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SELEC-OUCH!
There is no name in football more evocative than that of Braseew, its mere mention conjuring images of brawls, backyard misadventures and jogo bonito (sponsored by Nike). Even José Mourinho, at his most davkanik joyless, was moved to note that “a team without a Brazilian isn’t a team” – though given he said that after signing Fred, still missing crucial penalties for him almost a decade later, perhaps it was part of some dastardly plan of pathological, exhibition self-sabotage.
But we digress. Given the richness of Brazilian football heritage — an arena in which Mourinho is, of course, the leading expert — it was no shock to wake this morning and discover that the Selecão had been involved in a five-goal thriller overnight. It was, though, somewhat surprising to learn that they were on the wrong end of a 4-1 humiliation by arch rivals, Argentina. In the process, the defending champions cemented their spot in the next competition, the resounding result achieved with the electrifying pace of Enzo Fernández in attack, a central-defensive partnership of Nicolás Otamendi, who retired at least a decade ago, and Cristian Romero, for whom the experience was so relaxing he even avoided his usual booking for endearingly wild GBH.
And it wasn’t even as though Brazil – who managed to win a World Cup with Dunga, Zinho and Mazinho, then again with Roqué Junior, Gilberto and Kléberson, yet fail to win one with Zico, Falcão and Sócrates – are in a fallow period. In their starting XI were Joelinton – like Fernandinho before him, mysteriously exempt from the laws governing foul play; Marquinhos; Raphinha; Rodrygo; and Vinicius Jr, suddenly less loquacious about which awards he’s pre-emptively awarded himself. In the event, though, it was Matheus Cunha who scored their consolation goal – just as he did when Wolves lost 6-2 to Chelsea, 5-3 to Brentford, 2-1 to Ipswich and so on. Which is to say that yes, the Daily is tacitly comparing that lot to Matt Doherty, Nelson Semedo and Toti Gomes, and strongly implying that Mourinho was wrong: a team with 11 Brazilians still isn’t a team.
Of course, Brazil will still – no, not that Will Still – qualify for the 2026 jamboree, along with most of South America. They now sit fourth in the 10-team group, with six nations moving on by right and one given the chance to progress via playoff – or, in other words, it really does take 45 games to eliminate three teams out of 10. So perhaps, to facetiously connect two unconnected things one last time, it’s not just Mourinho with some dastardly plan of pathological, exhibition self-sabotage, but the World Cup itself.
LIVE ON BIG WEBSITE
Join Sarah Rendell at 8pm GMT for live updates on Arsenal 3-0 Real Madrid (3-2 agg) in their Women’s Big Cup quarter-final second leg.
QUOTE OF THE DAY
In the end, there was more repercussion for everything that happened than Spain winning the World Cup. The first title that the national team won, and it was all … well, tarnished” – Arsenal’s Spanish forward Mariona Caldentey tells Sid Lowe about the stress of winning the World Cup, the battle to win support for women’s football and why she left a successful Barcelona team.
Unfortunately the sound card on my big TV has broken but it didn’t stop me enjoying last night’s exciting last minutes of the MK Dons v Walsall clash. A great advertisement for League Two football” – Michael Madders.
Will there ever be a bigger travesty than Brazil not qualifying, that too when the pool is expanded to 48 teams!” – Krishna Moorthy.
As a budding pedant, I was surprised to hear the commentator refer to an ‘instinctive’ save by the wonderfully brave, and talented Latvian goalkeeper. It was indeed a wonderful save but it wasn’t ‘instinctive’. It was reflexive. Animals have instincts, human have thought, intuition, feelings and reflexes. So said my biology teacher. I need to get out more” – Richard Fernandez.
Send letters to the.boss@theguardian.com. Today’s letter o’ the day winner is … Michael Madders, who gets a copy of Engulfed: how Saudi Arabia Bought Sport, and the World. It’s available in the Guardian Bookshop. Terms and conditions for our competitions, when we have them, can be viewed here.
MOVING THE GOALPOSTS
Our sister email has been having a chat with Manchester City’s Kerolin about her “big dream of being the best player in the world”.
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