinhos read this play really well here.
11:54Look.
11:54The ball comes from Vitor Reis.
11:55He lifts his head right away.
11:56And on his first touch, he plays the ball to Bruno Guimarães.
11:58Bruno Guimarães controls it.
12:00Already with a good body shape, you know, which means controlling it while turning forward,
12:03turning his body forward.
12:04And he already looks up to scan his options.
12:06And once again, there's that tactical issue that the Brazilian national team ends up over-relying on, right?
12:13Most of the attacking moves are aimed at playing balls in behind for Rafinha, for Endric, for Vinicius, for Estevão
12:19to speed things up.
12:21And because of that, you know, you often end up playing very vertical, very direct football when you have the
12:26ball.
12:26And you don't get much fluidity in possession.
12:29Few passing sequences.
12:30Few well-structured attacks, obviously, given the characteristics Brazil has up front.
12:35That kind of game might favor Rafinha, Vinicius, Endric, Estevão.
12:39But it can't just be that.
12:41And many times, Brazil chose to attack only that way.
12:43Speeding up the game way too much.
12:45At any moment.
12:46In any way.
12:47Like in this play right here, look.
12:48Bruno Guimarães brings it down.
12:50Already on the turn.
12:51Good body shape.
12:52Nice and clean.
12:52Perfect.
12:53Once he turns facing forward, he's already looking to play the ball.
12:56Then it comes down to a technical error, right?
12:58He slips.
12:59Wasting a chance Brazil could have had with the ball.
13:01To create something more dangerous in the game.
13:02Here, in this other play, building up from the back for the Brazilian national team.
13:05We'll see it again.
13:06This lack of ability, Brazil had to push the tempo a bit more.
13:08In this play right here, look.
13:09It's the two center backs side by side building up.
13:11Danilo even pushes up a little bit.
13:14Along with Bruno Guimarães.
13:15And you can clearly see Australia's shape.
13:17A back line of five.
13:19The other four midfielders.
13:20And just the lone striker up top.
13:22But notice that Vito Reis, who's the player with the ball at his feet.
13:25He doesn't have a single clean passing option forward.
13:28Everyone is kind of hidden.
13:30Kind of marked.
13:30With no chance to get involved effectively in the game, right?
13:34So what is Vito Reis going to do with possession here?
13:36Look.
13:37He carries it a bit.
13:38The space doesn't open up.
13:40And then Bruno Guimarães and Danilo go back to the original plan.
13:43Which is to drop back and offer a passing lane.
13:45Danilo on the left.
13:46Bruno Guimarães on the right.
13:48He plays it to Bruno Guimarães.
13:49Bruno Guimarães spreads the ball wide to Mateusinho.
13:51And once again, that issue of something that became a bit of a bad habit in this Brazilian
13:55national team attack.
13:56Which I repeat, isn't entirely bad in itself.
13:58The problem is only playing this way.
14:00The ball reaches Mateusinho over on the right flank.
14:03Look.
14:03Look at how Rafinha and Henrique are already making the run in behind.
14:07They are already making diagonal runs to receive a true ball.
14:10And accelerating these final yards.
14:12Beat heavier defenders with pace.
14:13And get a shot off from that.
14:15Mateusinho doesn't have much confidence to play the pass up the pitch.
14:17And he passes the ball back.
14:18And Brazil stays trapped in this game.
14:20Knocking the ball around between the defenders, between the midfielders, between the center
14:23backs.
14:24And it doesn't advance, doesn't push forward, doesn't truly settle in the attacking half.
14:28Here again, an example of what happens at the start of this play.
14:31A ball played into Vinicius.
14:32Two players mark him.
14:33His back is to the attacking half.
14:34He has nowhere to go here.
14:35And so you can't blame the player.
14:37What could Vinicius possibly do on this play, for instance?
14:40And Vinicius had a bad game.
14:41Vinicius didn't play well in this clash against Australia.
14:43But what other option did he have here, besides passing the ball backward?
14:47None.
14:47None unless he were Superman to break through both of these guys right here.
14:50And as far as I know, he isn't.
14:52So he's going to drop the ball back to the defense again.
14:54And the ball goes back to the defenders.
14:55Back to Vitorais' feet.
14:56Back to Marquinhos' feet.
14:58Marquinhos carries it forward briefly here.
15:00And then, like I mentioned at the very beginning of the video, right?
15:02Their space carried the ball forward.
15:04Push into the attacking half.
15:05Try to get the team to have more numbers up front.
15:08So the attackers can make their runs.
15:10Without having to drop back to offer a passing option.
15:12But he doesn't do that.
15:13He pushes up just a little bit.
15:14Waits for Bruno Guimarães to close in.
15:17And Australia, the whole time, pressing, closing down the space.
15:21Pressuring the player on the ball.
15:22Not letting him get comfortable.
15:23And this approach by Brazil just stays, look, horizontal.
15:26You can see this sequence here.
15:27It takes quite a while.
15:28And the ball just goes from side to side.
