Brazil’s 4-2-4 may be sticking around, but the real concern from this FIFA window is Brazil’s mindset. We break down Ancelotti’s tactics, the India match, and why the fans were left waiting for the dribbles and flair. Join the debate!
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0:00 - Why the 4-2-4 Persists
3:51 - The Dessert Expectation
6:47 - The Factory Worker Metaphor
8:01 - Players Missing the Bigger Picture
9:00 - Brazil Fails to Entertain
10:34 - Taking Initiative on the Pitch
We're now available on Spotify! Listen now https://open.spotify.com/show/
#Brazil #Football #Soccer
Subscribe to Futebol Máximo for more football breakdowns.
Tell us what you liked most about the video in the comments!
👉 This channel was created in collaboration with https://www.youtube.com/@futebolmaximo
0:00 - Why the 4-2-4 Persists
3:51 - The Dessert Expectation
6:47 - The Factory Worker Metaphor
8:01 - Players Missing the Bigger Picture
9:00 - Brazil Fails to Entertain
10:34 - Taking Initiative on the Pitch
We're now available on Spotify! Listen now https://open.spotify.com/show/
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SportsTranscript
00:00First, the 4-2-4 manages a bitter draw in the final seconds, playing like absolute crap.
00:05And then against the same team, switching to the 4-3-3 brings a slightly better style of football and
00:09a win.
00:10And then the fan thinks, man, finally Ancelotti realized it and we're going to have more midfielders on the national
00:14team.
00:15But I think the fans haven't realized that the 4-2-4 is very far from being over.
00:20And let me tell you something. That's the least of our concerns for the national team this cycle.
00:23This FIFA window exposed a much bigger problem.
00:26And what made me see this was Jaquin plus the hard time Chaplin had in that factory over there.
00:31Yeah, today is going to be another one of those. Let's go!
00:33First, I'm going to tell you about the 4-2-4 and how I understand Ancelotti's mindset.
00:37Looking at this little pitch here, we notice that the 4-2-4 specializes in attacking this face behind the
00:42last line.
00:43So there are build-up dynamics, which I've already posted a video about here on the channel, breaking down the
00:47build-ups of the 4-2-4.
00:49And how several factors are responsible for opening up space behind the last line and finding a player facing forward
00:54with time on the ball to make that pass.
00:56Even in situations where the opponent matches the number of players building out from the back with an equal number
01:01of defenders, which is something very common nowadays.
01:03This 4-2-4 is able to exploit spaces, drag defenders out of position, which in the end is always
01:09about exploiting the space behind the defense.
01:12A big barble was the matchup. Ancelotti was fielding Brazil in this 4-2-4 against teams that didn't press
01:17high like this.
01:18And the context of the game ended up being completely different.
01:21The demand for this 4-2-4 wasn't to attack the space behind the defense against a team that would
01:25push and pin Brazil back in their own half.
01:27They were teams that sat deeper in a much lower block and demanded a lot more link-up play and
01:31passing combinations.
01:32And then we come to an obvious conclusion, right?
01:34Like, man, against weaker teams that are going to defend deep, man, line up in a 4-3-3.
01:38And against stronger teams, we go with the 4-2-4.
01:40But that's where I get his mindset.
01:41What I make of this persistence with the 4-2-4, even against teams that will sit deep, is that,
01:46like, against a really strong side that will press Brazil, we're going to need that attack in behind.
01:51And at certain moments in the game, we're also going to need to control the game.
01:54Trying to make this 4-2-4 work, even against teams that are sitting deeper, means making kind of a
02:02hybrid thing, you know?
02:03Face a very strong team, play in a 4-2-4, have the ability to create danger by attacking the
02:09space behind the defense.
02:10And when we need to control the game, cool, we're also trained for that.
02:14Why?
02:15Because Brazil was set up in a 4-2-4 against teams that also sat deep, so we went through
02:18that situation.
02:19He won't need to make substitutions stop attacking the space behind to control the game.
02:24And then if by chance the game script changes like this, because of conceding a goal or something,
02:28I'll have to make another substitution to go back to the 4-2-4 to attack the space behind the
02:32defense.
