Richarlison wakes up Brazil

Brazil burst into Qatar with two faces.

A bland Brazil creaking in the middle gave way to a more nuclear and corporate Brazil.

Enough to send Serbia into the gutter, well encapsulated from the start but broken as soon as the Canarinha went up in gear.

Then, with Vinicius in the middle, Richarlison closed the game with a simple goal and a great goal to rewind and rewind.

Brazil had little grace until the second half, even though from the beginning it was the Brazil of Neymar, Vinicius, Raphinha and Richarlison.

That is to say, a Canarinha for the uncovering and another to shield those who fly with little return.

Or almost none, as in the case of Neymar, from skidding to skidding before so many Serbian traps, a more combative than ingenious team that ran out of rope when little by little his rival became more recognizable.

Tite's selection hangs on a handful of soloists, which isn't a trifle considering the resources of the squad.

But the thread is missing.

In some phases of the matches the four of the cavalry —Neymar, Richarlison, Vinicius and Raphinha— go free, which forces the rest to contain themselves.

Someone has to do it, in the case of Casemiro and Paquetá.

And from the sides —Danilo and Alex Sandro— who act as bodyguards for Raphinha and Vinicius, respectively.

The extremes sometimes withdraw, but they have no other vocation than to look ahead.

And only with Casemiro and Paquetá as beacons, the team lacks a certain government.

Brazil does not articulate the game, it is activated as soon as the ball drifts towards its forwards.

Faced with such an illustrious attacker, Dragan Stojkovic, the Serbian coach —who as a footballer condemned Spain in Italy 90 with a great goal from a direct free kick—, spread the minefield.

An idea: superiorities in all lines except the vanguard, where Serbia did not say a word.

Not before Richarlison lit up, not after.

Against Brazil, it was not the day.

He had to cut the cables to the adversary jointly.

He did it for an hour, which it took for the great World Cup champion to refine his attack and hit his lines much more.

Brazil, with that 4-2-4, will accelerate.

Take the ball as soon as possible to the front four so that they look for the beans.

Vinicius and Raphinha sprinted along the wings, but without an end point because the team still had not found Richarlison.

Back then, the Tottenham striker looked like an outsider.

Nothing presaged the main role of him in the outcome of the meeting.

That yes, without the ball the subordinate Richarlison was delayed more than Neymar to help in the administration.

Question of hierarchies.

The first notice of the night was from Neymar, who tested the Galician Milinkovic-Savic with a direct corner kick with very bad luck.

The man from Ourense by birth did not let himself be caught and had reflexes.

The same as he was vigilant when he challenged Vinicius after a mathematical pass from Thiago Silva.

The Serbian goalkeeper did not lack for a cut, and he also frustrated Raphinha on a couple of occasions.

Without Vlahovic for an hour – the Juventus striker has had recent physical problems – Alisson, Brazil's goalkeeper, had a most dull night.

The second act took a turn.

Already a Brazil with more roll-up and hook, with more crowded lines and another volume.

Pikes began to fall on Serbia, he could not cope with the broom.

Nor Milinkovic-Savic, the goalkeeper, again enlightened against Raphinha.

Alex Sandro —with the waning of time the full-backs were already adding up— hit Serbia's right post with a left-footed whiplash.

Goal prelude.

Richarlison's goal, which finally emerged in the game, had its crumb.

Neymar launched himself against the Serbian trench, a control went slightly long already inside the area and when he wanted to rescue the ball Vinicius swept it away, who never lacked impudence.

The madridista's warped shot was cleared as best it could by Milinkovic-Savic and the ball landed at Richarlison's feet with the goal fully ventilated.

The best of Richarlison was yet to come.

Brazil unleashed, Vinicius once again left his mark, a clinician to filter the ball to Richarlison.

The striker controlled with his right foot, the ball jumped while he did an acrobat turn and holed out in flight.

A goal to frame.

Tite withdrew him shortly after, while he had to replace Neymar after being treated by the medical services.

Neymar's ankle, after leaving the pitch this Thursday in the match against Serbia at the Lusail stadium, in Qatar.GIUSEPPE CACACE (AFP)

Brazil has a fishing ground, so Rodrygo and Antony, the quick and skilled winger from Manchester United, entered.

Serbia had collapsed for a long time when Casemiro bounced the ball off Milinkovic-Savic's crossbar, who still had to solve more than one problem against an already thrown opponent.

The other Brazil, the one that accelerated, the most generous and altruistic, was too much for Milinkovic-Savic and his comrades.

Subscribe here

Classification