Why is Brazil and Germany such a bad situation?

 Why is Brazil and Germany such a bad situation?

Danilo of Brazil and Sadio Mane of Senegal in action during the International Friendly between Brazil and Senegal at Estadio Jose Alvalade on June 20, 2023(Getty)

The total number of World Cup titles between the two teams is nine. However, both teams are currently struggling. We are talking about Brazil and Germany. The former champions have not shown any indication of a comeback after their World Cup failures. Even Brazil, who bid farewell to the tournament in the quarter-finals, hasn't been able to hire a coach. They have lost in two out of three matches after the World Cup.

Pape Gueye of Senegal controls the ball during the International Friendly match betwen Brazil and Senegal at Estadio Jose Alvalade on June 20, 2023(Getty)

Similarly, Germany, who exited the last two World Cups in the first round, is also not finding the path to a comeback. They have won only three out of their last eleven matches. The situation and poor performances of both teams have raised concerns among their supporters. The question is, how long will it take for Brazil and Germany to recover from their bad times? Next year, Brazil will face the Copa America and Germany will have the Euro challenge. Can these two teams return as powerhouses before that?

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Brazil seems like an unknown entity

Let's revisit the Brazil-South Korea match from last year, which took place on December 6. On that day, Brazil secured their spot in the quarter-finals of the World Cup by defeating the Asian team 4-1. Brazil scored four goals within 36 minutes of the match, including one magical goal by Richarlison. After that match, Brazil seemed even more unstoppable in the World Cup.

Some gave credit to Seleção's luck for becoming champions. However, it didn't take much time to realize that Brazil's dominance in football was no illusion. It became evident in the next match against Croatia. Despite losing that match, Brazil bid farewell to the five-time world champions in a heartbreaking way. That defeat was primarily a sign of Brazil's football crisis.

After that defeat, Brazil's coach stepped down. Even though Brazil had to suffer the consequences of the loss, they still couldn't fill that void. Currently, the interim coach, Ramon Menezes, is handling the team. Under his leadership, Brazil lost in two matches. The golden jersey team started their journey after the World Cup with a 2-1 defeat against Morocco. Then, even though they lost 4-1 against Guinea, they faced another defeat against Senegal on Tuesday night. Brazil lost that match with a 4-2 scoreline.

However, the bigger question arises regarding the style of football Brazil is playing or the tactics they are using to take their football forward. It indicates more significant troubles lying ahead for Brazil in the coming days. After bidding farewell to Tite, who was their coach, several names have been mentioned, including Luis Enrique, Jose Mourinho, and Carlo Ancelotti. At that time, there were debates between local and foreign coaches. However, the Brazilian Football Confederation (CBF) began the path of hiring foreign coaches. Currently, only Ancelotti remains in the race to become Brazil's coach.

But Brazil has not been able to hire Ancelotti either. This Italian coach is now at Real Madrid. He will not go anywhere until the end of the contract in June 2024. Even in such a situation, Brazil wants him. Perhaps the authorities are willing to wait for another year. In the meantime, it seems that the Italian coach has also given verbal consent. So, Brazil will have to wait until July next year to have Ancelotti as a coach. In other words, before taking on the responsibility, Ancelotti will start the Copa America in the United States.

During the tournament, surely Ancelotti will not take on the role of coach. In that case, it will be up to the managers to lead Brazil to win the Copa. There is enough doubt about whether the goal of winning the Copa with the managers will be achieved or not. And leaving the team in the hands of an interim coach for a long time is definitely not a wise decision. Apart from that, there is also doubt whether two years are enough for World Cup preparations. When Ancelotti takes charge, there will be quite a few matches for World Cup selection. Regardless of whether the team's performance is good or bad, both can be a cause of concern for the Real Madrid coach. It can be said that Ancelotti will take on the responsibility in a somewhat turbulent time.

In 2018 World Cup, the image of the Brazilian team was certainly different. Despite the disappointment, the CBF decided to have faith in Tite. Right from the beginning, this Brazilian coach focused on building the team for the next World Cup. Out of the 11 players who played in the first three matches after the World Cup, 9 were present in the Qatar World Cup from the start. The other two were Vinicius and Rafinha.

On the contrary, the manager struggled to integrate the star-studded team, unlike Brazil. After the World Cup, he consecrated a total of 11 players in three friendly matches. Just like the 18-year-old inside rock, there is also 28-year-old Renio. Brazil is somewhat unpredictable. It can be seen as a warning sign against Morocco and Senegal. If these issues are not resolved quickly, bigger troubles await the team.

When will Germany wake up from its slumber?

Ilkay Gundogan of Germany during the Friendly Interland match between Germany and Colombia at the Veltins-Arena on June 20, 2023(Getty)

Germany's problem is certainly not like Brazil's. The ghost of failure in the 2018 World Cup may not be dispelled even in 2022 for the four-time world champions. After Russia, they had to bid farewell to the tournament from the first round in Qatar. Even the setback in the World Cup couldn't break Germany's inertia. In the five matches after the World Cup, Germany has only won one, and that was against Peru. That too against their opposition.

In these matches, they lost three and drew one. The coach, Hansi Flick, has been left with such a performance by the team that he cannot explain. Such explanations by the coach are not convincing the supporters. Both sides have heard enough about it.

Luis Diaz of Colombia and Malick Thiaw of Germany battle for the ball during the international friendly match between Germany and Colombia at Veltins-Arena on June 20, 2023(Getty)

For the success of the German team, the hunger that characterized them has completely disappeared from this team. There is no indication of any desire to show something in the players' performances. However, the team needs to come out of this situation quickly. Flick has said about turning things around. He said, "In this phase, we need to turn things around. In September, we have to show a different performance. We will see a different team then. The results will also come. We are confident that we have a good team and good players."

The trend of moving away from that rhythm after the World Cup can be seen. However, Flick's team lacks youthful faces. In the match against Colombia, only Jamal Musiala and Malik Thiaw were 21 years old or younger. Apart from that, Flick has tried the team in multiple formations in the last few matches. All of these have had a significant impact on the team's performance. Flick has very little time in his hands. He needs to quickly gather the team and return to the path of victory. Otherwise, he and the German team will be waiting for various troubles.