The brave fans who ventured to the Fonte Nova stadium in Bahia must have concluded that Rodri saved humanity from the cheapest Ballon d’Or in history. On the pitch, sad and uninspired, they watched Vinicius take on the title of captain of the Brazilian national team, which posted the worst performance in World Cup qualifying history. Five wins, four defeats and three draws in 12 matches is an unprecedented record for the most legendary team in existence. This Tuesday, Brazil found itself haggard against Bielsa’s languishing Uruguay, a team vacillating between paralysis and rebellion. If Venezuela had not lost to Chile and Bolivia had not drawn against Paraguay, the drama for Brazil would have escalated into a real threat of missing the 2026 World Cup, the the most accessible tournament ever organized. For now, the draw leaves them buried below Argentina, Uruguay, Ecuador and Colombia, fifth with 18 points—one more than Paraguay, who are behind them in a format allowing six teams to qualify, where previously only four could do so.
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Two unbalanced teams faced each other. Brazil lacks creativity in attack. Uruguay lacks almost everything, especially midfielders with a sense of organization and the will to act. Facing a hesitant opponent, Dorival, the third interim coach in a year and a half, left Paquetá, his most creative midfielder, on the bench to place Raphinha in the role of playmaker, thus filling the vacant position of Neymar. Elevating a winger who thrives on running in space to the status of a creative powerhouse seems absurd. But Dorival didn’t stop there; he placed Igor, a Botafogo striker with limited technique, in attack, not even having summoned Gabriel Jesus, the magnificent Arsenal striker. This set the tone for the match at Fonte Nova.
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The stadium stands seemed empty. Considering the scale of the clash, its importance for qualification, and the historical weight, the lack of spectators was shocking. Marquinhos, the captain, urged fans not to abandon the team. However, the fans didn’t listen. Rightly so. Fans are in no mood to pay to watch the Impossible Ballon d’Or or Raphinha dressed as Neymar, no matter what runs he makes at Flick’s Barcelona team.
Uruguay marked a milestone in Bahia. Never has a Bielsa team pressed with so little energy. The contemplative attitude of the Uruguayan players coincided with the discomfort expressed by several members of the team, who complained about the coach’s lack of empathy. Huddled in their zone, protected by Olivera and Giménez, they played casually, patiently waiting for Pellistri or Bentancur to organize a breakaway. Faced with this static cohort, Brazil’s lack of ideas was obvious, even if the fiery Raphinha tried to provoke daring passes with an irregular spell, and even if Savinho managed to unbalance with his dribbling. Brazil faded as their game revolved around Vinicius. Transformed into a star by the media, praised by his federation, and exalted by his coach, he attempted dribble after dribble without freeing himself from his mark, and only managed to cause a foul on the edge of the area, which Ugarte stopped awkwardly. Raphinha’s shot hit the wall.
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The first half ended with only one shot on target from Brazil: an Igor header following a corner. The match languished in front of a half-empty stadium when Sarachhi launched Araujo with a deep pass. A single run was enough to disorganize the entire Brazilian defense. So low were they that Valverde had no difficulty receiving a ball on the edge of the area and hitting it with his famous mule foot. It was 0-1 and Dorival reacted desperately: he pushed Vinicius to the attacking reference and loaded the team with offensive power. He brought in Martinelli, Paquetá and Luis Henrique… Probably some of his best attackers, too late. As the match flowed slowly like a river toward a reservoir, acceleration proved impossible.
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The Uruguayans defended like trees in a plantation, clearing balls and cutting off passes. Firm and barely disturbed by the wind. The noise from the stands and the passes from their opponents did not overwhelm them. They observed the landscape with indifference. They had found homeostasis. Brazil flinched every time they had to defend, but Ugarte and his teammates preferred to let time pass without expending energy on the opposing field. As Valverde said later: “We could have attacked more to catch our breath, but we didn’t.” After the hour mark, a ball cleared into the Uruguayan area found itself at the feet of Gerson who scored the equalizer with a volley. Another shot from outside the box. Another goal without imaginative games.
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There was half an hour left. Plenty of time for a rebellion. Brazil had top players on the pitch. But they lacked order and, above all, coherence. Poor Vini Jr, stuck between the central defenders and the opposing pivots, sweaty and melancholic for lack of space, was the image of a cork in the funnel of a national team that is making history for mediocrity of his game and the poverty of his results. If qualification only offered four places, as in the past, Brazil would be on the brink of the World Cup.
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