There’s no denial that after the Belgians were thrashed out of the World Cup due to a hardworking Argentine defence, which capitalised on that one single mistake that was punished by Gonzalo Higuain, my hopes for an All Latin American Derby Final just went a pitch higher. And why not? The whole world deprived of a Semi Finals spot is shredded between Brazil and Argentina, and there’s a reason why, history, passion and determination of two of the greatest masters of the beautiful game. This Latin American fantasy started a week back, I am a changed man, from dreading the likes of Cuadrado and James Rodriguez to believing to overcome the gap left by Thiago Silva and Neymar Jnr. Funny how a gamer, whose nation doesn’t even make it to the Top 100 national outfits, gives you reasons why Brazil should make it to the Finals, but word is word, here’s why:
Reason #1: David Luiz
Before even you could read his name, he has already darted through the midfield, leaving someone to cover his defence position, dribbling past the defenders, trying to outwit the counterpart’s false number nine. From being David Luiz the lunatic who had no clue who he was trying to be on the pitch to David Luiz the silent assassin, he has indeed come a long way and is righteously the preferred captain for the upcoming match versus the Germans. He has already proven the Nike ads right, with his flicks and tricks, but most importantly with his colossal presence whenever the opponent is attacking. Yes he has been instrumental in letting the Alexis Sanchez goal happen in the first place two matches back, but c’mon, depriving two hungry Latin American teams a place in the Semi Finals is indeed a rare accomplishment.
Comparing his defensive and all over attributes to his challenger (in terms of similar game style), Mats Hummels of Germany, I got this:
It is evident, Hummels is winning most of the challenges in the air, but if you just strafe down you might notice the area where Luiz is winning, and is a darn important area for a Centre Back – Tackles. 13 tackles in 5 matches, almost 3 per game, is fantastic if you consider the fact that Luiz has resisted suspension and given the team a continuous force in the defence line. Luiz is also having shots on target and breaking up play with his killer crosses, feeding the likes of Neymar and Hulk without any hassle. If need comes, you know who can kill it with a long range free kick.
Reason #2: Fred
You heard it right; I am in no mood to fool around. Fred has been a star player for Brazil in the past, knocking around goals for fun in the Confed. His positioning and reflexes has been a little slow of late, along with his urge to look for chances or create one if required. Be it at the club stage or the national stage, a Fred insurgence is so very due. Compare the stats to his previous year below and wish him all the luck to drive his shots with more finesse versus Germany:
I believe the one guy who can nullify the likes of Per Mertesacker and Benedickt Howedes and actually head or tap a goal out of nowhere is this dull coloured Fred. His biggest strength is his physical presence, an ability that can unlock Brazil’s luck while they face an organised and stern German backline. I still hold Deschamps guilty of France’s exit from the World Cup, because he played a strong German side without the physical domination of an Olivier Giroud. Giroud has proven from time and time that he can manage the rigorous back force of Spurs and Stoke City, sorry Deschamps but despite ’98 I hate you.
Reason #3: Attacking Wingback pairs
Remember how you’d stay up at night to watch the epic gala called El Clasico? Yeah, where Real Madrid spark off skills only to be challenged by their righteous rivals FC Barcelona. Now take the best wingbacks from the two sides and place them in a team, and you’ve got, Brazil! Was that really that difficult to imagine? Think not. Dani Alves’ future may not look bright with FC Barcelona, but even at this age, he is able to slice up the opposition’s midfield, operating up to the box almost by himself. Alves is one guy who has impressed me even off the grounds, you may want to watch the Vamos Zlatan video in this regard, as Alves shows off his incredible rap speech. Ever since his days in Sevilla FC, Dani Alves was considered to be a specialist in counter attacking; he was being compared to his other counterpart, Phillip Lahm. Oh wait!
Check out the heatmap as generated by Alves’ presence during the World Cup of 2014, as it is clear that he runs all the way up to Hulk’s natural position to drift crosses and fills up the centre space, close to Luiz and Silva, whenever either of them leave the space to push up the attack:
Marcelo on the other hand, has had a great life ever since he decided to quit Fluminense for Real Madrid CF. Following the stride of his legendary national hero Roberto Carlos to Real Madrid, Marcelo has been in a stunning shape sans the Carlos freekicks. Well, that is near inaccessible. You can already find the penetration in the Brazilian team, especially on the left wing, operated by Neymar Jnr. and Marcelo, which was missing in the South African World Cup, with Michel Bastos doing a clumsy job. Marcelo’s greatest strength is his streamlined crosses that become an asset to any team operating with a lone striker like Brazil. His Ball Recovery combined with Assists record bring about a complete Wingback role in his shoes. Godspeed Marcelo:
Reason #4: The return of Luis Gustavo and a possible Dante
Oh how badly I missed Luis Gustavo’s focused midfield management in the game against Colombia, Gustavo is Brazil’s Mr. Dependable, the Wall. He was ripping apart the overcrowded Croatian side into pieces, with his flashes of experience and hard work. He was making all the moves for Oscar easy to reach out. He is what makes the likes of Neymar and Hulk involve more fluidly in the attacking spree, while he holds the midfield line uptight with minimal error. Gustavo currently plays for the German club Wolfsburg and will know a thing or two about breaking the German midfield. He is confident and aggressive in engaging tackles and comes out clean in some of the strangest of them all. I would replace Mikel Arteta with Luis Gustavo at Arsenal FC any given day, he reminds me of Gilberto Silva so very much. With no suspension to hold him back now unless a Red Card, I think Gustavo will be at his rocksolid best for this match, caring less for a minor Yellow Card offense. Be scared Germany, be very scared.
“Hey, hey, Sleep Now in the Fire!” Pardon me, Dante reminds me of one of my favourite bands of all time – Rage Against the Machine, because of his similarity to the RATM frontman. He’s been a late bloomer but is definitely a decisive stopper and a master game breaker. He has been in an incredible shape at his club FC Bayern Munchen, under one of the most defensive minded bosses of all time, Pep Guardiola. His knowledge of the German offense totally turns on the decision ‘Who is going to replace Thiago Silva?’ in his favour. Dante is a brilliant observer and can smell attack even before it takes place, rest is simply Brazilian blood and magic. Hope Scholari doesn’t do a Deschamps and play Henriques ahead of Dante. Here’s a dip at Dante’s year at FC Bayern Munchen:
Reason #5: Neymar’s Gap
Despite the random rage tweets directed at me and other Brazil supporters regarding the loss of Neymar, I’d still say, it’s gonna pass away right in front of your eyes. You can blame Argentina for depending wholly on Lionel Messi for its passes and magic, the reason why they’ve been at their defensive best this tournament, but Brazil plays together, bleeds together. You cannot oust the likes of Hulk and Oscar while their midfield operates with magic and aggression. The left flank has been clinical of late, because Marcelo and Neymar have paired up so well at times. But different times call for different measures, and I’m sure below everything that touches this, there is a master plan. Some random hero will emerge out of the gap and steer the nation towards its home ground victory. A lesser known Bernard, a hugely underrated Ramires, a left back in disguise Felipe Luis? Who knows what is to come out of this emergency, but if they play their hearts for Neymar’s glory, sure will they achieve the cup from here on. A hundred beating hearts at Belo Horizonte and a millions sitting in front of their television set, you simply can’t mark Brazil. Because mark my words, if Brazil manages to surpass the Germans, they’re surely going to win the next. This match is going to be my FIFA World Cup 2014 Final.
Amen.
