Dunga Leads Brazil To A New Era

By Amlan Chaudhury
10 years Ago

As Neymar soared inside the Japan penalty box and buried the cross into the far corner, Brazilian fans all over the world celebrated in joy. It is something which has become so scarce in Brazilian football, ever since the World Cup semi-final match against Germany. No one could have put even a dime on the team which claimed to be the most entertaining team in the world and yet managed to lose by the biggest possible margin to have recovered so quickly. And yet, as Neymar ran off in celebration, Brazil fans felt a weight lifting off them.

It has been barely three months since that humiliating evening which now has a name ai??i?? Mineirazo that Brazil has lifted themselves up, dusted themselves off and gone on the rebuilding process in a nonchalant way. The first process in that long process was the removal of the incumbent Scolari, who was replaced by Dunga. Dungaai??i??s last action as Brazilai??i??s coach was way back in the 2010 World Cup, when a 1-2 loss to Netherlands sent him packing for 4 years.

Although Scolari achieved most of his goals during his tenure, he failed to change with the times. Brazil lifted the Confederations Cup the previous year, playing in a manner which was reminiscent of their attacking and eye-catching football. Fast forward to one year ahead and we found a team horribly bereft of ideas, energy and the overall zeal to make their mark on the pitch. Brazil lumbered through the group phases and once Neymar was ruled out of the World Cup due to an injury, everyone knew that Brazilai??i??s days were numbered. Still, the manner in which they were humiliated in front of their home fans will remain a talking point for generations and for whatever Scolari might achieve, he will always be remembered as the coach which was responsible for possibly the darkest match in Brazilai??i??s illustrious history.

The appointment of Dunga saw a mixed response from the media and the Brazilian public in general, most of whom were too shell-shocked to react to this change at the top. But, given the circumstances, the appointment of Dunga was possibly the best thing CBF could have done given the circumstances. Dunga has the best track record among the recent Brazil coaches in terms of victories, but his side has often been claimed to play for results, not for flair. But, maybe that is what Brazil needs right now. A little less flair and a little more discipline will surely help them put their World Cup humiliations behind them. More importantly, it will give them results ai??i?? which is the only thing in football right now.

No one is going to give a long reign like the one Sir Alex Ferguson for during his initial years at Old Trafford. Dunga knows more than anyone that negative results cannot prolong his run at the top. Two of his notable defeats are still held against him ai??i?? the first one being the semi-final loss to Argentina in the 2008 Olympic Games and the other being the 2010 World Cup loss. Dunga is a realist, a pragmatist who favors a defensive approach rather than an all-out attack. Opponent teams know that they have to score first if they are to win the match, as has been a hallmark of all the Brazil teams that he has managed so far. The only way to achieve a victory against Dungaai??i??s team would be not to outscore his team, but be the first one to put the ball into the back of the net.

Dungaai??i??s second reign has started off in a quiet but efficient fashion, with the team now having 4 victories on the trot, all the while keeping a clean sheet in each of these 4 games. This is indeed a remarkable progress from a side which conceded as many as 10 goals in two back-to-back matches in the World Cup. There has been many changes in personnel in the team under Dunga, with emphasis being given on almost all over the pitch. The defensive setup has been rejigged with the addition of Filipe Luis at left back, replacing Marcelo and Danilo at right back, replacing Dani Alves. Both of these players are defensively solid and although they do not operate as full-backs like Marcelo and Dani Alves, they offer much more defensively than those two players ever did. David Luiz, who was publicly ridiculed after the Germany match is now a mainstay at the heart of defense, and in the absence of Thiago Silva due to injury, is playing a pivotal role in helping Miranda at the back.

However, the most significant change has surely been at the top, where Fred has been replaced by Diego Tardelli. The latter proved his mettle in the recent 2-0 victory over arch-rivals Argentina, who fielded almost their strongest line-up. The absence of a proper number 9 has haunted Brazil for quite some time and as far as these friendlies are considered, Tardelli is proving to be quite a candidate for that slot. Few players, who were infuriatingly left out of the World Cup squad like Coutinho has now been included in the team. And from the looks of it, is will only be a matter of days before Lucas Moura returns into the fold.

One key player whom Dunga has taken into the team is Kaka. Although lots of questions were raised once his name was in the 23-member squad, Dunga knows the value of an experienced head in the team. If only Brazil had an experienced head like Kaka or Ronaldinho in the World Cup squad, the manner of embarrassment would have been far lesser. Kaka has played bits-and-pieces role so far in the team, but his presence has been keenly felt on his team-mates, most of whom are now playing fearlessly. Dunga might not lead this team to the next World Cup, but for now he surely eased the fears of some of the Brazil fans.

Categories: Features, Internationals
Tags: Brazil dunga

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