02:33No, it's much better for the 4-2-4 to be capable of doing everything.
02:36And right now, it's not capable of doing that at all.
02:38It's a nightmare to see a 4-2-4 against any national team, even a weak one, sitting deep.
02:43On the surface, it seems that Ancelotti stopped being stubborn and went with a 4-3-3 that he finally
02:48gave up his stubbornness.
02:50But I think it's much more about trying to find a 4-2-4 that can perform well against teams
02:54sitting deep,
02:55rather than a 4-3-3 that will lose that strength in attacking open spaces,
02:59with a wide open pitch against strong teams that are going to press Brazil.
03:03The 4-2-4 would be more understood, like people would be more forgiving
03:06if Brazil were playing a team that pressed, that pinned us back a bit more in our own half.
03:11Then the fans would understand a bit better why Ancelotti insists so much on this 4-2-4 me,
03:18being the optimist that I am, I think he's planning for the big games.
03:21He thinks, bro, against a powerhouse team, like a France, like a Spain,
03:26or whoever Brazil would face if they got past Norway,
03:29even if it was against a more established team, together, longer, with better players,
03:33the matchup, the tactical clash of systems against that team would be better
03:37if Brazil had a better grasp of the 4-2-4.
03:40I wouldn't bet my life on anything in this world,
03:43but I'd be willing to bet an orange juice and a fruit salad that this 4-2-4 isn't going
03:47to go away.
03:48Anyway, my take is that this is the ambition.
03:51What really concerns me is something else this last FIFA window exposed.
03:57It's not the players.
03:58In fact, I did a little test just for fun,
04:01put everyone Jekwijn called up from the Brazilian league into my fantasy team
04:04to play the round against Rai, and I beat him 5-2.
04:07It was a blowout. I don't think that's the problem.
04:09The big problem for me was the players' mindset in this last FIFA window.
04:12Bro, the guys were completely clueless, absolutely clueless,
04:16and to explain it in a way that makes it impossible for you to misunderstand,
04:19we first need to look at the scenario around this last FIFA window and how the players behaved.
04:24The players' behavior within this scenario,
04:26what helped me understand this context was something Jekwijn said
04:29that made me realize the players' behavior was absurd.
04:32What was the deal? Check it out. Let me tell you.
04:34Sorry, I was watching MasterChef. This was a really long time ago, years ago.
04:38I was watching MasterChef, and it was a dessert challenge, you know?
04:41The folks had to make sweet dishes, nice-looking and all,
04:44and then before the challenge started, Jekwijn came up to the contestants and said,
04:48Listen up, everyone.
04:50Dessert has the power to save a restaurant's reputation.
04:54A restaurant that served a bad main course.
04:58Why? Because it's the last thing lingering in the recent memory of the customer
05:01who went and ate at your restaurant.
05:02It's very common for everyone to always focus on the main course
05:05and think that's what makes your restaurant's reputation.
05:07But if your customer leaves there with a fresh memory
05:10that the main dish was actually good, but the dessert was kind of bad,
05:14that but is what will count, and that's what he'll tell others.
05:17If it's the other way around, a not-so-good main course
05:19and a spectacular, wonderful dessert,
05:21the best dessert I've ever eaten in my life,
05:22that's what will stick in the person's memory.
05:24That's why a dessert has the power to save the reputation of a restaurant
05:27that delivered a bad main course.
05:28That really stuck in my head, bro.
05:30It stayed in my head for so long that years and years later,
05:32it made me understand what happened during this latest international break.
05:35What happened?
05:36The Brazilian national team brought together a bunch of players
05:38making their first appearances for Brazil, starting a new cycle.
05:41In other words, of course, the expectation isn't for spectacular soccer.
05:44Two friendlies against Australia, and the last friendly,
05:47the third friendly against India, ranked 137th in the FIFA rankings.
05:53In other words, in case a newly assembled national team
05:55full of new faces against Australia isn't a main course
05:59that's so easy to digest, fine.