15:30Side to side.
15:31Rather slowly, right?
15:32I'm even speeding up the footage a bit here.
15:34Rather slowly.
15:34And with very little ability to attack.
15:36To break through.
15:37Back pass.
15:38Again, pressing trigger.
15:39Just like I mentioned earlier.
15:40The ball goes back to Vitor Reis here.
15:42Who was consistently the deepest man in Brazil's setup.
15:44But it's a trigger for Australia to push up.
15:46And in this one, I showed two other examples where the press wasn't well coordinated.
15:51In this one, Australia's press was spot on.
15:53They locked on man to man here.
15:55Beautiful.
15:55No way for Brazil to play it out.
15:57The ball comes to Marquinhos' feet.
15:59What's he gonna do?
15:59They'll have to hit it into the defender.
16:01The ball's up for grabs.
16:02Up it goes.
16:02Second ball.
16:03Australia wins it.
16:04And they keep possession.
16:05So these plays illustrate just a few of the many problems that Brazil had in this matchup
16:10against the Australians.
16:13With the midfield empty.
16:15With little ability to pick up the pace of the game.
16:18And with a lot of possession.
16:19But it didn't flow much.
16:20To me, this is directly linked not only to the instructions.
16:23But to the roles assigned to the players.
16:26But also to this very, very empty midfield of the Brazilian national team.
16:32There's no way it's gonna have to change for the next game.
16:35And looking ahead to this next match for the Brazilian team.
16:37In my opinion, there's no other way.
16:39A third midfielder will have to come in.
16:41Ancelotti could repeat Bruno Guimarence.
16:43Gerson.
16:44Danilo.
16:45And another player like Martinelli, for example, playing in that holding role.
16:48Even Douglas Luiz, who came on in this match.
16:50Or Andrei Santos himself.
16:52Anyway, these are options he has there to play as the number five.
16:54That holding midfielder.
16:55But honestly, thinking that these friendlies are mostly tests to understand how some players
17:00perform and how they fit into the Brazilian national team.
17:02I would feel a very different midfield in this second match.
17:05With Baumtempo, Breno, Badan and Martinelli.
17:08This trio of players who play in Brazilian football and then the attack man could have
17:13Vinicius Jr. on the wing.
17:14It could have Rafinha on the other side.
17:16Or even Estevão himself playing wider.
17:18With Rafinha playing more centrally.
17:19Or a slightly different approach with Pedro.
17:21Pedro acting as that target man.
17:23Pedro doing really well in that hold up play.
17:25Holding onto the ball and creating space for the others to make runs.
17:28Vinicius can work well like that.
17:29Estevão can work well like that.
17:31Or even Rafinha cutting inside from the wing.
17:33From the left.
17:34From the right.
17:34Drifting a bit more through the center.
17:36Anyway, the possibilities are endless, right?
17:38As for the forwards here, for me, in this specific sense, I'll even remove their names here.
17:42It's not what worries me the most.
17:44What worries me the most, as I've already said in other videos here on the Football Maximo channel,
17:48is this midfield.
17:49It's not working with this duo.
17:51This 4-2-4 clearly isn't going to work.
17:53It was clear before the World Cup.
17:55But Ancelotti reconsidered it while the World Cup was underway.
17:59And now, man, he relapsed into this thing.
18:01Which, honestly, is almost bizarre.
18:03Because it's so obvious that it won't work.
18:05And he keeps insisting on it.
18:06Keeps insisting.
18:07Seems like a crazy thing.
18:08Like an infatuation with a system that won't work out.
18:11It's not going to work.
18:11So, for this next game, I would go with this trio right here.
18:15Martinelli, Breno Bidon, and Gabriel Bontempo, by the way.
18:18There are videos here on the Football Maximo channel about these three players.
18:22There's a video on Bidon that Chuao made.
18:25I made a video on Martinelli touching a bit on this issue.
18:29About the national team's midfield trio.
18:31And I also made one on Bontempo.
18:32I'll leave them at the end of the video in the card.
18:34So, you can check them out.
18:35These players, right?
18:36Basically, what they can bring to the Brazilian national team.
18:39But I think more than the individual traits,
18:42what they can bring as a midfield trio for the team as a whole
18:45is something that can be very, very beneficial for Brazil.
18:50In this race to try and improve, Brazil needs to evolve as a team.
18:54Which isn't happening.
18:55And if you like this idea of checking out those videos of Martinelli,
18:58Bontempo, and Breno Bidon,
19:00I'll leave them right here on the side in the cards.
19:02And also the playlist for our Fantasy League.
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19:09We're running it.
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19:16But it's already up and running, you know,
19:18for the Brasileiro Serie A and Serie B.
19:19We've got the league over there.
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19:26you'll follow everything about the Fantasy League
19:27and understand how it works down to the smallest detail.
19:29And you'll also keep an eye on the highlights
19:31of the Brazilian national team.
19:33Well, not so much highlights at first.
19:35We'll see you next time.