06:02Against the team ranked 137th in the FIFA rankings,
06:06we guarantee a nice dessert for the Brazilian people.
06:09That at least it will be an 8-0 blowout with nutmegs, sombrero flicks,
06:12volleys, bicycle kicks, everything to do with Brazilian soccer
06:15that Brazilians love to watch.
06:16That's how Jacqueen made me start to understand the scenario of this international break.
06:20It was for Ancelotti, the restaurant, while India was dessert.
06:23A guarantee that at least we would be here discussing whether an 8-0 blowout against India
06:27is truly a test or not.
06:28But at least we'd be talking about a massive blowout.
06:30And the Santos fans saying that Bomb Tempo flicked the ball over someone's head.
06:33And the Flamengo fans saying that Lino pulled off a nutmeg.
06:35And the saying that Pedro scored a goal with his chest.
06:37And that way managing the Brazilian national team's relationship with the fans
06:40and the Brazilian people and blah blah blah.
06:42But what it seems even Ancelotti didn't count on
06:44is that the player's behavior would be just that.
06:47Look, I'll explain to you.
06:48Look, what's the deal with this scene?
06:49This conveyor belt moving a bunch of screws.
06:52This guy is worried about tightening these screws without slowing down his buddies.
06:55Notice that his posture is super focused.
06:58Like a predator on the screws on the job he wants to get done.
07:01But what's the magic of this scene?
07:03The magic of cinema?
07:04Notice that the screw is coming from a place
07:07that the guy doesn't even care where it came from.
07:09And it's going to a place he doesn't care where it's going.
07:11He's solely focused on the screw he's tightening.
07:14This image of him so focused on his screw,
07:16it's more powerful than it seems.
07:18It means he's concerned with his own role
07:21without knowing what this tightening of a screw means
07:24for the end result and the final product
07:26that he himself is helping to create.
07:29He doesn't care if the end result of this tightened screw
07:32is part of a truck, construction machine,
07:35an advanced computer.
07:36Just as he doesn't think about where it came from,
07:38he also doesn't care where it's going.
07:39All he cares about is that he has to tighten that screw right there.
07:42In other words,
07:43he's a guy focused solely on his own job
07:47without understanding the big picture
07:49and the full scope of how the actions he takes
07:51will affect the final result of the whole thing.
07:55He doesn't want to understand the whole picture.
07:57And that's where all the outrage comes from.
07:59And to me,
07:59that's the most concerning part of it all.
08:01When a Steve-Own pushes forward
08:03here with the ball nice and slow
08:06and spots the impassable Indian wall
08:09and makes a face like...
08:11As if there were no other way out in this play
08:14except to turn back and pass the ball backward
08:17because there's no breaking through India's impassable wall,
08:22Esteve in this play right here
08:24makes it crystal clear that he's that guy right here.
08:26Man, he doesn't get that.
08:28This game against India is dessert
08:30for us to see dribbles, nutmegs,
08:32taking players on, one-twos.
08:35Brazilians are watching the end of this FIFA window
08:37with the dust settling
08:38so the relationship between the fans
08:40and the national team improves
08:41by watching the football we love most
08:44which is nutmegs, dribbles
08:45and thrashing a bunch of scrubs.
08:47Come on.
08:48He doesn't realize that every move
08:51he makes with the ball on that pitch
08:52echoes across the entire country
08:55and shapes the way we begin
08:56to connect with the Brazilian national team.
08:58He doesn't get that.
08:59And it's not just Esteval.
09:01If we look at the match stats here,
09:02man, this Brazilian football we want to see
09:04which would be a nice dessert
09:06to help us kind of forget
09:07that the main course wasn't all that great
09:09would be in the duels
09:10and not just the physical duels, right?
09:12Look at that.
09:13India won more duels than Brazil.
09:15And check this out, man.
09:16Completed dribbles.
09:17Look at this.
09:19India completed 13 dribbles
09:20out of 19 attempts.
09:22Brazil attempted,
09:238 broke,
09:24and only completed 3.
09:26The amount of dribbles
09:28Brazil attempted,
09:29adding up the completed
09:30and failed ones.
09:32The amount of dribbles
09:32they tried to pull off
09:33was lower
09:34than the amount of dribbles
09:35India completed.
09:37Damn.
09:38Not to mention the dribbles
09:39they attempted
09:39but didn't complete.
09:40It blows my mind
09:41how during halftime
09:42nobody goes into the locker room
09:43and says,
09:44guys, Brazilian fans
09:45are too impatient.
09:46They don't respect
09:46the whole process,
09:47the beginning of a cycle.
09:48We need to put some fresh memories
09:49in these people's heads
09:50like some nutmegs,
09:51some sombreros,
09:52and a win like 7 or 8-0, all right?
09:54That's what we have to do today, okay?
09:55How does nobody say this
09:56in the locker room?
09:57How does no player realize this?
09:58Like, so bizarre.
09:59And without giving the fans
09:59what we want,
10:00our discussion ends up
10:01being something else.
10:02Our discussion ends up being like,
10:03okay, we won 4-0,
10:04but it was off two bizarre
10:06goalkeeping howlers
10:07and Brazil's XG
10:08in this match
10:09was only enough
10:10for a single goal.
10:11Out of the 4-3 goals
10:12were bizarre howlers
10:13by the goalkeeper
10:13and the one he didn't botch
10:14was gifted by them
10:15playing out from the back.
10:16In the end,
10:16the one who actually got nutmegged
10:17was Douglas Santos.
10:18So, like,
10:19I totally get that
10:20most fans
10:22have more,
10:23don't really have the stomach
10:24to digest this whole process
10:26of making the 4-2-4 work.
10:28It's something that's taking
10:29a lot more time
10:29than even I expected to.
10:30It's definitely taking longer
10:32than Ancelotti expected
10:33and longer than the team expected.
10:34But when a player
10:35on the pitch
10:36is disconnected,
10:38feeling like he has to pass
10:39to this guy or that guy,
10:40and if there's no space here,
10:41if this guy is here,
10:41I'm not gonna do anything.
10:43Instead of thinking,
10:43bro, honestly,
10:44this game is for us
10:45to go all out.
10:45I'm gonna take them on
10:46and go for it.
10:47Their goalkeeper
10:47before the game started
10:48even seemed thrilled
10:49to be playing against
10:50Brazilians football superstars.
10:51Later,
10:51with his performance,
10:52we'll see that in reality
10:53he was probably just nervous.
10:54This play here by Samuel Lino,
10:56look at this.
10:56He slows his stride a bit
10:57and tries a self-pass
10:59around the guy
10:59and messes up.
11:00He tries to push it past him.
11:01The guy kind of went
11:02all or nothing
11:02with this tackle.
11:03Look,
11:03something we always talk about
11:04here at Futebol Maximo.
11:05He squared up his body.
11:06If the ball gets past him,
11:07it's over.
11:08Lino is already
11:08facing forward with pace.
11:09And here,
11:10he managed
11:11to stop the self-pass
11:12and won the ball.
11:13Now,
11:14just imagine
11:15this guy,
11:16this defender from India,
11:17winning this ball here,
11:18but facing this kind
11:19of dribble attempt,
11:21this attempt from someone
11:21trying to beat him
11:22one-on-one,
11:23facing it
11:24about 15 times in a game.
11:26But bro,
11:26of course they're going
11:26to get past him
11:27like 11 or 12 times.
11:28There was that play
11:29with Vini Jr. going at him
11:30where he completely lost
11:30his footing on a stepover.
11:32That wasn't even
11:32a real dribble.
11:33Vini Jr. just fainted a step
11:35and the guy almost
11:35fell backwards.
11:36And then,
11:36we finished the match
11:37with fewer attempted dribbles
11:38than India actually completed.
11:40And then,
11:40to me,
11:40the most bizarre thing of all
11:41is having to hire someone
11:42to give a lecture
11:43to these guys
11:43to talk about
11:44managing the national team's
11:45image with the Brazilian fans.
11:47The player also needs
11:48a bit of initiative
11:49to read the room
11:50and see what's going on,
11:51you know, man?